The Heavens Are Empty

The world is shrouded in darkness and bitter cold.
The flame is the most valuable thing in existence.
It is light and warmth. It is a treasure, and also a currency. It is a lifeline.

Born in the slums of the capital city, Birdie was raised by a family of other orphaned children not much older than himself. Every day of their lives was spent searching, begging, and stealing; anything to stay alive.

When Birdie's older sister Ranine is offered a position at a brothel in the city's second quarter, she cannot refuse. Her only condition: Birdie is to join her. He is the youngest, the most sheltered, the most spoiled. And Ranine has made it her life's goal to protect him.
Swept into a new world, far from the rest of their family, they are given a new life and a purpose. Ranine's: to serve the patrons of the Rose Hotel. Birdie's: to observe. Hidden in plain sight, Birdie masquerades as a fellow escort deemed unsuitable for consumption.

After a near-fatal incident, Birdie finds himself on the receiving end of a powerful man's gratitude.
The problem, however, is what this man's attention does to Birdie, and how much he likes it. As the two men grow closer than Birdie ever thought possible, he finds his heart wandering into places previously unknown to him.

Not everything is as it seems, though. And not everyone is who they say they are. As Birdie falls further into these new feelings, he will find that some things are inescapable, no matter how hard we try. After all, love spares no one.