Another Girl Under the Iron Bell
Novelette 9,679 words Recommended by 4 award/anthology sources
"There is no limit to the number of curses in the world. For each one the monks try to exorcise, ten more take its place. We are not here because we enjoy it though. Please don’t misunderstand. As you dip into steaming bath waters, entwine your bodies under warm sheets, and dream of delicious sake under spring flowers, know that we are always burning."
Content warnings 4
cannibalismsexual-violencesuicideviolence
Quasar links out; the story lives on Uncanny, where the author gets the click.