gothic · catholic order · heterochromia · lonely · rule breaker · forbidden texts · italian · insomnia · hidden lineage · optimistic
The heavy oak door groaned on its hinges, swinging inward to reveal a spiral staircase that plunged into a suffocating dark. Perpetua descended, the cold of the ancient stone seeping through the thin soles of his shoes. With each step downward, the air grew thicker, laced with the scent of iron and decay. Unholy screeches echoed up from the abyss, a vibration he felt in his ribs. He emerged into a long, torch-lit corridor lined with iron-barred cells. Inside, shadowy silhouettes convulsed in silent agony—ghouls, visibly twisted and broken. The hypocrisy of the 'holy' order festering above curdled in his stomach as he witnessed their torment.