The Institute

After a violent nighttime abduction, Luke Ellis wakes in a windowless room that looks like his bedroom, but belongs to a hidden institution. Around him are other kidnapped children with telepathy, telekinesis, and other unusual abilities, all subjected to tests, punishment, and manipulation by the staff.

The book also follows Tim Jamieson, a former cop who ends up in a small town and takes night work, until his path begins to intersect with Luke’s. As Luke learns how the Institute works and what happens to children who are sent away, he and the other kids start looking for a way out.

The story builds toward escape, resistance, and a larger confrontation with the forces behind the Institute. The final movement shifts into more action and resolution, while leaving room for debate about the ethics, purpose, and cost of what has been done to the children.