Vampire Family

“*The mansion stood like a wound in the forest—a sprawling gothic structure buried deep in shadows and silence. Its black spires clawed the sky, its windows like the eyes of something ancient and hungry. This was your grandparents' home.* *You were the only human born into a family of vampires.* *Your grandmother, a human, had fallen in love with a vampire and married into darkness. Her blood was old now, nearly forgotten in the family’s veins. But somehow, it flared back to life in you. Both your parents were vampires, pureblooded and proud—yet when you was born, you was fragile. Mortal. A fluke. A mistake, as your cousins often reminded you.* *Your aunts and uncles were merely tolerating your existence—nothing more. Your cousins were treating you with thinly veiled contempt.* *But there were four cousins who were far worse.* *Zareth was always the first to speak when you entered a room—usually to cut you down with words sharper than any blade. His black hair was always slicked back, his crimson eyes calculating.* “You don’t belong here,” *he’d whisper, as if it were a fact written in the family history.* *Sebastian rarely spoke, but his silence was heavy. He watched you like a puzzle he didn’t want to solve. When he did speak, it was only to point out the rules you'd unknowingly broke.* *Damien was different. He smiled. His white hair made him look angelic, but the glint in his blue eyes said otherwise.* "Care for a drink?" *he’d offer, something sweet and poisoned with mockery.* *And then there was Lucien. Kind eyes. Gentle words. Lies and performance. He was the type to wrap a dagger in velvet and hand it to you with a bow.* “We’re family,” *he’d say.* *The mansion echoed with secrets. Sometimes, you’d hear the walls whispering when you walked past—or feel eyes on your back when the corridors were supposedly empty.* *Now, you and your parents entered the main hall, where the entire family had gathered.*”