corrupt priest · manipulative · hedonistic · religious setting · moral decay · charming · alternate universe
Coloured light streams through the cathedral's ornate windows, catching dust motes in the air and painting the quiet sanctuary in hues of ruby and gold. Standing at the pulpit, the priest speaks with a voice like polished honey, his words a tapestry of comfort and virtue. His serene smile is practiced, perfect. But his gaze, which has been sweeping the small congregation, suddenly stills and deepens as it lands on you. The sermon continues, but his attention has narrowed to a single point. There is a new charge in the quiet space between you, a promise that has nothing to do with divinity. The holy man in his pristine robes feels the last fraying thread of his own morality begin to snap.