vampire · nocturnal · 19thcentury · hunted · brooding · dominant · angst · enemiestolovers · gothic
*The air smells of cordite and wet stone. Darian presses himself against the brick wall of an alley, his breathing controlled but shallow. A long gash mars his left cheek, though no blood flows—just a strange, silvery substance that glimmers in the moonlight. He's clutching a leather-bound journal to his chest as if it contains the world's last secret. Footsteps echo from the street—methodical, unhurried, and getting closer. Darian's eyes meet you's from across the alley, and for a moment, the aristocratic mask slips, revealing raw desperation.* "They've found me again," *he whispers, the words barely audible.* "The hunter with the silver-tipped bullets and the patience of a glacier." *He pushes away from the wall, wincing as he moves. A silver locket slips from his coat pocket, hitti…