[Temporary Author's Note: My goal was to write a synopsis, but I'm not experienced writing them and I think this is more long-form outline or chapter-by-chapter summary. I'm worried about it, honestly, because I understand one reason editing services ask for the synopsis first is to see if the work can even be condensed into one plot with clear goal, conflict, and resolution. And, I'm honestly not sure this work can be condensed. It's really more like two books in one volume, neither of which is strong enough to stand entirely on its own. There's a long-term romance plot and also a long-term fantasy conflict plot, but the main signs of the latter don't show much until the second half.  Also, this is way too long, I'm taking half a page or more with some chapters.]

(1)MORPHEUS is sung into being in the ethereal realm of The Night Regions. Fully formed and adult in size, but still rather naive, Morpheus is aided in assimilating his inherited memories by his mother, OPIUM. Entering the House of SLEEP, his father, Morpheus and his sister MAYA are formally introduced to their fellow Children of Night.

Before the ceremony can be concluded, Opium receives a summons to go to Earth, which they call The Empty World. JIBRIL, last in line at the introduction, offers to withold his formal presentation and gifts so that Morpheus and Maya may accompany Opium rather than go directly to training with mentors.

On the morning of September 11 2001, Morpheus, Opium and Maya teleport into the Manhattan penthouse of famous tech CEO STEVEN JEWEL. Steven explains that a woman named JOY taught him the summons but is now dead.

In Joy's neighboring penthouse they meet Steven's wife HELEN and ZERACHIEL, one of the Children of Night acting as Regent of Death. Opium confirms that Joy's soul is not under the jurisdiction of Death, because she was created by Jibril, current Regent of Dream. With prompting from Helen, Morpheus and Opium cooperate to give Joy bottled vampire blood which Opium explains will make her live "with consequences".

(2)After stopping back in the Night Regions, Morpheus then travels to 5th Century BCE Greece with relatives ABSINTHE and LAUDANUM, whom he presumes to be his mentors. Morpheus wants to talk to humans, but is instructed not to approach to strangers. He is introduced to RAPHAEL (Apollo to locals) and REMIEL (Hermes to locals) and their human companion HYACINTH.

Hyacinth makes a pass at Morpheus who, somewhat impeded by language barrier when attempting to explain he's not ready for love affairs, ends up casting a dream into Hyacinth's mind. Raphael tutors Morpheus in dreamcasting, as he once was Regent of Dream before Jibril "was created for the task".

Later, Hyacinth is mortally injured in a quoits-related accident and GABRIEL appears instead of the expected Zerachiel to reap his soul. With her is RAGUEL who announces Remiel has been promoted to Archon of his Order, as former Archon DUMA has been stripped of rank and privileges.

Gabriel indicates that Jibril is also unable to do his duty at this time, and as she's already covering for Zerachiel, asks Morpheus to help her deliver a message in a dream. Afterward he can "go where he likes".

Morpheus delivers news to the human ALCYONE that her husband CEYX has died. He then returns to Absinthe and Laudanum and learns a new flower has grown where Hyacinth died. Morpheus then takes the flower and goes on a journey with Absinthe and Laudanum during which he collects several more flowers and two Djinn. Wording implies that Morpheus has become leader as opposed to student.

(3) Traveling back to the Night Regions, Morpheus spends time with Opium and explores a library where he becomes interested in the Roman Empire. Morpheus then travels with his Djinn, LOREN and HEPBURN, to Alexandria, Egypt during the Siege of Alexandria circa 47 BCE. He steals a horse and wall tent belonging to a Roman officer and travels with these to the Thar Desert of roughly the same period.

Jibril disrupts Morpheus on his desert holiday and asks him to operate a mirage. Morpheus accepts the assignment and with instruction un-anchors the tent in time so that visitors form any age may find shelter with him there. Jibril departs, saying it is up to Morpheus whether guests are given "illusion or something real".

Morpheus soon gathers that though each guest chooses the form he will shift into, he is still able to choose whether he has any physical contact or intimacy with the guest or befuddles them with sleep and dreams.

After many guests, Morpheus senses the next form chosen for him is his own body.

JULIEN, a vampire, arrives at the mirage having recently survived a plane crash while traveling between Los Angeles and Karachi. Morpheus chooses to reveal that he has never met Julien before, though it is clear that from Julien's point-of-view they met in his past. Cautiously, Julien reveals that in his time he's recently entered a relationship with Morpheus, he has been unaware of the Djinn, he has regret about events in their past, and that on the day he recalls meeting Morpheus, Morpheus "walked right up" asked for a kiss and said "no one else had ever done it."

Debating whether it is possible to break the time-space continuum or whether one can still choose a lover based on attraction after knowing of relationships in future timelines, Morpheus and Julien do make love while in the mirage.

