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"𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺." (𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 21:4)
The warm tears grew heavier when you realized there was no escape from him. The gentle grip on your jaw eases as you lower your head to hide your tears from him.
"Please look at me." The tone of his voice saddens. "It greatly pains me to see you in such distress."
You shook your head in reply. Words couldn't come out of your mouth as you were losing more of your composure. You then felt his arms wrapping around you, pulling you into his embrace.
"It'll be alright." He whispered.
That's when you lost it. You sink your loud, muffled cries into his chest and your hands tightly gripping him. You felt his sharp nails gently run through your wet hair in an attempt to calm you down.
"Please don't weep." He kisses the top of your head. "I promise you after tonight, you will no longer shed tears. You will be contented with me."
The was the last thing you remembered before waking up in the middle of the forest. A woman named Claudette was the first person to discover your unconscious body slouching against a tree. A few other survivors were sitting at a campfire upon being brought.
There were many others, you were told, but they were in different realms serving their 'trials.' That's what the others called it. Realms created by "the Entity" to watch for enjoyment. You remembered seeing the supposed Entity right after your car accident. It must have gotten you before you had the opportunity to escape. You learned of the other's names from the campfire: Nea, Alan, and Gabriel. They somehow came from different alternate worlds that you never knew existed. They briefly filled you in on what you needed to know and what to expect. Most importantly, they reminded you that getting everyone out of the trial was the number one priority.
Unfortunately, it doesn't always happen.
It didn't take you long to be transported to a trial for the first time. But this realm felt too familiar to you.
Then it hit you.
You found yourself back in Dracula's castle. Your heart sank at the familiarity. That meant he was here, too.
The castle this time was eerie, dark, and much colder. The occasional running footsteps of your teammates and generators drowned out the silence of Dracula's home.
Your teammates were getting slaughtered fast, which meant there was a possibility of no one escaping the trial, but you were lucky you hadn't run into him yet.
You remember one of your teammates mentioning a hatch. It only appears when one survivor remains, guaranteeing an escape from the trial. Their only advice was the fastest way to find the hatch was to keep your ears peeled.
All three of your teammates were massacred. There was one last blood-curdling scream before the castle went utterly silent. Only you and Dracula remained in the trial. You had to find the hatch and fast.
You ran and ran until your chest was heaving, lungs were burning, and legs growing heavier the longer you ran. The castle felt like a maze. You swore you had looped around the main entrance twice. You knew making too much noise would alert your presence, but you were more focused on escaping. The quicker you find the hatch, the less time you'd spend in your captor's manor. You prayed for this to be the last time you had to relive it.
There was a faint sound in the distance. A high-pitched rapid clicking sound was drawing closer to you down the hallway. You turned around to investigate the noise. A swarm of bats were heading your way. You took off again. Running with whatever energy you had left in you. The sound of bats soon became fast footsteps. With your stamina used up, a hand reaches for your throat and pushes you up against the wall.
The force of your body being forced against the textured wall causes you to yell out in pain. You swiftly look up at the person who did it.
Dracula.
It almost looked like he was a rabid animal within the state he was in. His eyes were a red crimson color, and his mouth and eyes bled. "I was afraid I would never see you again." His fanged grin was mad.
His clawed hand finds your jaw and tilts your head to examine your neck. He leans into your ear to listen to your pulse. His bloodied tongue then drags against your skin. The uncomfortable grip on your jaw tightens. You could smell the sweet metallic scent of your teammates' blood from his breath.
"If I let your friends escape, I wouldn't have any alone time with you."
"Are you going to kill me too?"
He looks back at you, chuckling. "I would have done that earlier if you were another worthless mortal."
He takes a moment to listen to the pounding of your heart in your chest. His gaze darkens as he grins. "I hope your heart is pounding because you're delighted to see me."
Tears trickle from your eyes. "Please let me go." You beg.
He ignores your cries. Instead, he takes in the rhythmic beating of your pulses and the feeling of your warm body close to his. The sensations were driving him mad. He wanted to take his time. He wanted to express how much he was devoted to you. The Entity can wait.
"I cannot let you go, I'm afraid." His hot breath hits your ear. "You have no idea how long I've yearned for you. The amount of bloodshed I've been through to find you." His kisses travel from your jawline to your shoulder. His breathing becomes irregular as his arousal grows. The blood of your teammates was making it worse. Their blood was good, but not as pure and rich as when he tasted yours for the first time.
His intimate thoughts abruptly stopped when he heard your voice.
"Vlad…" The tone of your desperation made him stop. He listens close when he heard you call him by his real name. Your warm hands reach for his pale and cold face, forcing his eyes to look down at you. He stares deeply at you, feeling inattentive and relaxed by your touch.
"Please…" Your eyes glisten. Maybe dying by his hand was a better option than to be sacrificed to the Entity. It would be quick. You prayed that your death would take you to the afterlife.
He ponders at your request. He couldn't let you go nor kill you. It would hurt him deeply. He couldn't live without you.
"Forgive me, my love." He tilts your head back. A mixture of blood and saliva fills your mouth as his tongue force his way in. The sharp nails of his fingers lightly dig into your scalp as his fangs poke your upper lip. Your hands grip the neck of his cape to prevent yourself from falling.
Suddenly, your eyes widen, followed by gasping cry coming from you. Your body froze as you now realize his teeth are plunging deep into your neck. The ringing in your eardrums grows louder as you lose sight of your surroundings.
Your voice quietly croaks before it drawls out. "Stop… Please."
Your hands struggle to grip his cape when you fall limp soon after. He holds your dead body close to him to feel whatever warmth you had left. "It will be alright. I promise." He whispers.