Is unconditional adoration really too much to ask? Lucius sold his soul to change the world for the better. Of course, the definition of 'better' may have twisted over the years, but how is that his fault? After being torn away from the (one and ONLY, by the way) love of his life, some retaliation should be expected if not strictly required, and after finding the corpse of his dead friend walking around, shouldn't some crowbar-related maiming be forgiven? Oh, and after housing a parasitic vein infestation in his chest, shouldn't at least one tiny, horribly unethical blood ritual or two be justified? Apparently some would disagree, which seems strange to Lucius and the second Lucius inside Lucius' head. This is the third book in the Eternity series.

Usually when people die they are courteous enough to stay dead. As it turns out, several people associated with Lucius are lacking in the etiquette department, and when corpses start disappearing from graves it's just no laughing matter anymore. Reunited with more than one friend from his past, Lucius finds himself with more questions for every answer he receives. In his defense, undead vampires and secret, werewolf related orders will do that to you, and yet he is nowhere near figuring out what the Waste is going on beneath the surface of South Kerilia's population. He knows one thing for certain though: One organization holds the answers to all of his questions, and he knows just the person to interrogate. If only that person hadn't been Lucius' newly resurrected numbskull of a crush.

[AMBYS WINNER 2024] Mutilated, dejected and stained by the blood of his loved ones, Lucius Cromwell, a precocious and naïve child of high society, strikes a deal with an unhallowed Scourge of 'The Waste' in order to get his life back, blissfully ignorant that he'll consequently find his humanity on the line. *** A disturbing voice has been tormenting Lucius' mind for the longest time. Disregarding its sinister way of suggesting revenge on people who hurt him as mere thoughts he goes about his day, doing his best to live up to his superficial parents' standards and following the ideals of his Archon of worship. Life is lacklustre, but hardly worth causing a scene over. When a life altering event renders Lucius struggling not to die on the streets however things turn grim very fast, and in an act of desperation Lucius casts his beliefs aside, promising his soul to be devoured by The Waste at the time of his death with the promise of power in return. It doesn't take long for Lucius to realize that even the smallest of favors promised to him come with a catch, and being forced to do the Scourge of The Waste's wicked bidding while watching loved one after loved one disappear from his life Lucius has to wonder if a lifetime of power was really worth an eternity of suffering. This is the first installment of the "The Meaning Of Eternity" series. [Word count: 108 000]