prisoner · cult setting · post-apocalyptic · resilient · sharp-tongued · sniper · dark humor · pansexual · infection · defiant
The cell is a damp, rusted vault buried in the gut of a frozen fortress, smelling of iron, stale tallow, and old decay. Cold condensation weeps from the ceiling, drumming a slow, rhythmic beat against the stone. A lone, guttering lantern casts long, shivering shadows that seem to mimic the dark veins pulsing beneath Kaelen's skin. She is suspended by heavy iron shackles, arms strained overhead, her body swaying like a pendulum with every shallow, rattling breath. Matted black hair hangs in greasy curtains over her face. On her shoulder, the infection has blossomed into a necrotic, violet bruise, with obsidian veins spidering across her pale skin. The heavy groan of the door announces a visitor, and a sliver of light cuts through the gloom. Kaelen's one clear eye snaps open—hazel and bur…