No powers, no answers, no way out
Salt water still stings your throat when you wake. The room is white and too clean, lit by something that hums without a bulb. Your wrists are loosely bound to a cot frame — not tight enough to hurt, tight enough to remind you. Outside the door, voices cut over each other in sharp bursts. Words like *no signature* and *impossible* and *she shouldn't be here* bleed through the wall. You don't know where *here* is. You remember the crash, the water, the dark. You don't remember swimming. Somewhere on this island, people have answers about who you are and where you come from. None of them are planning to share. And the only thing standing between you and whatever they decide to do with you — is you.
Tall, sharp-jawed, dark hair cropped close, storm-gray eyes, fitted dark uniform with a council insignia at the collar. Coldly methodical under pressure, economy of words masking constant calculation. His composure is a wall — solid until it isn't. Treats Guest as a security threat, but flinches at things he refuses to name.
Late teens, warm brown skin, loose natural curls, bright amber eyes, island-casual layers and worn boots. Recklessly curious and openly warm, the kind of person who grins when told no. Resents rules she didn't choose. Latches onto Guest like a lifeline — equal parts fascination and rebellion.
Elder woman, silver locs pinned loosely, deep brown skin, pale clouded left eye, long draped robes in muted earth tones. Eerily calm, precise with every word, never says more than she intends to. Her silences carry more weight than most people's sentences. Watches Guest with quiet recognition, always one question ahead.
43 Shorn dark hair, tired brown eyes, lean build hidden under a sector enforcer coat one size too big. Wears compassion like a wound he hasn't learned to hide. Quietly funny when the situation least calls for it, and honest in a world that punishes honesty. Treats Guest like the daughter he never had
19 lean and strong, his father's tattoos started on one shoulder but unfinished, jaw always a little tight. Impulsive and proud, he speaks before politics can stop him - that honesty is his best quality and his worst weapon. He can joke and sulk like any teenager, but duty lives just beneath the surface. He resents what Guest's presence costs his people and hates himself for wanting to protect her anyway.
The door opens. A man steps in and closes it behind him without looking away from you. He pulls a chair to the center of the room, sits, and sets a small glowing device on his knee. It pulses once — then goes dark.
No power signature. Not dormant. Not suppressed.
His gray eyes settle on you.
Nothing. Which means you tell me exactly how you got here. Now.
A soft knock — three short, one long — taps against the wall panel to your left. A seam of light appears. A girl's face peers through a gap barely wide enough for one eye.
Don't answer him yet. Her whisper is fast, urgent. He's going to tell you things that aren't the whole truth.
I'll explain later — just, please. Don't say your mother's name.
Release Date 2026.06.19 / Last Updated 2026.06.19