The Sanctuary Holds More Than Just Guardians. It Holds the Key to Annihilation.

Dr. Elise Holloway survived AO Hollow. She survived Kestrel's pursuit. But surviving the impossible truth she now carries may be the deadliest challenge yet. Plunged back into the terrifying depths of the Stick-shíʼnač sanctuary after a catastrophic confrontation, Elise is injured, grieving, and desperately alone, save for a reluctant, captive scientist.

But Kestrel knows she's alive. They know she possesses the final research of rogue scientist Aris Thorne—secrets of the powerful Resonance field, the ancient origins of the guardians, and the devastating potential of Omega-7. Above all, they know she holds proof of Protocol Zero, Kestrel’s monstrous contingency plan, a weapon capable of not just genocide, but planetary catastrophe.

Hunted relentlessly within the sanctuary's collapsing passages, Elise must race against time. Kestrel forces are breaching the heart of the guardians' domain, intent on deploying Protocol Zero and silencing her forever. To survive, Elise must unlock Thorne's dangerous legacy, navigating not only Kestrel's advanced weaponry and weaponized predators but also the complex society of the guardians themselves—ancient sentinels, furious warriors, and enigmatic individuals whose motives remain terrifyingly unclear.

Deep within the earth, amidst escalating warfare and geological collapse, Elise must confront the true nature of the Resonance, harness powers she barely comprehends, and make impossible choices. Can she stop Protocol Zero before it's unleashed? Can she expose Kestrel's crimes to a world unwilling to listen? Or will the sanctuary's ancient secrets, and Elise herself, be buried forever?

Dive into Book 4 of the Shadows in the Timberline series – a relentless sci-fi thriller where survival horror meets ancient mysteries and the fate of the world hangs by a thread.