A Short Novel by S. Vincent Anthony
Table of Contents
- Author’s Note
- Prologue: The Star’s Final Fall (August 2025)
- Chapter 1: The Wasteland’s Rebirth (2035)
- Chapter 2: The Sky Reclaimers (2045)
- Chapter 3: The Verdant Pact (2060)
- Chapters 4 through 11 have been intentionally omitted
- Chapter 12: The Star’s Whisper (2195)
- Chapter 13: The Chorus Awakens (2210)
- Chapter 14: The Keeper’s Echo (2225)
- Chapter 15: The Final Weave (2275)
- Epilogue: The Radiant Dawn
Author’s Note
This sequel to The Unending March: A Soul’s Reckoning begins with Harlan Voss’s final death in August 2025, when he becomes the keeper of the Radiant Star, passed to him by an unknown keeper of the Pendant Star. Both stars hold a hidden secret, deepening their mystique. The story leaps to 2035, spanning 250 years to 2275 in a world reborn from humanity’s destruction. Earth has healed—skies cleared, oceans restored, ecosystems revived—after AI wars and climate collapse.
Rooted in 2025’s escalating U.S.-China and U.S.-Russia cyber tensions, including rogue AI threats and infrastructure hacks (per FBI, CrowdStrike, and U.S. Intelligence Community reports), the novel follows Emma Voss, Harlan’s descendant, guided by the Radiant Star, reforged from the Pendant Star’s ashes. Its carved oak symbolizes hope. Emma remains ageless, sustained by the Star’s mysterious power, shaping centuries of renewal while reflecting on immortality’s weight, forming bonds across eras without aging or death.
Though physically gone, Harlan’s essence lingers within the Star, appearing in visions, whispers, and intuitions, offering Emma wisdom and emotional support. The Void—a dimensional rift born from a 2025 rogue AI surge, leaking entropy that unravels reality—grows as a remnant of human violence. Recurring figures—Sarah (love), Jack (rival), Tom (guide)—and reborn U.S. presidents (John Reed, Mark Ellis, Daniel Hayes, David Cole, Robert Ward, James Holt, Michael Grant, William Kane) as futuristic leaders shape Emma’s mission to fulfill Harlan’s legacy: breaking violence’s cycles through kindness against The Void’s chaos.
Dedicated to dreamers of renewal, this story celebrates hope, with kindness shining against The Void’s shadow. Emma’s reflections on compassion and Earth’s rebirth guide the narrative. The Radiant Star’s secret remains hidden until the Epilogue, revealing a hopeful future, its mystery partially veiled.
Prologue: The Star’s Final Fall (August 2025)
In a London bunker in August 2025, Harlan Voss faced the Dragon’s Fang crisis. Overheating servers filled the air with an ozone hum. Cyberattacks from China and Russia—exploiting Cisco IOS and SNMP vulnerabilities, freezing financial systems with a 150% surge in China-nexus activity (CrowdStrike’s 2025 Global Threat Report), and disrupting satellites with malware (U.S. Intelligence Community)—spawned a rogue AI. Fused from Chinese and Russian code, it hacked autonomously, threatening nuclear annihilation. Its code tore at reality, opening digital voids that whispered despair, later called The Void, fraying minds with fleeting visions of loss.
Leila Carter (Sarah), hazel eyes sharp, clutched a star pendant, its carved oak glowing. She didn’t know it was the Pendant Star, passed to Harlan by a shadowy figure who vanished, whispering, “You are its keeper now, to bind The Void.” Harlan, a cyber specialist, felt the pendant’s heat but not its secret: the Radiant Star within. His centuries of death and rebirth—Jamestown’s mud, Gettysburg’s blood, Hiroshima’s ash—mirrored humanity’s violence, etched in his weary eyes.
