Next week sees the release of 5 Worlds: The Emerald Gate, the concluding chapter of the five-book series from writers Mark Siegel & Alexis Siegel and artists Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, and Boya Sun. Published by Random House under their Books for Young Readers imprint, the sci-fi fantasy series follows a trio of young adventurers on a quest to find and light five beacons to save multiple worlds. Today The Beat is pleased to present an exclusive preview of the graphic novel, which finds our heroes in search of the final beacon.

Here’s how Random House describes 5 Worlds: The Emerald Gate:

In the epic conclusion to the 5 Worlds series, the final battle looms as Oona, Jax, and An Tzu travel to the treacherous world of Grimbo (E)! There, Oona must light the last beacon to save the 5 Worlds, but first she has to find it! When Jax saves an old friend, Oona is given a clue to the green beacon’s location.

Unfortunately, the journey to lighting it on this strange, watery planet is the most dangerous yet. Meanwhile, Stan Moon has one more trick up his sleeve as his frightening powers and mysterious connection to An Tzu continue to grow. How can Oona ever hope to beat him? Can she count on her friends or will a terrible betrayal mean the 5 Worlds will be lost to evil forever?

The 5 Worlds series of graphic novels launched in 2017, with new volumes every year since. In a message to The Beat, writer Mark Siegel, who is also the founder and Creative & Editorial Director of First Second Books, described the evolution of the series leads, and where the final book finds them in their journey:

As we approach the series finale, the 5 Worlds saga has clocked in a thousand pages, seeing our heroes Oona, An Tzu, and Jax face multiple world and self transformations. Their appearances have gone through radical alterations, and their inner beings even greater changes. Through it all, they have bonded around a great quest to save their universe, with occasional discord about how exactly that should be done. With THE EMERALD GATE, they face their greatest challenge, and their greatest transformation yet.

Check out the exclusive four-page preview of 5 Worlds: The Emerald Gate below. The hardcover middle grade graphic novel arrives in bookstores next Tuesday, January 18th, and in comic shops the following Wednesday, January 19th.