The Twelve

Shadows of the Fallen City

In the hushed aftermath of a century’s conflict between the sacred Twelve and the relentless Virals, humanity clings to survival within fortified enclaves. When the fragile truce cracks and a horde of the infected marches toward the Last Stand outpost, a disparate band of survivors—soldiers, scholars, and children born into this new dark age—must make a desperate journey through desolate landscapes. Abandoned highways snake past rusting tanks and overgrown malls, while distant sirens echo like ghosts of a world long lost. Every mile brings fresh terrors: caves teeming with feral Virals, solitary hunters lurking behind shattered storefronts, and the weight of history pressing on every soul who remembers the Before.

Hearts Tested by Betrayal and Hope

Leading the ragtag convoy is Alicia “Mouse” Parker, once a captive of the Twelve, now hardened by betrayal and loss. At her side rides Michael Tosca, a former Marine haunted by the memory of comrades who fell under the sacred Brotherhood’s commands. Their uneasy alliance fractures further when a mysterious survivor, Gabriel Vaughn, claims to possess knowledge of a last refuge untouched by the Viral curse. Trust becomes as precious—and as rare—as clean water. In candlelit whispers and fierce nighttime skirmishes, bonds form and shatter, hope flares and dims, and each character must decide what they will sacrifice to reclaim a future beyond mere survival.

The Reckoning at the Gates

As the convoy approaches the legendary City of Light, they discover walls bristling not with defenders but with silent sentinels—biomechanical creations of the Twelve, poised to extinguish all who trespass. In a pulse-pounding finale beneath the ruined cathedral’s stained-glass windows, Mouse and Michael rally survivors for a final stand against impossible odds. Ancient secrets buried in the city archives reveal the true origin of the Brotherhood’s power—and the terrible price of peace. In a clash of steel, blood, and unwavering spirit, the survivors must decide whether the light they seek is worth the darkness they leave behind.

Author’s Description

.In writing The Twelve, I aimed to explore how faith and fear intertwine in humanity’s darkest moments, and to ask whether hope can endure when the gods themselves fall silent. May this tale remind readers that even the smallest spark can ignite a revolution of the heart.