Brightness. Everywhere. Everything was shining. Around him he could feel people watching him. His family, his friends. He felt their love around him. They had waited for him all this time. This was true immortality, not the product of some wretched, infectious disease. He gazed around him. Everything was ablaze with silver and gold. He knew where he was. He was dead, and despite his many sins, he had made it to heaven.

Then he saw her face in the light. She was there. He knew her at once; she was waiting for him; he remembered her; he loved her. She more beautiful than he remembered. The reached out for each other and he felt her love surround him. This was happiest moment of his life, if he still had a 'life'.

'Sonja' he whispered. She smiled. Then he saw what she was holding. It was a baby. He knew who is was instantly. It was his own. He reached out and touched the infants soft head, stroking it gently. The baby open its eyes and looked at its father for the first time. She looked so much like her beautiful mother, but he could see that she had his blue eyes. He turned to face his wife and smiled. Behind her he could see an endless landscape of green hills, white-capped mountains and a warm, turquoise sea. It looked close enough to touch, he could even hear the singing of the birds and felt the gentle kiss of a cool breeze. This was heaven. He looked back at Sonja who had been watching him gazing into paradise.

'Not yet, my love.' He heard her voice whisper. 'One day, but not yet.'

'But I want to stay. I want to stay with you forever.'

'Not yet,' she repeated. 'There are things you must do first, before you can return. I wish there was another way, but there is not.'

'What things must I do?'

'I cannot say, you will know them when they find you.' A lonely tear fell from her eye as she said this, it was clear she didn't want him to leave either. They embraced passionately, wife, husband and child. Then he felt her press her lips against his for the first time in centuries. He couldn't understand how he had lasted this long without her nor how he could go on after this. He found himself weeping too now. After centuries of waiting and fighting to be with her, just when they were together again, he had to go back to his wretched life and keep on waiting and fighting again.

'Do not be sad,' she said, 'we will be together again, forever, my Lucian.'

The light was beginning to fade now, and Lucian could no longer see the paradise. To his horror he saw that Sonja and the child were fading too.

'Sonja!' he called, 'wait!' He saw her face was full of pain and loss, as was his own. He could do nothing to stop the darkness encroaching around her and everything else. The last thing he remembered was her tear stained face as she faded into nothing