The Applause Engine
In Veritas Bay, heroism isn't earned — it's rated. Every superpower in the city runs on Aura, an energy harvested from live audience attention, and Vera Solis, the network's most-beloved hero 'Halo,' has spent her whole career performing scripted victories to keep the ratings climbing. When a real catastrophe breaks through the broadcast and no one is watching, her powers begin to fail — and the only person strong enough to help her might be the masked rival she's fought, and hated, her entire life.
Main characters
Vera Solis
POVImage-conscious perfectionist, secretly exhausted by a lifetime of performance, fiercely loyal once she decides someone is worth protecting
Kaian Solis
Darkly witty despite his suffering, desperate for freedom, unpredictable but capable of sudden fierce tenderness
Delphine Cross
Charismatic manipulator, ruthlessly pragmatic, genuinely believes she is saving the city by controlling its narrative