The Hysteric Trigger

Emma Waller lives beneath the constant, unrelenting static of other people's thoughts—an intimate and invasive curse that has shaped her into a quiet observer of humanity's darkest impulses. But when her mother becomes the latest victim of a sadistic serial killer known only as the "Lollipop Man," Emma's unwanted ability transforms from a burden into the ultimate weapon. Haunted by the fragmented memories of that fatal night and driven by a grief that threatens to consume her, she embarks on a solitary crusade through the city's underbelly, using her telepathic gift to sift through the noise of countless suspects in a desperate bid to isolate the singular, sinister signature of her mother's murderer. Yet each mind she penetrates brings her closer to a horrifying truth: the Lollipop Man is a ghost who knows he is being hunted. As Emma delves deeper into a web of corruption and buried secrets, she discovers that her power is not just a tool for justice but a beacon that attracts the predator's attention. With every step she takes toward the truth, the line between avenger and obsessed fugitive blurs, forcing her to confront the terrifying possibility that her ability to hear the thoughts of others may ultimately lead her into a trap from which there is no escape—a final, brutal confrontation where the only voice that matters belongs to the monster she has sworn to destroy.