After The War Is Over Novels & Stories

Proceed with extraction. The war wasn't over. It was just beginning.

The headlines would keep spinning, the stocks would keep changing, the war would keep on. But here, in the darkness and silence, the war was over. All that remained was the truth, simple and unshakeable. They loved each other. Irrevocably. Completely. And for now, and forever, that was enough. ---

Stephan and Heath came to join in, holding us to themselves. The war was over. It was a New Dawn.

Not in courtrooms or boardrooms or through revenge, but in the way that mattered most, they had chosen love over hate, family over rivalry, hope over bitterness. And that, after everything, was the greatest victory of all. The fairy lights glowed overhead as the night deepened, stars appearing one by one in the darkening sky. Music played softly. Hope stirred in her mother's arms, made a small sound, settled back into sleep. And the family stayed together at that table, reluctant to let the moment end, knowing that whatever came next, they would face it together. The war was over. The future was theirs. And they had finally, truly, come home.

The flames crackled and popped, sending sparks into the air. Mira pulled out a loaf of bread and tore it into pieces, passing them around. We ate in comfortable silence, the exhaustion of the day settling over us like a heavy blanket. "So," Rhea said after a while, breaking the quiet. "What are you going to do now?" I looked at her. "What do you mean?" "I mean, the war is over. The territory is reclaimed. Astrid has been exposed. What happens next for you?" I chewed slowly, thinking. "I don't know. There is still a lot of work to do here. Reconstruction. Security. Making sure the borders are safe."

But in the first place, I am still trying to figure out how to relate it to them. No idea how I should inform them that THE WAR WAS YET TO BE OVER. That what we had experienced was the TIP OF THE ICEBERG

The barrier does not waver, and it never will. I lower my arms slowly. My body trembles. My muscles burn with the ache of a thousand lifetimes compressed into a single heartbeat. Sweat rolls down my spine. My vision blurs. But I stay standing, fueled by the relief that it is done. The war is over now. There will be peace. At last, I exhale. The breath is shaky, but it feels like the purest I’ve ever breathed. The air feels fresher, finally clear of the smoke that’s plagued us for so many years.

I had been that exhausted. After I was ready for the day I left my room. I wanted to go train but couldn't. There was no more training since the war was over. So I had nothing to do. My friends have gone back to the barracks so I was alone. After eating I wandered the halls. Passing smiling servants and relaxed guards. The war was over, everybody was happy. But something still tugs at the back of my mind. I had been targeted then. Would I stop being a target now that the war was over or would the person still persists?

The war was over. ‎ ‎Now, we had a kingdom to build.

"Show me the code." Liam leaned against the wall. He let out a long exhale. The civil war was over. The Manhattan Project had begun.