The Things That Never Freeze

Raphael Karayev, having fled into exile following a revolution, is barely scraping by as a theater cleaner. He is a resident of the Parisian slums and a trait-bearer who suffers from periodic seizures once a month. One day, an unforeseen accident ruins a theater performance, and in an instant, Raphael finds himself buried under a staggering debt of 45,000 francs. As Raphael falls into despair, a man wearing a mask to hide his identity approaches him with a proposal: in exchange for paying off his debt, Raphael must grant a request. The request is for Raphael to use his trait to approach a target who is also a trait-bearer. “…So…, you’re telling me to become a whore.” The man smiled faint...