The Primal Rift
by Paul Vanhoutteghem

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Cordelia has survived monsters, magic, and the terrifying opening of the Chaos Portal, but Ataraxia is still breaking apart. When she and her friends find Lykos, one of the missing Guardians, in the Great Library of Ataraxia, they hope he’ll finally have the answers they need. Instead, they discover a deeper danger: hidden books, buried histories, mirror gods, and a Church of Serenity determined to protect peace—even if that means concealing the truth. With Drel, Pema, Kief, and Lykos at her side, Cordelia’s search leads from golden cathedrals and enchanted forests to a frozen lake and the secret world of the waveborn. Along the way, old allies return, new bonds are tested, and the line between order and chaos grows harder to see. The Primal Rift has opened, and its power is tearing through the world one disaster at a time. To close it, Cordelia and her friends must face corrupted Guardians, ancient magic, and a force strong enough to reshape Ataraxia itself. But the closer they get to the truth, the more personal the danger becomes, and the more she realizes that saving the world may cost her the people she loves most.

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Paul Vanhoutteghem studied drama at the University of Lethbridge, where he was awarded second place in 2020’s Play Right contest for his play, Askopos. His interest in drama, his love of fantasy adventure stories, and his extensive experience creating worlds through tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons eventually inspired him to build his own characters, and soon those characters took him on the journey that led to The Chaos Portal (2022), The Shadow Brand (2024), and The Primal Rift. With his red hair, pale skin, and inability to digest garlic, he has been told that he is the closest thing you’ll find to a real-life vampire. When he’s not writing, Paul enjoys board games, walks in nature, theatre, and spending time with friends. Paul lives in Calgary, Alberta, with his wife, Emma, and their cat.

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Contributors

Author

Paul Vanhoutteghem

Artist

Sarah Gregory

Artist

Day Chase