Story 733: A Grin Full of Rot

The candlelight flickered as Selene Nocturna stepped forward, her grin carved from the depths of nightmares.

The Rotting Cathedral pulsed with unholy energy, the air thick with the stench of decay and something far worse—delight. She had done it. The Choir of Rot sang at her command, their voices blending into a grotesque symphony of suffering.

Tonight, however, she sought a new verse.

The doors to the cathedral groaned open, revealing a lone figure—Rothwyn, the plague-hunter.

A seasoned warrior, draped in holy relics, his silvered armor glowed faintly in the sickly light. His face was hardened, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of hesitation.

"Selene Nocturna," he spoke, voice steady. "Your sickness ends tonight."

Selene chuckled, her fingers lazily trailing along the blood-crusted pendant at her throat.

"Ah, Rothwyn… you always come with such conviction. But tell me—do you feel it yet?"

Rothwyn’s breath hitched.