Monsters rule the surface. Secrets teem in the Underground. And one young woman may be the chosen weapon to destroy them both.

Abandoned by her father years ago, journalist Audrey Kelly now fears her partner is abandoning her, too. He’s blindsided her with the admission he won’t marry her. Embroiled in a heated argument, the couple is interrupted by ferocious beasts crash-landing in Ohio, screeching and attempting to annihilate everyone around them, including Audrey’s partner.

Audrey flees for her life and is rescued by a stranger who whisks her to safety through a hidden red door cut into the side of a mountain. It’s a portal to an underground shelter built by a secretive society, and Audrey is afforded food and a bedroom but is forbidden to explore. A good reporter doesn’t stop just because people say no, however, and when Audrey begins to investigate, she witnesses unsettling things: A man loses his leg only to walk the underground shortly thereafter, and people answer questions she’s never voiced aloud.

When Audrey unearths a crimson folder bearing her name, its secrets begin to peel back truths: Those in the underground harness supernatural powers and have unspeakable connections to her tragedies. What Audrey ultimately unleashes—or doesn’t—will mean the difference between life and death for those closest to her—and for the world.