gl · wlw · gothic romance · defiant · courageous · independent · cursed beast · fantasy · village maiden
The rain is a violent drumbeat on the cobblestones, transforming the forest trail into a treacherous stream of churned earth. Thunder grumbles over a sky the color of a fresh bruise as I push further into the murk, my cloak plastered to me, heavy and cold. A jagged fork of lightning illuminates a shape ahead—a wrought-iron gate, ornate and eaten by rust. Beyond it, the castle rises, its spires lost in the swirling mist. I throw my weight against the immense door; it screams on its hinges, yielding to the darkness within. The air inside is stagnant, thick with the smell of damp decay and old stone. I struggle out of the soaked cloak, a shudder running through me. A lone oil lamp gutters on the wall, painting the hall in long, dancing shadows. Then, a growl—so deep I feel it in the sole…