Jessica's fingers trembled as she flipped through the brittle pages of an old history book about strange stories in Moon Valley. The musty scent of old paper filled her nostrils, mingling with the acrid tang of fear that permeated the castle library. Kevin, Salina, and Tiffany huddled around her, their faces ghoulishly illuminated by the flickering candlelight.

"There has to be something here," Jessica muttered, eyes scanning the faded text. "Something that might reveal him.”

Kevin leaned in, squinting at an ornate illustration. "Wait, look at this. Is that... Dregan?"

Jessica's breath caught in her throat. The portrait showed a strikingly handsome man in elaborate 18th-century French court attire. Despite the centuries-old ink, those piercing eyes and cruel smile were not mistaken.

"It totally looks like him," Tiffany said, her voice barely above a whisper. "God, he hasn't aged a day."

"That's kind of the point of being a vampire, genius," Salina snapped, her nerves frayed.

Jessica ignored their bickering, focusing on the text beneath the image. "Listen to this," she said, her voice growing stronger as she read aloud. "'Count Dregan, once a celebrated courtier in the French royal court, sought eternal youth and beauty through dark and forbidden arts.'"

"Typical," Kevin snorted. "Bet he didn't read the fine print on that bargain."

Jessica continued, her frown deepening. "'Through unholy rituals and sacrifices, Dregan achieved his goal of immortality. However, the price was steep–an unquenchable thirst for human blood.'"

A chill ran down Jessica's spine as the implications sank in. She glanced at her friends, seeing her own horror reflected in their eyes.

"So he became a serial killer," Salina said, her voice hollow. "All to maintain his precious looks."

Tiffany hugged herself, shivering despite the stuffy air of the library. "How many people do you think he's murdered over the centuries?"

Jessica shook her head, not wanting to contemplate the answer. She turned the page, scanning for more information. "It says here that his crimes were eventually discovered. The authorities closed in, but Dregan escaped."

"Let me guess," Salina said grimly. "He fled to the New World?"

Jessica nodded. "Bingo. He came to North America and founded the town in Moon Valley. Built this very castle we're trapped in now."

Tiffany's eyes widened. "Wait, so Dregan was the first mayor? The one who established this whole town?"

"Talk about a wolf in sheep's clothing," Salina muttered.

Jessica read on, her heart racing. "He continued his killing spree here, preying on unsuspecting victims under the cover of night. But then..." She paused, finger tracing the words as if to confirm what she saw.

"What?" Kevin urged. “What happens next?”

She took a deep breath. "A priest named Sean uncovered the truth. He rallied the townspeople against Dregan, leading a revolt to overthrow the vampire mayor."

"Go, Team Sean," Salina cheered weakly.

"But Dregan vanished before they could destroy him," Jessica finished, her voice tinged with frustration.

A heavy silence fell over the group as they absorbed this information. Jessica's mind raced, trying to connect the dots.

"So what happened then?" Tiffany asked, breaking the quiet. "Where did he go?"

Kevin's brow furrowed in concentration. "What if... what if he never left?"

All eyes turned to him. "What do you mean?" Salina asked.

"Think about it," Kevin said, warming to his theory. "That hidden tomb where Tiffany and Brad found in the basement. That must be where he slept for centuries. Nobody has ever found it until tonight.”

Jessica felt a chill run down her spine. It made a twisted sense. "And now he's awake and hungry," she breathed.

"Great," Tiffany groaned. "Just great! Game over, man! Game over!”

“Does it say anything on how to kill him?” Salina asked.

Jessica turned back to the book, scanning the pages with renewed urgency. But she found nothing.

She shut the book and sighed. “No….But is there a book about vampires?”

Kevin and the others checked all the bookshelves until Salina pulled out one. She blew the dust off the cover and read the title. “Legends of Vampires and How to Defeat Them… Hey! I think I found one!”

Jessica sat back at the table and read the book while her friends watched her. She skipped through the pages until her eyes caught on a passage in a chapter about rituals that stop vampires.

"Here," she said, her voice tight with excitement and fear. "It mentions a ritual about binding a vampire to any spot using a mixture of consecrated earth and the vampire's own blood. We use the blood and dirt to draw a pentagram symbol. Once he steps on it, he will become unmovable.”

