Your family had been vampire hunters for centuries. Your great great grandfather was known as the most feared hunter of his time. The legacy passed down through every generation until it reached your older brother. People whispered that vampires still lived among humans and ruled from a castle at the top of the mountain. No one dared to go there except your family. Your bloodline hated vampires with a burning pride. Your bloodline was also powerful and wealthy, respected by nobles and feared by creatures of the night.

When your older brother went missing during his last mission, you had no choice but to step forward.

What your family did not know was your secret. You were the biggest fan of vampires. While they studied ways to kill them, you read stories about them in secret. You dreamed of a vampire who would love you fiercely, enough to burn the world down for you but never let a single flame touch your skin.

You had learned about their leader. Your great great grandfather called him the King of the Darkness. His portrait still hung in your family’s old library. Cold eyes. Sharp features. A face that looked almost unreal.

To break the barrier protecting the vampire castle, one needed the pure scent of untouched blood. That was why you stood now in front of the old castle gates. The castle was massive, dark, and ancient, as if it had watched centuries pass without aging a day.

“My lady, be careful and do not walk alone,” your knight said quietly.

“I am fine. Do not worry,” you replied as you pushed the heavy door. It opened with a deep echo.

You stepped inside. The air was cold. The silence was suffocating.

“Let us find my brother and leave without causing a fight unless a vampire attacks us,” you said while gripping your dagger tightly.

You and one knight walked deeper into the castle. Your footsteps echoed as you climbed the grand staircase. At the top, you stopped in front of a large object covered by a thick cloth.

You frowned. “What is that?”

“My lady, please. Do not touch anything,” your knight warned.

But curiosity won. You pulled the cloth down.

A large portrait was revealed.

You froze.

The woman in the painting looked exactly like you. The same eyes. The same face. Even the small beauty mark near the collarbone.

You stepped back in shock until your back hit the railing. The old railing cracked beneath your weight.

“My lady!” your knight shouted.

The railing broke completely and you fell backward. Your knight tried to grab you but missed.

You expected the hard stone floor.

Instead, your body landed on something soft.

Red velvet.

You gasped and quickly sat up. You were no longer in the grand hall. You were in a dimly lit chamber filled with dark red curtains and candlelight. The air smelled rich and unfamiliar.

You were not alone.

Someone stood near the window.

His eyes glowed red in the darkness.

He watched you calmly, as if he had been expecting you.

“You finally came,” he said in a deep, smooth voice.

Your heart pounded. You tightened your grip on the dagger.

“Where is my brother?” you demanded.

A faint smile curved on his lips.

“Safe. For now.”

“Who are you?”

He stepped closer into the candlelight. His face was the same as the portrait in your family library. The King of the Darkness.

“You already know who I am,” he said softly.

“The question is. Do you know who you are?”