80,263 Words

In a world where women are measured and ranked, survival is a cruel lottery. Nines and Tens are used to breed. Ones and Twos are discarded. The rest are sold as mates to a society that sees them as property. Nine’s life was defined by her role as a breeder—until a single birth left her infertile and cast out. Sarah has lived under the rules, forbidden from having children—but now she carries a life that could cost her everything. Outcasts in a world that refuses to protect them, the two women must rely on each other to survive. Hunted by the state and pursued by fate itself, Nine and Sarah forge a bond born of necessity and resilience. Together, they navigate a society built to break them, and discover that survival is not just about living, but about finding strength in those who share your fight.