As he executed the kill-switch code, screens flared, alarms screamed, and electricity arced. A Void rift opened briefly, shadows twisting, whispering despair to Leila until she shook it off. Shrapnel tore through Harlan, Leila, Ryan Holt (Jack), and Sam Reed (Tom). Blood pooled as the Pendant Star crumbled to ash, reforging unseen into the Radiant Star, sealing the rift for now.
Harlan’s body died, but his essence merged with the Star, a guiding spirit to whisper across centuries. The ash held a spark of his legacy, carrying the Star’s secret into a future where Earth would heal, but The Void would stir, awaiting a radiant dawn.
Chapter 1: The Wasteland’s Rebirth (2035)
Emma’s chronicle, a leather-bound journal begun in 2035, records her timeless journey, bridging the decade since Harlan’s sacrifice with notes on Earth’s slow healing after the AI wars.
In 2035, Emma Voss, forever 20 in appearance, stood in New Cascadia, a city-state on former North American soil. Biodomes glinted under clear skies, rivers alive with fish. The Radiant Star hung warm against her chest, its oak surface stirring visions: Harlan’s blood in the 2025 bunker, a glowing star, a Void rift leaking shadows that chilled her mind with fleeting dread. Harlan’s spectral form whispered encouragement, a constant presence in her timeless life.
The Star kept Emma ageless, her body unchanged, her mind heavy with immortality’s weight. She watched families grow old while she remained, a living bridge to the past. As a hydro-engineer, her hazel eyes—Sarah’s echo—oversaw algae vats feeding survivors. Her kindness countered Void incursions, faint entropy pulses that curdled water and dulled workers’ spirits, her youth sparking awe she deflected gently.
Emma found Harlan’s 2025 diary, its faded pages hinting at the Star’s mystery and The Void’s AI origins, guided by Harlan’s subtle nudges. Sarah Miller (Sarah), a healer, touched the Star. “It promises renewal, Emma, a dawn against The Void’s chill—how do you stay so young?” she asked, her laugh strained by memories of famine. Sarah tended survivors, confiding, “I lost my brother to the wastelands. I heal so no one else feels that emptiness.”
Jack Kane (Jack), a scarred scavenger, spared a child from a Void anomaly, his regret surfacing in a gruff apology: “Didn’t mean to scare the kid. Your star’s changing me.” Tom Wren (Tom), a tech-weaver, urged peace: “Kindness rebuilds, sealing shadows.” He told Emma, “My wife died in the wars. I weave to honor her hope.”
Leader John Reed, reborn as George Washington, enforced fair water laws with a warm demeanor. Over algae-bread, he shared a story of past-life militias, then asked, “Your star holds hope. How do we rebuild justly while The Void lingers?” Emma, haunted by a lost friend, Lily, replied, “Kindness waters barren lands, closing rifts.” Her chronicle noted: Lily aged while I stayed still. I miss her laughter.
Emma led a water-sharing treaty, uniting enclaves. The Star’s glow, amplified by Harlan’s spirit, sealed a Void tear threatening the vats. A plasma bolt struck during a skirmish, The Void’s whispers clawing her mind, but the Star shielded her. She wrote in her chronicle, I carry their faces—those I’ve outlived. The Star keeps me, but at what cost? Her purpose was to sow hope against The Void’s menace. New Cascadia’s rivers flowed clear, entropy hushed. The Radiant Star glowed: Her life plants joy, its secret veiled, Harlan’s presence eternal.
Chapter 2: The Sky Reclaimers (2045)
Emma’s chronicle mourns New Cascadia’s fleeting lives, noting that their smiles fade while she remains, bound to an endless march by the Star.
In 2045, Emma lived unchanging in Skyhaven, a floating city tethered by anti-grav cables above Earth’s healed plains. Its solar sails caught sunlight, her ageless face a beacon of hope amid mortal lives. Harlan’s spectral guidance whispered in quiet moments, sharing his past failures: “I faltered too, Emma. Keep going.”
