Princess Zarya of Submeria was born to die. For generations, her kingdom has offered royals to the sea goddess Oya; sacrifices dressed in silk and silence, swallowed by the waves to keep the peace. Today was meant to be Zarya's Walk, the ritual death her mother met sixteen years ago. But when the ocean rises to claim her, Zarya does the unthinkable. She says no. Her defiance shatters a thousand years of tradition and unleashes the fury of the merfolk who rule the deep. But the merfolk are only the first wave, enforcers of a covenant forged by the Orisha themselves. In response, they demand a new tribute: five hundred human lives, men and women, young and pure and a royal blood among them. Submeria erupts into terror, and Zarya becomes the kingdom's curse, the girl who broke the covenant. But Zarya sees what her people refuse to admit: the gods are not protectors. They are predators. And her death would only feed their hunger. As storms tear across the sky and mermaid armies rise from the depths, Zarya is thrust into a world of ancient power, political betrayal, and a rebellion waiting to ignite. Zarya must confront the truth buried beneath her mother's sacrifice and the monstrous destiny the sea has planned for her. A Divine Purge has begun. Leading the charge is Shango, the god of thunder, who views humans not as children of God, but as a failed crop ready for harvest. As the oceans rise and the skies burn, a global war erupts between mortal warriors and the beings they once worshipped. To save her people, Zarya must join forces with the New Watchers , an ancient secret organization of elite warriors. Together, they must journey from the depths of the abyss to the peaks of Mount Aiye to find the one thing the deities fear: a way for humanity to strike back. Zarya must become something Submeria has never allowed a princess to be: A fighter. A leader. A threat. And the gods are not prepared for a girl who refuses to drown.