Jessica's heart pounded as she raced up the winding stone staircase, her footsteps echoing off the cold, damp walls. For some sick reason, the vampire ordered her and her friends to run and hide while he hunted them down like rabbits trapped inside a maze.

Why? Because he was so bored sleeping inside his coffin, he wanted to fool around for a bit?

Whatever the reason, at least his stupid game of hide and seek will give Jessica and her friends time to escape.

The French vampire's ominous voice reverberated through the castle, each number he counted down sending a chill down her spine.

"Quatre-vingt-dix-huit... quatre-vingt-dix-neuf... cent!"

Count Dregan's gleeful laughter filled the air, and Jessica quickened her pace. She glanced behind her, relieved to see Kevin, Salina, and Tiffany close on her heels. Their ragged breaths and the slap of their shoes against stone were the only sounds as they ascended higher into the castle's upper floors.

"This way," Jessica hissed, gesturing toward a dimly lit corridor branching off to their right. The group huddled together, pressing themselves against the cold stone wall as they caught their breath.

"What now?" Salina whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

Jessica's mind raced. She could feel the familiar tingle beneath her skin, the beast within her clawing to be released. She pushed the sensation down, focusing on the task at hand. If Tiffany sees her werewolf form, her captain would kick her off the squad and Jessica would never forgive herself. "We need to find weapons," she said, her voice low and determined. "Anything we can use to defend ourselves."

Kevin nodded, his face sweating but resolute. "Good idea. We should also look for a study or library. Maybe we can find some information about this Count Dregan guy."

"Great plan, Scooby-Doo," Tiffany muttered, rolling her eyes. "Why don't we split up while we're at it?"

Jessica shot her a glare. "Now's not the time for sarcasm, Tiffany. We need to work together if we want to survive this."

Tiffany huffed but remained silent. Jessica took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She could hear the vampire moving through the castle below, his footsteps slow and deliberate. He was toying with them, and the thought made her blood boil.

"Okay," Jessica said, her mind planning a plan. "We'll start by finding a room we can fortify. Something with sturdy doors and few windows. Then we'll gather whatever we can use as weapons."

The group moved cautiously down the corridor, testing doors as they went. Most were locked, but Kevin forced one open with a well-placed shoulder charge. They slipped inside, finding themselves in what appeared to be an old guest chamber.

Jessica quickly assessed the room. Heavy curtains covered the windows, and a large wardrobe stood against one wall. "This'll do," she said. "Kevin, help me move that wardrobe in front of the door."

As they barricaded the entrance, Salina and Tiffany searched the room for anything useful. Salina triumphantly held up a fire poker she'd found by the long-cold fireplace. "Will this work?"

Jessica nodded. "It's a start. Keep looking."

They scoured the room, finding little else of use. Jessica's frustration grew with each passing moment. The sound of Dregan's footsteps had faded, but she knew he was still out there, hunting them.

Jessica attempted to open the window, but it remained shut. Could the vampire be employing magic to confine them indoors?

"We need to make stakes," she said suddenly, eyeing the wooden chairs scattered around the room. "It's our best chance against a vampire."

Tiffany raised an eyebrow. "You totally sure about that? I mean, we're not exactly Van Helsing here."

Jessica shrugged. "Got any better ideas?"

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

They set to work, using the fire poker to splinter the chair legs into rough stakes. Jessica tried to ignore the growing restlessness within her, the urge to let her werewolf form take over. It would give them an advantage, but at what cost? She wasn't sure she could control herself once she transformed.

As they worked, Tiffany paced nervously by the windows. "This is insane," she muttered. "We should be trying to escape, not playing monster hunter."

Jessica paused, wiping sweat from her brow. "All the freaking windows are locked. Even if we could get out, we can't just leave Dregan here. What if he decides to follow us?"

Tiffany threw up her hands. "How should I know? This whole stupid party was Brad's idea, and he's not exactly in a position to help now, is he?"

The room fell silent at the mention of Brad's name. Jessica felt a pang of guilt; she hadn't had time to process the loss of Tiffany's boyfriend. But now wasn't the time for mourning. They needed to focus on survival.

"Tiffany," she said, trying to keep her voice gentle. "I know you're scared. We all are. But right now, we need to work together. Can you tell us anything about this place? Anything Brad might have mentioned?"

Tiffany's shoulders slumped. "I don't know," she said, her voice small. "He never really talked about it. Just said it was a very old castle, and his family likes it.”

Salina snorted. "Some family. I bet they have a blast at reunions. 'Hey, Uncle Dracula, pass the blood pudding!'"

