In a future dominated by a brutal, self-righteous empire, the old man, Jenchae, has been sentenced to death for speaking on behalf of his colonized people. When Elek, a murderer at the mercy of his own fury, is thrust into a prison cell with Jenchae, the aged revolutionary knows only that he wants to help him.

Mired in violence and loss since childhood, Elek has fought uncontrollable fits of rage all his life and left a trail of corpses behind him, including a woman he loved. Certain that his long years of struggle have taught him wisdom, Jenchae offers to bond telepathically with...