In a world where only the genetically enhanced are meant to survive, fifteen-year-old Deklan is already dead—she just doesn’t know it yet.

The One World Federation has ended the decades-long global war, seized control, and reset civilization to "Year Zero." But the Federation’s victory comes with a hidden genocide—wiping out all who aren’t genetically perfected. This includes NaturalBorn Deklan.

When Deklan’s mother vanishes under mysterious circumstances, Deklan barely escapes execution and goes on the run to find her mom, seeking refuge in The Sixth—a seemingly underground settlement of animal-human hybrid experiments. There, she discovers the horrifying truth: her estranged father, the Federation’s most powerful geneticist, created The Sixth—and its enslaved subterranean workers—as part of a monstrous experiment.

But the deeper Deklan digs, the darker the conspiracy gets. Her father isn’t just rewriting evolution—he’s erasing the past. When Deklan breaches the government fortress, she uncovers clones of her family who have no memory of Deklan, a rogue AI designed to replace humanity, and a plan to trigger a volcanic winter that will wipe the planet clean for a genetically superior elite. More personally, she learns the truth about why her father always hated her—not because she is genetically inferior—she was never his to begin with. Deklan’s a living reminder of her mom’s one true love, a legacy her father could never replace. Deklan learns her and her father are more alike than she knew:  They both always believed they were never good enough.

Now, Deklan has one shot to stop the global reset. But infiltrating the AI-driven Collective means sacrificing everything, including her own freedom. As the clock counts down to global extinction, Deklan must outthink a machine and outmaneuver a monster, relying on the very imperfections she once believed made her less-than.

Because in a world that sees her as disposable, Deklan’s about to prove she’s unstoppable.

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Thank you for visiting this page. Please contact me, if you are interested in reading more. A paid journalist since age 14, I built my career covering science and technology, distilling complex ideas into compelling narratives. Now, I’m eager to push creative boundaries, bringing that same precision and storytelling expertise to high-concept, marketable fiction. If you're an agent looking for a writer who can deliver sharp, engaging work on deadline—I’m ready to dive in.

It is worth noting, I wrote this with my two teens in mind who identify as LGBTQIA+. They are interested in reading more aroace characters experiencing deep relationships without all the … slobber. And they are my first and best beta readers.