The Last To Know Novels & Stories

“Centuries ago, they were hunted. Slaughtered. Betrayed by those who feared their strength.” My throat tightened. The memories weren’t mine, but I could feel them. The pain. The fear. The blood. Luca exhaled sharply, piecing things together. “But you’re saying Angelina is—” “The last of them.” Elara finished. “At least, the last known one.” Luca’s expression was unreadable. He looked at me, his blue eyes searching mine, as if trying to find the truth for himself. I met his gaze. “I didn’t know. Not until tonight.”

I was annoyed by the pulse in my throat. I now know his habits. I know them better than I knew for some people I called friends. I knew where he appeared, I knew when he vanished, I knew his routes, I knew which neighborhoods woke up with rumors after midnight. That thought should have disgusted me. Instead it made me steady. I spread out the reports. I traced a line across the city. The Old Saint Verin Church. It had been sealed since the collapse. The Harrow Tunnels were beneath the river market.

Leo was asleep, his head resting on my lap, his breathing steady and slow. I looked out at the atoll. The lanterns were flickering out one by one as the sun prepared to take over. I could see the silhouettes of the new generation beginning their day. I saw Lara heading back to the docks. I saw Tunde’s descendants opening the nursery doors. The knife was a memory. The vial was a relic. The empire was a ghost. I looked down at Leo. We were the last of the old world. The last ones who remembered the smell of smoke and the sound of the zip ties snapping. When we eventually closed our eyes for the last time, the last connection to that darkness would be gone.

One threatening message written by someone who knew more about my past than I did myself. "Tobin died before he could tell me everything he knew," I said while looking at the ruins one final time. "Now someone is trying to make sure I never find out what he wanted me to discover.”

The unnamed girl stared at the empty pedestal. "We need to leave," she said. "Why?" Daniel asked. "Because this chamber was built to contain something. And the Seventh Authority was the last lock." A deep metallic groan echoed beneath our feet. I tightened my grip on Widow-Maker. "What was it containing?" The girl finally looked at me. "Something that knows your original death wasn't supposed to happen." Before I could demand an explanation, the System appeared. [WARNING: SPATIAL STRUCTURE COLLAPSE IMMINENT.]

That was all. Three pages until the final page. Three pages until something ended. Or disappeared. Or was lost forever. Nobody knew which. The Editor's face darkened. "That's less time than I hoped." Lyra stepped closer. "What happens when the last page is written?" Nobody answered. Not immediately. Then Eli whispered: "No one knows." That frightened Lyra more than any answer could have. Because if even Eli didn't know— If even the Editor didn't know— Then they were approaching something truly unknown.

The opening sealed shut behind them both. Silence swallowed the facility whole. Then every screen flared to life one last time, displaying a single final message: DAY SEVEN HAS BEGUN. THE ORIGINAL IS COMING. AND IT KNOWS HER NAME.

My girlfriend, Natalie Charlton, had one rule about everything. We always split the cost. She believed nothing ruined a relationship faster than taking advantage of each other. She insisted that if we wanted to stay together, every expense had to be calculated and settled fairly. For four years, we split every meal, bought our own movie tickets, and divided the cost of our Valentine's Day gifts. Whenever she bought me something, she asked me to transfer half of the money back to her. Once, I came down with a fever of 102.2 degrees and called to ask if she could pick up some medicine and bring it to me. She sounded irritated over the phone. "You are a grown man. You have a fever, and you

I don't know what's gonna happen in the future but I know this won't be the last of us. So how can you say goodbye to someone you never wanted to set free in the first place? __________ SFTC: Listen To Your Heart - Roxette

You didn't reply to my messages at all. "Yes... delicious," replied Aini, sounding a little cold. He even stared outside and refused to listen to Leo, who had already spoken. "Why... didn't you come last night?" asked Aini finally. This made Leo silent for a few moments; luckily, they were at a red light. He blinked a few times and faced Aini, trying to understand what she was saying.