When Aranwen's sister, Ashken, commits suicide, her whole life tumbles and falls.
Her mother is in the hospital, her father in war, her life in ruins.
Her friend Lundos takes her in to his place, takes care of her and, eventually, falls in love with her.
In her world, once you turn 17, a chip gets implanted in your brain, except that some side effects are deadly, including strokes and permanent damage to your iris, turning it purple and eventually black, prohibiting you to see forevermore. The government tries to cover up, yet Aranwen knows what is happening inside her home town.
But Aranwen knows that she can't change anything.
And she knows that everything that falls must shatter.
Ella is falling apart trying to live a "perfect" high school life. Then she meets Ren, who can see past her scars. Suddenly perfection isn't her only option.
*****
Ella Volkov is a gifted music student, but she's depressed and starting to crack under the pressure of high school. Her overbearing father won't even let her choose what instrument she plays. Then she finds herself alone at a party with Ren, her best friend's crush. She'd always thought he was rude, but after that night he's all Ella can think about. Now she's trapped. If Ella dates Ren, it will ruin her friendship with Jenny. But if she stays true to Jenny, she's losing the one person who can see past her scars. It's up to Ella to decide if she will forge her own path, or stay in the "perfect" box designed for her...
Content and/or Trigger Warning: depression, anxiety, self-harm, violence, sexual assault.
[[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]