He didn't ask to survive the war. And he wasn't sure what it meant to survive what came after.

Ben Hale was a decorated soldier-until a mission gone wrong left him broken, infected, and marked by the blood of a creature he doesn't understand. Discharged and discarded, his only hope lies in a military hospital where pain is constant, trust is scarce, and one nurse-Eden-makes him feel human again.

But peace is a lie.

Buried in the depths of a government lab is a serum that could end the war-or destroy what's left of him. When Ben is offered a chance to protect Eden by sacrificing himself, he takes it. Even if it means becoming the very thing they were fighting.

Even if it means losing her.

The Dawn of Vesper is a dark, character-driven sci-fi romance that blends military dystopia, tragic love, and emotional transformation. Perfect for fans of morally gray protagonists, vampire-adjacent lore, and slow-burn stories where the line between monster and man is razor-thin.

⚠️ No HEA. This is the first book in The Noctis Cycle, a complete trilogy. The ending is tragic-but the legacy has only begun. While this story contains vampiric transformation themes and immortal beings, it is not a traditional vampire romance. This is a slow-burn, emotionally intense sci-fi tragedy with no HEA in Book 1.