For most of her life, Alex Chen was alone and adrift in the foster care system. She struggled with her ‘curse’ – the ability to hear, manipulate, and absorb the emotions of other people. When she graduated out of foster care, she reconnected with her brother, Gabe, who lived in the town of Haven Springs, Colorado.
Alex arrived in Haven Springs hoping to reunite with her brother but found more than just family. When Gabe died in a mining accident, Alex partnered with Gabe’s friends and used her powers to find justice. As the truth unravelled, Alex grew close to – and began dating – Steph Gingrich.
Steph was a former resident of Arcadia Bay, and a student of Blackwell Academy. Though in this timeline, Rachel Amber and Chloe Price left Oregon for the sunny California coast, and Max Caulfield never returned. Steph left Arcadia Bay for Seattle, where she bounced around the punk scene as a drummer. It was whilst on tour with her band, Drugstore Makeup, that Steph first discovered Haven Springs, and the rest is history.
After uncovering the truth behind the Typhon mining company, Alex and Steph left Haven Springs to start their own band, performing in venues across the States. Whilst on the road, they encountered a runaway teenager, Lily. Silent and mysterious, it quickly became apparent Lily was suffering from a ‘curse’ of her own…