A fantasy/science fiction/Dystopia/Demonic Possession/big Mythology Gag of a novel, currently being written for NaNoWriMo, by Doom Cookies.
Set in the Parallel Universe to earth, Drageae, there are two separate storylines going on for half of the novel until they meet up. The first: Strange things have been happening in the town Carional Downs, which is just starting to reach a level of civilization. People vanishing suddenly without a trace, random lights flashing in the sky, and large gaps in most people's memory. Myrna, a medical student, is just as oblivious to these things as everyone else. And then a man shows up on her street, dead. Minutes later, he's alive. Comatose, but alive.
The second follows prisoners, Chors and Aeri, who are both trapped in The Alcatraz with no memory of life outside of it, and then the walls start to cave in.
And then everything begins to fall apart.
Oh, and yes, most of it was inspired by Doctor Who.
This novel contains examples of:
- The Alcatraz: The unnamed prison Chors and Aeri are in. It's impossible to escape, except if you jump through the veil, which will kill you. The only way out is to entering what's nicknamed "The Games", meaning if you make it to the center, you go batshit insane.
- And I Must Scream: The Veil Lady is stuck in a void, in between two worlds, slowly burning to death. It's said that the ringing people hear in their ears is the sound of her screaming, with no one to hear her. That's the reason why she reaches out to people; she's lonely.
- According to Chors, this is what it's like when she completely takes over him; he said that he was trying to scream and felt like he was banging on a wall but couldn't move.
- Anyone Can Die: And will. All of the main characters die. Except Myrna and Major.
- Apocalypse How: While Earth suffered more of a Planetary Social Disruption, Drageae had a very severe Social Collapse. In fact, it's said multiple times that the catastrophe that knocked back civilization had never truly ended.
- The veil collapsing would cause a Multiversal destruction.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Val, the guy in the prologue who doesn't get mentioned afterwards? Yes, he shows up again.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Oh, so much. Major lampshades this in one of his first appearances.
- So, what's your emotionally scarring backstory? Don't deny it; we all have one. In this day and age, it's inevitable.
- Death Seeker: Chors and Adric both have this, though to varying degrees. Adric can sometimes be outright suicidal, and has killed himself multiple times before, though of course he gets better each time. Chors never outright tries, but he's very careless about his life, and it's like he's just hoping someone's going to finish it for him.
- Demonic Possession: Of a sort. The fragments that split from the Veil Lady don't really possess people; they more drain them and tap into their consciousness.
- Eldritch Abomination: The Veil Lady is this, pretty much. She's the oldest thing on both universes, created reality from herself, has a faint mental connection with every living thing, can grant immortality, and even more.
- Had to Come to Prison to Be a Crook: Aeri is an inversion. She was a half-feral murderer before she was sent into the prison, and is now a broken, yet civil person.
- Chors, though, is this trope to a T. The only reason he's in there was because his mother was pregnant while in the prison, so the best solution was to just keep him there.
The results are terrible.
- Chors, though, is this trope to a T. The only reason he's in there was because his mother was pregnant while in the prison, so the best solution was to just keep him there.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Chors. Through a Veil fluctuation and his strong mental connection to the Veil Lady, he ended up with almost insane powers, just for a minute. He knows it;s going to kill him, though, so he manages to free hundred of people trapped in the Veil.
- Adric also has one, albeit a a small one. The Veil Lady's connection with everyone fluctuating too much would kill everyone, so he takes it onto himself. He gets better. Or not.
- Immortality: There's a lot of this in the novel, obviously. Adric has a cross between Type X and Type III, as he comes back every time he dies, but sort of leaches off of someone's lifespan in order to do so.
- Myrna and Castiel both, however, are more of Type III crossed with Type VII. They don't actually die, and instead may pass out for an hour or so but then continue going. This is because of the fragments and their protective instincts.
- Mind Rape: Chors gets this. Horribly. 20 years of living around the Veil Lady had created a mental connection with her strong enough for her to completely overwhelm him in her presence. He even ends up with a Madness Mantra and a Heroic BSoD afterwards.
- Adric's whole existence is this.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Keebs. He says that he usually feels fine, but that's a total lie.
- Who Names Their Kid "Dude"?: Major. Like everything else, he lampshades this.
- Major: My parents thought I would rise up and fix the errors of this world. Naturally, they thought the best place to start with that would be to give their child a name that no one can take seriously.
- Who Wants to Live Forever?: Adric lived for 500 years, was killed in a war that was basically unwinnable, and is now forced to live because of this... thing. He's a Death Seeker, too. He does die, eventually.
