Remnants of the Shattered Sky

By Emily Harper

"Remnants of the Shattered Sky" is a gripping post-apocalyptic novel that follows Ethan Reeves and Aria Novak as they lead a band of survivors through a world devastated by a cataclysmic event known as the Falling. Objects from the sky have shattered civilization, and amidst the chaos, a mad scientist, Dr. Vivian Thorne, conducts horrific experiments to harness these mysterious objects for her own gain. As Ethan, a haunted ex-soldier, and Aria, a brilliant trauma surgeon, navigate the ruins and confront their own demons, they encounter internal strife within their group, face off against Thorne's twisted creations, and discover new allies in a fight for a future where hope remains a guiding light against the shadows of their shattered world. Their journey is not only a battle for survival but a quest to restore the humanity and morality that seem all but lost.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nebula Nova Publishing
• Release date: Apr 13, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224758715

Book preview

Remnants of the Shattered Sky

In the Shadows of the Fallen Sky

Emily Harper

Copyright © 2024 by Emily Harper

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.

Contents

1.The Falling

2.Gathering the Remnants

3.The Haunted City

4.Whispers of Eden

5.The Mad Scientist's Legacy

6.The Lost Child

7.Fractured Alliances

8.Into the Shadows

9.The Price of Hope

10.Echoes of Tomorrow

The Falling

The world ended on a Tuesday. Ethan Reeves stood frozen on the sidewalk, his eyes locked on the chaos unfolding above him. The sky, once a familiar expanse of blue, was now a terrifying tableau of fire and destruction. Streaks of light tore through the clouds, raining down upon the city like the wrath of an angry god. The ground shuddered beneath his feet, and the air filled with the deafening roar of a thousand explosions.

Beside him, Aria Novak grabbed his arm, her fingers digging into his flesh with a desperate urgency. Ethan, she shouted, her voice barely audible over the cacophony. We need to go. Now.

Ethan tore his gaze away from the sky, his heart hammering in his chest. He looked at Aria, taking in the fear etched across her face, the way her eyes darted back and forth like a cornered animal. He had only met her a few days ago, a chance encounter in a coffee shop that now seemed like a lifetime ago. They had bonded over their shared love of science fiction novels, trading recommendations and laughing at each other’s jokes. Now, as the world crumbled around them, she was the only familiar face in a sea of chaos.

Where? Ethan asked, his voice raw and ragged. Where can we go?

Aria shook her head, her jaw clenched tight. Anywhere but here.

They ran. Through the streets, dodging falling debris and panicked crowds. Past buildings that crumbled like sandcastles, their walls and windows shattering into a million glittering shards. The air was thick with smoke and dust, and Ethan’s lungs burned with each ragged breath.

As they passed an electronics store, the display TVs in the window flickered to life, showing images of destruction from around the world. Ethan caught a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower collapsing in on itself, of the Sydney Opera House engulfed in flames. The objects, it seemed, were not just falling on their city. They were falling everywhere.

Ethan’s mind raced, trying to make sense of the impossible. He had seen disaster movies, had read apocalyptic novels, but nothing could have prepared him for the reality of it. The scale of the destruction, the sheer terror of it all. It was like something out of a nightmare, a fever dream that he couldn’t wake up from.

Beside him, Aria stumbled, her foot catching on a piece of rubble. Ethan reached out to steady her, his hand gripping hers tight. I’ve got you, he said, his voice a hoarse whisper. Just keep moving.

They ran until their lungs screamed for air, until their legs trembled with exhaustion. They ran until the city was a distant memory, until the sounds of destruction faded into an eerie silence.

Finally, they collapsed beneath an overpass, their backs pressed against the cool concrete. Ethan’s chest heaved as he gulped down air, his heart still racing with adrenaline. Aria slumped beside him, her eyes closed, her face streaked with tears and grime.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The weight of what had happened, of what they had just witnessed, hung heavy in the air between them.

What do we do now? Aria asked finally, her voice small and lost. Where do we go?

Ethan shook his head, his mind spinning with the enormity of it all. I don’t know, he admitted. But we can’t stay here. We need to find shelter, supplies. We need to...

He trailed off, unable to finish the thought. What did they need to do? Survive? Rebuild? The future stretched before them, vast and unknowable, and Ethan felt a swell of despair rising in his chest.

But then he looked at Aria, at the determination in her eyes, the set of her jaw. And he remembered something his grandfather had told him once, long ago. When the world falls apart, the old man had said, you have to hold on to what matters. You have to find something to fight for.

Ethan took a deep breath, pushing himself to his feet. He held out his hand to Aria, helping her up. We keep moving, he said, his voice steady despite the fear that still coursed through him. We find others, we stick together. We survive.

Aria nodded, her fingers tightening around his. Together, she echoed, and in that word, Ethan heard a promise.

They set off into the unknown, picking their way through the rubble and debris. The sun was setting, casting an eerie orange glow over the landscape, and Ethan felt a chill run down his spine. The world had changed, irrevocably and without warning, and he knew that nothing would ever be the same again.

But as they walked, Ethan’s mind drifted to his life before the Falling, to the mundane routines and petty concerns that had once seemed so important. He thought of his job at the software company, of the endless meetings and deadlines that had consumed his days. He thought of his tiny apartment, of the leaky faucet he had been meaning to fix for months. It all seemed so meaningless now, so utterly trivial in the face of what had happened.

Beside him, Aria walked in silence, her eyes fixed on the horizon. Ethan wondered what she was thinking, what memories and regrets were playing out behind her eyes. He remembered the brief conversations they had shared in the coffee shop, the snippets of her life that she had revealed. She was a doctor, he knew, a surgeon who specialized in trauma cases. He wondered how her skills would translate to this new world, how she would cope with the challenges that lay ahead.

As the night deepened around them, Ethan’s thoughts turned to his own past, to the events that had shaped him into the man he was today. He thought of his time in the military, of the horrors he had witnessed in the deserts of the Middle East. He thought of the day he had left the service, the relief and the guilt that had warred within him as he turned in his uniform. He had never quite been able to shake the feeling that he was running away, that he was