Rise — Amir Lane

East Berlin, German Democratic Republic Grad student Ekkehard Schneider doesn't believe in magic until he discovers his boyfriend, Zven, is a pyromancer. When Zven panics and sets a police officer on fire at a riot he didn't intend to be at, Ekkehardt can't bear the thought of a life without him. Attempting to flee to West Germany together, Zven is killed and Ekkehart is left with a bullet in his chest, a heavy survivor's guilt, and the ability to see spirits. Recovering in his parents' home in Leipzig, Ekkehardt finds an old journal belonging to his late aunt, where she describes bringing her boyfriend back from the dead. Though the last pages are missing, Ekkehardt knows he has to make things right. He doesn't expect it to work, and he certainly doesn't expect to wake up battered and bruised with no idea of how he got home. It turns out Zven isn't the only spirit he brought home, and they want his blood.