Three months after Zero's treacherous secret was exposed and tore apart the core members of the Aconites, Dyvris is now a graveyard of shattered trust and pipe dreams. Haunted by the Agency's experiments and the Purity Syndicate's hate crimes, the streets flicker with neglected neon signs, broken glass glittering around abandoned buildings. Once conceited and brash, the criminals have lost their right to call themselves rulers of the city. They're dregs, parasites, and not even worth the illusion of respect any longer.

The Scavenger hasn't been sighted since the Syndicate's attack on his city, and his deranged right-hand man seems to have disappeared from this urban wasteland entirely, leaving behind no bodies or echoes of laughter. Even the Ace of Crowns card hasn't shown itself; Didier Whiston was the last person to receive one. In the eyes of the Damned, the Aconites are as good as the remains that vultures feast on in the desert. While they crumble, the Agency lurks in the shadows of their home, waiting for the killing strike.