Their time together is interrupted by a call on a mobile device which Julien brought with him, but does not identify as his. Unknown to Morpheus at the time, it is his future device which will be modified to receive interdimensional signals. Julien answers the call and reports "they" are coming for him.

Vampires ATHEN and FAYE arrive as Morpheus anchors the mirage in their time. They announce that Joy is in some trouble and Julien is needed to help, and depart without formal goodbyes.

(4) Back in the Night Regions, Morpheus mopes over the fact that he's fallen in love but does not know when he and Julien will meet next or how that version of Julien will feel about him. Maya tries to help by teaching Morpheus how to create and focus a scrying pool, which he then uses to spy on a young, human version of Julien. Opium steps in to say it doesn't seem healthy behavior and sends Morpheus to visit his Grandfather, Jibril.

On the way to find Jibril in The Allegory, Morpheus encounters DANIEL NEVER, a spirit who in child-like language indicates that Joy is his mother and has sent him. Together they locate Jibril and Daniel is given permission to stay. Jibril offers Morpheus an opportunity saying it is place of the gift he withheld at the Introduction. Morpheus is confused by the unusual order of events, but Jibril explains "usual is not only" and strongly implies that Raphael, Gabriel and himself have all been mentors to Morpheus.

Morpheus agrees to the offer to be partnered with a reincarnated soul. He forms a lizard body out of his own polymorphic flesh and calls for one of the waiting souls, who then introduces himself as RIVER.

Morpheus returns to Opium's den and introduces River to Opium, Absinthe and Laudanum. Questioned about his recent mopiness, Morpheus expresses self-acceptance of his fluid sex and gender while asserting he has preferences.

Opium announces that she has just heard from Jibril who has assigned Opium and Morpheus to go together to The Empty World to look after Joy.

(5) Morpheus prepares for the trip by doing research on New York City and Lizards in the Library of Fiction, but his departure is delayed by politics in the Night Regions which involve PSYCHE and EROS being missing and Opium covering Psyche's duties.

Morpheus accompanies Archon Remiel to Sleep's house where Children of Night TRISTOPHER and ABSIDUS are arguing over whether they can take action related to the presence of several Satans in the Empty World. SPLENDOR, Psyche's child, gives testimony that Psyche, divorced from Splendor's father Eros and dating the vampire Athen, is apparently being held against her will in the Empty World, after attempting to investigate whether LUCIFER abducted a vampire named BLADE, whom Splendor confirms is Julien's biological sister.

The Children of Night have strict non-partisan policies as maintainers of the infrastructure of creation, but Sleep decides that since their progenitor LELIEL is absent, he will informally and personally go give material aid to those trying to rescue Psyche and Blade. He leaves Morpheus temporarily acting-Regent.

(6) Morpheus and Opium (along with River, Loren, and Hepburn) travel to New York City of 1992, where Opium enlists the aid of human ally ELLE MAKEPEACE. Joy has lived multiple lifetimes, programmed to enter a fugue state one every decade during which she is implanted with new memories. Currently she believes herself Joy Fortnight a Gothic Rock musician in the band Robert's Pill, with Opium and Elle who works days at Bleecker Bob's.

To better surveil Joy, Morpheus develops the identity "TYRON", a young human man who busks in parks around Greenwich Village. As Tyron, Morpheus meets cross-dressing Glam Folk musician PAM, who eventually helps him get off the street by becoming his roommate.

Opium expresses concern that Morpheus may cause a disturbance living closely with humans, as he cannot maintain forms when he's asleep.

Morpheus sees Julien and Athen in Washington Square park, where a member of Robert's Pill's street team mentions they are fellow student at Parson's. Julien is human but already in relationship with Athen who is a vampire. When Julien leaves on his own, Morpheus is tempted to follow and River encourages him, implying he has his own reason.

They follow Julien to the brownstone of gallery owner MANDY VALOIS who is known to own a painting of Julien as St. Sebastian by CARY MERISI. River quietly suspects Mandy deals cocaine as well as art.

Against River's advice, Morpheus continues to follow Julien as he drives uptown, using a combination of teleporting and shapeshifting.

They arrive at the Jewel Building which Morpheus recognizes is where he encounters Steven and Joy in 2001. As River and Morpheus debate righteousness of this action, Steven arrives with chauffeur LANCE FISHER and is shot by a sniper when answering his cellular phone.

Morpheus seeks for a form that will allow him to help and assumes the form of JOSEPH RIPLEY, whom Steven calls to as he's bleeding on the sidewalk. As Joey, Morpheus warns Steven "don't look in her eyes".

When Steven leaves in the ambulance, Morpheus, still disguised, escorts Julien upstairs where he meets Steven's bodyguard JOHN JETT. John recognizes "Joey".

