In near-future, independent analyst Thorne probes illegal waste discharge by Croll Heavy Industries and enters quarantined Holo-Taint Bay, where she meets Veth, a fifty-thousand-year-old ocean keeper bound by ancient covenant.
Chosen by the bay, Thorne awakens guardian blood and forms a life-and-death bond with Veth. Aided by underground allies, they evade corporate manhunts, expose full criminal evidence. The Croll masterminds are convicted by an international ecological tribunal.
Seven years on, the bay recovers gradually. Veth partially breaks his confinement. Former antagonist Croll joins restoration labour. Full detoxification will take ages. Thorne and Veth keep guarding the bay for every sunrise.
Themes: ecological justice, resistance against corporate tyranny, bond and redemption.
