Selfless

A billionaire with terminal cancer who undergoes shedding to escape death. He inhabits Edward Kidner’s body and later assumes Mark’s memories, creating shifting identities. His intellect and determination push him to reclaim his life and protect his family, even as memories threaten his grip on reality. The journey tests what it means to be the same person across bodies.

Mark’s wife who forms a fragile bond with the man living as her husband. She is emotionally scarred by loss and driven to protect their daughter, even as the truth about Mark’s whereabouts remains hidden. Her intuition about artificial memory clashes with her affection. She becomes a key ally in the fight to keep the family safe.

The couple’s daughter who becomes central to the stakes, requiring life-saving treatment. She embodies innocence and hope, but also serves as a catalyst for the adult characters’ decisions. Her welfare motivates the pursuit of the truth behind the shedding operation.

Albright’s enforcer who has shed multiple times and returns in new bodies. He is a ruthless reminder of the procedure’s dark side, outmaneuvering opponents while pursuing his corrupt masters. His persistence tests Damian’s will to save the day.

The architect of shedding, an unscrupulous scientist who promises renewal while manipulating memories and bodies. He embodies the commodification of consciousness and the ethical rot behind the procedure. His control over the variables and medications drives the conflict.

A pioneer in shedding whose research sets the stage for the present experiments. He appears posthumously in a video, hinting at the lineage and dangers of consciousness transfer. His work and the pills become central to the mystery Damian uncovers.

Jensen’s wife, confined to a nursing home with Alzheimer's, unable to recall. Her fading memory underscores the fragility of identity and the human cost of memory manipulation. She represents the vulnerable side of those trapped by others’ experiments.

An old friend who helps Damian orchestrate Madeline and Anna’s escape and seeks to outmaneuver Jensen’s operatives. He reverse-engineers the pills and sacrifices his own safety to secure a future for the family. His resourcefulness provides a counterpoint to the dark science at the center of the plot.

Damian’s estranged daughter whom he visits, choosing not to reveal his true presence. The gesture signals a moment of reconciliation and a desire to repair damaged father-daughter ties. Her perspective grounds the story in familial love beyond the high-stakes thriller elements.