Inquisitor Erasmus Crowl learns of the existence of a terrible conspiracy, the threads of which lead to the highest echelons of power on Terra. His investigation is fraught with risk, but the inquisitor's sense of duty compels him to act. Together with his acolyte Spinoza, he secretly follows the trail, knowing that danger lurks around every corner. But just as they get closer to the solution, a new threat appears: the Great Rift splits the Galaxy in two. The madness that gripped the inhabitants of Terra and threatened to tear the planet apart did not escape the citadel of Crowl himself. The fortress was badly damaged as a result of a surprise attack. Will Crowl be able to remain true to himself at the dawn of a new bloody era, when the whole world is ready to collapse? Will he survive the encounter with the nightmare that lives in the heart of the Hollow Mountain?