Path to Pandora
What better time in human history could you imagine to unearth Hope itself?
Logline
A beloved author and daughter of an infamous treasure hunter, who has a secret ability to see into the past, is recruited by an eccentric legend hunter to help her find the real object known as “Pandora’s Box”, with the goal of freeing the mythical creature “Hope” from inside.
The novella version of this story, formerly titled“The Search” won the 2022 Pantera Prize at the Winter Writers Competition and placed on the shortlist for the 2026 Hawkeye Manuscript Development Prize
Currently in development with SkyNation Publishing for an eBook release late 2026
Summary
“What better time in human history could you imagine to unearth Hope itself?”
Aurora 'Rory' Freeman, renowned author and daughter of an infamous treasure hunter, has a secret; the supernatural ability to observe history as it happened.
High above the streets of New York City—where neither the whispers of the dead nor her demanding publisher can reach her—Rory thought she had left treasure hunting behind. But when an enigmatic visitor introduces her to Eliza Cruz, a self proclaimed 'legend hunter' in search of a cursed jar—known to the world as ‘Pandora’s Box’—she finds herself roped into Eliza's quest in pursuit of her next bestseller.
Rory joins a team of eccentrics and experts following ancient clues as they attempt to uncover the final resting place of Pandora's Jar. But as loyalties fray, and the mission becomes increasingly dangerous, Rory finds herself confronted with the one past she does not wish to explore—her own.