Description
In Sweetwater, noble families carry on a legacy of unique powers, known as "sweets," passed down through bloodlines. These abilities, woven into the city's daily life, define status and influence. Among these families, the Graves were once a respected lineage of detectives, though their reputation has crumbled after generations without a single power. Unlike the other nobles who wield their abilities as marks of superiority, the Graves have no supernatural gift to protect or elevate them, relegating them to near obscurity. Nero Graves has grown up under the weight of his family's faded legacy and Sweetwater's indifference. Now, at eighteen, he's recently qualified as a lawyer, determined to prove himself in a society where power is everything. When a young man's body is discovered in a narrow alley, Nero is given the case as a formality-an insignificant investigation that the city's elite, each with powerful sweets, dismissed as beneath them. But as Nero digs deeper, he uncovers chilling clues and testimonials that hint at a conspiracy woven into the very fabric of Sweetwater's nobility. What should have been a straightforward case reveals fragments of betrayal, hidden alliances, and secrets that reach the highest echelons of the city. With each discovery, Nero becomes further entangled in a dangerous web, and his investigation begins to draw the attention of Sweetwater's elite. Powerless yet relentless, he has only his wit, legal knowledge, and tenacity to guide him, putting him at risk of becoming the next victim in a dark, hidden legacy. As Nero edges closer to the truth, he realizes he's no longer simply seeking justice-he's uncovering secrets that some would kill to keep buried. And as he inches closer, he must decide if he has the strength to face what lies ahead or if some truths are better left undisturbed.
Chapter 1: Starting at Zero
