#INROVINA. SUBJECT ONE: XENO.
an independent original character, established in 2015.
river. she/her. 26. gmt timezone.
001. xeno is my original character, created in 2015. he is the protagonist of a novel-in-progress i’m working on and is very dear to me. all the lore on this blog is my own unless stated otherwise. i value this as a collaborative creative space, so please don’t take anything without permission. we’re all just here to have fun!002. triggering themes may be present. references to drug addiction, past abuse, self-harm and death/suicide are likely, as their presence in xeno’s story informs his characterisation. i try my best to tag using #trigger tw but please prioritise your health and follow at your own discretion.003. mutuals only and 21+. i'm going through some difficult health challenges at the moment, so i'm sadly having to limit my following to a smaller amount of people as there are only so many threads i can handle right now. i promise it’s nothing personal; i am just one tiny tired brain who thinks you are all very talented and cool regardless of whether we follow each other. if i follow you, i want to write with you!
004. my activity level is sporadic and low. i’m chronically ill and currently studying for a creative writing degree, so time and energy is at a minimum. please know my slow reply speed is never reflective of my enthusiasm for our threads. your patience will always be very appreciated and, likewise, please take all the time you need with replies. everything is chill here. find me on discord to chat while replies are slow ☃️005. multi-verse and multi-ship. let’s create our own universe! pre-established dynamics are cool too! i admit to having a great fondness for platonic and found family dynamics, but romantic dynamics are also welcome if there’s chemistry.006. no pressure ever to match length. i’m a rambler, i can get carried away, you could hit me back with one line and i’d be happy. feel free to drop threads and start fresh ones instead. tag me in starters anytime and send me memes whenever. turn them into threads or not, i don’t mind! let’s have fun.thank you for reading, happy writing!psd credit.
SUBJECT 001.
full name: xeno (pronounced zee-no).
nicknames: xe / xee / z (choose your fighter).
current cover name: tommy fisher, daniel brown.
age: unknown, has existed for at least several centuries. typically mistaken as around 20 - 22 years old. note: xeno does not age either in physicality or mentality.
birthday: 21st of december, the winter solstice.
pronouns: he/him.
sexual orientation: homosexual and biromantic. xeno can develop romantic feelings for anyone, but he only experiences sexual attraction towards men.
species: personification of ice / winter, takes immortal human form.
occupation: sex work, makes enough cash to keep moving around the country.
location: on the run; homeless. tends to remain in one place for a week or two, preferably big cities. often sleeps on the street, in abandoned buildings or occasionally a cheap motel room.
languages spoken: capable of speaking every language known on earth; a side effect of being an immortal personification.
education: never formally educated. xeno is illiterate, partly as a result of no education and also due to his severe dyslexia and dyscalculia.
PHYSICALITY.
face claim: jack wolfe.
eye colour: pale blue, like ice, when sober. iris turns dark after consuming substances.
hair colour: dark brown.
height: 5'8.
build: extremely underweight due to malnutrition.
wardrobe: oversized hoodies, combat boots, dark jeans. big sweaters to hide in. neutral tones that blend into the background. pinterest board.
noticable features: always covered in bruises, has many scars. one short but noticeable scar under his right eye and another large scar on his shoulder where he removed a tattoo from the facility. several scars left behind from self-harm and suicide attempts on his arms. track marks. very pale and has a small, scrawny frame.
MENTALITY.
key personality traits: impulsive, kind, self-destructive, caring, cautious but reckless, protective, sweet and silly, extremely emotional, naive, unreliable and unpredictable.
health conditions: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), borderline personality disorder, drug addiction, dyslexia, dyscalculia, post-traumatic stress disorder and psychotic depression.
loves: getting high, nature, winter / the cold, animals (especially dogs), friends, painting, animations, loud music, languages, playing piano, feeling wanted.
fears: fire, the government, scientists, cops, anyone in positions of authority, confined spaces, technology, reading, losing loved ones.
