When twelve-year-old VIKA, the son of a vanished poet, pens a simple verse about hope, Myanmar's brutal regime brands it treason. His arrest sparks outrage-and draws the attention of Kae Zhang, leader of Article 5, an international organization fighting torture and political repression. But as Kae pushes deeper into the junta's shadow networks, she discovers the regime's most feared weapon: the Metal Viper, a military leader who kills ruthlessly without compassion. To save one child, Kae and her team must outwit a monster born of terror-and escape a system built on lies.