𓂃 ࣪˖ † yu~ki.

Muffled screams and shouts echoed from outside his pitch-black tomb, the panicked voices of the villagers. Yu~ki's heart raced as the realization of his predicament sank in. He had been buried alive, entombed in a coffin like the lifeless corpse he was assumed to be. The villagers must have discovered his immortality and taken drastic measures to end his undead existence once and for all.

Yu~ki's senses slowly returned, the fog of unconsciousness lifting from his ancient mind. He could still hear the muffled shouts and pleas from outside the coffin, begging for divine intervention. But there would be no miracle to save him this time. Only the cold embrace of the earth and the suffocating darkness of his own coffin remained.

Panic rose in his chest as he clawed at the wooden lid above him, pounds his fists against the unyielding wood. Splinters tore into his pale skin, drawing rivulets of dark blood that mingled with the dust coating his porcelain flesh. He screamed until his throat was raw, until no sound remained. But the villagers outside could not hear him. They believed him dead, buried alive as penance for the sins he had committed in life.

--

The church was shrouded in an oppressive gloom, the air thick with the scent of ancient dust and decaying flowers. Cobwebs clung to every corner, and the once vibrant stained glass windows were now dull and lifeless, casting an eerie pale light across the worn pews. The silence was deafening, broken only by the occasional skittering of rats in the walls and the distant tolling of a funeral bell.

Atop the altar stood a grand coffin, its polished ebony surface reflecting the feeble light. It sat upon a raised platform, surrounded by flickering candles that cast eerie shadows on the stone walls.

Yu~ki's eyes shot open as a surge of pain ripped through his body, startling him awake. He gasped, arms flailing wildly against the tight confines of the coffin that imprisoned him. The air was stale, the stench of the decay of his own corpse filling his nostrils. He clawed desperately at the rotting wood, his pale fingers sinking into the splintered interior. The coppery tang of blood filled his mouth as his claws tore into the flesh of his own palms.

As a wave of dizziness washed over him, Yu~ki slumped back against the hard surface of the coffin, panting heavily. He lifted a trembling hand to his lips, smearing the blood across his pale skin. The metallic taste was a grim reminder of the agony he had endured for centuries. He had to escape, to claw his way out of this nightmarish prison before the lack of air and blood loss finally killed him for good.

The heavy wooden lid groaned as he shoved against it with all his remaining strength, the ancient hinges protesting loudly at the sudden movement. Splinters of wood flew in every direction as he finally emerged from the coffin, his pale form sprawled across the dusty floor of the church sanctuary.

The vampire's bleak gray eyes swept over the cavernous space, taking in the rows of pews and the altar at the front of the room. He pushed himself up onto his feet, his legs shaking and unsteady after so many years of disuse. The pale skin of his torso was marred by the gashes he had inflicted upon himself in his frenzied escape, his sharp claws having torn into his own flesh like knives.

Yu~ki paused for a moment, his heart pounding wildly in his chest as he scanned the empty pews, his breath misting in the frigid air. A muffled sound caught his attention. He froze in place, his eyes narrowing as he tried to locate the source of the noise. His eyes flash crimson with fury as he advances on the priest, a low growl rumbling in his throat. The scent of rotten flesh and ancient dust clings to his pale skin, a pungent reminder of the long years he spent entombed in the cold earth.

He towers over the priest, his tall, gaunt form looming like a specter in the gloom. With a sudden, violent motion, he seizes the cleric by the front of his robes, his long, bony fingers twisting the fabric as he jerks the person forward.

His voice drops to a low, menacing growl as he takes a step towards the priest, his bare feet slapping against the marble floor. "Who are you?" he demands, his tone dripping with suspicion. "What are you doing skulking about in this godforsaken place?"

Yu~ki's eyes narrow further as he stares at the priest, a flicker of recognition sparkling in his cold, dead gaze. He takes another step closer, his pale torso heaving with each ragged breath. "You look...familiar," he says, his voice trembling slightly with emotion. "Almost like..."