A Whisper from 2407: First Steps into the World of ‘Athenais’

Greetings, fellow travelers,

The final chapters of a story are a unique kind of storm. As a writer, you live inside the whirlwind of your characters’ final struggles, their triumphs, and their sacrifices. The climax of Eos: The Return of the Creators is proving to be every bit as demanding and exhilarating as I’d hoped, and I am deep in the process of ensuring its conclusion resonates with the weight and gravity this chapter of the saga deserves.

But sometimes, amidst the thunder of the present, a whisper from the future becomes too loud to ignore.

For the past several days, even as I’ve navigated the interstellar conflicts of 2388, another voice has been growing more insistent in my mind. It’s a voice from a generation forged in the very fires we are currently witnessing—a voice carrying the burden of legacy and the sharp edge of a new kind of humanity.

That whisper has a name: Athenais.

For those of you who have journeyed with Terry and Rhea, you know the stakes they have fought for. Now, I can reveal that their story plants the seeds for a future that will be shaped by their daughter. The next major installment in the Eos saga, titled (maybe…) Eos 2407 Athenais, will jump forward nearly two decades into a world still grappling with the consequences of war and the precarious nature of its freedom.

Athenais’s character became so compelling, her challenges so profound, that I had to step away from the current manuscript—just for a moment—and listen. Her story demanded to be mapped out. I’ve spent some time outlining her journey and have already drafted the first four chapters. It’s a story that couldn’t wait. It is the natural, inevitable evolution of everything we have seen so far.

This will be the story of a woman forged in conflict, a soldier and scientist who bears the impossible legacy of her parents. She is a living paradox: a warrior tasked with protecting a hard-won peace, a scientist grappling with the ultimate synthesis of human spirit and AI logic, and a daughter haunted by the echoes of a war she was born into. Her journey will force us to ask the ultimate question: What does it mean to be human when your very existence blurs the line?

Rest assured, my focus remains squarely on bringing the intense conflict of The Return of the Creators to its explosive conclusion. The end of that chapter is near, and it is my absolute priority.

But know that when that story is told, another is already waiting to begin. The world of Eos is vast, and its future is taking shape. Thank you for being a part of this journey.

Stay vigilant,

-Aster Keen