"When all seems dark, I will light the way." On the world of Tellus there are two ways of doing things: the Old Way and the New Way. In the city of Portis-Montis, these two ways and their worlds collide. Hugh Geber is the alchemist at the University of Science and Progression. In a world where everyone follows the family career, he has found himself the last in line to carry the torch. When a meeting with Chancellor Robert James Smithson leaves him with an impossible deadline and a mysterious package, Hugh is left with no choice but to try and save the family name along with his job. Fate, however, is not on his side, and his world is turned upside-down. Now Hugh must not only fight for his place within the university, but also find out what lies behind the mysterious package before time runs out.