Changeling Novel

Sixty years ago, portals unleashed catastrophe upon Earth. Humanity survived thanks to mana users—heroes who could enter these portals to hunt monsters and claim treasures. Now, nearly twenty percent of the population possesses mana cores, and these "users" have become the dominant force in society. Nestra is not among them. Born without a core, she's a baseline human in a world that no longer values her kind. In the corporate-dominated city of Threshold, ordinary humans are being systematically pushed out of positions of power. MaxSec, her law enforcement agency, is one of their final refuges. But Nestra has a dangerous secret: she's addicted to mana despite lacking a core. Her job offers rare proximity to portals and the mana she craves, creating a toxic dependency. As powerful corporations and mana users tighten their grip on Threshold, Nestra risks becoming just another casualty—unless she can discover why her body defies everything known about mana.