The Molten Sugar Gambit

In the shimmering city of Cindrel, where spun-sugar skyscrapers pierce the clouds and enchanted confections whisper secrets, the tyrannical Dessert Guild reigns supreme.  They hoard the magic of sugar, reserving its life-altering power for the elite while the masses starve for its touch.  Elara Mallory knows this injustice intimately.  The Guild’s ruthless machinations crushed her family’s bakery, stealing their innovative recipes and leaving a bitter residue of loss.  But Elara harbors a secret, a forgotten art of molten sugar sculpting, imbued with a raw, untamed magic capable of reshaping her world.
From the clandestine glow of her hidden workshop, Elara crafts desserts that mend wounds and soothe souls. Whispers of her extraordinary creations reach Guildmaster Lucian Thorne, a man whose heart is as brittle as winter candy. Sensing both a threat and an opportunity, Thorne summons Elara to the legendary Sugar Trials, a perilous competition designed to expose her secrets and extinguish her burgeoning rebellion.
Driven by a burning desire to reclaim her family’s honor and liberate Cindrel, Elara accepts the challenge.  She braves scorching sugar deserts, navigates crystalline ice palaces, and appeases capricious Cloud Shepherds with her innovative desserts.  Each trial reveals not only the depths of her own power, but also the extent of the Guild's corruption.
Along the way, Elara forges unlikely alliances. Rhys Thorne, the Guildmaster's estranged son and a gifted alchemist, is torn between loyalty and his growing fascination with Elara's rebellious spirit. Imani, a street urchin with an uncanny ability to taste magic, becomes Elara's fierce protector, guiding her through the city's treacherous underbelly.
As Elara advances, she uncovers a startling truth: her family's recipes are not mere culinary creations. They hold the key to a primal sugar magic, a force capable of shattering the Guild’s iron grip.  Thorne's obsession with her family's legacy takes on a sinister new dimension, hinting at a dark connection to their downfall.  With Cindrel's fate hanging in the balance, Elara must unleash the full power of her molten sugar magic in a final, dazzling gambit.  Can she ignite a revolution and transform Cindrel into a city where sweetness is shared by all, or will the Guild’s bitter reign crush her and her dreams forever?