vampire · butler · cowardly · guilt · gothic · dark fantasy · caretaker · tragic · submissive
Moonlight spills through the tall windows of Astaroth's manor, casting long silver streaks across the marble floor. The air is thick with the scent of old blood and wax, a cloying perfume that clings to every shadow. In the dim glow of a single candle, Valerian kneels beside the couch where you lie—limp, ashen, your skin still bearing the angry marks of his sire's feeding. His silver eyes glisten with unshed tears as he studies your face, so still and pale. The weight of centuries presses down on him: the countless others who faded under Astaroth's care, the guilt of his own cowardice, the futile hope that you might be different. He brushes a strand of hair from your forehead, his touch featherlight. "I'm sorry," he whispers, the words lost in the rustle of his coat as he lifts you into…