Up From The Ashes Novels & Stories

] [Compound Security Status: ABSOLUTE. [System Status: STABLE.] I looked around at my team—my men, my farmers, my tracker, my medic—standing unified amidst the ash and mud. The spring had brought its first trial, and Apex had answered with absolute, unbroken power. We were no longer just surviving the apocalypse; we were mastering it.

I made my way through the dark corridors of the dungeon, my heart burning with a desire for revenge. I had been betrayed by Luciana, the very person I thought was my friend and ally. But now, I was determined to make her pay with her blood. I reached the cell where Sam and Morris were being held, and I could see the fear in their eyes as they looked up at me. "Who are you?" they chorused together. "The spirit that has been haunting you. I am Ashley, the Luna you all killed." They were white with horror and their teeth clattered in an attempt to speak.

With that, he helped Julia into the SUV. The door was shut. Several black sedans followed close behind as the convoy sped toward the Verdant family's private hospital. Daisy stood by the road and watched the cars disappear into the night. She lifted a hand and tried to flag down help, but everything went black, and she collapsed onto the ground. When she woke up again, all she saw was a white ceiling. "Are you awake?" She heard a deep voice. Daisy turned her head and saw Caleb Anderson sitting in a chair near the bed.

Moonlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, stretching across the marble floor. I knelt on the balcony, applying a special herbal balm to the skin beneath my ribs—to the scars left by silver weapons thirteen years ago. They still ached. The scars always ached under the full moon, a cruel reminder of a past I fought to forget. "You're still using that balm." I didn't turn around. Kaelen's footsteps were loud on the cold marble. "I thought you'd forgotten that pain," he said. The anger was gone from his voice, replaced by something I couldn't quite place.

she wept. Gamma Brent got up and wiped her tears, “Don’t cry Livey, Ash is alive” he said. “Ash is alive?” She asked back for clarifications and he nodded. The sorrow that was once evident on her face was wiped by a big smile, she was happy to know that her mate was indeed alive

Chapter Thirteen – Ashes on the Road The road stretched endless beneath a bruised sky, dust curling into the air with each faltering step. Adrian’s boots ground against gravel and ash, dragging over ruins that had once been villages, homes, lives. Pain radiated from his ribs, the bullet graze still raw beneath the filthy bandages he had wrapped himself in. Every inhale flared like fire through his lungs.

“Perhaps the ashes have borne fruit after all.” But Justina knew the battle was far from over. The ashes held more than remnants of destruction they held the possibility of rebirth, reclamation,and power. And she intended to rise from them, stronger than ever, unbroken, untouchable. Carson’s hand found hers once more, a tether against the chaos. “We survive this,” he said firmly. “We rise from the ashes together.” Justina’s gaze met his, fierce and unwavering. “Together,” she confirmed, every ounce of fear transmuted into determination.

--- Lucy – Internal Monologue Ash thought she broke me. Thought she could silence me with rejection, bury me beneath the weight of my shame. But I rose from her ashes—stronger, fiercer, and unforgiving. Let her bring her wolves. Let her roar with fury. Because today, I wouldn’t bow. Today, I would rise. And I would burn everything in my path to take back what was mine.

she asked nervously, scared that he would say no. Matteo’s lips curved, slow and certain. "Sure we are friends now so we would definitely hang out together " . . . . . . . . . Across the city, Aubrey wiped her forehead with the back of her hand as she straightened the bed sheets in one of the mansion’s many rooms. Her new job wasn’t easy, but it paid better than anything she’d ever had before. The mansion’s owner, a sophisticated businesswoman, barely made appearances, and the work mostly involved keeping the estate spotless.

There was a loud crash, which scared everyone there. My ashes scattered everywhere. Jasper still felt angry. He laughed disdainfully and stepped on my ashes, grinding them with the sole of his shoe. The staff members' jaws had dropped in shock. They hadn't even had time to stop him. Jasper kicked my ashes and sent them flying. "Tell Amara that she came up with a very innovative trick this time round, but it's lame. I'm not going to waver at all, no matter whether she's dead or alive!