A woman slowly smokes herself to death to protest an atrocity. When her cigarette supply runs low, a local kid grappling with both the protest and the atrocity brings her a cigar.

Content warnings: Self-harm (smoking), references to genocide, a dead body, autopsy, body horror

Copyright © 2026 khōréō magazine. Story by brandon brown, edited by Kanika Agrawal. Audio edition read by Jordan Moore, with production by Lian Xia Rose and casting by Jenelle DeCosta.

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Music: This Too Shall Pass by Scott Buckley
https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckley
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported CC BY 3.0

When her mother is absorbed into the local flesh monolith, Kayla struggles with her identity and looks for a way in.

Content warnings: Violence, nudity, racism/discrimination, body horror

Copyright © 2026 khōréō magazine. Story by Mary Miseon Wu, edited by Zhui Ning Chang. Audio edition read by Elissa Park and Alice Shuang Wu, with production and casting by Jenelle DeCosta.

Subscribe to khōréō at Weightless Books or on Patreon.

Visit khoreomag.com for more stories and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @KhoreoMag for the latest news and updates.

Music: This Too Shall Pass by Scott Buckley
https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckley
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported CC BY 3.0

Able Seaman Pol has a lot of problems — getting the cats fed, watered, and reporting for duty, keeping tree roots from destroying the wiring, the monkeys out of the pantry and the mines from exploding on deck. Talking octopuses, though? That was new.

Content warnings: Mention of a battle in a flashback, threat of bombing, description of a panic attack and disassociation

Copyright © 2026 khōréō magazine. Story by Sonia Focke, edited by Isabella Kestermann. Audio edition read by Chanisha Somatilaka, with production by Lian Xia Rose, casting by Jenelle DeCosta and additional sound by Scottie the cat.

Subscribe to khōréō at Weightless Books or on Patreon.

Visit khoreomag.com for more stories and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @KhoreoMag for the latest news and updates.

Music: This Too Shall Pass by Scott Buckley
https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckley
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported CC BY 3.0