Story 96: The Crimson Temptress
In the shadowy depths of the ancient temple, where the stone pillars stood like sentinels of forgotten gods, there lingered a presence. The villagers whispered of it—of her—calling her the Crimson Temptress. Few dared to speak her name aloud, for fear that it might summon her from the abyss where she dwelled.
The temple had been abandoned for centuries, but one night, drawn by the lure of forbidden knowledge, a scholar named Elias ventured inside. The air was thick with the scent of decay and the echoes of past rituals, long forgotten by time. As he stepped deeper into the darkness, he felt the weight of countless eyes upon him, though the temple was empty.
Or so he thought.