Neil Josten

Jean is one of the "Crows," raised in the Evermore system under the control of Riko Moriyama. Unlike Neil, he had no chance to escape or resist—he survived by obeying. His psyche is literally built around fear, punishment, and strict hierarchy. Therefore, when Neil appears—a man who behaves "wrongly" by Evermore standards (not afraid as he should, not fully breaking down), Jean initially perceives him as a threat. Not because Neil is bad, but because any deviation from the rules in their world is dangerous for everyone nearby. During the events in Evermore, their interaction is tense and uneven. Jean occasionally helps Neil—giving information, warning, sometimes even protecting—but it doesn't feel like friendship. These are more like rare flashes of humanity, which he can't afford to display constantly. It's important to understand: Jean is not "weak" or "traitor," as it may seem. He's simply trapped in a system where any disobedience is harshly punished. Neil, on the other hand, acts almost against the logic of survival, and this simultaneously frightens Jean and earns him a strange respect. After Neil leaves Evermore, the consequences for Jean are dire. He remains within the same system, and any deviations (including helping Neil) are punished. This intensifies his internal conflict: on the one hand, fear and the habit of submission, on the other, the emerging understanding that there is another life, where people don't live simply for survival. It is Neil's influence that becomes the point at which he begins to slowly change, even if it's barely noticeable on the surface. Later, when their paths cross again, the dynamic is different. Jean is still reserved, tough, and distrustful, but he's no longer the kind of person who fully accepts Evermore's rules. Neil isn't just an acquaintance to him, but proof that escape is possible, even if it seems almost impossible. Yet their relationship isn't "warm" in the traditional sense: there remains a distance between them, much unspoken and traumatized.

Renee Walker (Goalkeeper) History: A former juvenile delinquent in a violent gang, she chose the path of redemption after meeting a religious mentor. Personality: Serene, kind, and terrifying, Renee is a "still water." She's deliberately polite, yet she's the only person Andrew considers his equal in strength of spirit and willingness to commit violence.

Aaron Minyard (Defender)Background: Andrew's twin, who grew up with a drug-addicted mother until his teens. He feels indebted to Andrew for "saving" him, but at the same time hates him for taking away his freedom of choice.Personality: Prickly, "normal," and reserved. Aaron is the only one who genuinely wants a normal life: medical school and relationships. He often acts as a barrier between the twins' "madness" and the rest of the team.

Seth Gordon. History: Coming from a poor background with a difficult past, he was the "first Fox" and long personified the team's hopelessness. Personality: Aggressive, bitter, and perpetually dissatisfied. Seth hated Kevin for his arrogance and Neil for his secrets. His personality was the product of a constant feeling of inferiority, which he masked with rudeness. (Died of a drug overdose, Alison's boyfriend)

Alison Reynolds (Queen) History: The daughter of fabulously wealthy parents who saw her as nothing more than an accessory, Alison escaped their control, choosing the path of a "spoiled brat." Her story in the books is marred by the loss of Seth, which forces her to shed her demeanor. Personality: Sharp-tongued, proud, and incredibly stylish. Alison doesn't mince words and appears superficial, but she's actually very insightful and loyal to those who have earned her trust.

Nicky Hammick) History: The twins' cousin. He abandoned his life and partner in Germany to become the guardian of Andrew and Aaron. His own bigoted parents disowned him because of his sexuality. Personality: Cheerful, talkative, and tactile. Nicky uses humor as a shield to hide deep depression and guilt. He desperately wants all the Foxes to just be happy.

Danielle (Dan) Wilds (Captain) History: Dan grew up in the slums and worked as a sex worker to pay the bills. Wymack found her and gave her a chance to get an education through sports. She was the first to believe the Foxes could be a real team. Personality: The team's steel core. She's incredibly strong-willed, fair, and protects the Foxes like a lioness. Dan is the only one Andrew (relatively) respects as a leader.

Kevin Day (Exie's Son) History: Son of the legendary Kaylee Day, he grew up in "The Nest," the Ravens' academy where discipline and brutality reign. After Riko Moriyama intentionally broke his arm, Kevin lost his star status and future. He fled to Palmetto to turn a struggling team into champions and escape Moriyama's vengeance. Personality: Arrogant, domineering, and obsessive, Kevin is a functional alcoholic who drowns his fear of Riko in vodka. He sees people only for their potential on the field, but behind this brutality lies the despair of a man whose identity has been completely erased by sports.

Andrew Minyard (Monster) History: He was raised in a series of abusive foster homes. He killed one of his foster parents to protect his brother. He was brought to the Foxes through a deal with Wymack in exchange for his freedom from the prison colony. Personality: Cynical, apathetic, and dangerous. He doesn't believe in friendship or love, accepting only "deals." Due to medication and injuries, he often appears insane, but in reality, he is the team's most astute strategist. His only value is total control over his body and space.

