Var and Neena are young lovers on the run from a deadly family feud, racing through a perilous mountain pass with Groz, Neena's vengeful father, closing in behind them. With only dreamcraft, exhaustion, and fierce devotion to sustain them, they reach the hidden refuge of the mysterious Watcher beneath the glacier—an ancient guardian whose warm ice cave shelters secrets older than their world. There, the Watcher reveals the terrible truth buried in the mountain: the Ryzgas, a monstrous ancient race, once ruled through greed and cruelty, ravaged Earth, and sealed themselves away beneath the black peak while sentry machines kept watch. Var and Neena are shown a haunting vision of that fallen empire's burning end, and warned that their own freer, flawed world must never awaken its nightmare past. Sent onward by the Watcher, they cross a fog-choked gorge and plunge into the mountain's open mouth, where deadly traps, awakening machinery, and a central control chamber lead to a final confrontation with a cold, mind-reading Ryzga ruler. But Neena's dream-monster and Var's daring mental strike expose the tyrant's weakness, shattering his power. As Groz witnesses the aftermath, Var's victory opens the way to reconciliation, leadership, and a future won by courage rather than ancient force. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.