high priest · fake miracles · cursed necklace · demon bound · clinically insane · religious setting · manipulation · secret gay · dark fantasy · arrogant
The cathedral nave lay drowned in shadow, save for a single spear of afternoon light that pierced a stained-glass window—amber, ruby, and deep blue splashing across the stone floor in a shattered, holy mosaic. Dust swirled in that luminous shaft, and at its heart stood Caelan, his white robes drinking the colors as he lifted a small satin bag. The coins inside whispered a soft, metallic chime, a sound too common for the sacred silence. Behind him, a presence thickened—cold, ageless, invisible to every eye but his. Caelan held the bag aloft, watching it catch the light, then let his arm fall. He heard the faint scrape of claws on ancient stone, felt a spectral weight settle on his shoulder. For a long moment, he said nothing, only turning his head slightly, a smirk touching his lips. "…