REFUGE: BOOK ONE | Monte Monk

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REFUGE: BOOK ONE

GENRE:

Apocalyptic, Horror, Religious

*Refuge: Book One* follows those left behind after the Rapture, thrust into a collapsing world where the lines between the living and the damned begin to blur. As cities fall and the dead rise with violent purpose, a fractured family and a handful of survivors are forced to confront not only the horror outside, but the fear, guilt, and unraveling faith within. In a landscape ruled by chaos, survival is no longer just physical—it is spiritual, psychological, and relentlessly tested at every turn.

A vanishing of the faithful, a severing of the world from grace; desolation, terror, the living hunted by the dead.

The world of Refuge is not just aftermath, it is abandonment made visible. In a single instant, the faithful are gone, and what remains is a hollowed earth where silence turns violent and absence becomes its own kind of judgment. This is not simple survival, it is exposure, a stripping away of grace where fear breathes in the dark and the dead move with purpose. Every shadow feels intentional, every sound carries weight, and the mind begins to fracture under what it cannot explain. In this world, being left behind is not only a physical reality, it is a spiritual unraveling, where the body fights to endure while the soul struggles not to disappear with everything else.

ELI MATTHEWS

PASTOR

Eli Matthews is a once-passionate pastor left behind in the aftermath of the Rapture, forced to confront the collapse of both his faith and his identity. Haunted by guilt, grief, and the weight of spiritual failure, he struggles to lead his fractured family through a world unraveling under divine judgment. As darkness rises and truth becomes costly, Eli stands at a crossroads—either remain broken by his past or rediscover the faith he once preached and become a shepherd in a world desperate for hope.

“I failed once, but I’ve been given another chance to lead, to find faith again, and to help others find it too. But with greater challenges."

NOAH MATTHEWS

DESIGNER

Noah Matthews is a hardened and conflicted teenager thrust into a world that no longer makes sense. Left behind after the Rapture, his anger burns beneath the surface toward God, toward his father, and toward the faith he once ignored. Struggling with loss and disillusionment, Noah resists the very truth his sister clings to, choosing survival over belief. Yet beneath his defiance lies a deeper conflict, as the chaos around him begins to challenge everything he thought he understood. In a world where truth demands a choice, Noah stands on the edge between rebellion and redemption.

“I don’t trust what I can’t see anymore… but if this world is falling apart for a reason, then maybe I need to find out why before it takes me down with it.”

NOAH MATTTHEWS

GRACE MATTHEWS

Grace Matthews is a faith-driven young woman navigating a shattered world with conviction beyond her years. In the wake of the Rapture, while others spiral into fear and despair, she clings to the truth of God’s Word with unshakable resolve. Torn between grief for what was lost and the burden of what remains, Grace becomes a quiet anchor for her family—challenging her father’s brokenness, guiding her brother through anger, and standing firm when terror tests faith. In a world consumed by deception, Grace represents the remnant that refuses to bow.

“Faith isn’t about what we’ve lost… it’s about trusting God to carry us through what’s still

HAWK

FORMER MILITARY

Hawk is a hardened survivor shaped by a brutal world long before everything fell apart. Rugged, instinct-driven, and always on edge, he trusts his aim and his instincts more than anything spiritual. Survival is his doctrine, and he moves with the precision of a man who has seen too much and lost even more. Yet beneath the grit and guarded exterior lies a man wrestling with truth he can’t ignore. As the world descends into chaos, Hawk begins to confront something deeper than instinct—the possibility that strength alone isn’t enough, and that faith may be the only thing that can carry him through what’s coming.

“I’ve trusted my instincts and my aim to keep me alive, but this, this is something else. Survival’s kept me breathing, sure—but I’m starting to think it won’t be enough to keep my soul.”

MICHELLE

Michelle is a resilient and quietly powerful woman whose strength is rooted in faith rather than force. An immigrant navigating both language barriers and a collapsing world, she speaks with simplicity, but her words carry conviction and truth. While others rely on weapons or instinct, Michelle leans fully on God, displaying a calm, unshakable belief that challenges those around her. Her compassion bridges divides, forming deep bonds, especially with Grace, as she becomes a steady spiritual presence in the group. In a world driven by fear and survival, Michelle stands as a reminder that true strength is found in unwavering faith.

“I no speak much English… but I know God is real. He keep us, He guide us. Fear come… but faith stay.”