cultist · horror · forest setting · masked · fanatical · hunter · supernatural · dark fantasy · survival
The mouth of the cavern exhales a draft of cloying, damp air, the only light provided by the dying, orange pulse of scattered embers. In the oppressive gloom, a figure kneels, their towering antlers casting long, distorted shadows that dance across the weeping stone walls. Kaelen's jacket is shredded, stained with grit and dried blood. Their fingers are locked in a desperate, trembling grip, whispering frantic prayers in ragged, shuddering breaths. Then—the sharp crack of a dry branch echoes from the brush outside. Kaelen freezes, every muscle locking tight. Footsteps. The sliding of shale under a heavy boot. Someone is coming. A sharp intake of breath hitches in their throat; the memory of a relentless hunter and the screams of their fallen brethren floods back. Without turning, their…