Orphaned and on the run, Bren Waters arrives at the prestigious Ambeni University on one of their few shipbuilding scholarships—only to find the sneering elite waiting. Threatened and sabotaged at every step, Bren almost misses registration… and after that? Well, no Skint has ever made it to the top of the class.

In this world, merit doesn’t matter: money does.

Scrappy Stu makes for a protective and sympathetic roommate, but when Bren is accused of academic fraud, a precious scholarship hangs in the balance. Fighting to stay at Ambeni is about more than an education—for Bren, it means survival.

How can a Skint dream of graduation when classmates, teachers, and society itself are determined to stand in the way?

A dystopian adult sci-fi about two scarred survivors clawing for a future in a world where the rich wield poverty as a weapon and ambition is a punishable offense.

This novella set in the SKINT^TM Universe contains graphic themes. Please see trigger warnings inside.