Karnika

Lachlan is an anxious loner, one among thousands rescued from an Earth torn apart by war, environmental ruin, and social chaos. Now living in Commune—a tranquil sanctuary on the alien planet Karnika—humanity is under the watchful protection of the Jiriki, an advanced and enigmatic alien species who offer peace through a philosophy they call “The Remedy.”

But despite Commune’s apparent utopia, Lachlan senses hidden truths behind the Jiriki’s motives. When he discovers Nepenthe, a mysterious psychedelic drug coveted by his alien guardians and produced through sinister means involving humans, his doubts deepen into dread. Loyalties blur, friendships are tested, and Lachlan finds himself caught between trusting his mentor, Kalkutun—a curious, compassionate Jiriki scientist—and Sophia, a determined young mother who suspects their alien saviours are hiding something terrible.

As tensions rise and the fragile peace of Commune threatens to shatter, Lachlan must confront his deepest fears and grapple with a haunting question: Have the humans truly been saved from Earth, or are they merely prisoners, caught in a more dangerous game than they ever imagined?

On Karnika, the truth may be more frightening than the lies—and freedom could cost everything.