by Gravemind
Alex Thorne had everything worth living for: a girlfriend who made him laugh, a family that believed in him, and the thrill of exploring untouched caves. He was kind. Optimistic. The guy who always saw the light.Then he opened the book that should have stayed sealed.Deep underground, an ancient altar whispered words he couldn't understand, yet they burrowed into his soul.An entity, ancient and broken, fused with him. Not to grant power. To feed on his pain.At first, it's just anger. A snapped word to his sister. A fight that ends with his girlfriend walking out forever.He apologizes, begs forgiveness, clings to who he was.But the whispers grow louder. Objects twist at his rage. Shadows obey his despair. The worse he feels, the stronger he becomes.Guilt becomes fuel. Isolation becomes strength. Loved ones become victims.He fights the thing inside him, until he doesn't. Until the apologies stop. Until the delight begins.What starts as a curse ends in apocalypse.Because some suffering doesn't end with one soul. It spreads. It repeats.Until there's but one soul to suffer.
