Dust jacket, hardcover, painted edges, and endpaper artist: Ruthie ( @kkcoocool.bsky.social )
Interior illustrations: Marina Privalova

Available in stores May 2026—pre-order links below:

i’ve been waiting for 10 yrs for life so get better and to be happy but it’s just got fucking worse. u ever feel so sad it makes ur arms and chest ache. i’m rlly tired of that feeling

captive merlian and when hes in a tank in he xuans basement while theyre waiting for the fuss to die down some so they can get xie lian transported out of yong'an, he gets to sleep in a tucked away pseudo cave in the rock wall of it. but he still asks hua cheng to sit out by the glass until +