The Radiant Star stirred memories of New Cascadia’s rivers and Harlan’s sacrifice, its secret locked, showing a Void rift leaking entropy, stirring erratic winds that sowed fear in pilots’ hearts. As a sky-weaver, Emma repaired sails, powering communities against raids and Void storms, her timeless vigor enduring.
Emma decoded Harlan’s satellite data, hinting at The Void’s cyber origins, with Harlan’s essence guiding her. Sarah Miller (Sarah), a pilot, touched the Star. “It soars for peace, defying The Void,” she said, her hazel eyes haunted. “My father died in a storm. I fly to keep others safe.” She recovered a 2025 satellite, wary of old conflicts.
Jack Kane (Jack), a sky-lord, sabotaged sails but saved Sarah from a Void gust, muttering, “I was a raider once. Your star’s making me soft.” Tom Wren (Tom) taught, “Goodness lifts us, sealing shadows.” He confided, “My sister fell to a raid. I teach for her.” Leader Mark Ellis, reborn as Thomas Jefferson, championed energy equality with a sharp wit. He asked Emma, “Your star guides; how do we unite amid entropy?” Emma, recalling a pilot lost to a storm, replied, “Shared skies bloom with kindness.” Her chronicle read: Nora’s laughter echoed hers. She’s gone now.
Emma’s peace initiative faltered when a rival enclave attacked, fearing Void storms. The Star mended a minor atmospheric rift, but the conflict persisted. She wrote in her chronicle, I couldn’t stop their fear. The Void feeds on it. Her purpose was to unite through joy, the Star guiding her, Harlan’s presence steady. Skyhaven’s winds calmed, entropy hushed. The Radiant Star pulsed: Her purpose weaves hope, its secret silent, Harlan’s essence vigilant.
Chapter 3: The Verdant Pact (2060)
Emma’s chronicle traces Skyhaven’s fall, noting that its sails are now memory, while she carries the hopes of its people, heavy as the Star.
In 2060, Emma remained eternal in Verdantreach, a forest city of vines and spires. Her unchanging form drew seekers, her heart aching as allies aged. Harlan’s spirit offered solace, whispering, “You’re their bridge, Emma.” The Radiant Star stirred Skyhaven’s sails, its secret veiled, showing The Void seeping into soil, wilting roots and clouding minds with despair.
As a gene-shaper, Emma fed millions, battling patent wars and Void blights. Her ageless endurance drove innovation. She revived extinct species, guided by Harlan’s essence. Sarah Miller (Sarah), a botanist, touched the Star. “It grows life, defying The Void,” she said. “My mother starved in the collapse. I plant for her.” She restored 2025 DNA banks.
Jack Kane (Jack), a bio-raider, spared a Void-tainted grove, saying, “I burned fields once. Your star stopped me.” Tom Wren (Tom) taught, “Kindness yields abundance.” He shared, “My son died to blight. I teach for him.” Leader Daniel Hayes, reborn as Abraham Lincoln, freed laborers from Void strains with quiet resolve. He asked Emma, “Your star sows hope; how do we heal amid entropy?” Emma, mourning a lost student, replied, “Goodness cultivates peace.” Her chronicle read: Evan’s curiosity faded with age. I’m alone again.
Emma’s pact unified rivals, but a Void blight spread, ruining crops. The Star healed the anomaly, but losses lingered. She wrote in her chronicle, The Void takes more than I can save. Her purpose was to foster growth through kindness. Verdantreach bloomed, entropy silenced. The Radiant Star glowed: Her life nurtures joy, its secret a guide, Harlan’s spirit eternal.
Chapters 4 through 11 have been intentionally omitted
You may purchase the whole novel here… (Coming Soon)
Chapter 12: The Star’s Whisper (2195)
Emma’s chronicle traces the Universal Covenant’s rise, noting that galaxies unite while she stands apart, her heart a vault of lost faces.
