The Innkeeper and the Cannibal

Auberdine is a town of opposites. The Inner Ring of homes is immaculate, full of privileged folk. The outer ring is overgrown with trees, vines, and moss. There, the lower castes subsist off alcohol and criminal ambition.

So, when a known drunk from the Overgrowth dies of alcohol poisoning, nobody suspects the man's son, Galahad, of murder. Yet within hours of the crime, Galahad feels guilty and lost. With the help of a new, seemingly harmless drug, he sets to work doing good deeds for everyone. Unfortunately, his good deeds begin working against him. When he is accused of a murder he did not commit, Galahad fears the prejudiced town will condemn him or worse, discover his true crime. Now, he must fight for his freedom, even as his addiction threatens to chain him indefinitely.

Meanwhile, Arthur Gardner returns home to reluctantly assume the role of innkeeper. Haunted by his brother's death, he begins to withdraw. When his wife is diagnosed with a terminal brain disease, his grip on reality crumbles. Arthur decides he must protect his family from the world, but his world is no longer the real one. He begins lashing out at everyone. Now, Arthur's friends and family begin to suspect something is wrong.

The sleepy town of Auberdine soon learns a terrible truth:

Some people die from trauma and keep on living.