When her mother is absorbed into the local flesh monolith, Kayla struggles with her identity and looks for a way in.

Content warnings: Violence, nudity, racism/discrimination, body horror

Copyright © 2026 khōréō magazine. Story by Mary Miseon Wu, edited by Zhui Ning Chang. Audio edition read by Elissa Park and Alice Shuang Wu, with production and casting by Jenelle DeCosta.

Subscribe to khōréō at Weightless Books or on Patreon.

Visit khoreomag.com for more stories and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @KhoreoMag for the latest news and updates.

Music: This Too Shall Pass by Scott Buckley https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckley Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported CC BY 3.0