The Price of Staying Alive

By Matthew Petchinsky

In a city where survival is no longer a right but a transaction, every breath comes with a cost-and every failure is paid in flesh. Lena Marr wakes each day to a system that charges for heat, water, medicine, and even safety, forcing impossible choices between pain now or death later. As her body begins to fail and her humanity is slowly stripped away piece by piece, she is drawn deeper into a hidden economy where memories are harvested, bodies are bartered, and suffering is the most valuable currency of all.

Beyond the illusion of order lies a darker truth: the system is not just controlling survival-it is feeding on it. Behind locked doors and beneath collapsing institutions, something ancient and patient thrives on desperation, growing stronger with every sacrifice made.

When Lena uncovers the beating heart of this nightmare-a machine powered by human loss-she is faced with a final choice: save herself by condemning countless others, or destroy the system entirely and unleash chaos upon what remains of the world.

But in a place where even identity can be taken, the most terrifying question remains:

What is left of you... when everything has already been paid?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GX2VM85H
• ISBN13: 9798295581137
• Release Date: April 2026
• Publisher: Apophis Enterprises LLC
• Length: 126 Pages
• Weight: 0.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"