Death used to be simple. For centuries, Slate has done his job—gently collecting souls and guiding them to whatever comes next. But in a future where the wealthy can upload their consciousness into synthetic bodies, souls no longer come whole. What’s left behind are frightened fragments—echoes of humanity trapped between worlds. Now Death himself is running out of time. As the number of true deaths dwindles, Slate and his eager apprentice Flicker struggle to survive in a universe where even Death has quotas. When they cross paths with Demetrius Helveti—the brilliant scientist who made immortality possible—they uncover a truth more terrifying than the technology that promised eternal life has shattered the human soul. To restore balance, Death may have to break every rule he’s sworn to uphold… even if it means ending immortality itself. Death Needs a Holiday is a darkly emotional, thought-provoking novella that explores what it means to be human, what it means to die—and what happens when we forget how.