Cluster Edge Academy is not just any school; it is THE school, where the children of the elite gather to prepare for their roles in running a world where artificial soldiers and religious sects are major factors in the battle for total control. This may be part of why new transfer student Agate Fluorite doesn't quite seem to fit in. It is not just that Agate's enthusiastic attitude stands out among the somber, brooding balance of the student body. There is something about him that demands notice, even from jaded honors students like Beryl Jasper, and from the moment of arrival he has been at the center of a series of mysteries that not even Agate understands. Because Agate is not just another student; he is part of something so momentous and dangerous that the world that built Cluster Edge may not survive its passing.