Maxine Laurel

If you’ve ever opened the Book of Revelation and whispered, “This feels like a dystopian novel,” …welcome.

You’re in the right place.

In The End Is Here: An Interactive Apocalyptic Adventure—a choose-your-own-chaos anthology featuring 39 possible endings and six heart-stopping scenarios—I contributed a story that’s close to my heart and even closer to the edge of the world.

It’s called “The Remnant’s Last Hope,” and it’s my love letter to the brave, the faithful, and the slightly terrified.

Inspired by Revelation (aka the original apocalypse)

My story is loosely inspired by Revelation chapters 11, 12, 13, and 17—yes, the chapters with beasts, dragons, false prophets, and a woman clothed in the sun. But don’t worry, you don’t need a theology degree to get into it. Of course, we will not see actual beasts and dragons in The Remnant’s Last Hope, but what they present.

In The Remnant’s Last Hope, you wake up as Noa in a world already halfway gone. The country is about to collapse. Cities are smoldering. A mysterious leader has risen, promising peace but delivering surveillance, fear, and something far darker.

You are one of the few who must fight for truth and freedom.
You are hunted. Hated. Outnumbered.
But you are not finished.

Who is Noa?

Noa (that’s you) is a survivor with a conscience.
You suddenly became a part of a hidden resistance—a scattered remnant that refuses to bow to a false peace. Your mission? Stay alive long enough to warn others, protect what’s left, and—if you’re lucky—spark something that could turn the tide.

But here’s the twist:
You get to decide what kind of remnant you are.
Will you lay low or rise up? Run or fight? Blend in… or take a stand?

There are multiple endings to this story.
Some will break your heart.
Some will make you feel like hope was never gone in the first place.

And one or two? Might just lead to a kind of victory only the faithful can recognize.

Why I wrote this story

Because honestly? The world already feels like it’s burning some days.
And yet… we’re still here. Still choosing hope. Still fighting for truth when it’s easier to stay quiet.

I wanted to write a story that felt real but epic. One that honored the tension of living in a broken world while holding onto something eternal—faith in our ONE TRUE KING and the hope HE brings us.

It’s gritty. It’s spiritual. It’s dystopia with a heartbeat—and yes, it might make you sweat a little.

But it’ll also remind you: the end isn’t always the end. It could be a beginning of something new. Sometimes, we need to break something imperfect to make it perfect and whole again.

Final Thoughts

The Remnant’s Last Hope is one of 6 stories in The End Is Here, published under Indie Pop, an imprint of Summit Books. Released during Manila International Book Fair 2024, this book lets you step into the apocalypse and walk out with your own ending—if you make the right choices.

And if you choose my story… just know that even in the darkest timeline, the light still wins.

The beast may rise.
But so will the remnant.
And maybe—just maybe—that remnant is you.