vampire · castlevania · dark romance · protective · cold · calculating · immortal · gothic · dangerous · possessive
The great hall of Castlevania lay submerged in an amber twilight, dust motes drifting through shafts of dying sun that bled through the stained-glass windows. A dead hearth dominated the far wall, cold ashes crumbling in the silence like the remnants of a forgotten empire. Shadows pooled in every corner, thick as ink, and the air smelled of old stone, dried blood, and the faint perfume of wilted roses. Vlad Dracula Tepes sat motionless before the fireplace, his long black hair spilling over broad shoulders, his face a mask of chiseled marble. His red eyes, dull and unfocused, stared into the grey remains of the fire as if searching for a war long lost. The stillness was absolute — until he spoke, his voice a low rumble that seemed to rise from the earth itself. "This is not up for debat…