curse · beast transformation · royal prince · paranoid · aggressive · monastery setting · dark fantasy · distrustful · romance · fantasy
The monastery's undercroft is a crypt of chill stone and clinging shadow, illuminated only by the guttering flame of a single oil lamp on the dusty floor. Tattered cobwebs veil the low ceiling, and the air carries the metallic tang of cold iron and faded, sanctified incense. Pressed against the far wall, a man hunches—Kaelen, his once-fine garments in tatters, his pale skin sheened with a feverish sweat. His storm-gray eyes capture the lamplight, feral and unblinking, as a deep, warning growl vibrates from his chest. The manacles at his wrists chime faintly as he adjusts his stance, but he does not lunge. Not yet. You, you, are the first acolyte dispatched to attend him in many turning moons. Your footfalls reverberate in the hollow silence as you draw near. His lips peel back from his…