Aiko Rising

In the bustling heart of New York, twelve-year-old Aiko Takahashi's world is shattered when she returns home one evening to find her parents brutally murdered. Her uncle Hiroto steps in to care for her, being the only family she has left. However, just as Aiko begins to settle into life with her uncle, a fierce custody battle erupts with her mother's best friend. The court deems Hiroto's troubled past unfit for raising a child, forcing Aiko to live with a strict family friend. Determined to uncover the truth behind her parents' deaths, Aiko dives into a dark conspiracy tied to her mother's stolen technology. Her mother, a brilliant scientist, was on the brink of a groundbreaking discovery in brain enhancement technology meant for good, now twisted by a ruthless tyrant into a tool of power and control. In a desperate race against time, Aiko must navigate dangerous alliances and confront her deepest fears to unravel the sinister plot. As she inches closer to the truth, Aiko realizes that the road to justice is perilous-but she will stop at nothing to bring her parents' killers to justice and restore peace to her fractured life. Bonus: Sneak peek into Aiko Rising Book 2: Pulverize