Somatic Debt
In The Ward, suffering is not merely an unfortunate byproduct of existence; it is a commodity, meticulously harvested, refined, and traded.
Vala is a Siphon. Living in a cage built of suffering, her role is that of a delicate, agonizing instrument. When the elite request a "cleansing," Vala is summoned to absorb their pain into her own body. She is drowning in a sea of raw emotion, desperate for a moment of silence.
Toric is a Null. Existing in a unique state of non-being, he is completely detached from the physical sensations of the world. As an enforcer navigating the city's brutal underbelly, his detachment makes him indestructible, but he is secretly starved for any true feeling.
He is the only sanctuary where Vala can find respite from the psychic residue she carries. She is the only person who might awaken his deadened senses.
But during a late-night data retrieval session, the true horror of their world begins to unfurl. The harvested agony isn't just being sold; it is feeding a terrifying, ancient power-a dying god hidden in the shadows.
Now, Vala and Toric must confront the unseen Architects who control their city. They must choose between the eternal numbness that keeps them safe, or an awakening that could destroy them both.
He feels nothing. She feels everything. Together, they are the only cure for a sick world.
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