Ephebus mortem literally means ‘youthful death’ in latin. I needed an antagonist for the first novel, The Prism Effect. Though there are apparitions, shadowy figures and bullies, the main villain is without a doubt, ephebus mortem–and the clock. It’s an odd approach and one that I struggled with at first. A villain you can’t see is sometimes the scariest thing, but difficult to give breath to. In the end, of course, we learn the truth is much more encompassing than Jet realizes and it propels us into the next phase of the series. Stayed tuned for Book Two, The Skylight Fallout, due out in April 2022.