Last Resort Novels & Stories

*** When I woke up, Johan was sitting on the edge of the bed, shirtless and smoking. He heard me move and looked back. A check landed on the bed in front of me. I stared at it. He only said a few words. "I'm bored with you." Something inside me cracked. Like porcelain shattering, sharp pieces cut across my heart. Still, my voice came out calm. I even smiled. "I've got less than three months left. Couldn't you wait a little longer?" Johan frowned. "Yara Yelton, you should know your place."

“Why are your hands so cold? Have you been too tired lately? I will reduce the interest on that debt by another two points for you. How does that sound?” My body stiffened before I forced out a polite smile. “Thank you, Mr. Cardea.” Daniel smiled and patted the top of my head. “Good girl. Come home tonight. I want that pot roast you make. Do not keep me waiting.” Home. That villa on the hillside was not home. It was a beautiful place that felt like a prison. I returned to my desk and opened the memo app on my phone. The numbers on the screen represented my mother’s life.

Julian transferred all of his shares in the Cross family to me, publicly stating that he was only holding them in trust. I moved Warren Group's operations overseas. Before long, the name "Iris" carried more weight than the title of Mrs. Cross ever did. Zoe was sent abroad once again. This time, it was said that one of her former patrons bore her deep resentment and kept her trapped by his side, tormenting her until she was barely recognizable. Cole Group collapsed completely. Overnight, Adrian fell from privileged heir to ordinary wage earner, reduced to delivering takeout. Julian surfaced from the pool. "Do you need me to step in?"

REGISTRY DISTRICT 10 CORE BALANCE: 100 UNITS REQUESTED EXCHANGE RATE: ONE IMMUNITY LEASE PER SOUL "They're offering an exemption," I realized, the "True Zero" logic in my mind cutting through the silver text with a terrifying, icy clarity. "If we surrender the memory of our scars—the un-optimized errors that made us default—they’ll give us a permanent lease on the clearing. We can live in the margin forever, but we’ll be silent. We’ll be a closed account that never changes."

"It was someone who loved you, Elara. Someone the world forgot so we could live." The Last-Stand Valor had won the day, but at the cost of the family’s foundation. The sky was still cracked, and the Exterminator Fleet was still out there, but the Internal-Invasion had failed. The Haven was quiet, save for the sound of the waterfall and the soft, grieving hum of an Anchor who had lost a part of her soul she couldn't even name.

Tears brim his eyes and the last question comes out in a shaky breath. My tears stream down my face for the millionth time today. The round diamond sparkles spectacularly like the stars in the night sky. It's absolutely stunning. All the pain and suffering have led us to this moment. This moment in time where we can finally accept that nothing will stand in our way and nothing will ever tear us apart. We are it for each other forever. "Yes," I whisper. The End

Their last reserves are disappearing. It was a risk. The safehouse was compromised the moment they’d left it, a known node in their shattered network. But Sabe argued it with a ruthless logic that Anton had come to recognize as his last line of defense against total helplessness. “They’ve been there. They’ve torn it apart. They won’t be back. It’s the last place they’ll expect us to go. We’re ghosts. We move where the living have already looked.” It was a gambit born of absolute desperation. Anton, his mind still echoing with the steady rhythm of Sabe’s heartbeat, simply nodded. He had no better ideas.

Soon a silence came in between, but on their way, Juniper asked monotonously, “What should we do now?” “Should we make a head start for the final relic?” Tabit suggested, as it was their only option left. They doubt they might be able to get this one. Her question stopped all of them with dread. Since Red Rain was supposed to maintain internal affairs, they didn’t know much about the outside world. “The last relic…” Zen whispered, shivering slightly to fathom how they had to enter the last country for hope. “What is it?” Juniper asked, arching a brow in bewilderment.

The Council’s Last Gambit The destruction of the Antarctic station changed into a devastating blow to The Council, however none of the folks believed they had been finished. Their chilling message echoed in my mind: “You’ve destroyed our tools, however now no longer our resolve. We’ll rebuild. You can’t forestall what’s coming.” Back in the secure house, Vanessa labored tirelessly to music for any surviving participants of The Council. The documents we had pulled from the Antarctic station hinted at one very last location— a meeting factor mentioned best as “Sanctuary.”

A small, golden circle appeared around the Dust-Well. "We will give you this sector," Caspian said. "The Dust-Well. It is far enough from the core that the corruption hasn't reached it yet. You, your Knight, and your thousands of survivors can stay here. We will provide you with a 'Legacy Server'—a small, independent power source that will keep the air breathable and the water flowing. You will be free." "And the rest of the world?" Rowan asked. Caspian’s white eyes flickered. "The rest of the world must be formatted. Every other living thing on this planet will be erased to clear the cache. You will be the last survivors. The 'Legacy Pack.' A museum of what the world used to be."