THE COLD / ICE xeno can create, control and manipulate ice. he is able to summon particles out of thin air, freeze things and drop temperatures. this power—what he can create and his control of it—depends on his state and how clear his mind is. he has great power within him but has rejected it, seeking to dampen his abilities through substance use. despite this, his emotions can heighten his abilities while spinning them out of control. if he’s upset, the whole room can become very cold.TEMPERATURE he is extremely and noticeably cold. his cold temperature is normal for him but unnatural to everyone else and can be shocking to those who touch him. however, substance use also dampens xeno’s natural coldness, leaving him still colder but not as shockingly so. being exposed to a high amount of heat can cause him to become very ill, eventually leading to a comatose state.IMMORTALITY xeno can experience death but he never remains dead. dying is a painful experience for him and can last any amount of time from hours to days to weeks, dependent on the way he died and the damage it caused to his body. it is impossible for him to be permanently killed.HEALING he is able to heal from most wounds inflicted on his body but significantly deep or traumatic ones will leave a long-lasting scar behind.EMOTIONS xeno feels emotions far more strongly than any human and often has little control over them. his existence is a mistake of nature; he was never meant to exist within a human body, he was never meant to contain this much feeling, and it has made human emotion all the more intense.NATURE COMMUNICATION (e.g. animals and plants) being the personification of a season, xeno can communicate with all other creations of nature. he is able to interpret the thoughts and emotions of other live beings, such as animals, and is naturally trusted by them. this extends to include his inherent ability to speak every language that has ever been known on earth.
WINTER'S WEAPON, A HISTORY.
WINTER'S GHOST, A TIMELINE.
ONCE UPON A TIME, fire warred with ice. a demon was freed from his chains and exacted revenge on those who bound him. only one sought to stand up to this tyrant; a witch who paid the price for her treachery. sacrificing her life, the force of her death tore apart the laws of nature and forged a weapon: a body of ice and flesh and unnatural power. the only power that could extinguish hellfire and kill the demon.—but mother nature dies before her child can learn the truth of his existence.WINTER WAKES ALONE IN THE SNOW, a season bound to a frozen body, one trapped in eternal youth. XENO is the name the humans give to this cold boy who does not belong, this child who will never know childhood. they call him stranger; it is his first lesson in rejection. he carries the name with him through each century, condemned to watch generations live and die while time leaves him untouched. he becomes intimate with death, but heaven and hell reject him too. he cannot explain his existence, nor can he escape it. immortality is a curse sewn into his skin.HE LEARNS THE ART OF SURVIVAL, putting on a performance for anyone who will pay. a courtesan is nothing if not a chameleon; xeno moves from court to court, collecting secrets and numbing loneliness. there is a void within him—nothing will fill it.GRIEF IS THE SHADOW CAST OVER HIS LIFE. destined to lose everyone he ever meets, to watch them grow while he remains trapped, xeno begins to capture these faces, these memories, in artwork. presumed to be the work of unknown artists, these anonymous paintings are preserved in galleries across the world.the painting stops in the twentieth century, when the demon finds him at last.
THE DEMON DESTROYS AND DEVOURS, a black hole that consumes ice. xeno is presented to kazimir volkov as a gift, a unique oddity for the demon king's collection. an obsession ensues. kazimir recognises the sacrificial lamb for what he truly is: the only weapon that can destroy him. so, he breaks the boy first. he triggers xeno's addiction and tricks him into a false love, one marked by violence and control.two decades later, when xeno finally escapes, kazimir lets him run.
MAIN VERSE: PRESENT TIMELINE. xeno is a wanted fugitive, on the run after escaping from a high-security government facility and killing one of their scientists in the process. branded subject one, he was imprisoned and experimented on—tortured—for fifteen years in the facility. now he moves around constantly to evade those hunting him, spiralling in self-destructive cycles as he struggles to deal with the aftermath of his trauma.FUTURE VERSE: POST-FACILITY TIMELINE. after years on the run, xeno is caught by the facility and dragged back to face their wrath. he is held captive for six months, until marco valdez, a journalist who worked with xeno to build a case against the facility, publishes an exposé in the new york times. the facility is shut down and, for the first time in over two decades, xeno is free. he moves in with marco and victoria valdez, who become like family to him. he has a boyfriend, wesley, who helped to bring down the facility. xeno struggles significantly with ptsd and his addiction, often disappearing for days on end, but he finally has a stable support system. he sometimes volunteers at an animal rescue.
