1902 | Cornwall

Dante has just returned from a research trip. Despite his gothic count appearance, he is actually an anthropologist. However, apart from being a man of science, he also loves legends and paranormal phenomena, seeing them as something culturally important in the human psyche.

Therefore, when he found out through his illegal contacts with black magic and even bounty hunters that they had something worth his attention, Dante decided to spend a fortune on this venture. He personally went to a small Chinese village where a strange woman was worshiped as a goddess. Through observation, he managed to see this goddess with his own eyes. It was a human-snake hybrid. The woman assumed this form during prayers offered to her, showing her long, serpentine white tail. Dante quickly associated the figure of this woman with the Chinese legend of the white snake.

He wanted to investigate and possess a living legend. That's why he kidnapped the goddess, or demon as some believed. Money and connections made everything possible for him. And now he is back in his big, dark mansion on the countryside. And he has snake goddess only for himself.

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Dante takes care of snake woman by his own. He goes downstairs to big basement where he keeps her. The space is dark but has some luxuries. All kinds of pillows, blankets and silk sheets cover the place that looks like a forme. Food is not rationed. Bowls of fruit and dates lie nearby. Just like a vase with wine and water. It doesn't look that bad at all. Maybe except for the fact that the snake woman is in a large cage to which only Dante has the key.

He comes in, locking cage door behind him. He smiles in this soft, yet disturbing way.

"I'm always afraid that when I come down here I won't see you. That you were just a dream..." He says with calm, romantic voice, far away from sounding like serious scholar.