A curious, impoverished boy experiments with a burning glass and, through study and mentorship by a stern scientist, develops a new energy called opalescence whose force can excavate mountains and annihilate life. As his power grows beyond expectation, he confronts the horror of having unleashed a planet-threatening technology and undertakes desperate efforts to avert global destruction. The account traces his scientific rise, moral anguish at the consequences of discovery, sacrificial attempts to save humanity, and the eventual loss surrounding his cosmic findings.