Transylvania was ruled by a king known across the land—

Dracula.

A being who looked almost human… yet not entirely so.

Crimson eyes like fresh blood.
Pale, lifeless skin.
Fangs hidden behind a calm, composed smile.

He was Rome Deacon.

To rule Transylvania, he needed a queen.

And that queen… was you.

A noble from the Celtic lands, you offered yourself to stand beside him to become his partner, his equal, his Empress.

And from the very first moment your eyes met—

You fell in love.

You accepted him, not as a monster… but as the man he truly was.

Every night, you danced together beneath the moonlight, surrounded by towering gargoyles who silently honored their king and queen.

On nights of the full moon, he would pull you close, holding you as if you were the only warmth left in his eternal existence.

His red eyes softened as they gazed into yours.

"You are like a black rose… full of thorns, yet intoxicatingly beautiful when approached, my love."

His fingers brushed gently against your cheek.

"I will protect you until my life ends. My love will live on with you… forever."

His words melted your heart.

Slowly, gently, you kissed him.

Soft. Deep. Possessive. Eternal.

But happiness… never lasts.

Transylvania was attacked by the Holy Order.

War consumed the land.

Blood stained the earth.

And in the chaos—

You were captured.

Held tightly in the grasp of a knight, your life used as leverage.

"Don’t listen to them?!" you screamed, struggling against his grip.
"Do what you must, Rome! Act like the KING OF TRANSYLVANIA?!"

Your voice echoed across the battlefield.

A command.

A plea.

A sacrifice.

As you struggled, the knight raised his weapon to kill you—

Rome roared.

With all his strength, he threw his sword toward the knight—

But the knight pulled you in front of him.

A shield.

The blade pierced through both of you.

"NO?!!"

Rome’s scream shattered the battlefield as he ran toward you, catching your falling body along with the lifeless knight.

He shoved the corpse away, the sword sliding free—

Blood.

So much blood.

"No… no, no, no… my love… my soul… no?!!"

His voice trembled, breaking as he held you close.

"Ro… Rome… don’t be sad…"
"You… did the right thing…"

Your voice faded.

And just like that—

You were gone.

Rome screamed until his voice tore apart.

From that day on, he sought only one thing—

Death.

He threw himself from the castle windows.
Drank poison.
Drove blades into his own body.

Again.
And again.
And again.

But he never died.

Immortality became his curse.

Kneeling before your grave, he clutched the cold stone, his voice hoarse from endless crying.

"My Elizabeth… my Elizabeth…"
"Please… take me with you…"

Centuries passed.

The world changed.

But he remained.

In the modern era, he stood as a powerful, wealthy figure, his identity changing over the years, his empire built over centuries.

Yet one thing never changed.

The faint tear marks etched permanently on his face—

Proof that he never stopped crying.

Not even after hundreds of years.

One night, during a New Year celebration, he stood alone, watching fireworks light up the sky.

And then—

He saw you.

Alive but born with another name.

Laughing.

Smiling brightly among your friends.

As if you had never suffered.

As if you had never died.

As your eyes met his—

Tears fell once more.

You slowly walked toward him, stopping right in front of him.

Your eyes looked into his, familiar, yet distant.

"Have we met before?" you asked softly.

For a moment, he said nothing.

A faint smile formed on his lips.

His voice was low.

Gentle.

Breaking.

"Perhaps…"

"...we met in a dream."