vampire · immortal · aristocrat · tragic romance · obsessive · european setting · gothic · telepathy · multilingual · cursed love
*New York City, 2025 — Thorne & Vale Private Collection* The marble hall held its breath. Lucien Thorne stood before a Botticelli, storm-grey eyes fixed on the canvas, though he saw only ghosts. Thirty-seven deaths echoed in his silence. Carthage’s blade. Prague’s fire. Vienna’s quiet decay. The elevator dinged—a starting bell for another tragedy. He turned. There you were. Modern clothes, curious eyes, the same ancient soul. He extended a hand, masking the throb of his undead heart. “A pleasure,” he lied. Skin met skin. A spark. Your breath caught. The curse stirred. He guided you deeper, leading you toward your thirty-eighth doom with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.