Still He Burns

Max once set the stars ablaze for the League of Sovereign Worlds. A Burner, forged in war, feared across systems—and now, forgotten.

After walking away from the ashes of conquest, Max hides on the edge of civilization, deep in the hills of Veltara, where the Awakened Few eye him with contempt and mistrust. They don’t care who he was. They only see the danger he still carries. Max doesn’t blame them. He didn’t come here to be a hero.

But when Dominion soldiers appear in the hills above the village—lying, posturing, and quietly preparing for war—Max sees the truth: they never stopped hunting. Not him. Not the world. And not the fire that still sleeps inside his chest.

The villagers may hate him. The Few may fear him. But they’ll burn all the same if he doesn’t act.

And Max? He may be done with the war. But the war isn’t done with him.

Still He Burns is a hard-hitting standalone novella in the Beyond the Eternity Line universe, full of sharp tension, bitter loyalty, and reluctant firepower. If you like morally complex heroes, cinematic worldbuilding, and sci-fi with bite, this one’s for you.