The Melankholia Theory

Ian Sato's mother died more than a week ago. He hasn't been back to work since. His phone rings, but after the first day, he turned it to silent. The longer he waits, the worse it gets, and so he does nothing. All of a sudden, the world has become dull and grey and inexpressibly lonely.

Ian finds himself in a place where dreams are tangible, where people spawn into being totally unannounced, and where he finally feels like he can make a difference. Is he running from his grief? Maybe. He lies about where he's from and takes a different name, throwing himself into this new life with a zeal that he hasn't felt in years. He meets Vasant, the caring, clever, sword-wielding woman who mentors him. He meets the regent of his district, a young man named Marc. Like him, Marc has known the loss of his parents. Unlike him, Marc has responsibilities that he cannot escape. Ian often stumbles home bruised and bleeding, and he can't get enough of it.

But it is not so easy to leave his past behind, and running from his grief will only get him so far. There are people who know about the other world, and who guard the secret of its existence very closely. Some of them see no issue with Ian's actions, happy to let him seek an early death if that's what will solve their problems. Others fear that people falling between the worlds spells disaster for everything they know, and thus begins a rush to set things right.