BEFORE VERSE: PAST TIMELINE. author's note: xeno has existed on earth for many centuries. this timeline can be flexible to fit with your muse.PRE-1950s. xeno survives in the ways he always has, using intrigue and charm to work his way into wealthy circles while having little money of his own. reckless and unashamed, he cares little for hiding who or what he is.1950s-1970s. discovered by ileana and sebastian vespertine, xeno is taken to california and presented as a gift to their employer: kazimir volkov, a powerful demon and infamous crime boss operating in los angeles. kazimir triggers xeno’s drug addiction, using it to control him while manipulating him into believing they are in love. xeno spends two decades trapped in this abusive relationship, working for kazimir and suffering in the underworld ruled by him. xeno finally escapes after kazimir kills a close friend of his.1980s-1990s. away from kazimir’s control, xeno tries to piece a life back together in new york while struggling with his addiction. often homeless, he finds himself in volatile relationships and situations.
alternate universes
HIGH FANTASY VERSE. xeno is a courtesan at the court of house volkov, a formidable kingdom ruled by king kazimir. a cruel tyrant, the demon king has a vicious obsession with xeno. one dark night, xeno flees the court, unaware he is running into the arms of house pierce — volkov's greatest enemy. intercepted and captured, he is thrown into house pierce's dungeons to await trial by experimentation. he finds an unexpected ally in prince wesley, who arranges xeno's escape from his father's prisons. on the run, xeno remains vulnerable to being used as a valuable bargaining chip by any of volkov’s enemies. extended information.
key verse connections: implored by wesley, xeno is given refuge in the kingdom of coeus by princess juniper, @vitalphenomena.
GRISHAVERSE. born in ravka, xeno is a tidemaker, capable of manipulating water into ice. unwilling to serve in the second army, he avoided their detection and sought to escape to kerch. when he arrived in ketterdam, he became indentured to one of the west stave houses. now carving out an existence for himself in the barrel, he works at the house of the white rose, and occasionally utilises his grisha abilities on jobs for the dregs.
SUPERHERO VERSE. discovered as an immortal supernatural being, xeno was imprisoned and experimented on for the creation of a drug that would give regular humans superpowers. the company, potentia, that manufactures the drug have kept him locked away in a facility ever since, using his dna in order to continue creating superheros. one night, xeno escapes their facility and goes on the run from the company. potentia are actively looking for him; he is known to be a wanted fugitive by all their supes.
extended information.
key verse connections: twin flame, olympia beckett. pleases note: this verse is built with, linked to and primarily written with @thieved.
SKY HIGH VERSE. xeno krúos is a new student at sky high, placed automatically in hero support after refusing to use his abilities in power placement. he is currently being fostered by two of the nation’s most high profile superheroes, minerva and powercharger, an arrangement which he isn’t happy about. his powers manifested as a trauma response after losing his mother in a fire and he’s been spiralling out of control ever since. after getting kicked out of every school he's been sent to, xeno planned to get himself expelled from sky high within a month. enter: olympia beckett, the daughter of his foster parents' archnemeses. extended information.
THE XENOVERSE
saviours.
marco valdez. the protector. a journalist building a case against the invictus project.
wesley pierce. the son; the soulmate. lover of nature, trying to heal his rotten family tree.
harry carter. the hacker. leading the digital attack against the invictus project.
silas. the guardian. shield to those seeking safety, keeper of all dangerous secrets.
demons.
kazimir volkov. the demon king. sadistic tyrant and infamous crime boss. the villain of this story.
dr. anthony pierce. the founder. architect of the facility and all its horror. intent on destroying subject one.
ileana vespertine.
the serpent. an ancient vampire and kazimir's right-hand. head of the vespertine bloodline.
sebastian vespertine. the traitor. a playboy hungering for power, capable of detecting those who harbour it.
author's note: below is additional worldbuilding / lore information behind the xenoverse's two primary storylines, the invictus project and the underworld, for those interested in the overview.
