The signal was never meant to be heard.

Captain Elara Vance and the crew of the Pathfinder-7 have spent three long years chasing rumors across dead stars. When a strange pattern-seventeen pulses, five, seventeen-reaches them from the frozen world of Nivareth, they follow, desperate for proof that the universe still holds mysteries worth the risk.

What they uncover beneath the planet's ice is not merely alien-it is alive, resonant, and waiting. Each discovery pulls them deeper into a lattice of secrets that feels less like technology and more like intent. As the signal adapts-matching their drift, then their heartbeats-Elara must face the truth she's long avoided: some doors are opened only once, and never closed again.

Caught between the loyalty of her crew, the watchful presence of the AI that knows her better than she admits, and a call that feels eerily personal, Elara must decide if Nivareth is a beacon or a trap. Because something out there has learned her name... and it will not stop whispering.

Autorentext

L.L. Heinz is a long-time writer of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. After years of crafting stories that remained unpublished, L.L. is now refining and releasing work that has finally found its time. A devoted lover and caretaker of cats, L.L. calls the scenic Pacific Northwest home, where inspiration flows as freely as the rain. Fans of immersive worlds and dark tales will find a unique voice in L.L.'s storytelling journey