Esperance
An Inheritance of the Fallen Short Story
To the wealthy, the Shikar Ring is the shining beacon of Humanity’s triumph. For everyone else, it’s a suffocating, crime-riddled hellscape.
Avilena Carneiros once lived at the top — wealth, power, and privilege were hers to command. But now, betrayed and forced into destitution after her family’s murder, she is a shadow, scavenging to survive. When a Colonial Lottery ticket lands in her hands, everything changes with the chance of escape.
Her dream is shattered when she’s thrust into a deadly chase. Hunted by the relentless Internal Security Forces, while facing the looming threat of indentured servitude; Avilena must resurrect the cold, calculating persona she thought she’d left behind.
Esperance is a pulse-pounding tale – Will Avilena find her freedom, or will the Ring crush her once and for all?