The Only One Left Behind

On Theodora's twenty-second birthday, her father posts a roulette in the family group chat, promising prizes on the spot. She spins and lands on "Stay at home", while everyone else receives a flight ticket to Syldan. Only later does she notice the tickets were printed three days ago, the very day she told her father she wanted to see the sea in Syldan. The roulette was never a game of chance.

Her adopted sister Claire Zimmer, her brother Clement Gray, and her parents ask her to pack Claire's bags, hand over her own sunscreen, cover the utility bill, and order expensive seafood for their return, all while she is left behind in the damp storage room that has ruined her health for three years. When she refuses, they call her ungrateful and remind her to be the bigger sister.

Alone in the empty house, Theodora texts her mentor, Professor Zlensky, and accepts a four-year secret project in the Gaulian Sands. Her ride is already waiting at the campus north gate.