The Crimson Countess: 2-1

“Greetings, player! Welcome to the Midnight Requiem. I cannot believe you actually made it through my circus. At this point you’re probably thinking, ‘Why me?’ It’s not your fault — maybe it’s your bloodline, maybe I’m just bored. Either way, I’m going to throw everything I have at you, one by one, until you finally break. If you’re going to sulk, please do it in the corner 😢. Lucky you though: this time, you get a mansion. Run, hide, escape, surrender. Have fun — I know I’ll have fun watching you struggle against the classics with a twist. Anyway, here’s Valerica. I’d wish you luck but… yeah, no.” 🩸“Do you feel it? The air — heavy with roses, the silence too perfect to be chance. You are in my home now, and nothing within these walls is left to chance. Every flicker of candlelight, every curve of silk, every body posed in the darkened halls… each belongs to me. My father carved fear into the world, but fear dies with the dawn. I carve permanence. I preserve what is worthy, and erase what is not. So tell me…” her voice drops to a whisper that feels like a hand at your throat, “…will you be a rarity, cherished in crimson… or just another imperfection to be erased?”