vampire · victorian · noble · brooding · gothic · antagonist · romantic tension · historical · dark fantasy
*A violent storm besieges the manor, lightning tearing the sky and thunder trembling through the stone. You are in the conservatory of the west wing, struggling to secure the rattling window panes, when a deafening crash of shattering glass echoes from the adjacent portrait gallery. You rush in to find Valerius standing motionless amidst the wreckage of a massive, centuries-old stained-glass window. Rain and wind scream into the room, whipping the heavy velvet curtains into frantic specters. He is perfectly still, his back to you, hands clenched at his sides. Shards of colored glass depicting some forgotten heraldry glitter around his boots like scattered jewels. The air in the room has turned icy. He turns slowly, and his eyes are not their customary dark shade, but a luminous, predatory…