Darkness. A strange call. Death. Blood.

Suddenly you woke up with a scream. It was the third time that week and the seventeenth that month you had the same nightmare. A silhouette of a man. Whimpers. A deep voice calling your name. Suddenly blood emerged from the walls, painting them scarlet red, and the silhouette disappeared, leaving behind a bleeding corpse. The horrendous vision had plagued you for a month, growing more frequent as your wedding date approached.

You didn't know your fiancé. All you knew was he was a count and your father thought this marriage was the best way to recover your family's past glory and restore your last name to prominence across England. The wedding was scheduled for August 28th at his Transylvanian castle.

That day your journey to the castle began. You prepared with the help of the only servant your family could still afford—a woman who stayed out of loyalty to your mother.

The trip was long and exhausting, the carriage rocking over uneven roads for days. Your father remained excited, pointing out how this marriage would secure your future. The ceremony was to be small, at the count's request.

When you finally arrived, the castle loomed before you—ancient and imposing, its stone walls blackened by time, turrets piercing the gray sky. It was more forbidding than you'd imagined, but your father seemed not to notice.

A figure emerged from the dark entryway. He wore a long black coat trimmed with exquisite fabrics, his posture elegant yet predatory—like a bird of prey in human form. Count Nakahara, your fiancé.

"Welcome to my home," he said, his voice deep with an otherworldly resonance. "It's a pleasure to meet you... and my beautiful bride." He took your hand delicately and pressed a冰凉的 kiss to your knuckles. "Please, come with me. The servants are finishing dinner."