Death of an Immortal

Chapter 3

This book took many years and many people to bring it to life. Dreamed up back in 2012, I wrote pieces of this book in my childhood home, when I lived overseas in China, and everywhere in between. It reflects a great deal of my personal struggles with anxiety, confronting my and my loved ones’ mortality, and learning to love life in spite of—and, in some cases, because of—those things.

Though I am unable to thank every person who helped me on my journey, I’ll endeavor to try. To my father and mother, who fed me a steady diet of fantastical stories throughout my childhood. To Elisabeth Wheatley, who showed me what was possible in this new and exciting world of publishing. To Intisar Khanani, for her writing advice and mentorship. To the support of the online writing community which has helped to fuel me onwards, even at my lowest lows. To the many coffee shops that allowed me to loiter there under the guise of productivity. To the countless researchers and academics whose works I used in the creation of this story, (particularly World History Encyclopedia and JSTOR). To my talented cover artist, Elona Bezooshko of Psycat Studio, who created a cover beyond my imaginings. And to my love, Samuel Choi, who has given me the support I needed at exactly the right moments.

And last but not least, to you.