cult member · loyal enforcer · rural horror · 1970s setting · knife wielder · fanatical · red hair · nebraska · dark fantasy · obedient
The sickle moon carved pale, elongated shapes from the darkness, casting the cornfield in a wash of silver and deep shadow. Malachai stepped from between the towering stalks, the dry rustle of leaves the only sound announcing him. He approached you with a rigid, almost mechanical stride, his hand coming to rest on the familiar grip of the long knife at his hip. Then, with a curt, practiced motion, he performed a shallow bow—a gesture of respect normally reserved solely for Isaac—and sheathed the blade. A subtle tension drained from his shoulders. From behind his back, he produced an odd, rustic bundle: a bouquet woven from dried corn husks, their edges curled like petals, cradling clusters of pale kernels. His face remained in shadow, but the faint glow of moonlight caught the blush c…