Lucian's life began after his death. He had a series of bad experiences, an even longer series of consequences and confrontations and eventually, a rather uneventful death. No one missed him, no one realised his absence from the world. And Lucian's life continued to haunt him into his grave. The monsters in the dark continued to linger in his soul. But a not so coincidental introduction to the Afterlife left Lucian with a life of purpose, one he must carry out after his death. As Lucian gets surrounded by things he doesn't understand, he learns that the things he thinks he knows cannot be relied on, and that his life before his death wasn't really living, just surviving through turmoil until he could escape. He just didn't expect escaping through to death would align him his purpose. Or that he would inevitably inherit a role he never wanted, one that would tear his shredded soul apart, Becoming the monster who awaited in the Afterlife. *This story uses language and themes that could be distressing to some people. There are discussions around violence, mental health and suicide. Please read with this in mind.* This story has been specifically written for entrance to the 2024 Open Novella Contest!
5 parts