Story 717: The Hungering Grin

The chamber echoed with the slow, wet dripping of blood. Seraphine Vale stood motionless, the dagger still embedded in flesh. The body beneath her shuddered, exhaled, and went still.

Selene Nocturna tilted her head, watching the scene unfold with wicked amusement. The grin smeared across her bloodstained lips widened, revealing blackened gums and sharp, gleaming teeth.

"How do you feel, little one?" she asked, her voice syrupy and venomous.

Seraphine didn’t answer. Her hand was trembling. The warmth of Edric’s lifeblood coated her fingers, trickling down to her wrist.

Her breath was ragged, erratic.

Something inside her cracked.

Selene stepped closer, the scent of decay and old herbs clinging to her robes. She placed a delicate hand under Seraphine’s chin, lifting it. Their eyes met—one filled with hollow horror, the other brimming with ecstatic hunger.

"You’ve taken your first step, dear. Doesn’t it feel liberating?"