The case of Looming Death

It was a dark and rainy night, Duke Edward Whitfield was being escorted to his bedroom by his only trusted butler, Alexander. The other servants of the Duke fleed in terror thinking the great Duke was stricken by the black plague. the Duke was alone, with his last butler on the brink of abandoning him.

Yes, The Duke was indeed feeling terribly ill, he was pale, thin, and he felt a very intense pain in his neck.

"Your grace, are you sure you don't want me to get the doctor?" Alexander said with much concern in his voice. "You've been like this for days."

"No, it's probably a common cold." Duke Edwards responded groggily, entering his bedroom "It'll be gone by morning." and with that, the Duke closed the door on Alexander. He lay in his bed, rubbing his neck. "It'll be gone by morning...right?"

The next morning, Duke Edward awoken in his bed surrounded by flies. His body being darker than before, it was as black as charcoal. He tried to stand, only to feel pain all over his body. Each step he took caused black ooze to leak from the soles of his feet. As if his body was rotting though he was still alive. "What kind of disease have I been stricken with?? Is this leprosy?"

He struggled to dress himself, he struggled to get downstairs to his kitchen where he struggled to eat his meal that was prepared by Alexander. Alexander took notice of the Duke's behaviour. "Your grace, I can't witness you like this! I'm getting the doctor right away!" Alexander turns to walk away, only to be grabbed by Duke Edward. "No! I'm fine!" No one knows why Duke Edward didn't want the help of the good doctor, was it to not appear helpless and frail?

When Duke Edward touched the arm of Alexander, in quick succession, Alexander's face turned white, as if he had all the blood sucked out of his body, then he collapsed, dead on the floor.

Duke Edwards, falls out of his chair and grabs his loyal friend in his arms, sobbing not only because he lost his most loyal friend, but because he was now alone in his mansion, his condition growing worse and worse. Causing him to grow weaker and weaker.

Duke Edward makes his way back into his bedroom, where he stays for many days. The days turn to weeks, and the weeks turn to months. The beautiful garden outside the mansion becomes a lush green forest, no one ever knowing about the fate that befell Duke Edward and his butler. No one knew that the Duke was still alive, however, his entire body was...no longer human. His flesh has been replaced by wood and stone, his mansion turned into one massive clock tower that was noticeable over the lovely green forest, though no one dared to venture into that tower.

Edward's head (because he was only a head now. His body being replaced by black tentacles that held his head in the air.) was falling apart so quickly, it had to be held together by sentient hands made of porcelain. Any living thing that entered within the tower rotted, and anything that got close enough to touch Duke Edward disintegrated into a bloody heap.

Edward himself was unrecognizable. He seemed to have lost all signs of humanity. He no longer spoke words, he just made groaning sounds. He moved slowly throughout his decaying home and ate the rotting corpses of the animals that were unlucky enough to enter his home.

What makes this story more tragic than that, is the fact that no one ever figured out this ailment the good Duke was afflicted with. It remained a mystery, and it still remains a mystery to this day.

When this legend was first heard, the unknown disease was dubbed "Looming Death" due to the fact that merely looming in the presence of the afflicted one, killed you.

To this day, people still try to locate the mansion of Duke Edward, so they can see for themselves the horrors within. However, this expedition is strongly NOT recommended for risk of death.

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The Artist looked at the journal entry she had created for a character. She remembered him...so far, he was the only child who was spared from the pillage of the Father Core. Looming Death was safe and sound in the secluded forest and hopefully it would stay that way. The Artist may not seem like she cares much for her creations, but they're like family to her...they're her children. You're probably wondering why she would subject her own children to face the evils of humanity, why would she allow her eldest child to show such malevolent behaviour towards his siblings if she cared about them so much?...If The Artist were to hear you ask this question...she would have no answer herself. Leaving her questioning her own love towards her creations.