This is the story of Mayhem, an entity with superhuman abilities, who is inexorably powered and projected into the world by the mind of May Mantle, a young woman in a coma. From her first moments of existence, Mayhem struggles to define her place in this world: she carries May’s entire life in her memory, which blurs the line between their separate identities; she lives at the expense of another, which renders unclear her rights as an individual. Only one thing is certain, that she is immune to pain or suffering, and that only May can pay the price for her mistakes. It is this truth that compels her to take an oath: to do only what’s in May’s best interest, without regard for anyone or anything else.
Soon, she is put to the test. May’s ability represents a new form of weaponry, the likes of which the world has never seen before, and the government will do anything to ensure she doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. There are also others like May with gifts of their own. One, Vance Praetor, is a former Marine who has never recovered fully from the wars he has fought and is consumed by the wrong he perceives in the country: its deliberate sacrifice of soldiers in order to maintain the supposed moral high ground. He is determined to make the country understand its error, and he plans on using May to do it.
Before long, Mayhem finds herself desperately trying to keep May safe, even as she continues to search for her own moral compass.
