Chapter 1: The Edge of Everything Aloin had always known the world could be unkind. At seventeen, he had grown accustomed to the orphanage's cold, indifferent stares, the way the other kids treated him like he was something fragile. In truth, he was. With a heart too big for his slight frame and eyes that saw too much, Aloin navigated life with the caution of a scared puppy and the grace of a shy cat.