The Gilded Lie

"The greatest lies are the ones we tell ourselves, for we believe them with all our hearts." the Four—gifted and cursed Sera Wynne Age: 16 Gift Before Kael: Empathic Sensory Perception – She could sense the emotional residue left on objects and places. Power After Kael: Emotional Projection – Now, she can push feelings into others, influencing decisions and mood. Personality: Quiet, introspective, often seen as overly sensitive. She wrestles with whether using her powers to help others is truly helping or just manipulating. Elias Thorne Age: 17 Gift Before Kael: Uncanny Intuition – He could always tell when someone was lying, though he never understood how. Power After Kael: Truth-Binding – He can compel people to speak truths, even ones they didn’t know they were hiding. Personality: Cynical, sharp-witted, deeply distrustful. Uses sarcasm as a defense. Nira Callen Age: 15 Gift Before Kael: Dreamwalking – She could drift into others' dreams in her sleep, though she had no control over it. Power After Kael: Lucid Invasion – Now she can enter waking minds, influencing thoughts, perceptions, or planting visions. Personality: Curious, impulsive, and a little chaotic. Sees life like a story she’s writing herself into. Caelan Rourke Age: 18 Gift Before Kael: Soul Echo – He could see echoes of past lives and their regrets. Power After Kael: Soul Weaving – He can merge aspects of other souls into his own, gaining fragments of memory or emotion. Personality: Stoic, gentle, and philosophical. The oldest, and often seen as the reluctant leader.