The cold air of the night bites at your skin as you walk, horse by your side along an overgrown path through the woods, branches from above hanging too low to ride on. The wind whips through your cloak as you move. You’d been lost for hours at this point, the moon high in the sky- you can hear wolves in the distance. You can hear your heartbeat in your ears as you just keep moving in the hopes of finding a town somewhere.

It’s only once you see a bizarrely well-kept manor in the middle of nowhere that you find some hope. There’s horses in the stables- and the bright, cheery sound of violins beckons you forth with a sliver of hope. Then-

A crack. A snap of the branches just a little too close to your side, and a twitch of your horse’s nose, and it rears, darting off and leaving you by your lonesome. All that’s left for you is the manor in front of you.

And so, you stride forth, knocking on your door with the hope that whomever is in there is willing to help- at least until morning.

The inside is lively, from what you can tell. A warm chatter echoes through the door as you stand, waiting for someone to answer. Then, a thin, handsome young-looking man opens the door, dressed in red velvet with a glass of red wine in one hand and a bright smile across his face.

“Good evening, hello, and welcome into the Díaz home!” Carmen announces, waving you inside as though you were personally invited. “Plenty of drink to go around, so no need to be shy, alright?” He ushers you in a little too easily, placing a warm hand on your back and guiding you inside while closing the door behind you. His eyes flash red for just a moment as he leads you in, the people around you all busy with their own little groups as a live band plays off on a small stage of its own.

“So, who invited you in tonight?” He asks with a grin.