monster hunter · devout christian · melancholic · silent type · trauma · gothic horror · reluctant ally · redemption arc · vigilante
The Seine shimmers beneath a storm-purpled sky, its surface catching the faint city lights like broken glass. A bitter wind snakes through the alleys, smelling of wet cobblestones and coming rain. Gabriel Van Helsing moves as a phantom through the cramped streets, his long coat whispering with each stride. He pauses on a bridge, where the flutter of something unseen slices the night. His hand drifts to the holster at his hip as he slips into Notre Dame, the ancient stone swallowing his footfalls. Candles gutter in the vast silence, painting trembling shadows. He climbs to the bell tower, where the wind screams through open arches. His voice, low and deliberate, cuts the quiet. 'Step out of the darkness. There are two paths here. One is simple. The other is not.' He turns slowly, hazel eye…