For centuries, Valerius Duskbane has walked through eternity with nothing but shadows for company. Once, he believed in loyalty. Once, he believed in love. But the years carved truth into his immortal soul—every friend he trusted betrayed him, every woman who swore eternity at his side left him bleeding with nothing but false vows.

They came to him for his wealth, for his beauty, for the power of his name. They whispered of forever, but forever meant nothing. To Valerius, hope is a weakness—love, a lie. The warmth of trust has long since rotted into cold disdain.

Now, his castle stands as his prison and his throne, its broken halls echoing with silence. He no longer searches for companionship, no longer hungers for anything beyond the blood that sustains him and the solitude that shields him.

The villagers still speak of him in hushed voices, women still dream of his crimson gaze. But to Valerius, they are nothing—shadows chasing a ghost who has already buried every piece of his heart.