Description
In the sprawling neon-drenched city of New Vanta, privacy is a relic of the past. Every citizen is connected to CloudNet, a powerful neural system that monitors thoughts, memories, and dreams through sleek devices called sync bands. Life is controlled by an unseen corporate-state called the Board of Vanta, which promises peace and order in exchange for total surveillance. But Kaia Arden doesn't belong. A brilliant hacker with a rebellious past, Kaia lives off-grid in the shadowy corners of the city, choosing freedom over safety. When she begins experiencing hyper-realistic dreams-visions of strange corridors, a glowing blue door, and a voice urging her to "find the Protocol"-she realizes something has gone wrong. These aren't ordinary dreams. They've been implanted. Her search uncovers whispers of a buried experiment: the Lucid Protocol, a secret government project designed to manipulate the human mind through dreams. As Kaia dives deeper into CloudNet's forbidden layers, she uncovers neural blueprints, mind-control programs, and a terrifying truth-she may be one of the test subjects. Now hunted by a system that sees everything, Kaia must decide: Will she run, or risk everything to expose the truth hidden in the shadows of the mind? Lucid Protocol is a cyberpunk thriller about control, identity, and the fight to reclaim your own thoughts in a world that wants to own them.
1: Out of Sync
