When a new patron at the library catches Tyler's sights, she doesn't expect the encounter to turn into much. But when she realizes that Clinton Dubsky, a PhD student at the local university, is translating a poem from a prior civilization, she's even more intrigued.

As Tyler works with Clint to translate the poem and find references for a lost world, she also excavates her own history through her grandmother's stories about society, painting with black market materials, and her own synesthesia.

As the two start a romance, Tyler finds her world changing even more. When Clint's academic friends, his work schedule, and the weight of history becomes too much, Tyler closes her eyes and imagines a future that she pulls from the dark.