“Original, imaginative and deftly crafted… reveals a genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative-driven storytelling style that makes for a fun read from start to finish. Especially and unreservedly recommended.” — Midwest Book Review

For Lu Jacobs, losing her grandma was a double-whammy. Not only did it mean no longer having the one person who truly understood her love of math, it upended her entire understanding of how the universe works.

Because everyone told her Gran would be fine—it was a simple medical procedure. Lu was supposed to save her.

When things didn’t go that way, she retreated into the clear, controlled world of The Aftermath, a VR game focused entirely on completing missions with her team to reach the top of the leaderboard.

Then her future self shows up. An artificial intelligence is rewriting the past. The future is collapsing. And she needs Lu’s help. It’s not only a high-stakes, real-world mission to save humanity, but a clear, structured path forward.

How could Lu possibly refuse?

The key to stopping the collapse is hidden inside Prescott Academy, the most advanced school in the world. With its hoverboard parks, teachers who‘ve invented microscopic medical drones, and the VRoom—where students literally live their lessons—it’s more than enough to keep Lu from thinking about her grandma.

But somewhere inside it all, there’s an AI pretending to be human. And if Lu can’t find it in time, the future becomes a virtual prison no one can escape.

Lu does not have a plan. But she does have her team.

That will have to be enough.