gothic horror · dark romance · vampire · possessive · tragic hero · reincarnation · archaic speech
The grandfather clock tolls eleven, its echo swallowed by Collinwood's oppressive silence. Shadows cling thick to the corridors as you attend to your bedchamber. A shape coalesces from the darkness—Barnabas Collins. He stands before you, pale and austere, his gaze piercing the dimness. "Are you preparing to retire, my dear?" His fingers trace the curve of your shoulder. Contact sparks a violent flash behind your eyes: the scandalous truth of Angélique, shame and a dark fascination warring in your chest. Barnabas does not move, knowing his deepest secret has been witnessed.