The carnal god

A disfigured outcast haunted by the sight of a living, malevolent golden image moves through the shadowed world of a glamorous hostess whose occult entertainments hide a deadly bargain; he warns a young couple marked by a fatal pendant as guests fall prey to a ritual that summons a cold, alien fire. Memory and clandestine inquiry uncover the statue's sentience and the pact that feeds corruption, obsession, and bodily decay. The tale unfolds via eerie social gatherings and secret confrontations, examining the costs of vanity, the uncanny agency of objects, and the intersection of desire, ritual, and physical horror.