A/N: For the record, I am very unhappy with this epilogue. I feel as if it ruins the ending from the last chapter. I'm only posting it because a few people have said they thought it was a good idea, and because I think it shows how dire the situation, as well as the relationship between them, has become for Frey and Akuji. So, if you're going to read it, hate it like me, yeah?

My Frey is broken.

There is a madness inside of him now. It shines in his eyes like a ghost flame, drowning out the poisoned sunlight that once shone from his eyes when his power was upon him.

The madness has eaten away at his body and his mind. It has made him taciturn, but strangely quick to anger. His skin blazes with heat and his blood tastes like pure fire, pure and mad energy on my tongue. When he makes love, it is with a fierce desperation, chaotic and almost violent, but afterwards, he seems calm, almost like his old self.

He refuses to speak to me, and when he does speak, his words are carefully measured, his tone of voice as cold as ice. It breaks my heart, makes that strange shape inside me quiver, as if it would melt.

I know he misses T'kali. I know my maker's absence still stings and burns inside of me, despite how I've stretched myself to fill his space. And if everyday feels as if I'm being consumed by fire from his absence, what must it feel like for Frey, who is only half vampire and incapable of filling the empty part of himself with his own power?

Thinking on this, I begin to understand his madness. But I can only understand it. I cannot cure it. The inability to act is astonishingly infuriating, and as time passes, I find myself sinking into a cold state of constant rage.

I lash out at my slaves. I lash out at my Frey.

He takes the abuse, never fighting back, never saying a word. And when he does fight back, he fights with other vampires, and I can see the insanity in his violence. He tears them to pieces, and this, more than anything, makes me feel like we're drowning.

The stretched shape inside myself begins to shrink, become what it once was, and the flames licking at my insides grow worse in their torture.

Everything begins to become unimportant. Even Frey. I've lost him and been cut adrift. I've lost myself inside my head. I've let myself sink back into the cold, empty place inside my mind, that place where I waited for so many years for the love of a single boy who only ended up in this mess because of my feelings for him.

My laughter is bitter, sharp and cutting. It makes him look at me, and something very close to concern flashes over his immobile face.

I just stare at him, into his eyes shining with ethereal flames.

I can feel it now. I'm losing my mind, my grip on sanity. Staring into his impossibly beautiful eyes, I know that Frey and I both are sinking into madness.

A/N: Now that you've all read the fail epilogue and hate it as much as I do, I will give you good news and move onto my usual shout-outs.

Good News:
- BLOODWHORE, the prequel to DEAD OR ALIVE, will be released today. (I'm currently writing the prologue as we speak. Well, sorta speak.)
- WISH I MAY, sequel to DEAD OR ALIVE, will also be released today. Hopefully, anyway. I'm debating over who I want to narrate: the new man or Frey. Writing this, I'm leaning towards the new man. We'll see.

Shout-outs:
To disgusteddiscussion: Dis, you've become one of my favorite reviewers. And I'm always open to suggestions for my work. It's so hard to get any constructive criticism around here, and I like knowing if there are things my readers don't like. It makes me try harder to fix them. =P Oh, and the sequel is probably going to have another happily never after. Lol. I guess you could call it that anyway. Right now, I'm leaning towards more of a bittersweet ending for WISH I MAY. Whatcha think?

To Don't Look Now But: Lol. Funny, but you're one of my favorite reviewers, too. I always look forward to reading your opinion on my work, and I'll definitely be wanting your opinion on the prequel, because there's going to be some major T'kali action in that, and I think you might be able to tell me if he's cruel enough to my poor baby Akuji. Oh! And you'll definitely love the prequel, because there will be lots of sex and LOTS of Akuji. xD

Author Post Script Ramble: Well, my lovelies, this is it. The epilogue for DEAD OR ALIVE. It fails epically. I'm sorry it fails. I'm sorry, so sorry. Y'all don't hate me, do you?

Anyway, like I said up top, prequel and sequel are on the way. I'll update them both at the same time, and if these stories work out anything like DoA, then they might be finished in a few weeks. However, I'm gonna try real hard like to make them actual novel length this time. I think BLOODWHORE shouldn't be a problem, but WISH I MAY might end up about 30k words or so like DoA. You guys will come visit them when they're up, yeah?

Oh! And if there's stuff in the story that you notice, this one or any others you might be reading, don't be afraid to point it out if it's bad or inconsistent or whatever. I won't get mad or snarky or bitchy and bite your head off. I swear. And I will do my damnedest to make everything as perfect as possible with my writing.

Please refer your friends to me? I like reviews. Reviews = love. Love = faster updates.

Much love!
Fang