Nimbus

It's 2191. The world we once knew no longer exists. Only Nimbus does. In the eyes of its inhabitants, it's the only society remaining. Yet, it remains hidden behind a giant steel wall deep within a forest alone and away from any potential outsiders. For over eighty years, Nimbus has thrived under one rule: Separation. When kids turn fourteen, they're kicked outside the wall. For eleven years, they must survive before being given a chance at re-entry. This, according to Eldridge MacMillan, is the only way a society can work; it's the only way to ensure Nimbus's survival for the future. And for Sam Martin's fourteenth birthday, he gets to endure all the torment others before him have gone through. His parents. His older brother. His friends before him. Everyone is forced to partake. There's no avoiding Separation. But unlike the others, Sam has help in the forest. His older brother, Sean, who recently returned from his Separation, told his girlfriend, Elise, to wait for Sam outside the wall. With Elise guiding his every move, Sam steps into the task more prepared than many before him, but even with protection, the darkness still lurks. The outside is crawling with those willing to do anything to survive regardless of what it entails. Being new to the outside, Sam must learn to cope with the ills of Separation and the darkness eating at him each and every day. For even those who have guidance can still get lost outside the wall.