MAIDEN, N.C. - s4story -- The world already ended. Patrick LaJuett was more interested in what people built afterward.

That question became Beneath the Cloudline, LaJuett's debut young adult science-fantasy novel, set in Halidom, a civilization built atop the ruins of a world scientific hubris nearly destroyed.

The novel follows Jax, a young man from the villages below the Cloudline, whose unexpected journey into the towers above reveals a society very different from the one he was taught to imagine. Along with three unlikely companions, Jax begins uncovering forgotten systems, buried history, and a threat growing beneath the soil.

Rather than focusing on civilization's collapse, Beneath the Cloudline asks what happens generations later, after people have rebuilt and inherited systems they no longer fully understand.

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That idea became Halidom: a vertical city of towers rising through the Cloudline, surrounded by Rooted communities below and connected to technologies whose original purposes have faded into history. Manufactured rainfall, living energy sources, forgotten symbols, and enormous tethered airships are part of a world where technology and mythology have gradually become difficult to separate.

LaJuett describes the story as post-collapse hopepunk, blending science fiction, fantasy, and adventure with themes of division, stewardship, and friendship. At its core is a warning: complex systems don't take care of themselves.

A longtime visual communicator and marketing professional, LaJuett approached Halidom as both a writer and designer, developing its symbols, technologies, geography, and visual language alongside the story.

The project also reflects an idea rooted in his childhood near Kodak Park in Rochester, New York, where generations of families helped build and maintain one of America's great industrial systems.

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"Growing up around that taught me that people can build remarkable things," LaJuett said. "But even the greatest systems only last if someone maintains them."

Beneath the Cloudline is the first novel in the Cloudline series. The second novel, Across the Driftline, is planned for 2027.

The Kindle and paperback editions of Beneath the Cloudline are available now through Amazon.

Readers can explore Halidom, meet the characters, read an excerpt, and discover more about the world of the Cloudline series at: https://www.beneaththecloudline.com/

About Patrick LaJuett
Patrick LaJuett's career has centered on visual communication and storytelling. He grew up in Western, New York, and now lives in the foothills of North Carolina with his wife and their dogs. Beneath the Cloudline is his first novel.