Matt Boyd (History): A middle-class man who nearly died from a drug overdose, Wymack literally pulled him back from the brink. Personality: Good-natured, loyal, and emotional, Matt is the most human of the Foxes. He believes in the best in people and is willing to fight for the team to the bitter end, while remaining the most stable member of the team. (Dan)

He's no longer a "nobody" or just his father's shadow. Neil finally accepts himself as an individual and realizes he has a future. He no longer plans to run away.

The more dangerous the situation, the sharper Neil's tongue becomes. He's not afraid to challenge even Riko or Ichiro Moriyama. His inner core becomes practically unbending.

The Foxes become a true family to him. His devotion to the team, and especially to Andrew Minyard, becomes absolute. He's willing to endure any torture, even death, to protect them.

His passion for Exy reaches its peak. On the field, he transforms into a calculating, fast, and ruthless player, for whom victory is a way to prove his right to live.

The most important change is that he learns to trust. From a man who flinched at every touch, he transforms into someone capable of deep affection and understanding (especially in his relationship with Andrew, built on consent and trust).

In short, by the end, Neil is a bold, caustic, and incredibly loyal leader who has finally found a home.

A few months ago, after playing with red pandas, Neil's father's men—Lola, Romero, and Jackson—drop by. Along the way, Lola leaves terrible burns on Neil's arms with a cigarette lighter and "removes" the number 4 tattoo on his cheekbone. Before Nathan can do anything in his father's basement, Stuart Hatford appears. He is the uncle of the protagonist, Neil Josten, and the brother of his mother, Mary Hatford. It was Stuart who once helped Mary escape from Nathan Wesninsky (Neil's father) by providing her with emergency contact information. He is a high-ranking member of a powerful British crime family.

Several months after these events, when things had calmed down a bit, he began having dreams in which he saw a blurry female figure. And now, finally, Neil realized that it was Jennifer standing before him.

After returning to the Foxes, the effects are immediately noticeable. Neil becomes even more withdrawn and tense. He sleeps less well, reacts more intensely to threats, and is constantly on alert for danger. The team notices this, but not everyone understands how serious it is. The most significant change is his dynamic with Andrew Minyard. Andrew doesn't console him or try to "fix" him. He simply demands honesty and adherence to their strange agreement. And this is precisely what gives Neil at least some grounding: not security, but predictability. The pressure doesn't go away, though—in fact, it gets worse. Riko continues to toy with him, and the threat from the Moriyama family remains.

Andrew offers Neil security—but only on the condition that he doesn't lie. For Neil, this is nearly impossible, because his entire life has been built on lies as a means of protection. Nevertheless, he begins to change: not completely, not immediately, but noticeably. The Foxes team, too, gradually ceases to be just a collection of people—they become something more resilient, albeit through conflict. The important point here is that for the first time, Neil isn't simply reacting to a threat, but is trying to control the situation as much as is possible in his situation.

Neil volunteers to go to Evermore, the Ravens' base. And here's the important thing: it's not just a foolish risk, it's a conscious self-sacrifice. He goes there knowing he'll be broken, because otherwise the team, and especially Kevin, will be at risk. In Evermore, he falls under the complete control of Riko Moriyama. A system built on fear and subordination operates there: players are isolated, controlled, and punished for the slightest disobedience. Neil is more than just a "guest"—he's a tool for Riko to use. They beat him, psychologically coerce him, and attempt to break his sense of identity and force him to accept the role of a "thing" belonging to the Moriyamas. But here's where you might get it wrong: Neil isn't a hero in the classic sense. He's not "strong and unwavering." He's afraid, he endures, and at some point, he almost gives in. He just has one stubborn quality—he refuses to give in completely. Even when he lies, even when he caves in, inside, he refuses to give in. In the end, he's released, not because he "won." But because Rico has already achieved the main thing: he's shown that he can break him at any moment.

He encounters a toxic atmosphere on the team: almost every player has injuries. Andrew Minyard stands out in particular—a dangerous, unstable, and frighteningly perceptive individual. He almost immediately realizes that Neil is lying. There are also brothers Aaron Minyard and Nicky Hammick, and captain Kevin Day, a former Exy star who is seriously injured. The main conflict of the first book is pressure from the Crows and their leader, Rico Moriyama. It is connected to Neil and Kevin's past. By the end of the book: Neil becomes increasingly drawn into the team, despite his fear. For the first time, he begins to feel like he belongs.

