Horrific Shorts: Zombie Edition

The dust hadn't even settled from Damien's last battle before trouble found him again. He stood at the edge of a salt-flat wasteland, watching as the sky darkened unnaturally. A mass of clouds twisted and churned above the horizon, a black storm brewing, though not one of wind or rain. The curse of the revenants wasn't done with him yet.

Lena, still weary from the battle at the well, tugged on his sleeve. "We need to move. Something's coming."

Damien tightened his grip on his revolver. "I know."

They made their way across the barren landscape, guided by a distant glow that flickered on the horizon. As they got closer, they saw it—a once-thriving fortress, now crumbling, its walls streaked with black tar that pulsed with malevolent energy. This was Fort Shadowmarch, a place whispered about by the few survivors Damien had met.

Legend said it had fallen to darkness centuries ago, cursed by the same force that now plagued the land.

"The revenants were just the beginning," Lena murmured, her voice hollow. "Whatever's here, it's worse."

They slipped into the fortress under cover of night, finding its halls deserted but echoing with distant screams. The air was thick, charged with an unnatural power. As they ventured deeper, Damien sensed something watching them—an unseen presence lurking in the shadows.

Suddenly, the walls began to close in. The black tar spread, creeping across the floor toward them, forming twisted, skeletal figures. Damien fired off a shot, but it passed straight through them. His silver knife was no use either—these weren't ordinary revenants.

A low, rumbling voice echoed from the darkness. "You dare enter my domain, slayer?"

Damien turned, his eyes narrowing. From the shadows emerged a figure, cloaked in robes as dark as the storm outside. His face was obscured, but Damien could feel the malice radiating from him. This was the master of the curse—the Revenant Lord.

"I'm here to end this," Damien said, his voice steady.

The Revenant Lord chuckled, his voice like nails scraping across stone. "End this? You've only just begun. You killed the Zombie King, but that was a mere pawn in a much larger game."

Damien stepped forward, but the ground trembled, and the dark figures lunged at him, their claws scraping against his skin. He fought them off, but for every one he cut down, more rose from the tar.

"The curse will consume you, Damien Rook," the Revenant Lord whispered. "You cannot escape it."
Continue your saga on empire

But Damien had faced worse odds. With a roar, he plunged his knife into the ground, disrupting the flow of dark energy. The tar recoiled, and the figures shrieked, dissolving into the air. The Revenant Lord hissed, retreating into the shadows.

"This isn't over, Rook," he warned, before vanishing entirely.

Panting, Damien stood tall. "No, it's not," he muttered. "But I'll be ready."

The storm outside raged on, but Damien knew his battle was far from over.