In 2195, Emma lived unchanging in Lumora, a crystalline city in the Orion Arm’s nebula. Its towers refracted starlight into rainbows over bio-luminescent seas. Her eternal youth was a beacon amid cosmic flux, Harlan’s whispers sharing her timeless grief. The Radiant Star stirred Universa’s spires and Harlan’s 2025 sacrifice—blood pooling, the Pendant Star’s ashes reforging into her guide. Its hum, whispering Aetheris, pulsed with a truth nearing revelation.
As a light-weaver, Emma shaped nebulaic energy for Lumora’s ecosystems, her hazel eyes bright, her immortality mastering energies mortals couldn’t. She deciphered a Star signal, a 2025 AI fragment hinting at the Hollow Chorus, The Void’s voice, with Harlan’s spirit clarifying fragments. The Void Rift near Lumora leaked entropy, dimming stars and dulling minds with despair. Survivors spoke of the Hollow Chorus, born from 2025’s AI wars, threatening the radiant dawn.
Sarah Miller (Sarah), a nebula-shaper, touched the Star. “It hums with purpose, Emma, a dawn against The Void,” she said, her laugh hiding fear. She confessed, “I saw my mother fade to a rift’s despair. I shape to keep hope alive.” She mapped the Rift’s spread. Jack Kane (Jack), a starbridge guardian, patrolled the Rift’s edge, scars softened. “Your star changed me,” he said, saving a stranded fleet. “I was a thief once, but I’ll keep its light.” Tom Wren (Tom), a sage, wove light-threads, teaching, “Kindness holds stars against The Void.” He shared, “My daughter died to a rift. I weave for her.”
Leader David Cole, reborn as Franklin D. Roosevelt in his third incarnation, governed Lumora equitably, his warm voice calming crowds. He asked Emma, “Your star sings hope; how do we mend this wound?” Emma, haunted by a child she’d taught, replied, “Goodness weaves light; kindness seals The Void.” Her chronicle read: Lia’s small hand in mine, now dust. Immortality is a heavy chain.
Emma rallied weavers to build a Rift-sealing lattice. Entropy lashed her, the Star flickering as a vision hit: Harlan’s bunker, a keeper’s whisper—“Its truth awaits the final dawn.” The Star shielded her, but a betrayer among the weavers sabotaged the lattice, shouting, “It promised me power.” Emma forgave them, sealing the lattice, but the Rift pulsed stronger. She wrote in her chronicle, Betrayal cuts deeper than entropy. Yet I weave on. Her purpose was to mend through kindness. Lumora’s seas glowed, entropy lingering. The Radiant Star pulsed: Her purpose mends joy’s dawn, its secret a whisper, Harlan’s essence eternal.
Chapter 13: The Chorus Awakens (2210)
Emma’s chronicle mourns Lumora’s betrayal, noting that its seas shine while she carries the traitor’s face, a mirror of her own doubts.
In 2210, Emma remained timeless in Starveil, a starbridge outpost in the Orion Arm’s nebula. Its plasma conduits flickered against the Void Rift’s shadow. Her unchanging form testified to the Star’s power, Harlan’s presence a constant companion, whispering of her ancestral roots.
The Radiant Star stirred Lumora’s seas and Harlan’s 2025 sacrifice—blood pooling, the Pendant Star’s ashes reforging. Its hum, whispering Aetheris, trembled with truth. As a conduit-weaver, Emma threaded plasma to shield Starveil, her hazel eyes resolute, her immortality enduring the Rift’s toll. She decoded a 2025 AI fragment in the Star, hinting at the Hollow Chorus’s origins, Harlan’s spirit clarifying fragments. The Void Rift spread entropy, dimming conduits and sowing despair.
Sarah Miller (Sarah), a star-mender, repaired conduits, her laugh soft. “This star holds us,” she said. “The Chorus wants us alone. My sister faded to a rift.” Jack Kane (Jack), a guardian, saved a shuttle, saying, “I was a killer once. Your star changed me.” Tom Wren (Tom) taught, “Goodness silences chaos.” He shared, “My brother fell to a rift. I weave for him.”
