Balestra

Joanna Bathory faces young rival Audie Zimmer in a warmup match that does not go as planned. Raph, her husband and coach, offers her an intriguing new way to hone her skills.

Joanna grows close to Elliot, the mysterious stranger inhabiting her new dreams. With his comforting guidance, she competes in the first tournament on her road to the Olympics, while keeping Raph in the dark about what is really going on.

With her dreams growing more addictive, Joanna finds a way to break the lock on the Halo so she can be with Elliot every night. Her newfound bliss makes her a better fencer, until she has a rematch with Audie and old anxieties return.

Frustrated with her recent setback, Raph pressures Joanna to reduce her use of the Halo, while Elliot urges her to escape her husband's control. Buried resentments come to the surface, and Joanna lashes out at Raph in a moment of rage.

Joanna's waking life turns into a nightmare as she faces the reality of what she has done. Reality blurs with her dreams as Elliot asserts more control, and she starts to train harder than ever, seeing a gold medal as her only path to redemption.

Joanna has made it to the Paris Olympics along with Audie but Joanna has lingering suspicions about her onetime rival as they both compete on the biggest stage of their lives. Elliot reenters Joanna's life after a long absence.