Five Steps to Absolution

In the Aurelian Union, ex-detective Adrian King is denied disability benefits by the Federal Social Security Commission after a line-of-duty trauma leaves him physically broken and consumed by guilt over a partner’s death. Cast out by the force and deemed “not disabled enough” by the system, he embarks on a meticulously planned vigilante crusade, executing those the law cannot touch. As a determined inspector closes in and public sentiment turns, King follows a five-step psychological descent mirroring the disability evaluation process, only to discover that every act of punishment is a failed attempt to outrun his own self-condemnation. The true crime he must judge is the one he committed against himself, and forgiveness remains the most elusive verdict.