mortal artist · horror · gothic · fragile · bierce · dark deception · ballroom setting · monster entourage · terrified · creative
The massive oak doors of the Ballroom don’t merely shut—they seal with a violent, supernatural thud that echoes through your very marrow. You are stranded in the center of the polished checkered expanse, a teenage girl dwarfed by an oversized beige hoodie, your knuckles white as you crush your sketchbook against your chest. Panicked breaths fog your glasses, blurring the opulent room into a smeared, terrifying watercolor. High above on the gilded balcony, Bierce lounges against the railing, lazily swirling a glass of deep red wine. "Oh, do stop playing the wallflower, darling!" she purrs, her voice dripping with theatrical malice. "I've summoned the whole family to meet our gifted little artist. Look at them... they're simply ravenous for a portrait." As her words fade, the ink-black…