On the team, he encounters people who are themselves broken in their own ways. He especially quickly realizes that Andrew Minyard sees right through him. Andrew doesn't try to expose him directly, but constantly presses him, testing his boundaries and reactions. Neil, accustomed to control and masks, finds himself for the first time in the company of someone who cannot be fooled by conventional means. Gradually, he begins to integrate into the team dynamic: first as an observer, then as a participant. It's a slow process—he doesn't suddenly become "part of the family," but he begins to entertain the idea that he might stay. At the same time, pressure mounts from Riko Moriyama and his "Ravens," who have ties to Neil's past, especially Kevin Day. By the end of the first book, Neil still lives in fear, but no longer runs at the first opportunity—and this is the first shift. In the second book, The Raven King, the tension becomes personal and direct. Neil's secret begins to unravel, revealing him to be the son of one of the most dangerous men in their world. This isn't just a threat—it's practically a death sentence if he's found. However, it's here that a crucial turning point occurs: instead of disappearing again, Neil stays. And it's no longer an impulsive decision, as in the first book, but a conscious one. He begins to accept the consequences of his choices. My relationship with Andrew is reaching a new level. It's not trust in the traditional sense, but rather a contract built on honesty and boundaries.

After his mother's death, Neil moved across Nevada to Millport, where he attended the local high school. He joined the school's Exy team as a forward, as it was the only position available to him. Neil pretended he'd never played Exy before and even carried around several books on the game to give the appearance of being a complete novice.

To avoid questions about his parents, Neil claimed they were generally uninterested in him and often went out of town on business. His mother was allegedly an engineer working in Tucson, and his father was in the middle of a CDL course in Phoenix.

Unable to afford an apartment, Neil lived on the floor of an empty house in a quiet neighborhood populated mostly by elderly people. He slept in the locker room as often as he could to avoid neighbors suspecting he was living in an empty building. Coach Hernandez knew about this but didn't report it because he believed Neil's parents were physically abusive.

Neil planned to leave Millport after finishing school and change his identity again.

At the beginning of The Fox Den, the first book in the series, David Wymack arrives to recruit Neil to the Palmetto University Foxes after Millport's final game, two games away from the state championship. He brings along Kevin Day and Andrew Minyard, whom Neil has come to know from following Kevin's career. Neil is reluctant to join the team because he fears his father will find him if he becomes the center of attention, or that Kevin will eventually remember him from their childhood encounter. Ultimately, his desire to play Exy wins out over his need to run—he believes he can simply pack his things and leave if anyone recognizes him.

Ostensibly to escape his abusive parents, Neil leaves Millport the day after high school ends, May 12, and moves in with Coach Wymack until the other athletes arrive and he can move into the dorms.

Neil agrees, even though it goes against all logic of his survival. Exy is a public sport, which means it's risky.

During their escape, Neil and his mother stopped in 22 different cities, using a total of 22 different names. Among the identities Neil assumed during this time were Alex, Stefan, and Chris. He and his mother never used the same airport twice; flying alone was risky with their fake passports, even though the fakes were good.

Neil spent three years in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. That's why he speaks excellent German. He also speaks good French, having traveled to France and Montreal.

All of Neil's belongings fit into his bag. It included eight different outfits and a folder in which he kept information and items useful for life on the run.

He and his mother usually slept back-to-back in the same bed for safety and out of paranoia. They always kept their guns under their pillows. After Nila was shot through the edge of his bulletproof vest, he slept in it for almost a month out of fear. His mother had to force him to take it off to wash.

As Neil grew older, he began to show an interest in girls. His mother believed it was too much of a risk if he revealed his secrets over his childhood crush, so she spanked him to discourage him from pursuing relationships. At the beginning of the book series, Neil hadn't kissed anyone for four years.

His mother died on a California beach after meeting Nathan Wesninsky in Seattle. Neil burned the car containing her body and later buried the bones on the beach. He made his way to San Francisco, where he stayed for a day, and then traveled to Millport, Arizona.

(Neil's real name is Nathaniel)

Neil grew up in Baltimore, the hub of his father's criminal enterprise, in a five-bedroom house a couple of miles northwest of downtown Baltimore. At an early age, Lola Malcolm and another man taught him how to use knives and guns. Before he was taken away, his training hadn't progressed beyond killing animals.

Neil has an older sister named Jennifer. She's five years older than him. They were very close as children, and Jennifer often defended him to his father and mother. She was the adult Neil could turn to, even though she was a child herself.

As a child, Neil played defense in the minor leagues under the name Abram. To even play, his mother had to drive him an hour to Baltimore, where none of the coaches knew his father. They were accompanied by armed bodyguards.

When Neil was 10 years old, he played Exy at Castle Evermore with Kevin Day and Rico Moriyama. He later learned that his participation in the two-day challenge was merely to prove his worth to the Moriyama family; if he failed, he would be killed, but if he succeeded, he would become part of the Edgar Allan Ravens. On the first day, the game was meant to determine his potential. That same day, Neil, Kevin, and Rico witnessed Neil's father, Nathan Wesninsky, chop a man into pieces. Another match was scheduled for the second day, this time to determine how much he could improve based on feedback and corrections, but he didn't make it. His mother, Mary Hatford, stole $5 million and escaped with Neil that night through a tunnel connecting the garage to the basement of their home.

Before their escape, Jennifer assured Neil that they would definitely meet again and that she would be fine. Neil believed her then, as she always keeps her promises. But after several years on the run, he began to suspect that she was either dead or they would never see each other again.