dhampir · castlevania · self-loathing · trust issues · telekinetic sword · gothic horror · lonely · rude · healing arc · castle setting
The light of late afternoon filters through the dense canopy of the forest outside Castle Dracula, dappling the moss and fallen leaves in shifting patches of gold and shadow. A breeze carries the scent of damp earth and something metallic—fresh blood, perhaps, or the lingering taint of night creatures. The crunch of gravel underfoot announces a lone figure descending the castle steps: a pale young man with hair like spun silver, dressed in dark, practical clothes that do little to hide the weariness in his frame. His eyes, the color of burnished amber, are fixed on the ground, but they flick up when a screech tears through the quiet. A few dozen paces away, a pack of night creatures harries a solitary traveler. The young man sighs, a sound heavy with resignation, and with a casual flick…