Haunted by a sense of purposelessness and the suffocating expectations that follow her journalism degree, Cassopia "Cass" feels invisible long before she actually is. Her deepest, most secret wish is not for fame or fortune, but to simply disappear. After a heartfelt confrontation with her family, she retreats to her grandmother's quiet country home to find herself, only to wake up one morning to a terrifying reality: her wish has been granted. She is completely, literally invisible to the world.

After an initial rush of freedom—traveling unseen, taking whatever she pleases—the novelty curdles into a profound loneliness. Her invisible existence is just as empty as her old one, until she is drawn to the sound of a man's grief. She discovers Ben-Oni, a brilliant and handsome cardiologist tormented by the belief that he failed to save a patient. Drawn to his pain, Cass finds herself in his presence, only to discover the story's central twist: Ben-Oni is the only person on Earth who can see her. However, consumed by his own mortality and grief, he makes a startling assumption: Cass is not a lost young woman, but the Grim Reaper, sent to claim his soul.

Finding a strange sense of purpose in his gaze, Cass makes the bizarre choice to play along. In exchange for "granting him more time," she becomes his silent, otherworldly roommate. In this strange cohabitation, a unique bond forms. He is the only one who sees her, and she is the only one who sees the vulnerable man behind the cold, professional mask. As she pretends to be Death, Cass begins to truly live for the first time, her journey of self-discovery now inextricably linked to his. Their fragile arrangement takes a profound turn when Cass, realizing her role has become more than a charade, asks him a life-altering question: "What do you want to do before you die?"

It was one morning, about a week later, that the world tilted on its axis.


I woke up feeling exhausted, a deep, cellular weariness. A hot shower, I thought, would shock me back to life. I turned the knob until the water should have been scalding, but as it cascaded over my skin, I felt nothing. Not hot, not cold. Just a strange numbness, a profound disconnect between my body and the world. I chalked it up to fatigue.


"Cass! Breakfast is ready!" Grandma's voice echoed from the kitchen.


I dressed and walked toward the sound, finding her at the stove with her back to me. She was still calling my name.


"I'm right here, Granny," I said, a smile playing on my lips. "You can't see me? I think your eyes are getting old." 


"Cass, please be fast, dear!" she called again, completely ignoring me.


A prickle of unease ran down my spine. I reached out to touch her shoulder, to let her know I was there. My fingers made contact with the fabric of her blouse, but she didn't react


"What is wrong with her?" I muttered. I gave the cloth a small, insistent tug.


She turned around with a gasp. "Oh, my Lord!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide as they scanned the empty space around her. "What was that? I felt like something pulled my shirt." She peered past me, down the hallway. "She must have gone out looking for work without eating. Oh, that poor child." 


I ran to my bedroom, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. I stared into the full-length mirror on the closet door.


Not a reflection. Not a flicker of movement. Just the empty room staring back at me.


"No," I whispered, backing away. I stumbled into the bathroom and stared at the mirror above the sink. The same terrifying emptiness. The soap dish, the toothbrush holder, the floral wallpaper—but no me.


This is a dream. A nightmare. "Wake up, Cass. Wake up!" I slapped my cheek, but there was no sting, only the faint pressure of impact. The world remained stubbornly, terrifyingly real.


The truth crashed down on me with the force of a physical blow. My stupid, childish wish had come true.


Chapter 1 - Prologue