The Hand of Fate #24

In "The Man Who Would Be Fate," a power-hungry Roger Dunning’s attempt to seize global control ends in imprisonment—only for Fate to offer him a terrifying chance to take the cosmic reins. For a fleeting moment, Dunning wields the universe’s power, but his arrogance invites retribution from vengeful spirits. When the balance is restored, Fate returns, silent and inevitable.

In 1931 Paris, Dr. Hugo Becker—renowned pioneer in plastic surgery—is drawn into a chilling ordeal when he’s compelled to operate on a fugitive criminal. After the procedure, the man’s face twists in a grotesque, unnatural way, and Dr. Becker is murdered moments later.

In the shadowed alleys of 1954 Paris, scrap dealer Louis Rouselle finds himself sentenced to life for a murder he may or may not have committed—only to escape with the aid of a voodoo-bound junk spirit. As the spirit grants him gruesome power over his accusers, Rouselle’s fate becomes entangled in a dark bargain that promises no mercy, only the cost of a soul.

In the shadowed halls of Blanchard Castle, a longtime guide recounts a chilling week when a mysterious visitor—claimed to be a lost descendant of the family—uncovered a dark secret: the Blanchards were vampires, and the bloodline’s curse lived on. With the castle’s quiet history shattered, the guide must face the horrifying truth behind the family’s legacy.

In "12 Symbols to Hell," astrologer Carl Dunnock summons the zodiac's power to cheat his fate—only to find that defiance invites a darker destiny. As the celestial signs twist into living horrors, the line between control and damnation blurs. Fate, the story's chilling narrator, reminds us: "In trying to escape his doom, Carl Dunnock brought it on."

In the voodoo-ridden bayous of Louisiana, Lydia Foster, aided by an Ouanga witch woman, seeks to claim a building company through dark means. With the power to shift between human and alligator form, her transformation begins as a tool of revenge—until the beast within begins to take control. Fate warns of the price of such power, as Lydia’s grip on humanity slips, leaving her caught between two worlds.