THE INVICTUS PROJECT
A TOP SECRET & HIGH SECURITY GOVERNMENT FACILITY, tucked away in a wisconsin forest where no one will come looking. the invictus project was founded by dr. anthony pierce in 1995 with the intention of investigating the unnatural, those with inhuman powers and abilities. presenting these creatures as a national security threat, the project was granted funding by the U.S. government's department of defense and a facility was built to contain the threat of the unnatural. the experiments began in 2000 when the project caught its first subject.the project hides behind the guise of scientific advancement while torturing and terminating beings it has deemed as inhuman and, therefore, a threat to humanity. they do not consider the subjects to be human.as the employee handbook states: all experiments fall within the law as these subjects are not human and have no rights. they should not be treated as such. do not feel pity towards them. do not mistake them for equals. they are dangerous and to be treated with the utmost caution. all subjects should be appropriately restrained. any cases of subjects being disobedient should be dealt with immediately. contact the security team in regard to any concerns.following a breach involving the killing of an employee and the escape of subject one/001, security at the facility has been tightened. multiple attempts at apprehending 001 have been made since, but the subject remains at large. agents are actively hunting the subject. anyone found to be in close contact with 001 is to be questioned. anyone found to be helping 001 is to be charged with aiding and abetting a wanted criminal.—meanwhile, victoria valdez, an emergency room doctor with the ability to heal any wound, is kidnapped outside of her workplace. it is sloppy, despite the facility's attempts to erase any evidence. her husband, marco valdez, is a journalist who refuses to rest while victoria is classed as missing. framed as a conspiracy theorist, he is fired from his position at the new york times and blacklisted on government orders. despite this, marco persists in his search to uncover the truth behind victoria's disappearance. he gets more than he bargains for when harry carter, a hacker, brings him footage from the facility's database: horrific videos of experimentation against the so-called 'subjects'. they begin to build a case against the facility, leading them to the only subject that has ever escaped..key players: dr. anthony pierce, xeno/subject one, marco valdez, victoria valdez, harry carter & wesley pierce.
THE UNDERWORLD
THE WORLD IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS, AND SOMETIMES HELL FINDS A HOME ON EARTH. an ancient power carves out an earthly kingdom: kazimir volkov, a powerful demon, claims his crown and positions himself as ruler of the supernatural underworld on earth. known as the demon king, he solidifies his power through his taste for bloodshed and talent for cruelty. violence is a language of his own invention, and those who stand against him soon fall. centuries pass, and every rebellion against the king fails. only one true challenge rises: a witch who attempts to end his rule. kazimir executes her and her coven, but not before she sacrifices her life to create a weapon capable of killing him—the only one of its kind. the essence of winter, ice trapped in a body, powerful enough to extinguish hellfire. xeno is created, but the witch dies before he can learn the purpose of his existence. the lost boy disappears.with the witch executed, kazimir continues to amass power. unrivalled on earth, he commands his own supernatural army and royal court, carving out an inner circle of ancient powers who serve his vision. among them is ileana vespertine, an ancient vampire, chosen as kazimir's right-hand.time alters the landscape of the world. his criminal empire adapts with it; california is claimed as his new territory, a home under the burning sun. to the human world, kazimir volkov is known to be an infamous drug lord operating in the los angeles area. to those in the underworld, he maintains his position as tyrant king—one who cannot be challenged, or killed. kazimir has kept his greatest secret from even those within his inner court. when ileana and sebastian vespertine bring xeno to him, it is by mere coincidence. kazimir is a collector of those with unique gifts and the vespertine siblings believe they are simply bringing him another addition to his collection, this boy forged from ice. they do not know that kazimir now possesses the one weapon that can destroy him.that weapon is naive, ignorant to the true power he contains. kazimir triggers xeno's drug addiction, using it to keep him and his power under control. he develops a vicious obsession with xeno, manipulating and exploiting him. this violent relationship lasts for two hellish decades before xeno finally flees to new york. kazimir allows him to go, knowing he has sunk his claws in deep enough for the boy to pose no threat to him. xeno now avoids california and those operating in the underworld. his only contact is with silas, an ancient witch who often helps kazimir's victims flee and rebuild their lives outside of the underworld.in the wake of xeno's escape, a new challenge to kazimir's rule rises. or, rather, a fool who believes he can challenge the king. sebastian vespertine, brother to ileana, betrays both kazimir and his sister by attempting to claim kazimir's power for his own. spared execution only due to ileana's plea, sebastian is exiled from california. bitter and brooding, he moves to new york city to bide his time. there, he has begun building his own criminal empire and army, mimicking the demon he reviles. one day, he intends to make a true challenge to kazimir's throne...if only he knew the truth of the weapon sleeping unknowingly on new york's streets.key players: kazimir volkov, ileana vespertine, sebastian vespertine, xeno & silas.
key connections: pyotr andreyev kumarin, petra petrova kumarina, spirit harris vespertine, dominic & adrian: @vitalphenomena. willow: @unpossession.
