Sometimes They Hide

Cerulean had always known his life was a paradox. Born as something not fully human, he learned how to stay hidden, terrified of being exposed for what he truly is—something the world would burn alive if they knew. But when a chain of events drag him into a brutal power struggle amongst Requiem's leaders, he's forced into a game he never wanted to play. With no one he can fully trust—and a girl he is inexplicably drawn to—he finds himself teetering on the edge of survival. Sativa Catalina-Luar only ever wanted to matter. To be enough. For her parents—for a world that only values what it can use. But when chaos throws her world off balance—and into Cerulean's life—she's pushed into a reality she can't outrun. Each day strips something from her, forcing her to decide how much of herself she's willing to sacrifice for the people she loves. Watched. Marked. She finds herself trapped beneath the unblinking eye of the Til. As trust rots and secrets surface, their lives become entangled with others hiding their own monsters. In a world designed to break the vulnerable and reward the cruel, hiding is only a temporary mercy. Sooner or later, something has to break. And when it does, it won't be gentle.