Contents
II. Hedonism — Reina
Overview
Reina and Callum operate from London, testing a joint method to extend Callum’s empathic influence using Reina’s power. While Callum needles Tristan through Adrian Caine’s family, Reina rejects caution and scales up to systemic change. At a Downing Street press event, she commits to driving reproductive autonomy nationwide by amplifying fear.
The chapter reframes stakes: the archives still demand a death, alliances fray, and Reina embraces high-impact manipulation despite risks from the Caines and the Society.
Summary
Reina wakes in a London hotel to a rambling voicemail from Nico and prods Callum to get moving. Callum fixates on texting Tristan with staged photos alongside Tristan’s half sister, Alys, provoking Reina’s warnings about Adrian Caine’s violent reprisals. Their banter exposes Callum’s calculated recklessness and Reina’s impatience with his games.
They debate the Society’s summons, Atlas’s history, and the archives’ demand for a sacrifice. Callum asserts someone from their cohort must still die, suggesting Tristan or Libby; Reina counters by considering Parisa and Dalton’s dangerous void research. The exchange hardens Reina’s resolve to act on her own agenda.
Reina outlines recent interventions she and Callum executed—pressuring a manufacturer to protect rainforest land and nudging a corporation toward unionization—then proposes scaling to systemic change by altering minds at scale. Callum dismisses the plan’s permanence, claiming influence is transient and that only telepathy could embed durable shifts, needling Reina with the implication of Parisa’s usefulness.
Despite skepticism and the threat from the Caine syndicate, Reina decides to escalate. Discovering that their combined abilities can ride communication networks, she targets a Downing Street press conference as a proving ground. Her immediate aim is reproductive autonomy, viewing it as foundational to broader reform.
At the event, Reina links into Callum’s empathy, asking him to identify the fastest path to control. When Callum answers “fear,” Reina channels power through him, choosing to harness fear as the lever to force policy and cultural movement, committing to large-scale manipulation regardless of collateral risk.
Who Appears
- Reina MoriProtagonist POV; rejects caution to pursue systemic change, targeting UK policy on reproductive autonomy by amplifying Callum’s influence.
- Callum NovaEmpathic manipulator; taunts Tristan via Alys, warns a sacrifice is still owed, and channels Reina’s power to weaponize fear.
- Tristan CaineOffstage focus of Callum’s provocations; unresponsive to bait, his family ties become leverage and risk.
- Adrian CaineViolent London crime boss; protective father. His potential retaliation raises stakes for Callum’s antics.
- Alys CaineTristan’s half sister; features in Callum’s photos used to provoke Tristan and unsettle Adrian’s network.
- Parisa KamaliMentioned rival; her telepathy is cited as the only route to lasting ideological change, irking Reina.
- Dalton ElleryReferenced researcher with void-summoning capability; paired with Parisa, representing another dangerous front.
- Libby RhodesReferenced as a potential target in the archives’ demanded sacrifice; her return reshapes the cohort’s calculus.
- Prime Minister (UK)Observed at Downing Street press conference; intended target of Reina and Callum’s influence campaign.