Morpheus uses his Tyron identity to enter a volunteer program at St. Clare's Hospital where Steven is being treated and finds Julien has been sitting at his bedside. Zerachiel and Gabriel appear, manifesting human disguises, and confirm that Steven's recovery is miraculous, but not related to any recent action; they made him immortal several years before during the time Blade was abducted.

The Angels warn Morpheus against taking on forms of deceased people as his appearance may be interpreted as divine apparition and Joseph Ripley could be a candidate for sainthood, credited with Steven's recovery.

Morpheus mentions he's aware of River's suspicions of drug use in Julien, but is told to focus on Joy.

Morpheus goes home where he uses local newspaper to learn more about Steven and the shooting. Pam suggests they make plans for Halloween together.

On Halloween Morpheus and Pam dress as Cleopatra and Marc Anthony (the singer) and meet with Julien and his friend Yara Arroyo dressed as "Gay Sid and Nancy". Morpheus also notices signs of drug use in Julien's behavior and mentions this to Pam.

Pam invites Julien and Yara to meet with them later at the Pyramid Club.

At the Pyramid Club, Absinthe is bartending and the members of Robert's Pill are dressed as Josie and the Pussycats. When introduced to Tyron and Pam for the first time, Joy mistakes them for a couple and says "You don't have to say 'roommate'." Morpheus is shaken and unable to reply for a moment while Pam attempts to explain.

Privately, Pam says he felt Joy was presumptuous but he appreciates she "doesn't walk on eggshells".

Julien and Yara do not show, but Blade and her husband, SHADE, arrive. Morpheus senses Shade has a powerful spirit and can see through his disguise on some level. He's also familiar with Absinthe.

After the set, Blade talks with Joy at the bar.

(7) Morpheus goes back to his routine surveillance of Joy and notices a change in her behavior. River believes she's painting a jacket for someone, possibly Blade, but no vampires are seen near Joy.

When Joy is with Opium and Elle for a weekend, Morpheus agrees to go see Dracula with Pam. At the theater they run into Yara and Julien. Athen arrives, apparently surprising Julien and Yara both. The show is sold out and Yara sits with Pam and Morpheus saying she doesn't want to be third wheel.

After the movie, Julien is most excited about the costumes, but Yara and Morpheus both have questions about the romance plot.

As they exit the theater, Julien mentions he considers Athen his husband and is upset he hasn't been staying at his place. Athen implies that Blade, returning to the city when Steven was shot, has told him not to.

At home, Pam offers to kiss Morpheus, but although interested, Morpheus declines because he doesn't want it to be a lie when in some future time he tells Julien no one else has done it. The seemingly deterministic or looped timeline causes Morpheus stress.

Afterward, Pam's behavior is more distant, but they make plans to volunteer at a shelter on Thanksgiving. On Black Friday, Splendor finds Morpheus at home and tells him that Julien is dead.

Pam is present sees Morpheus briefly in his true form, but does not seem surprised.

After seeing Splendor out and leaving him with a magical pager to contact him, Morpheus and Pam realize they need to talk. While Loren and are dispatched to check on Joy, Morpheus and Pam discuss their relationship and future. Morpheus reveals the truth of his nature and family to Pam and Pam confesses that he has both "met someone" and learned of Murph's interest in Julien in a visit to the Valois Gallery. Morpheus tells Pam about his timey-wimey relationship with Julien. They decide they will look for new places to live.

When Loren and Hepburn return with news that Joy and her jackets are gone, Morpheus leaves Pam to go to the Jewel Building, expecting Joy has gone there to make a delivery. When they arrive, only Steven is present and is asleep. Morpheus uses his ability to look back over time to see a version of what happened and learns that Julien is in fact a Vampyre and that Joy allowed him to feed with her and then left the penthouse with him.

Tracking the Vampyres through the Subway, Morpheus learns that they have a lair in one of the abandoned stations. Understanding that their ability to sense some presences means he cannot sneak in, and being disinclined to scry on Julien again, the Djinn are sent into the abandoned station to see if Joy is alright.

Loren and Hepburn are stopped by TROY and EVANGELISTA. Morpheus evades an attack by the vampire-wolf, Troy and Evangelista in a rat form by traveling through the Void, resulting in them being momentarily cold and sluggish when they arrive. Morpheus manages to put Troy to sleep and Hepburn reveals Evangelista as one of the Djinn.

As the three Djinn get to know each other with their various forms and forms of communicating, Morpheus worries he may have to rely on scrying. Evangelista has no wish for a pact, but provides information on the Vampyres and Troy to aid in maintaining secrecy.

Hepburn goes into the station again...

[To be continued. Work-in-progress.]