Beyond the Core

Beyond the Core By Leah Gess In a world divided by power and privilege, those without desirable abilities are cast out into the desolate Outskirts—left to survive in a wasteland of dust and despair. Zora, an 18-year-old exile, was discarded not because she was powerless, but because the Core feared what they couldn’t understand. When a brutal purge shatters the fragile existence she’s built, Zora’s buried strength erupts in a surge of uncontrollable power, tearing through the Core’s oppressive walls and thrusting her into the untamed wilderness beyond. With only a handful of outcasts by her side, Zora must navigate the dangers of the unknown—savage clans, whispers of an ancient prophecy, and the relentless pursuit of the Core’s forces determined to reclaim what they lost. As her abilities grow stronger, so does the truth she’s been running from: she may be the key to toppling the Core’s iron grip, but at what cost? Torn between trust and betrayal, survival and revolution, Zora must confront the darkness within herself and decide if she will be the spark that ignites a new world—or the force that destroys it.