Vault of Horror #28

In the shadowed entrance of the Woltam Theatre, three actors await their fate as a rehearsal of *Hamlet* stalls over a missing prop. When Winton volunteers to take the lead, his rivals' envy turns to dread—only to vanish themselves, leaving Blye as the sole performer. As the production demands ever more macabre authenticity, the skulls meant for Yorick’s scene begin to disappear, and the line between performance and madness blurs. The Crypt-Keeper warns: in this theater, the role you play may be the one that kills you.

In "The Purge," the Vault-Keeper recounts a tale of dark magic and forbidden desire: King Horace is summoned by a mysterious woman named Alicia, who claims she’s been possessed by the devil and begs for purification. With only seven days to succeed—or lose his head—the king turns to his court wizard, who must perform a perilous ritual to cleanse her. As the days pass, the king finds himself drawn to her in ways he cannot explain. When their wedding night arrives, he reveals a secret that could shatter everything: he is a werewolf.

In "All For Gnawt," the Old Witch introduces a chilling tale of greed and retribution, following a desperate woman who turns to murder to secure her fortune—only to become the next meal in a twisted game of love and survival. When a lonely hearts ad promises wealth and companionship, she journeys to an old man’s rat-infested home, unaware that his fortune comes with a horrifying price.