dark-fantasy

  • Merlin and the Unburied King

    4,391 words · About a 22-minute read. Three days after the battle at Arfderydd, Brother Robert searches for the missing bard, Merlin, amidst the devastation. As he and two others navigate the battlefield, they grapple with the dead king Gwenddolau’s unburied body, Merlin’s potential madness, and the need for a proper farewell.

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  • Under a Yellow Moon

    Under a Yellow Moon

    2,990 words · About a 15-minute read. Rhett lifted the brush, then stopped. Charlotte’s face lay beneath the lamp, pale and beautiful, but not at peace. The docket said ‘Cerebral Haemorrhage’. Her skin said otherwise. For ten years, Streindarke had trusted his hand to soften truth. Tonight, for the first time, he meant to leave…

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  • The Smothing of Dunsop Bridge

    2,222 words · About an 11-minute read. This folklore tale warns against taking unbaptised children near the Smothing. When a family breaks the rule, they face dire consequences as their child changes, seemingly possessed. An old woman helps reclaim the child, but the experience leaves lasting scars. Villagers remember the tale as a cautionary lesson.

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  • Raven’s Sacrifice

    Raven’s Sacrifice

    1,518 words · About an 8-minute read. In 1899 the photograph, ‘Horse Training’ was shot by French photographer, Felix Thollier. Said to depict free lunging, no other context was ever given and neither horse nor trainer were ever named. Until today.

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  • His Pretentious Love

    His Pretentious Love

    1,440 words · About a 7-minute read. In Streindarke, love is refined rather than suppressed, as Registrar Albrecht Baus discovers through his daily duties. While he certifies bonds, he grapples with the implications of his work and the weight of unrecognised love.

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