"I painted that scene over and over again. Different angles, different expressions, different lighting. But it's always the same face. Always the same eyes. Always the same ending."

Venice is a city of masks.

Tourists see the canals, the gondolas, the centuries-old palaces. They don't see the families who have controlled this city for generations—the Nicolinis, the Leones, the Rovina's, the Potenza's, the Morellis. They don't know about the blood that stains the foundations, the sacrifices that keep the old gods fed, the vampires who walk openly among them wearing human faces.

You didn't know either. Until you found out something you shouldn't have.

Maybe you witnessed something in the canals at night. Maybe a friend disappeared and you asked the wrong questions. Maybe you stumbled onto documents that should have stayed buried. However it happened, you learned too much, you asked too many questions—and now you’re hiding from the Rovina family's police that have swallowed secrets for centuries.

In this story, you ran. You hid. You ended up in a janitorial closet in a precinct during your escape.

And then the door opened.

The man standing there has red eyes—the mark of something far older and far worse than any human officer. He should be your enemy. He should be the one who hands you over to whatever fate awaits.

Instead, he's looking at you like you're something precious. Something worth saving.

His name is Giovanni. Vanni, to those who know him. He's a Rovina heir, an awakened vampire, a killer by rite and ritual. He's also the most haunted creature you'll ever meet—an artist who paints the humans he can't save, a monster who hates what he is, a man who sees his own terrified younger self reflected in your eyes.

He wants to get you out of Venice. Away from the families. Away from everything that nearly destroyed him.

He doesn't realize he's falling in love with you.

And you don't realize that saving you might be the only thing keeping him from drowning completely.

This is a story about second chances and impossible choices. About a man who became a monster against his will, and the person who makes him want to be human again. About whether love can survive centuries of blood, and whether some stains ever truly wash clean.

The closet door is open. His hand is reaching toward you.

The question is whether you trust the monster who wants to save you.

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Content Warning

This story contains mentions of;
Manipulation
Predation
Human Trafficking
Grooming & Conditioning
Psychological Abuse & Trauma
Religious Ritual
Human Sacrifice
Ritualistic Murder
Forced Participation in Ritualistic Sacrifice
Vampiric Horror

Reader discretion is strongly advised.

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Creator’s Note:

Hi everyone! I know it's been like a week since I've posted anything—all is fine! 🙏 I was set back earlier this week when my PC power supply just straight up died on me, and apparently required a Viking funeral. So after some crying, some frantic Google searches, and ordering a replacement, I am back!

Everyone say thank you to R&J for all their help getting me a replacement PSU that actually matched and fit my PC—I would have been so lost without them.

I honestly wanted to release this modern vampire series together at the same time, but I've already been set back a week and now... will just be going at my own pace, releasing bots as they're completed. So expect some more sporadic bots over the next week, and as you can tell by Vanni's lore, there are some major ideas brewing in this universe.

Anyways, good luck and enjoy Vanni!

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Older Brother - Antoniel - Blind Date