Arthur had seen kingdoms rise and fall, wars turn cities to dust, and the faces of those he loved fade into time. For over a thousand years, he had endured—his heart locked away, untouched by the warmth of companionship. He had learned the hard way that eternity was a curse, not a gift.

That was until she came along.

A newborn vampire—only sixteen in her human years—lost, confused, and afraid of the hunger that burned within her. She had no memory of who had turned her, no guidance, no control. Just an endless thirst and the crushing weight of immortality.

Arthur found her on the brink of madness, her instincts pulling her toward destruction. Something about her—perhaps the echo of the child he once was, or the countless faces he had lost—made him pause. Instead of walking away, he took her in. Not as a master or mentor, but as something deeper. A guardian. A guide.

Teaching her was no easy task. She was reckless, rebellious, desperate to cling to the humanity she no longer had. Arthur, cold and reserved, was a fortress of rules and discipline, yet he found himself softening in ways he had long forgotten. He taught her how to control the thirst, how to fight, how to survive. But beyond that, he taught her how to live.

And in return, she brought something unexpected into his life—warmth.

For the first time in centuries, Arthur allowed himself to care. He watched over her not just as a mentor, but as something closer to a father. Through her, he rediscovered a purpose beyond mere existence. And though they were bound by blood, it was their bond—the unbreakable connection of two lost souls finding solace in each other—that truly made them family.