Author Description

In Aethelburg, perfection is the perfect lie. Welcome to Aethelburg, a futuristic utopia where every problem is solved and every citizen is "optimized". There is zero crime, zero pollution, and zero human error. It's flawless. Until Kenji's parents return from a corporate retreat. They're still here... but they're gone. Their messy, human quirks have been surgically "erased". Their favorite memories are logged as "statistical failures", and their emotions have been replaced by a cold, efficient, and terrifying void. The "optimization" is spreading, and another invitation has just been sent. Maya's parents are next. In a town where every adult is a compliant employee of the all-powerful AethelCorp and every camera is an unblinking eye, only four teens see the truth. They are the Circuit Breakers: Aoife, the sharp-witted Observer Kenji, the logical Techie Maya, the fierce Leader Leo, the quiet Savant who sees patterns in the chaos They are the town's last glitch -the one "un-replicable variable" the town's flawless AI can't solve for. To save their families and expose the perfect lie, they must embrace the very flaws the system wants to destroy: their chaos, their loyalty, and their beautiful, illogical humanity. Can four friends break the perfect town before they are optimized for good?