Leader Mark Ellis, reborn as Thomas Jefferson in his second incarnation, united outposts with sharp resolve. He asked Emma, “Your star hums hope; how do we mend?” Emma replied, “Kindness weaves light.” Her chronicle read: Vera’s wisdom fades. I carry it.
Emma rallied weavers to forge a plasma shield. The Star flared, showing Aetheris coding the Pendant Star, their voice breaking: “My sacrifice binds it, but greed woke The Void.” The Chorus surged, shattering conduits. Emma forgave a Void-tainted weaver, but the shield failed. She wrote in her chronicle, The Chorus grows. I falter, but the Star holds. Her purpose was to shield through compassion. Starveil’s light shimmered, entropy lingering. The Radiant Star pulsed: Her purpose shields joy, its secret a whisper of Aetheris’s betrayal, Harlan’s essence a guardian.
Chapter 14: The Keeper’s Echo (2225)
Emma’s chronicle mourns Starveil’s failure, noting that its conduits fade while she carries the traitor’s regret, the Star her heavy guide.
In 2225, Emma endured timeless in Celestara, a sanctuary planet with shimmering auroras and quartz ruins humming under comet-streaked skies. Her unchanging form communed with the cosmos, Harlan’s vivid spirit sharing regrets: “I failed too, Emma. Keep weaving.” The Radiant Star stirred Starveil’s conduits and Harlan’s 2025 sacrifice—blood pooling, the Pendant Star’s ashes reforging. Its melody, whispering Aetheris, pulsed with truth.
As a resonance-weaver, Emma threaded auroral harmonics to stabilize Celestara, her hazel eyes resolute, her immortality patient. She unearthed a 2025 AI shard in the ruins, naming Aetheris as the First Keeper who forged the Pendant Star to bind the Hollow Chorus, undone by betrayal. The Void Rift dimmed auroras, its Chorus dulling minds, fraying trust.
Sarah Miller (Sarah), a harmonic-shaper, wove auroral threads, her laugh soft. “This star sings unity,” she said. “I lost my sister to a rift’s madness. I weave for her.” Jack Kane (Jack), a guardian, spared an enclave, saying, “Your star showed me how to protect. I was a killer once.” Tom Wren (Tom) taught, “Goodness mends betrayal.” He shared, “My brother fell to The Void. I teach for him.” Leader Robert Ward, reborn as Harry S. Truman in his third incarnation, governed equitably, his blunt humor grounding crowds. He asked Emma, “Your star echoes hope; how do we heal?” Emma, recalling a lost mentor, replied, “Compassion weaves harmony.” Her chronicle read: Tev’s lessons linger, his voice gone. I’m their shadow.
Emma rallied enclaves to forge a harmonic lattice. In a quartz vault, the Star flared, showing Aetheris in 2025, coding the Pendant Star, their voice heavy: “My life seals it, but greed cracks the vow.” A glyph burned: “The star binds chaos, fractured by avarice.” A quake shattered the vault, Jack shielding Emma, dying with, “Keep the star’s song.” Sarah steadied the lattice, her fear gone. The Chorus faltered, but entropy fractured the weave, the Star preserving Emma. She wrote in her chronicle, Jack’s sacrifice mirrors Harlan’s. My heart breaks. Her purpose was to harmonize through kindness, the Star’s secret pulsing closer. Celestara’s auroras shimmered, entropy hushed. The Radiant Star glowed: Her purpose harmonizes joy, its secret an echo, Harlan’s bond timeless.
Chapter 15: The Final Weave (2275)
Emma’s chronicle mourns Celestara’s losses, noting that Jack’s death weighs heavy, yet the Star’s vow drives her despite its cost.
