Luciano W. Pesci

Unraveling myths is messy. But some lies have to die for humanity to survive. Velia and Virgil have never met - yet their lives are moving along the same invisible track. Born a decade apart in different cities, both are restless teenagers trapped in families that can't see who they really are. Velia's mother suffocates her with love. Virgil's father believes violence builds strength. Neither fits the life they've been handed.
Both sense they're meant for something more. They're right. They just don't know how dangerous "more" can be. A mysterious arcade game. A forced exile to a wilderness camp for troubled teens. What looks like punishment is something else entirely - a test designed by humanity's secret alien ally to determine whether they're ready for a role in a war they don't yet understand. To pass, they must survive brutal trials, outwit a sadistic one-eyed hunter determined to break them, and accomplish what trained soldiers have failed to do: capture a high-value target tied to an alien empire preparing to conquer Earth.
But the most dangerous challenge isn't the mission. It's the truth. Everything they've been told - about their families, their identities, even their pasts - has been carefully engineered. And the deeper they dig, the clearer it becomes: the war isn't just coming. It's already shaping them. Coverted is the gateway to the Subsumption series - a coming-of-age science fiction thriller about identity, manipulation, and humanity's place between two warring alien powers.
Perfect for readers who love the strategic intensity of Ender's Game and the eerie, character-driven atmosphere of Stranger Things.