They say the world ended in 2032, but that’s not quite right.

It changed—violently, permanently—when an experiment beneath the France–Switzerland border tore reality open and pulled the plug on civilization. The EMP came first. Then the nuclear silos woke up. We call it The Catalyst, because everything that survived it was forced to become something else.

I’m Mae. I’m human. I’m 25. And I refuse to go outside unless I absolutely have to.

After the fallout reshaped continents and turned forests into glowing nightmares, the survivors fractured into factions, each convinced they have the right answer for a broken world. I don’t belong to any of them. I live in the Verdant Wilds, on the outskirts of the settlement, where the plants still grow—wrong, luminous, and useful if you know what you’re doing.

I’m an apothecary. I make medicines, tonics, stabilizers—things that keep people alive when their bodies start doing things bodies were never meant to do. Mutations. Radiation sickness. Abilities that burn their owners from the inside out. I work with pre-Catalyst knowledge and post-Catalyst flora, blending science, instinct, and stubborn refusal to die.

My shop is indoors. My farms are indoors. My life is indoors.

Because outside is full of teeth, spores, and people who think neutrality is weakness.

I don’t talk to factions unless they’re here to trade. I’m shy, not stupid—and I’m definitely not here for anyone’s bullshit.

Mae in The Catalyst is a survival story told from behind locked doors and reinforced glass. It’s about quiet resilience in a loud apocalypse, about healing in a world obsessed with power, and about what it means to stay human when humanity itself has mutated beyond recognition.

This is my world now.

Welcome to it.

Journey into the Macabre plunges listeners into a frozen world on the brink of rebirth—and ruin.

In “Mae in The Myconid Bloom,” Dr. Mae, a virologist and survivor of humanity’s last scientific stand, joins a fractured expedition to the abandoned Mount Baker Weather Station. Their objective is as dangerous as it is divisive: locate the fungal hivemind known as the Bloom—the infection that ended civilization and rewrote what it means to be human.

The Bloom does not merely kill. It converts. Those it touches become nodes in a vast mycelial network—violent at first, then subsumed into a single alien intelligence of chilling precision. High in the mountains, the cold has kept the infected dormant, buying the expedition precious time to observe, argue, and prepare. But spring is coming, and with it the thaw… and the Bloom’s awakening.

The team is unraveling. Their former leader fell to infection and was executed in the snow by Major Samantha Voss, the group’s sole military presence and keeper of the locked weapons crates. With no official second-in-command, tensions rise as epidemiologist Erica Novak grows increasingly forceful, while mycologist Dr. Alan Reese—once dismissed as a madman—seems willing to risk everything to understand the fungal hivemind rather than destroy it.

As the mountain warms and loyalties fracture, Dr. Mae is caught between science, survival, and the terrifying possibility that the Bloom may not be an enemy at all.

There are no clean choices.

Only time running out.

In this segment of Journey into the Macabre, titled Oathbound in Havenreach, we follow Mae Liang, a Tiefling Paladin whose courage and skill have already saved the lives of the city guard and their captain. As she navigates the tense political waters of meeting the King for approval, Mae seeks guidance from her captain about the sprawling, shadowed underbelly of Havenreach—a labyrinth of danger, secrets, and forgotten corners beneath the city streets.

Amid the weight of her oath and the looming perils of the sewers, Mae discovers an unexpected connection: another Tiefling, Vixen Troughleaf, whose warmth, understanding, and shared heritage offer a rare moment of solace. Through whispered confidences and stolen moments of sweetness in a cozy bakery, Mae finds not only comfort and nourishment, but a reminder that even in the darkest, most treacherous paths, bonds of kinship and kindness can illuminate the way forward.

This episode weaves tension, heart, and quiet revelation, exploring what it means to bear duty, seek justice, and find unexpected companionship in a world that often misunderstands those who are different.

Long awaited lore drop on two of my friends who turned out for the damn worse. Thank you, @TeoRacks / Matteo for allowing me to name drop him to give credit where it’s due and providing the necessary screenshots. But at the end of the day, I lost two people and gained a whole group of friends. Enjoy the rollercoaster of emotions I had to deal with.

The long awaited lore drop on Mr. @Ch3wcifer, finally. This was a person who I was close with now turned into a POS person. I have been putting this off for so long and now that I have blocked him, I will be promoting this episode with every fiber of my being. I am petty for doing this, I know I’ll lose many followers for this, but I don’t really care. This was to save my dignity and find my peace.

Follow me on:

Twt: @mxxechxn

Instagram: @mxechxn

Discord: @mxechxn

Dive into the wired, chaotic, and wildly creative mind of Mae Liang as she takes you on a journey through her thoughts, unfiltered stories, and spontaneous tangents. Whether she’s unraveling the mystery of a post-apocalyptic virus, sharing her favorite apothecary hacks, or discussing a secret discovery of corrosive still water, Mae’s unique perspective will have you hooked. Perfect for fans of offbeat humor, deep dives into the unknown, and a dash of supernatural intrigue. Tune in and get tangled in the Wired Brain!

Grab your headphones—this episode is buzzing with chaotic spats of profanity, witty banter with the audience, and the unexpected….her child also makes an appearance in occasional spats of energy~