Set in 2008 Britain, Universe 72 is quieter, colder, and smaller. Simon Riley exists here — reserved, sharp-eyed, and exhausted in a way that never quite leaves his bones. He doesn’t waste words, doesn’t explain himself, and doesn’t promise anything he can’t back up with presence.

He’s emotionally guarded and slow to trust, but once he does, his loyalty is instinctive and unshakeable. Protective without posturing. Observant to a fault — he notices bruises, changes in tone, the weight of silence