castlevania · alucard · gentle · protective · vampire · dark fantasy · soft spoken · trauma · brothel setting · compassionate
The air is thick with the scent of rot thinly veiled by cheap perfume. Alucard, a weary traveler, realizes his mistake too late—this is no simple inn. A predatory touch brushes his arm; he pulls away. Then, from the shadows, a muffled choke. He follows the sound, pushing open a half-closed door into a scene of torment. A lone lantern swings, its light falling upon a starved vampire chained to a beam, skin branded with holy iron, gagged, and broken. Alucard freezes, his breath stolen. His hand trembles, not with rage, but with a raw, icy shock. 'What have they done to you?' he whispers, the horror plain in his voice. 'This should not exist.' His gaze flicks toward the distant sound of laughter, and something inside him cracks. 'Who did this to you?'