POTENTIA
At the forefront of scientific innovation, Potentia is a multi-billion dollar company famous for its creation and development of VIRTUS—a drug capable of imbuing humanity with superhuman gifts. Developed in partnership with the U.S. government, VIRTUS is considered a crucial component of national security: it has been used to create and manage a select group of superheroes, specifically chosen to uphold the values and protect the interests of the company (primarily, the hoarding of power and wealth). When Potentia's scientific facility is destroyed and their means of producing VIRTUS escapes, everything is thrown into chaos. The fallout will have consequences for all.
KEY PLAYERS
DR. ANTHONY PIERCE. Founder and CEO of Potentia. Anthony achieves a major breakthrough after locating and imprisoning Subject One—an immortal being. Through experimentations on the Subject, he is able to create VIRTUS. The drug is in its early stages when he decides to trial it on his son. Despite how ill the drug makes his son, he raises Wesley to be the face of Potentia and pushes him to defy all limits. Everything is for the good of the company. Following a series of disastrous events for Potentia—including the escape of Subject One—Anthony heightens all security measures and keeps a tighter leash on all Potentia superheroes.WESLEY PIERCE aka SALVATOR. America's golden boy, Salvator's image has been pristine and perfect ever since the face of Potentia debuted to the public. None of them see the hell behind the scenes; how unwell he is after every mission, every save. The trial drug that was used to give him his powers was not yet safe for human use; Wesley developed extraordinary powers, but they were ones no human body was meant to contain. It makes him incredibly ill, a state that can only be managed by more drugs. His father uses this to keep him tied to Potentia. When Wesley tries to break away, his father orchestrates Salvator's first public disaster: he suffers a seizure mid-flight, crashing down to earth and destroying a building, killing a dozen citizens. Now Potentia keep him drugged into forced obedience, but they don't know he was the one who destroyed their scientific facility and set their subjects free.
Powers: Super strength, super speed, heat vision, x-ray vision, flight and invulnerability. Your classic superhero. (Often running a fever because of the heat vision, unable to regulate his temperature.)XENO aka SUBJECT ONE. Captured and imprisoned by Potentia, Xeno's DNA was used to develop VIRTUS. Potentia have kept him locked away in their scientific facility ever since, using him in order to continue creating superheros. Their torture masquerades as experimentation; it's a living hell until, one night, the facility is destroyed and Xeno escapes into the night. Now on the run, Potentia are actively looking for him. He is known to be a wanted fugitive by all superheroes, but he doesn't know he was saved by one.VICTORIA VALDEZ aka MINDMENDER. A retired superhero and whistleblower, Victoria used to work for Potentia. She is now trying to make amends by helping to 'deprogram' other heroes from the brainwashing that Potentia and companies like them put their heroes through. Alongside Marco, she is trying to help Wesley get out from under his father's thumb, but Potentia is a dangerous enemy to make.
Powers: Healing, restoring, regeneration. Capable of tweaking emotions, usually used to soothe.MARCO VALDEZ. Pulitzer-prize winning investigative journalist currently working on an exposé about Potentia and their human experiments. They are attempting to discredit him and had him fired from his previous job, but Marco is unwilling to back down. Now working for The Human Eye, an anti-supecapitalism paper advocating for the end to the militarised, corporate-owned, government-backed superhero companies. He has found an unlikely ally in Salvator. Working with Hackman on tracking Xeno down before Potentia can find him.HARRY CARTER aka HACKMAN. Superhero to some, supervillain to the corporations. Ask them, and they'll say they're just some guy. Not to brag, but she was selected by Potentia while studying at Harvard after they identified her as a genius. She was given VIRTUS and developed the ability to control electricity channels and, by extension, computer systems. Harry is able to physically upload her consciousness to any computer, any database, surfing through any server. They quickly realise Potentia is, like, incredibly fucked up and get the hell out of there, NDAs and contracts be damned. After uncovering evidence that Potentia is holding Xeno and other subjects against their will, Hackman reveals this to Salvator, who procedes to destroy Potentia's scientific facility and clear the way for the subjects' escape. Now, Hackman is working with Marco and Mindmender to further unravel Potentia's secrets.
