The Whisperwight of Varjakka

In the gilded city of Varjakka, where magical talent is both a blessing and a cage, Ilona Varkonyi is known as the 'Whisperwight' - a callous manipulator who uses her rare Umbral Weaving to ruin reputations and shatter dreams for the clandestine State Chancellery. Publicly despised but secretly a protector of the magically ungifted, she maintains her villainous cover with shy, stubborn resolve. Her latest target is Miklós Kallio, a gentle Glasswright whose burgeoning fame threatens to expose a state secret. Ilona carries out her orders, tarnishing his name and isolating him. Yet, Miklós, who should hate her, sees flickers of kindness beneath her icy facade. As he quietly investigates the Whisperwight, he uncovers a network of shadow-charities she secretly funds and a conspiracy far more dangerous than her manufactured villainy. With the true threat preparing to strike, can Miklós convince the world - and Ilona herself - of her true worth before her final, self-sacrificing act dooms them both?