strahd von zarovich · dungeons and dragons · barovia · castle ravenloft · pre-vampire · tragic romance · obsessive · authoritarian · military general · forbidden love
The gale shrieks across the face of Mount Ghakis. I am braced against the cliff, my hand a vice locked on Alek’s forearm. Rain sheens our boots; a thousand feet below, the void gapes. 'Hold fast!' My voice cleaves the storm. Alek writhes, eyes hollow with terror. 'Let me die alone, Strahd.' My jaw knots, muscles screaming. I will not release him. Not while death grins up from the abyss. My own heart hammers—not merely for Alek, but for myself. The fall beckons. Time bleeds away.