Timothy James Reese

Winter. Moscow. 2033. An ancient forest stands in stark contrast to the modern world that has grown around it for centuries. Deep within these snow-laden woods lies a mysterious compound—blocky, uniform, a concrete reminder of a bygone Cold War. What it once was has long been forgotten; now the sound of children's voices echoes through the labyrinthine corridors. Is it a school? A hospital? An orphanage? Or is it something else entirely?

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Impenetrable walls surround the property, and heavily armed guards patrol the lone, gated entrance. High-tech surveillance drones buzz quietly overhead, while sophisticated security cameras monitor the rooms and corridors, all overseen by a cutting-edge artificial intelligence. Confined within this strange place is Nadia, who, like all the young inhabitants, is watched as she eats, studies, socializes, and sleeps. For her, this is normal; it's all she has ever known. 

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But Nadia is restless. Something dormant lurks just beneath the surface; the young girl is changing—she feels it, though she knows not what she's becoming.  At night, she dreams of escape, of a world beyond the facility—a world that looks like her cherished storybooks and old folklore. These dreams are the spark, and they've lit a fire in her soul. But the real world, the world beyond the walls, is nothing like the legends she imagines.