At Wybrany College, there are two kinds of student: the children of the rich and powerful, and the 'Specials' – recipients of a mysterious scholarship. Sealed off from the decaying world outside, the school promises safety, order and, for the Specials, the chance of a different life. But when one of them disappears, the illusion begins to crack. Hidden hierarchies shift. The line between protector and predator blurs.

The story unfolds in two parts: first through the lives of students navigating a system built on silence and control; then through the diary of a substitute teacher who uncovers disturbing truths, while hiding a secret of his own.