The World Ended, But I’m Feeling Fine

"They say fear is the only thing that makes us human. If that’s true, then I was never human to begin with." In his previous life, he was a predator in a bespoke suit—a high-functioning sociopath who climbed the corporate ladder by crushing anyone in his way. But just as he reached the top, he died. When he opens his eyes, he isn't in hell. He is somewhere worse. He has awakened as Kaelen Vane, a minor disposable villain in The Pale Eucharist—a gothic horror novel notorious for its bad ending. In this world, the Corrupted don't just hunt by sight or sound; they hunt by fear. A single spike in heart rate, a drop of cold sweat, or a scream of terror is all it takes to summon a fate worse than death. For a normal person, this world is a nightmare. For Kaelen, it is a playground. Possessing a mind incapable of panic and a heart devoid of empathy, Kaelen is invisible to the monsters that stalk the dark. While the "true hero" of the story cries and breaks under the pressure, Kaelen adjusts his tie, steps over the corpses, and calculates the most efficient path to power. He will gaslight the Savior. He will weaponize the Saintess. He will feed the innocent to the beasts if it buys him five more minutes of silence. The apocalypse has arrived, and everyone is screaming. Everyone, except him.