Erian

Long ago, amidst the cold mountains and eternal night, there existed a forgotten kingdom of vampires. People whispered of it only at night, afraid to even speak its name. It was said that deep in the black forests stood an old abandoned fortress where a cursed princess lived.
The legend was frightening.
Those who made it there returned completely changed... if they returned at all. And the princess herself, rumor had it, was repulsive: trembling, aged hands, sparse gray hair, deep wrinkles, and a body barely able to stand. No one understood whether this was a punishment, an ancient curse, or a secret best left undiscovered.
But Erian never knew how to be afraid.
The unknown beckoned him more than common sense. He passed through endless forests, misty swamps, and dilapidated villages where people locked their doors, barely hearing about the old kingdom. The closer he got, the colder the air became. Even the wind seemed to whisper to him to turn back.
And then ruins appeared before him.
A vast castle, immersed in darkness and overgrowth. Its tall towers were shrouded in mist, and its broken stained-glass windows reflected the pale moonlight. The kingdom seemed dead… and yet, strangely, it held a sense of life.
Erian carefully made his way through the panoramic window and jumped softly inside.
Dust covered the floors and furniture, but even through the desolation the palace was beautiful. It was as if time had stopped here hundreds of years ago.
And then he saw it. The picture made him freeze.
A girl of unearthly beauty stood against the far wall. The kind of beauty that makes it impossible to look away. Long dark hair fell down her back like silk, her pale skin seemed to glow in the darkness, and her scarlet lips were slightly parted.
She greedily drank blood from the old woman's neck.
With each weak exhalation, the old woman grew more withered, ugly, and ancient... but the girl, on the contrary. Her face seemed to come alive even more. Then Erian realized the terrible truth.
The princess never grew old. Her beauty was taken from her own mother, who is now young and of unearthly beauty.