The VR headset marks them as monsters. Quinn’s amulet reveals terrified human beings.

The game is real—and refusing to kill may cost her best friend’s soul.

At eighteen, Quinn Faust has survived abusive foster homes, homelessness, and every system that tried to control her. Street smarts, martial arts, and stubborn loyalty keep her standing. So when an elite company recruits Quinn and her brilliant best friend to test a virtual-reality monster hunt, the money looks like freedom—even if the mission feels wrong.

Then Quinn’s inherited silver amulet tears through the illusion. The targets are real. The kills feed something dark, and the company rewards obedience with a horror no player sees coming.

Now Taylor is trapped, and the program’s creators know Quinn sees through their lies. To save the only friend who never abandoned her, Quinn must return to the hunt, trust a scarred stranger, and awaken her hunter blood. The simulation wants an obedient killer. Quinn intends to become something far more dangerous.

One-click Huntress Initiate and begin an action-packed urban fantasy where magic hides inside the machine.