Meet the two leads in my survival thriller trilogy

Before the chaos, Quinn and Yui lived very different lives. Discover who they were and what shaped them in this character deep dive for my survival thriller.

Before the first shot was fired, before the collapse, and before the masks came off, Quinn Cozens and Yui Kikuchi were two people living in entirely different worlds. One was a disillusioned journalist quietly raging against the system.

The other was a pampered global idol basking in the glow of fame. Neither of them knew how fast everything would unravel, or how much they’d have to change just to survive.

In Beyond the Lost Horizon, readers meet these characters in the middle of a crisis. But to understand their choices, you need to understand who they were before it all started.

This is their origin story, in a way. It’s unfiltered, flawed, and fully human. Because no one wakes up a hero. A monumental collapse forges this duo, and in this survival thriller, the past is just as important as their fight to stay alive.

Quinn Cozens

Age: 29
Background: Born and raised in the Upper Ohio Valley, Quinn grew up surrounded by rust, religion, and rusted-over dreams. He was the type to question everything from a young age, from school rules and church sermons to political slogans.

A gifted writer with an analytical mind, he went into journalism, eventually becoming a sportswriter covering the NFL. But beneath the surface, he harbored a deep-seated skepticism about the narratives he was paid to reinforce.

Personality:

• Cynical but not joyless

• Stoic and guarded, with occasional flashes of sardonic humor

• Extremely self-reliant and slow to trust institutions or people

• Carries a heavy emotional weight behind a calm exterior

Core Values:

• Truth over comfort – He’d rather be disillusioned than lied to.

• Individual sovereignty – Believes deeply in self-ownership and the right to dissent.

• Anti-authoritarianism – Has no tolerance for coercion, whether from church, state, or corporate media.

• Merit over credentialism – Resents elites who succeeded through status or conformity.

Yui Kikuchi

Age: 20
Background: Yui Kikuchi was the golden child of the entertainment industry, famous not just in Japan but across the globe. As a top-tier idol in the girl group T-Ice, she lived a life of luxury, fan adoration, and scripted perfection.

With a dedicated team managing her image, outfits, diet, and social media, Yui rarely had to think for herself. She was pampered, insulated, and shielded from consequences.

Though trained to project grace and charm, behind closed doors she was often impatient, self-centered, and dismissive of people she considered beneath her fame. She didn’t know how to cook, clean, or care for anyone outside her tightly controlled circle.

Beneath the glamour, Yui was deeply insecure and dependent on validation from fans, managers, and the media to feel worthwhile.

Personality:

• Entitled and demanding

• Quick to complain or pout when things don’t go her way

• Used to being the center of attention and getting what she wants

• Resistant to discomfort or criticism

• Outwardly poised, inwardly fragile

Core Values:

• Fame and adoration – Her sense of identity came from attention and applause.

• Comfort and convenience – She was addicted to the ease of celebrity life.

• Control over appearance – Every action was filtered through optics and perception.

• Hierarchy and status – She measured people by influence, style, and prestige.

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