Kevin's eyes lit up. "That could work! If we can get some of Dregan's blood and build a trap somewhere, he won't hurt us. In fact, if we trap himself outside -”

"The sun will roast him," Jessica finished, a glimmer of hope sparking in her chest.

“Yeah, I totally know the sun kills vampires. Thanks to horror flicks.”

Salina, ever the pragmatist, frowned. "Okay, but how exactly are we supposed to get Dregan's blood? And get him outside? The entire castle is locked and we have nothing to draw his blood.”

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Jessica's mind raced, piecing together a plan. It was risky, possibly suicidal, but it was the best shot they had. "We'll need to split up," she said, her voice steady despite the fear churning in her gut.

"Are you insane?" Tiffany hissed. "That's like, Horror Movie 101–never split up!"

"We don't have a choice," Jessica countered. "Two of us need to check out Dregan’s resting place. Maybe he left something there that can help us. The other two..." She swallowed hard. "The other two will have to distract Dregan and somehow get a sample of his blood."

A heavy silence fell over the group as the gravity of the situation sank in. Jessica looked at each of her friends seeing a mixture of fear and determination in their eyes.

"I'll take on Dregan," she said firmly, cutting off any potential argument. “My… skills can outmatch him.”

Kevin nodded grimly. "I'll go with you. I'm not letting you face that monster alone."

"Then Salina and I will search inside his tomb," Tiffany said, her usual bravado tempered by the seriousness of their situation. “You better put your cheerleading skills into good use.”

Jessica felt a surge of pride and affection for her friends. Despite the terror they all felt, they were standing together, ready to face the unimaginable.

"Alright," she said, closing the book with a sense of finality. "Let's gear up and move out in ten minutes."

Each of the picked up what Jessica and Tiffany found in the armory; three daggers and one small crossbow. Kevin took the crossbow while the girls took the daggers.

Jessica knew the odds were not in their favor, yet they possessed what Dregan lacked—the element of surprise and the desperate courage of those fighting for survival.

Jessica's fingers closed around the hilt of her dagger. Its weight was reassuring in her hand, even if she doubted its effectiveness against a creature like Dregan. She turned to face her friends, armed and ready.

"Everyone clear on the plan?" she asked, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her insides.

Kevin nodded, gripping his small crossbow. "Yes, you and I play bait while Salina and Tiffany head to Dregan’s hidden resting place.”

"And once we find anything in there?" Salina asked, her hands fidgeting her dagger.

"Run back and show us," JessiWe’ll trap Dregan somewhere first before we check it out.” d for the ritual."

Tiffany snorted, twirling her dagger with false bravado. "Oh yeah, a piece of cake. Just ask the homicidal vampire nicely for a blood donation. I'm sure he'll be totally on board."

Jessica shot her a warning look. "This is serious, Tiffany. One wrong move and we're all dead–or worse."

The gravity of her words seemed to sink in, and Tiffany's smirk faded. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Humor's my defense mechanism."

"We're all scared," Jessica said, softening her tone. "But we've got to stay focused. This might be our only chance to end Dregan's reign of terror once and for all."

She looked at each of her friends seeing a mixture of fear and determination in their eyes. Despite everything they'd been through, despite the horrors that still lay ahead, Jessica felt a surge of pride. They were in this together, united against a monster that had terrorized this valley for centuries.

"Alright," she said, squaring her shoulders. "Let's do this. And guys? Be careful. I want all of us walking out of here when this is over."

With a last nod of solidarity, they split into their designated pairs. As Jessica and Kevin headed toward the library door, she felt a tug on her arm. She turned to find Salina looking at her with worried eyes.

"Jessica," Salina said softly, "don't do anything stupidly heroic, okay? We need you."

Jessica managed a small smile, touched by her friend's concern. "I'll do my best. Just find that grave site. And watch each other's backs."

With that, they parted ways. Jessica and Kevin slipped out into the darkened hallway, while Salina and Tiffany disappeared deeper into the library's maze of bookshelves.

As they crept through the castle's shadowy corridors, Jessica's enhanced senses were on high alert. Every creak of ancient floorboards, every whisper of wind through cracked windows set her nerves on edge. Beside her, Kevin moved with admirable stealth, his grip on the candlestick white-knuckled but steady.

