Incandescence

A million years into the future, the galaxy is dominated by two enigmatic forces: the cooperative Amalgam and the reclusive Aloof, who dwell in the galactic core. When Rakesh encounters Lahl, a traveler claiming the Aloof showed her ancient DNA in a meteor, he accepts her challenge to find its uncharted origin world deep within Aloof territory. Simultaneously, on the distant Splinter—a world orbiting a black hole and bathed in a sea of light known as the Incandescence—Roi and Zak live within a rigidly structured society. They relentlessly pursue subtle clues to unravel the true nature of their existence. As their black hole's impending capture of a neighboring star threatens cataclysmic havoc, Roi, Zak, and a growing number of recruits fight to comprehend and seize control of their destiny. Meanwhile, Rakesh's investigation uncovers their remote history, leading him to a civilization trapped in stagnation and startling revelations about the Aloof's true motives and identity, ultimately converging with the fate of the Splinter.