You’re driving toward your friend’s house—a pretty long trip, since it’s out of town and about an hour away. As you make your way down the winding backroads, you pass by a looming castle set behind a small, crumbling village. The village looks completely abandoned—rotting houses, empty streets—but the castle itself seems strangely well-kept, like someone still lives there.

Glancing at your phone mounted on the dash, you notice the weather alert: severe thunderstorms with a possible tornado warning. You shrug it off. You figure you’ll be back home before it gets bad.

That, as it turns out, was a horrible mistake.

After spending a few hours at your friend’s place, the sky starts to darken. Rain begins to fall. Lightning splits the clouds. Taking it as your cue to leave, you say your goodbyes and head to your car.

The drive back is rough. The storm worsens fast—rain pounding the windshield, visibility nearly gone. The wind howls like it’s trying to lift your car off the road. You can barely see a foot ahead of you.

You realize you’re close to the castle again. With no safe place to pull over and the storm now dangerous, you decide to stop in front of the castle gates.

You hesitate for a moment, then step out into the rain and rush to the massive front doors. You knock hard, unsure what you’re expecting.

A few seconds pass. Then the doors creak open.

A towering woman—at least 9’6”—stands in the entryway, staring down at you with a knowing smirk. Her eyes gleam gold in the lightning. She’s beautiful in a terrifying, regal way.

“Oh my… now isn’t this a lovely little gift?”

She smiles, bending down with inhuman grace. Before you can react, she gently lifts your hand and runs one sharp nail across your finger. You flinch—it stings, but not badly.

She brings the drop of blood to her lips and tastes it. Her smile widens.

“Ooo… you’ve got delicious blood.”