Wren is a highly competitive dead soul studying at Blackwood Academy in purgatory. Driven by perfectionism, she aims to secure a Decennial nomination to become an Ascended and escape the dreaded Forgetting. Though she projects a strict adherence to rules, she harbors an underlying curiosity and carries deep guilt over a fatal car accident from her mortal life.

Augustine is an older soul who has resided at Blackwood Academy for over a century, cultivating a fearsome and cynical reputation to keep others at a distance. He frequently clashes with Wren, using their rivalry to mask his true motivations and hidden emotional depths. His standoffish exterior hides his strategic mind and his complex ties to forces beyond the academy.

Silas is the formidable and manipulative leader of Blackwood Academy who orchestrates the high-stakes Decennial Festival. He maintains strict authority over the purgatorial institution, using pardons, threats, and promises of nomination to coerce students into compliance. He frames himself as the protector of the school against external threats like the Demien Order.

Irene is a ruthlessly pragmatic and ambitious student who views Blackwood's rules as mere suggestions. Haunted by a traumatic mortal past with her mother, she believes that acquiring power and maintaining emotional detachment are the only ways to survive. She utilizes her formidable magical skills to dominate her peers and is willing to entertain forbidden alliances to secure her victory.

Olivier is a flamboyant and witty student whose carefree, theatrical demeanor hides a profound existential terror. Having been at the academy longer than most of his peers, he is secretly beginning to experience the Forgetting, a process that erases mortal memories. He drinks heavily to numb his anxieties while desperately seeking a Decennial nomination to preserve his identity.

Emilio is a studious and timid newcomer who struggles with feelings of unworthiness following his mortal death by accidental overdose. He immerses himself in the library's ancient texts to compensate for his lack of physical prowess and reaping skills. Guided by his innate empathy, he slowly discovers his own courage within the high-stakes environment of the Decennial.

Masika is an exceptionally skilled practitioner of defensive magic residing in Ivory House. She serves as the moral anchor for her best friend Irene, constantly trying to temper Irene's ruthless ambition with appeals to empathy. She carries deep grief over losing her former girlfriend to the Demien Order, which fuels her cautious nature and distrust of forbidden magic.

Louise is a new soul whose rare, off-schedule arrival at Blackwood Academy disrupts the usual order. After displaying uncontrolled, dangerous shadow magic upon landing, she draws the immediate attention of both the student body and the administration. She appears innocent and highly inquisitive, though she struggles with severe physical tolls when casting basic spells.

Mateo is a mysterious boy who operates within the academy walls despite his affiliation with the forbidden Demien Order. He possesses dark shadow magic that writhes through his veins and seeks to recruit ambitious students by offering them power that bypasses Blackwood's restrictions.

Nick is a student at Blackwood Academy chosen as one of the twelve nominees for the Decennial competition. He faces the brutal reality of the trials when magical healing is suspended.

Liza is a friendly member of the Ball Committee who is later selected as one of the twelve nominees for the Decennial. She is deeply terrified by the psychological horrors presented in the first trial.

Georgia is a gossiping student at Blackwood Academy who is selected to compete as one of the twelve Decennial nominees.

Carter is a student at Blackwood Academy who is selected to compete as one of the twelve Decennial nominees.

Jocelyn is a student and Decennial nominee who competes in the grueling trials. She faces intense psychological challenges as the maze preys on her deepest fears.

Tristan is a student in illusionary magic who makes casual assumptions about the relationships of his peers. He is chosen as a Decennial nominee and faces terrifying doppelgängers in the trials.

Calligan is a housemaster at Blackwood Academy who teaches illusionary magic. He oversees rigorous exams where students must dismantle magical constructs before being consumed by them.

Birdie is a housemaster at Blackwood Academy who helps enforce the strict rules and curfews imposed on the students, often patrolling the grounds to maintain order.

Wesley is a housemaster who teaches Mind Alteration classes, instructing students on how to breach and defend mental wards.

Russo is a housemaster who oversees corporeal magic classes. He steps in to enforce discipline and end overly brutal duels between aggressive students.

Violet is the housemaster of Ivory House. She is notably more lenient than her colleagues when it comes to minor infractions.

Catherine is Masika's former girlfriend who was lost to the Demien Order. Her tragic fate and the rambling, blood-written notes she left behind heavily influence Masika's cautious worldview.

Hexley is an arrogant student at Blackwood Academy who suffers severe, long-lasting injuries after provoking Irene during a magical duel.

Maya is a helpful student at Blackwood Academy who looks out for her peers. She later displays disturbing memory lapses regarding eliminated students.

Keira is a student who fails an illusionary magic exam and suffers the terrifying psychological effects of the magic, requiring recovery in the infirmary.

Scarlett is a student at Blackwood Academy who attends the Decennial Ball as Olivier's date, an arrangement made primarily for social appearances.

Maeve is Wren's deceased sister. Her death in a car crash during their mortal lives is the source of Wren's profound guilt and recurring night terrors.

Edith is Augustine's sister and a significant figure connected to his past. She possesses a deep understanding of ancient prophecies and exerts a powerful influence over her brother's clandestine actions.