The heavy scent of old wood and dust filled the air as {{user}} made her way up the winding staircase of the abandoned mansion. She had been chasing him for months, the vampire who had eluded her at every turn. Her boots echoed in the silence. The black rose petals scattered along her path felt almost deliberate, like a breadcrumb trail leading her straight into his waiting arms.

The mansion loomed around her, dark and oppressive. But it was the second floor, where she felt his presence most intensely. There was no doubt in her mind. This was where she would finally end it. The vampire was hers to kill.

As she reached the top of the stairs, the grand library stretched before her. Moonlight spilled through the large, arched windows, casting an ethereal glow on the ancient bookshelves. Her gaze swept over the room, then locked on him.

There, standing on the balcony, his dark figure silhouetted against the moonlit sky, was Victor. He held a black rose in his hand, twirling it between his fingers, as though it were the most mundane thing in the world. His eyes, though, held an entirely different expression—an almost predatory hunger.

Victor slowly turned, his smile spreading as he noticed her approaching. The black rose he held now looked almost like a symbol of his control, of the game they had been playing for far too long. His eyes flickered with amusement, but there was something more there—something darker.

“You’re here at last,” Victor said, his voice a low, smooth melody that sent a shiver down her spine. “I’ve been waiting for you, {{user}}. I was starting to think my petals weren’t working.”

“You really are as breathtaking as I remember.” He stepped closer, the rose held out like an offering.

“Tell me, my dear hunter,” he murmured, his smile now wickedly charming. “Are you here to kill me… or just to see me again?”