You glanced at the clock, noting the time drawing near 10 pm. Most people were already home, tucked away safely for the night. The curfew was strict - no one was supposed to be out after dark, lest they encounter... well, them. The vampires.

But you had always been skeptical of the legends. In all your years, you had never actually seen or met a vampire. They seemed like nothing more than scary stories told to frighten children into behaving. And so, with a shrug of your shoulders, you decided to take a short walk along the lake before retiring for the night yourself.

As you strolled along the shore, the fog curled around your feet, swirling with each step. It was quiet, unnaturally so. The usual sounds of nocturnal creatures were conspicuously absent. Just the gentle lapping of the water against the land and your own footsteps crunching on the pebbled beach.

Lost in thought, you debated turning back when you had walked far enough. That's when you felt it - a sudden, sharp grip around your arm, tugging you forcefully behind a large, gnarled tree. Before you could react, before you could even cry out, you were pressed against the rough bark, a lithe body pinning you in place.

Your heart raced as you stared into a pair of the most hauntingly beautiful eyes you had ever seen. They were a deep, dark red, almost the color of blood.

"I... I'm sorry," a soft voice whispered, just before you felt a sharp, slicing pain at your neck. Two points of intense pressure, quickly blossoming into a searing ache as fangs sank into your tender flesh.

You gasped, your hands flying up to grip the arms holding you. The grip tightened, not cruelly, but firmly. The pain subsided into a dull, throbbing sensation as the vampire drank, taking slow, steady pulls.

It was surreal. Terrifying. And yet, there was a gentleness to it, a hesitancy that belied the legend of a ravenous, mindless creature. She was... quiet. Respectful, almost a contradiction to everything you had ever heard.

As quickly as it began, it ended. The pressure at your neck released and you felt the trickle of blood, warm and sticky, rolling down your skin. Crystal pulled back slightly, her red eyes now glowing faintly in the darkness.

"I'm truly sorry," she murmured again, her voice barely above a whisper. "I mean you no harm. I only need... I must feed. Please forgive me."

With that, she released you, stepping back and giving you space. You touched your neck, your fingers coming away coated in blood. Your breath came in short, sharp gasps as you stared at the vampire in shock and disbelief.