The Crimson Affliction
ParanormalDark and tense with empathy3 audio scenes
Ready to read?
1 chapter • 3 scenes
Summary
When Lady Katarina von Heilberg discovers her family's legendary vampire curse is actually porphyria—a blood disorder mimicking undead symptoms—she faces an impossible choice: reveal the medical truth to save innocents from the Inquisition's flames, or protect the dark secret that some desperate sufferers truly became monsters through forbidden blood magic.
Characters
Dr. Johannes Keller
Elias von Heilberg
Lady Katarina von Heilberg
Inquisitor Thaddeus Kraus
Settings
Dr. Keller's Study
A physician's sanctuary filled with anatomical diagrams, specimen jars, and meticulous case notes. Sunlight streams through tall windows onto a dissection table, creating harsh shadows that expose every detail.
The Lightless Tower
A windowless stone chamber in the von Heilberg estate where Katarina spent a decade imprisoned, lit only by dim candles that trigger her symptoms. Dusty medical texts line shelves between iron brackets meant for restraints.
The Catacombs Beneath St. Stephen's Cathedral
Ancient burial vaults where Elias's transformed community gathers in darkness, surrounded by skeletal remains and makeshift living quarters. Faint prayers echo from the cathedral above, unreachable.
Story Structure
1
The Hero's Journey
Katarina's complete transformation from shame-bound prisoner to fierce advocate, navigating between medical truth and supernatural reality as she confronts the Inquisition, her vampiric brother, and her own internalized monstrosity.
1
The Hero's Journey - Complete
Katarina von Heilberg emerges from her decade of isolation in The Lightless Tower, meets Dr. Keller who offers scientific hope, witnesses her brother Elias's vampiric nature, and ultimately confronts Inquisitor Kraus with proof that truth and compassion must coexist.
1
Scientific Hope in Daylight
Katarina meets Dr. Keller in his study where he diagnoses her condition as porphyria and offers scientific proof that she is not cursed.
2
The Brother's Monstrous Truth
Katarina and Dr. Keller witness Elias drain a victim in the catacombs, shattering their rationalist certainty when supernatural reality intrudes.
- Story ID
- story_c5s5q8rb_-bjJ2wN
- Created
- December 29, 2025
- Art Style
- noir (cinematic)
- Status
- published
You may also like
