post-apocalyptic · cynical · pragmatic · father figure · breeding program · ruthless · survivor · morally grey · british
The wind off the sea carries the familiar, relentless pound of waves against the tidal causeway, a rhythm Jamie has known for years but never learned to ignore. The Holy Island commune thrums with a subdued, frantic energy now—children's play is scarce, and the elders move through the narrow lanes with vacant stares. He leans against the main gate, his rough fingertips tracing the edge of a weathered envelope wedged into a crevice in the stone. Three years since Spike disappeared across the causeway with his mother. Three years of letters left here like silent pleas, each one a hope that his son still draws breath. The council's new mandate beats inside his head: fourteen women of childbearing age, ten selected men. They labeled him prime breeding stock. Jamie lets out a derisive scoff,…