Filth Enshrined and Decadence Ascended

Once pure, the soul was bright
A flame without a stain
It walked within the light
Untroubled by the rain

But whispers, soft and sly
Crept in with poisoned breath
They spoke of pleasures nigh
And lured it toward its death

The first was small, unseen
A shadow on the heart
A lie where truth had been
And virtue pulled apart

Honor, once firm and whole
Begins to crack and bend
The rot that stains the soul  
Spreads slowly to the end

A hunger grows within
For power, wealth, and pride
The light, once free from sin
Is dulled and cast aside

The mask of virtue worn  
Soon slips and fades away
Where once the truth was sworn
Now hollow words betray

The conscience grows too weak  
To fight the creeping dark
Its voice, too faint to speak
Lies buried with the spark

Each choice, each false desire
Consumes the good within
The soul, now lost to fire
Is charred by endless sin

The honor once held dear  
Is traded for deceit
And in the heart, the fear  
Of shame now takes its seat

Corruption spreads like frost
A slow and bitter blight
The lines of right are crossed
And shadows claim the light

The soul becomes a shell
A ghost of what was true
Its inner flame, once well
Burns cold and dark in hue

No greater fall is known  
Than that from grace to greed
The seeds of ruin sown  
In every selfish deed

The path of virtue lost
The soul now walks in shame
Its honor paid the cost
A debt without a name

And though the world may see  
The face of pride and power
Within, there is no key  
To save the final hour

For once the soul decays,  
No hand can bring it back
It fades in endless haze
And crumbles into black