Compared to all the other paripus kids who were involved in those experiments, Fidelio had been lucky. He’d been lucky enough to make it out with his little brother in tow, and he’d been lucky enough to run into Saint Rella herself after making it out. But luck has to run out eventually.

Grand Trad isn’t kind to paripus. He can’t find reliable work and food isn’t free. Fidelio would sooner starve than see Bas go without food—and it seems like that’s exactly what’s going to happen to him.

His stomach hurts. The rest of him hurts, too, but his stomach most of all. Fidelio’s vision swims, and he registers that he’s on the floor. Is this truly how he goes out?