ARCANIA : VOLUME 1

In a world where excellence is the only currency for survival, **Arcania** is a city of high-tech marvels built on the bones of the "Rejected." Every year, the youth of Arcania face a brutal examination for a chance to join **INDIOUS**—the elite organization governing the world beyond. To pass is to ascend to luxury; to fail is to be "Ejected" or, more simply, "Ended." **Alex** is a gaming prodigy who breezes through life with minimal effort and a cold detachment from the system. He possesses a rare, almost supernatural aptitude for complexity, though it comes with a mysterious physical toll. While he views the upcoming exam as just another level to beat, his life collides with **Fred**, a shy new student hiding a domestic nightmare far darker than the streets of the city. When a single act of intervention by Alex triggers a chain of irreversible violence in Fred's home, the two boys are bound together by blood and secrets. With the exam only a week away, they must navigate a landscape of ruthless bullies, mechanical surveillance, and their own fracturing psyches. In Arcania, your marks define your right to exist—but as the exam begins, Alex and Fred are about to learn that some games have no winners.