Beleaguered and devastated by the loss of his brother and the knowledge of what became of him, Kendall Sumner sets out with a single mission in mind: to find Alec, no matter the cost. Finally coming to terms with who and what he has become, Alec's partnership with the symbiote he has found himself burdened with, Echo, grows evermore. As they unlock deeper and deeper secrets about themselves, Alec has once again found his calling, leading another troupe of unlikely heroes to survival and, perhaps, peace. All the while, a mysterious and ancient being, with goals as enigmatic as its own existence, pulls strings from the shadows, every decision it makes affecting the entirety of not just Earth, but the galaxy itself... Can Kendall accept his brother's fate? Can Alec reconcile what remains of his humanity to save what is left of his family? Fires never truly die. Within the Ashes... A Spark Remains.

[Completed - undergoing final edits. Word count - 92K.] Five years after an enigmatic, parasitic alien force brought human civilization to its knees, the remnants of our species cling to existence in the cracks and crevices of a ravaged planet. Among them is Alec Sumner, a man haunted by the ghosts of a world lost and burdened by a fate that could tip the scales of humanity's fate, a secret nobody can know... As Alec navigates the treacherous terrain of this new regime, he grapples not only with the alien threat but also with the darkness that lurks within the hearts of survivors pushed to their limits. Each day brings new challenges, and each choice carries the weight of unforeseen consequences as the line between ally and enemy blurs in the face of desperation. "Ashes of the Earth" is a gripping exploration of resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. It delves into the depths of human nature, questioning what truly defines us when everything we once knew has been stripped away. As Alec's journey unfolds, readers will find themselves on the edge of their seats, pondering the price of survival and how far you would go to protect the ones you love... Even if it meant sacrificing your own humanity.

After escaping a stalled elevator into a zombie apocalypse, Emily must learn how to trust people again or risk losing everything in this terrifying world. ***** For Emily, every day of the last two years have been a blur. She keeps her head down, takes her college courses online, and only goes out to work at her mandatory internship. But all that changes on the day the office elevator breaks down, leaving her trapped when the screams begin. And when the doors finally open, revealing a dystopian world ruined by bloody teeth and disease, Emily is launched into a terrifying run for her life, caught between the strangers she's not sure she can trust and the man-eating monsters that hunger for her flesh. Now she must learn not only how to survive in this new and dangerous world, but also how to overcome her own inner demons before they cost her something more precious than her life. [[Wattys' Shortlist]] [[Promoted by AMC]] Content and/or Trigger Warning: The story contains some gore, violence, strong language, and dark themes. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]