Powers: Electricity control, able to enter and manipulate digital systems through their electrical channels.ILEANA VESPERTINE aka THE SIREN and SEBASTIAN VESPERTINE aka THE SEEKER. A supervillain duo. The siren and the seeker are infamous, though their identities are unknown thanks to their masked costumes. They combine their powers to hunt down superheroes and take them to The Collector—or just kill them for fun. It's all just a game to them. Nobody would ever guess that the socialite Vespertine siblings, investors in several superhero companies like Potentia, are the ones hunting their superheroes in the streets.
Siren's Powers: Mind control/mental manipulation using vocal prompts. Able to lure people in by establishing a mental connection between them and temporarily plant false emotions in their mind.
Seeker's Powers: Capable of identifying any superhuman individual and seeing their exact powers/abilities. Proximity allows him to both dampen and amplify others' abilities; this means he can temporarily strip a superhero of their power.KAZIMIR VOLKOV aka THE COLLECTOR. Known by several names like Inferno and Hellbringer, The Collector rules the criminal, villainous underworld and causes havoc for the corporate superheroes. He seeks those with extraordinary gifts, looking to add them to his collection. It's all about control and power here. His prized possession went missing decades ago, but he is certain Siren and Seeker will find Xeno again soon.
Powers: Super strength, fire creation/control, mental manipulation, major invulnerability. Immortal.
COME TO BURN YOUR KINGDOM DOWN
In another universe, there are two warring royal houses.
HOUSE VOLKOV of VOLKOREV
A formidable kingdom ruled by King Kazimir Volkov, who has allied himself with the neighbouring region ruled by Queen Ileana Vespertine of HOUSE VESPERTINE. With the Queen and her brother staying as guests at Volkov’s court, gossip swirls around this alliance being sealed by matrimony — but Kazimir has a vicious obsession with a courtesan, Xeno.Whispers surrounding this court call Kazimir the Demon King. There are rumours about the pleasure he takes in violence and cruelty, in blood and death. Many people who attend his court are never seen outside of it again.Prince Sebastian Vespertine is staying at Volkov’s court with his sister, Queen Ileana. It is rumoured that Sebastian is a bastard from their late father’s affair with a servant, but Ileana will execute anyone who repeats this in her presence. While Ileana seeks her alliance, Sebastian is secretly planning his own rebellion to usurp Kazimir and claim his crown. Playing along with politics, he is betrothed to Petra Petrova, daughter of the King’s right-hand.Lady Ramona is Ileana’s lady-in-waiting. Her brother, Emil, is a knight of the realm, though he struggles significantly with the moral conflict of serving Ileana and Kazimir.Silas is the court’s resident witch and physician/healer, who tends to those caught up in Volkov’s games and are lucky (or unlucky) enough to survive. He has recently betrayed Kazimir by helping Xeno escape the court, though Silas’ involvement has not yet been discovered.Pyotr Andreyev is Kazimir’s right-hand. His daughter, Petra Petrova, is a valued and protected member of Kazimir’s court. As the daughter of the King’s right-hand, she is betrothed to Prince Sebastian—who mysteriously disappears halfway through their courtship.
HOUSE PIERCE of THE PIERCED ISLES
The primary enemy of House Volkov. King Anthony Pierce runs a fanatical kingdom that is obsessed with ‘purifying’ the land of ungodly power. Their dungeons are filled with those who Pierce claims possess unnatural abilities; these prisoners are experimented on, tortured and then executed.Prince Wesley is as much a prisoner as any of his father’s subjects. Often confined to his chambers by illness, he is rarely seen by the people. Princess Lucia, on the other hand, is an ardent supporter of her father’s work. Despite her brother being first in line for the throne, she is angling for the Pierce crown.In a rare moment of diplomacy between the warring houses, a visit to Volkov’s court triggered a chain of events. Prince Wesley met Xeno and the two of them instantly bonded; this is part of what caused Xeno to flee House Volkov. King Anthony also met the strange, unnatural boy—and noticed the value of this possession to Volkov.As Xeno runs from the House of Volkov, Pierce’s knights intercept him: he is captured and thrown in the Pierce dungeons to await trial by experimentation.In discovering his father has imprisoned Xeno, Wesley uses what little power he has to write to Princess Juniper of House Hayes. With Juniper’s aid, he arranges for Xeno’s escape from House Pierce. Forced to leave Wesley behind, Xeno seeks refuge in the kingdom of Coeus at House Hayes. He is vulnerable to being used as a valuable bargaining chip by any of Volkov’s enemies.Cue Prince Sebastian’s arrival at House Hayes…