In a world shattered by a cataclysmic nuclear detonation, Kriska navigates the ruins of a fractured Earth as she flees from her arms dealing mother. Seeking sanctuary and a chance at a new life, she seizes an ill-advised opportunity to work alongside an ex-guild bounty hunter and unwittingly plunges herself into the treacherous battlefield of guild politics. Gifted with the ability to sense death and perceive the grotesque monsters that lurk on the other side of the Wall of Life, Kriska becomes an unwitting hero in a race against time. As her journey unfolds, Kriska realizes that the Wall of Life is under assault, and she may be the only one who can save it. As she and her unlikely comrades navigate a world teetering on the precipice of chaos, they grapple with their own demons, forge unbreakable bonds, and confront the very essence of what it means to be human. Even in the darkest of times, hope can emerge, and heroes can rise.

Crystal doesn’t want to hurt anyone ever again—but she can’t seem to stop. Memories of the past haunt her every step as one more reminder that she will never be normal. A normal girl wouldn’t see dangerous secrets when she met someone’s eyes. A normal girl wouldn’t create elaborate technology to escape her boyfriend. A normal girl would go to school without hurting people.

When Crystal gets expelled again for fighting, a mysterious family friend sponsors her into a martial arts academy. There, she finds that she may not be the only one whose mind is different, and that those differences may be more powerful than anyone could have imagined.

Crystal has finally found a place where she belongs. Martial Academy—and the Agency that forms its foundation—is a sanctuary. 

When one of her newfound friends comes to her for help, Crystal realizes that not everything is as it seems. Neurotypicals are being taken off the street by creatures moving in the shadows. Old memories are shifting within the acrid smoke of burning minds. War with the Company looms on the horizon, while something far worse lurks just below the surface.