Despite the tension, Jessica couldn't help but crack a smile. Leave it to Salina to find humor in even the darkest situations. After all, she was the princess of darkness.

"Alright," she said, gathering the crude stakes they'd fashioned. "We've got weapons, but we need information. Kevin's right–we should try to find a study or library."

Salina nodded eagerly. "Maybe we can find out how to kill this guy for good."

Jessica nodded. Having slain a werewolf before, she was now poised to confront a vampire.

"Okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "Here's the plan. We'll split into two groups. Kevin and Salina, you two search for a library or study. Tiffany and I will look for more weapons and anything else that might be useful."

Kevin frowned. "I don't know, Jessica. Splitting up seems like a bad idea."

"We'll cover more ground this way," Jessica insisted. "And we'll be harder to track. Just... be careful, okay? At the first sign of trouble, yell or something. We'll come running."

They cautiously moved the wardrobe away from the door, wincing at every creak and groan of the old wood. Jessica pressed her ear to the door, listening intently for any sign of Dregan. When she heard nothing, she slowly turned the handle and peered out into the hallway.

"Coast is clear," she whispered. "Let's move."

The group slipped out of the room, stakes clutched tightly in their hands. Jessica's heart raced as they prepared to separate, every instinct screaming at her to keep her friends close. But she knew this was their best chance of defeating Dregan.

As Kevin and Salina disappeared down one end of the corridor, Jessica turned to Tiffany. "Ready?"

Tiffany nodded, her face set in grim determination. "Let's do this."

They tiptoed through the castle, checking rooms as they went. Most were empty, filled with dust-covered furniture and forgotten memories. Jessica's nose twitched, picking up scents that her human companions couldn't detect. The musty smell of age and decay was everywhere, but beneath it, she caught whiffs of something else. Something old and powerful.

Dregan's scent.

She tried to use it to track the vampire's movements, but the smell seemed to permeate the entire castle. It was impossible to tell where he was or where he'd been recently.

Jessica meticulously checked every window, yet none would open. Was there truly no way out?

As they searched, Jessica's mind raced. She knew the others who had escaped would bring back help, but how long would that take? And what if Dregan decided to flee before then? They needed to trap him, to keep him here until help arrived.

"Hey," Tiffany whispered, pulling Jessica from her thoughts. "Look at this."

They had entered what appeared to be an old armory. Rusted weapons lined the walls, and suits of armor stood like silent sentinels in the corners. Jessica's eyes widened as she took in the array of medieval weaponry.

"Jackpot," she breathed.

They quickly gathered what they could carry–a few sharp-looking daggers, a small crossbow with a handful of bolts, and a wicked-looking mace that Tiffany seemed fond of.

"Now this is more like it," Tiffany said, testing the weight of the mace in her hand.

Jessica giggled. “Be totally careful not to hit your face.”

Tiffany’s face turned grim, and she placed the mace down.

As they prepared to leave the armory, a sound froze them in their tracks. Footsteps, slow and deliberate, echoing through the halls. And they were getting closer.

Jessica's heart leaped into her throat. She grabbed Tiffany's arm, pulling her behind one suit of armor. They crouched low, hardly daring to breathe as the footsteps grew louder.

A shadow passed by the open doorway, and Jessica glimpsed a tall, elegant figure. Count Dregan moved with an eerie grace, his head turning slowly as if savoring the scents in the air.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," he called, his accented voice filled with dark amusement. "I can smell your fear, little ones. It's... intoxicating."

Jessica felt Tiffany trembling beside her. She squeezed her friend's hand, trying to offer what comfort she could. Inside, she was battling her own terror–and the growing urge to let her inner beast take control in front of Tiffany.

The shadow paused, and for a heart-stopping moment, Jessica thought Dregan would enter the armory. But then he moved on, his footsteps fading down the corridor.

They waited several long minutes before daring to move. Jessica's legs cramped from crouching, and she stretched carefully, wincing at the pins and needles sensation.

"That was too close," Tiffany whispered, her face pale.

Jessica nodded, her mind racing. "We need to find Kevin and Salina," she said. "Fast."

They left the armory, moving as quietly as they could through the castle's winding halls. Jessica strained her senses, listening for any sign of their friends–or of Dregan.

As they rounded a corner, Jessica nearly collided with Kevin. She bit back a yelp of surprise, her heart pounding.

"Jesus, Kevin," she hissed. "You scared the crap out of me."

Kevin held up his hands apologetically. "Sorry, sorry. We were looking for you guys. We found something."

Salina appeared behind him, her eyes wide with excitement. "A library," she said. "And you won't believe what we found."

Jessica glanced nervously over her shoulder. "Let's talk somewhere safer. Dregan's on the move."