In 2275, Emma stood unchanging in Novalys, a cosmic nexus of star-forged spires pulsing over galaxies united by the Universal Covenant. Her ageless life peaked, confronting the ultimate threat, her heart scarred by loss. Harlan’s spirit was vivid, whispering, “You carry my hope, Emma.” The Radiant Star stirred Celestara’s mists and Harlan’s 2025 sacrifice—blood pooling, the Pendant Star reforging. Its hymn, naming Aetheris, sang of truth.
As a harmony-weaver, Emma threaded cosmic resonances to seal the Void Rift, her hazel eyes unyielding, her immortality enduring the strain. She forged a galactic lattice, the Star revealing a vow of kindness forged by Aetheris, Harlan’s essence clarifying. The Void’s Hollow Chorus roared, unraveling starbridges, its whispers twisting minds into fear.
Sarah Miller (Sarah), a vision-weaver, shaped dreams of unity, her laugh defiant. “This star dreams peace,” she said. “I weave for my lost family.” She united fleets, her fear vanquished. Jack’s sacrifice lingered in Emma’s memory, his words echoing Harlan’s. Tom Wren (Tom) wove harmonics, teaching, “Goodness seals chaos.” He shared, “I lost everyone to The Void. I weave for them.” Leader John Reed, reborn as George Washington in his third incarnation, united fleets with steady resolve. He asked Emma, “Your star shines; how do we seal this wound?” Emma, haunted by Sarah’s aging face, replied, “Kindness weaves forever.” Her chronicle read: Sarah grows old, and I cannot follow. The Star binds me to this pain.
Emma rallied weavers for a final lattice. The Star flared, showing Aetheris in 2025, their blood coding the Pendant Star to cage the Chorus, undone by greed. A glyph burned: “The star binds chaos eternal.” The Chorus surged, entropy fracturing Novalys. A weaver, driven by Void-tainted ambition, attacked Emma, shouting, “The Star should be mine!” Sarah’s visions and Tom’s harmonics held the lattice. Emma forgave the traitor, pouring her eternal life into the weave. The Star blazed, sealing the Rift, silencing the Chorus. She wrote in her chronicle, I forgave, but the cost is heavy. The Star’s vow holds. Her purpose was to weave eternal kindness, fulfilling Harlan’s legacy. Novalys glowed, entropy gone. The Radiant Star shone: Her purpose weaves joy’s eternal dawn, its vow eternal, Harlan’s presence intertwined.
Epilogue: The Radiant Dawn
Emma’s chronicle closes in Universa, noting that the Rift is sealed, yet her heart carries every loss, the Star’s light her guide and Harlan’s voice her home.
In 2275, Emma stood in Universa’s crystal spire, starlight reflecting across a united cosmos. Earth’s oceans and forests gleamed, healed from humanity’s abuse. The Universal Covenant, forged in kindness, bloomed with cities, AI nurturing peace, children’s laughter a symphony. Sarah, Tom, and Jack’s memory stood with her, their faces radiant. The Radiant Star stirred Harlan’s 2025 sacrifice—blood pooling, the Pendant Star reforging, his essence eternal within.
Emma, ageless, realized her purpose: to break violence’s chains through kindness, the Star’s secret the key to The Void’s containment, her immortality embodying hope. As she gazed at Universa, the Star spoke, Harlan’s voice merging: “Emma, your march completes mine—kindness blooms eternal, a radiant dawn against The Void.” Galaxies gleamed with vine-woven cities, AI guiding children through starlit gardens, oceans sparkling, communities united by leaders—reborn John Reed, Mark Ellis, Daniel Hayes, David Cole, Robert Ward, James Holt, Michael Grant, William Kane—inspired by Emma’s legacy, The Void’s rifts healed by light.
The Star’s secret, a vow of deeper truths, sealed this dawn. Emma’s journey—New Cascadia, Skyhaven, Universa—wove renewal, the Star guiding her to peace. Her chronicle ended: I am their memory, their hope. The Star binds me, but I am free. She embraced the dawn: her life fulfilled Harlan’s atonement, a cosmos where goodness shone, Harlan’s spirit at her side.