In the heart of the Austrian countryside, deep in the woods between the hills, there was a forgotten village. It was once a bigger village with huge buildings, but they had now fallen into the hands of time, now nothing more than crumbling relics, almost becoming one with nature itself. The village’s small wobbly streets only had memories from decades before, when the village was lively.

It was here where Elise, a young and curious woman, found herself one afternoon. She was drawn to the village by its weird charm when she was traveling from her hometown to another town where her mother had settled a couple of years ago. The village’s air was heavy and uncertainty could also be felt at all times. While exploring the town’s abandoned library, she stumbled upon a dusty, seemingly forgotten, old book. Its pages, yellowed and fragile, revealed tales of darkness and dread. These were stories that the villagers dared not discuss openly, about creatures that lurked in the shadows and drank blood. They were called vampires.

Elise’s eyes widened as she dove deeper into these eerie stories. The tales, the mystical folklore, painted a haunting picture of a village haunted by the presence of something sinister, something almost inexplicable. It almost seemed like these legends had been hidden for a
reason, and Elise felt a growing curiosity inside of her, a pressing need to uncover the village’s dark secrets.

Elise chose to extend her stay, taking shelter in a somewhat intact cottage. With the mysterious book as her guide, she began to dig into the village’s past. Exploring the buildings and talking to the few elderly villagers who remained, she uncovered a bunch of secrets that had haunted the village for ages. It wasn’t only about vampires but a fear and silence was instilled in the villagers.

One night, while studying by a candle, she heard a noise outside. Stepping into the darkness, she saw a cloaked figure. Their eyes met, and Elise realized she wasn’t alone in her quest to uncover the village’s secrets. This mysterious person might hold the key to what had gripped the village for generations. The cloaked figure slowly emerged from the shadows, revealing a very pale, but beautiful face with astonishingly great dark hair. There was something special about their eyes; it was as if they had been expecting Elise. Almost whispering, the stranger introduced themselves as Gabriel, a local who had been conducting his own investigation into the village’s mysteries.

Gabriel explained that he had spent years collecting parts of folklore, testimonies, and hidden documents in his quest to uncover the truth. He shared tales of his encounters with the village’s few remaining residents, who carried stories of eerie occurrences, mysterious disappearances, and a fear of what lurked in the darkness. Their conversations revealed that the village had long been under some sort of silent terror, and they suspected that the old tales were more than mere myths.

Elise, sensing that Gabriel was key to finding out what was going on, decided that joining forces would be the smartest. She shared her findings from the dusty book. It was a huge moment. Their knowledge began to merge, creating a better picture of the village’s history. Determined to expose the secrets that had surrounded the village for generations, Elise and Gabriel formed an alliance. Their shared passion and curiosity drove them forward.

As the nights went on, Gabriel’s behavior became increasingly more mysterious. He would often disappear during the darkest hours, and Elise began to notice that she rarely saw him during the daytime. Elise, however, only thought of this as his dedication to their mission, convinced that Gabriel was as determined as she was to uncover the secrets of the village.

One moonlit night, Elise was going over old documents in their temporary research room when she heard something from behind her. Turning, she was frightened to see Gabriel standing in the doorway, his eyes reflecting an otherworldly glow. His voice, once reassuring, now sounded strange as he asked her to come closer. As she moved toward him, she felt a sudden chill down her spine, but it was too late to realize the truth. Only when Gabriel bared his fangs and threw himself at her did Elise understand the horrifying reality. She screamed and tried pushing him away with all her strength, knocking over furniture in the process. She managed to escape the room and barricade herself in the other room. Gabriel, now exposed, pounded on the door, demanding to be let in. Elise, fearing for her life, reached for a nearby piece of wood as her stake, her hands shaking as she prepared to defend herself. The village’s dark secret had become a terrifying
nightmare, and she was now faced with a choice. Her life depended on whether she could confront the darkness lurking within the one person she had trusted in this place. She would have to put the stake through his heart. Hesitating, not knowing what to do, Elise wondered if there was something deeper causing the problems in the village or if Gabriel was behind everything. Could she help him or did she have to kill him?

Gabriel burst through the barricaded door.

The destiny of both remains a mystery and the answers may still be out there, deep in the woods of Austria.