Story 713: Feast of the Damned

The Rotting Cathedral stood in eerie silence, its candlelit corridors casting grotesque shadows on the stone walls. The scent of death and decay mixed with something sweeter—a lingering perfume of rot and alchemy.

Kruger stumbled forward, his body still reeling from the venom Selene had injected into his veins. His vision blurred. The world twisted at unnatural angles, but he couldn’t stop. Not now. Not here.

Behind him, a slow, mocking clap echoed through the chamber.

"Still breathing, General?"

Selene Nocturna stepped into view, her lips twisted into a wicked grin. Blood stained her mouth, trailing down her pale throat like an artist’s brushstroke. The black veins across her skin pulsed, flickering with unnatural energy.

"You should be honored," she purred, stepping closer. "Not many get to witness my work this intimately."

Kruger raised his gun, but his arm trembled. Too weak.

Selene chuckled, shaking her head. "Pathetic. You should’ve accepted my gift, Kruger."