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Incendiary
The fires didn't end the world. They just ended the illusion that it could be saved.
Whole cities fell in days. Flames swallowed streets, homes, and lives with nothing more than a hiss and a crackle. In the ashes, someone had to stay behind - to contain it, clean it, pretend it could be controlled.
That's where the Spatesmiths came in. We were supposed to be the line between order and collapse.
We told ourselves the world still needed saving. That we could rebuild something from the ruins.
But the fires weren't the real enemy. It was the fear. The doubt. The slow, grinding realization that survival doesn't mean anything when there's nothing left worth surviving for.
Every day, the lines between right and wrong blur a little more. Orders get followed because it's easier than asking questions. We put out the flames, erase the evidence, and move on - until one day, there's nothing left to move toward.
In a world built on ash and silence, every step forward feels like sinking deeper into the ruins.
We fight to keep going.
We fight because we remember.
We fight to try and forget.
And somewhere out there, the fires are still burning.
Whole cities fell in days. Flames swallowed streets, homes, and lives with nothing more than a hiss and a crackle. In the ashes, someone had to stay behind - to contain it, clean it, pretend it could be controlled.
That's where the Spatesmiths came in. We were supposed to be the line between order and collapse.
We told ourselves the world still needed saving. That we could rebuild something from the ruins.
But the fires weren't the real enemy. It was the fear. The doubt. The slow, grinding realization that survival doesn't mean anything when there's nothing left worth surviving for.
Every day, the lines between right and wrong blur a little more. Orders get followed because it's easier than asking questions. We put out the flames, erase the evidence, and move on - until one day, there's nothing left to move toward.
In a world built on ash and silence, every step forward feels like sinking deeper into the ruins.
We fight to keep going.
We fight because we remember.
We fight to try and forget.
And somewhere out there, the fires are still burning.
122 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 17, 2025
1 person is currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
M. von Lindenberg
8 books11 followersWriter, producer, musician, cinematographer, director, painter...
There are a lot of things I have called myself over the years. Many of them still hold true, even though some of those boxes are sitting on shelves waiting to be cracked open again.
I began playing music around age 9 and always enjoyed writing when prompted with an idea. Even as a kid, short stories were something I could whip up and dump onto a page. I'd never thought myself a writer in any official capacity, not any more than I'd thought myself a "professional" musician. Alas, some 25 years after recording my first tracks, I have quite a few works in my discography.
In 2024, I endeavored to write a short story that turned into the multi-part series "No One's Time" after a conversation with a buddy. Early 2025, I released the first part to the public and the rest are to follow.
Feel free to follow the bouncing ball and see what happens next in this newest chapter (pun intended).
There are a lot of things I have called myself over the years. Many of them still hold true, even though some of those boxes are sitting on shelves waiting to be cracked open again.
I began playing music around age 9 and always enjoyed writing when prompted with an idea. Even as a kid, short stories were something I could whip up and dump onto a page. I'd never thought myself a writer in any official capacity, not any more than I'd thought myself a "professional" musician. Alas, some 25 years after recording my first tracks, I have quite a few works in my discography.
In 2024, I endeavored to write a short story that turned into the multi-part series "No One's Time" after a conversation with a buddy. Early 2025, I released the first part to the public and the rest are to follow.
Feel free to follow the bouncing ball and see what happens next in this newest chapter (pun intended).
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 12, 2026
In a world built on ash and silence, survival becomes its own enemy.
Okay but Incendiary absolutely lived up to its name. This book is intense in the best way. From the first few chapters, I felt like I was dropped straight into the smoke and ash, and I did not want to look away.
What I loved most is how gritty and immersive it feels without trying too hard. The world is harsh, the tension is constant, and there’s this steady undercurrent of unease that keeps you turning pages. It’s not just about surviving in a broken world. It’s about what that kind of world does to people, and that part really hit for me.
I also appreciated that it doesn’t spoon-feed you anything. It trusts you to keep up and sit with the uncomfortable moments. That made everything feel more raw and personal instead of overly dramatic or forced.
Okay but Incendiary absolutely lived up to its name. This book is intense in the best way. From the first few chapters, I felt like I was dropped straight into the smoke and ash, and I did not want to look away.
What I loved most is how gritty and immersive it feels without trying too hard. The world is harsh, the tension is constant, and there’s this steady undercurrent of unease that keeps you turning pages. It’s not just about surviving in a broken world. It’s about what that kind of world does to people, and that part really hit for me.
I also appreciated that it doesn’t spoon-feed you anything. It trusts you to keep up and sit with the uncomfortable moments. That made everything feel more raw and personal instead of overly dramatic or forced.
January 27, 2026
Chilling and unsettling! The story is full of ambiguous morality and the tough decision one has to make in the face of deceit. The depth of the characters is amazing and relatable.
Deacon thinks he’s making a difference in the world— sacrificing the infected for the good of the few remaining grains of sand that is humanity. That is, until he discovers the underbelly of what is truly going on in his apocalyptic society.
Full of suspense and moral questions. What would you do when faced with an impossible question and who/what is “right”?
A great and quick read! Cant wait to read more from this author!
Deacon thinks he’s making a difference in the world— sacrificing the infected for the good of the few remaining grains of sand that is humanity. That is, until he discovers the underbelly of what is truly going on in his apocalyptic society.
Full of suspense and moral questions. What would you do when faced with an impossible question and who/what is “right”?
A great and quick read! Cant wait to read more from this author!
January 28, 2026
This was quite a read! A dystopian fiction with so many twists it’s hard to keep up. I’m going to do are read of this one just to make sure I caught everything.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews