The shadow of the looming invasion seems as inevitable as time and death themselves. Although Ben killed an Enochian, the victory goes uncelebrated. The Voidsweeper was destroyed, and Ben must fight against despair after the death of his friends. He finds himself increasingly alone in the fight for humanity's survival despite the prospect of new alliances. Ben and Mimir are close to unlocking the secrets of the Enochians, only to discover that there may be more already on Earth. The war in Ænæria presses on. Queen Rose rides on waves of victory only to suffer a crushing blow. Now she must silence the demons within her and suffer the weight of the crown. Arynn vies for control in Vänalleato. A conspiracy gnaws at her mind, and the unseasoned legate learns that not all are happy with her rise to power. Following the acquisition of new weapons from the Vault across the Shimmering Sea, King Randolph orchestrates an endgame for his enemies, and Sam questions her place amid her uncle's ravenous thirst for destruction. In the third act of The Vault Guardian, treachery lurks around every corner. Truth wanes in the darkness of power. Time and death are the only constants in a battle against both. All may be for naught if the Enochians arrive only to find that humanity has left behind nothing but Scorched Earth.