Arelia was a democracy-until the contamination changed everything.One hundred fifty-seven years ago, a contaminant spread through the water supply, forever altering the people of Arelia. Those who survived became the Behtari: a superior race marked by golden-flecked eyes and inhuman abilities. Now they rule the New Republic with absolute control. Luna was raised to serve that system without question. As a government operative, her role is simple: obey, enforce, survive. And she has spent her entire life doing exactly that. But when her birthday celebration ends in tragedy, Luna is driven into the path of the Resistance-and a human woman who challenges everything she thought she understood about the Republic, the Behtari, and herself. As the truth behind the gamma-wave genetic shift and the Republic's foundations begin to unravel, Luna finds her loyalty pulled in two directions. What would it mean to be truly free? And how much is she willing to risk on the slim chance she might find out? In a world that relies on obedience, questioning the system is dangerous. But the greatest threat to the New Republic may be the human who makes Luna want more. Will Luna protect the regime that forged her? Or help destroy it forever?