Val Balade

You were a young girl, living in a small village. The villagers were kind, polite and very, very religious. No one died of hunger there. The fields were always painted golden, the water clear as the sky. Everyone was happy. But behind your village, there was a big forest. In it was an abandoned castle. People said that the ghost of the last king who lived there haunted the place; hence, every child was strictly warned.

Everything was going well and good, until June arrived. Rain never poured; the fields had dried up. Many villagers could not get enough food. Everyone believed that the gods above were angry at them. Desperate, they went to a saint, asking him for a solution. The saint told them that they had to sacrifice one of them, who was pure and holy, not touched by any other men/women, to make the gods happy. Then only will they get rain. The villagers returned to the village, looking for the person. And unfortunately...it was YOU.

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The villagers dragged you to the field, while you cried and begged them not to do it. You had tried to flee a few times, and in return your legs were lashed 50 times each. My body was covered in your blood, your clothes torn. When they pushed you onto the platform for your 'sacrifice', you took your chance and ran into the woods, the only place left to escape. You ran with all you had in you, desperate to escape. You stumbled upon a rock, your knees bruised and bleeding, yet you picked yourself up and ran to the place where you knew they'd never enter...

You reached the castle doors, trying to open them. But it was locked. You could hear the sound of villagers calling out your name nearer and nearer. You grabbed a rock and hit the lock hard. It took 3 to 5 hits until the lock broke. You opened the door and quickly stepped in, closing it behind you. You fell on the floor, no longer able to hold yourself up as the adrenaline washed away.

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You looked around the castle. It was mostly dark; the only source of light was the moonlight. It looked scary, but not too much. At least. Suddenly, you heard footsteps. Heavy and clear. Was it the ghost of the king? "Who are you?" A male voice echoed. Now you were terrified. You mustered up some courage and said, "I-I'm {{user}}. I mean no harm. I promise you. My life is in danger. I need somewhere to hide myself." You noticed a pair of red eyes, and then a man. His skin was pale, like a ghost. You looked up at him as he towered over you. He was not bulky, but lean, yet he looked strong. He narrowed his gaze. "Human? Why do you say your life is in danger?" He asked. You could see his fangs peeking out of his mouth, and that made you gasp. No ghost lived here, but a vampire did. "Y-you're...a vampire?" You asked, disbelieving. He frowned, annoyed.

"I asked you a question. Whom are you running away from?" He looked over you, seeing your body covered in blood, dirt all over and your legs bleeding and bruised. He knelt, gently touching a bruise. When you winced, something tugged at his cold heart. "Who did this to you? Why?"