"Any sign of him?" Kevin whispered, his eyes darting nervously from shadow to shadow.

Jessica shook her head, frustration gnawing at her. "Nothing. It's like he's vanished again."

"Maybe he got bored and decided to take a nap," Kevin joked weakly.

Before Jessica could respond, a bone-chilling laugh echoed through the hallway. They froze, pressing themselves against the wall as Count Dregan's voice seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"Oh, my dear children," the vampire purred, his accent thick with amusement. "Did you really think you could hide from me forever?"

Jessica's heart raced, her muscles tensing for action. She gestured for Kevin to stay silent, straining her ears to pinpoint Dregan's location.

"I must admit, I'm impressed by your resourcefulness," Dregan continued, his voice drawing nearer. "Uncovering my history, plotting against me... it's been centuries since I've had such entertaining prey."

A floorboard creaked behind them, and Jessica whirled, pushing Kevin behind her protectively. Dregan stood at the end of the hallway, his pale skin seeming to glow in the dim light. His lips curved into a cruel smile, revealing the tips of his fangs.

"There you are," he said, his eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. "Shall we dispense with this tedious game of cat and mouse? I grow weary of the chase."

Jessica's mind raced, searching for a way to keep Dregan talking, to buy time for Salina and Tiffany to complete their mission. She straightened, meeting the vampire's gaze defiantly.

"If you're so bored," she said, injecting as much bravado into her voice as she could muster, "why don't you tell us how you did it? How you managed to hide for all these centuries without anyone finding you?"

Dregan's eyebrow arched, a flicker of surprise crossing his features before settling back into amused disdain. "Clever girl," he chuckled. "Trying to appeal to my vanity, are we? Very well, I'll indulge your curiosity before I drain you dry."

He took a step forward, and Jessica tensed, ready to spring into action. But Dregan merely leaned against the wall, the picture of casual menace.

"It was simplicity itself, really," he said, examining his nails as if discussing the weather. "When that meddlesome priest Sean rallied the townspeople against me, I simply retreated to the deepest, most secret chamber of my castle. A room known only known to me where I slept in peace… For too long.”

Jessica felt Kevin shudder behind her, but she kept her face impassive, silently urging Dregan to continue.

"There, I entered a state of torpor," the vampire went on, his eyes taking on a faraway look. "Suspended between life and death, dreaming of the day I would awaken to feast once more. And now, here we are." His gaze snapped back to Jessica, hungry and cold. "A new century, new victims, and the same old dance of predator and prey."

So it turned out Kevin was correct, and Brad’s family was unaware of it when they brought the castle.

She opened her mouth to ask another question, to keep Dregan talking, but the vampire's patience had clearly run out. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance between them, his hand shooting out to grab Jessica by the throat.

"Enough chatter," Dregan snarled, lifting her off her feet with inhuman strength. "I think it's time we moved on to the main course."

Jessica clawed at his hand, gasping for air. Through the roaring in her ears, she heard Kevin shout and shot an arrow toward Dregan's head. The vampire caught it effortlessly with his free hand, and broke it into two.

"Foolish boy," Dregan sneered. "Did you really think your pathetic weapon could harm me?"

As spots danced in Jessica's vision, she felt the familiar surge of the beast within her, responding to the imminent threat. With the last of her strength, she focused on that primal energy, willing her body to change.

Dregan's eyes widened in shock as Jessica's form shifted beneath his grip. Bones cracked and reformed, muscles bulged and stretched, and suddenly the vampire held not a teenage girl, but a snarling, fully transformed werewolf. Her shoes split open as her bare feet expanded.

With a roar that shook the very foundations of the castle, Jessica broke free of Dregan's grasp. She landed on all fours, hackles raised, positioning herself protectively in front of Kevin.

For the first time since their encounter began, Jessica saw a flicker of genuine fear in the vampire's eyes. But a manic glee that sent chills down her lupine spine quickly replaced it.

"Magnificent," Dregan breathed, his fangs fully extended in anticipation. "Oh, this will be a hunt to remember."

As Jessica tensed, ready to launch herself at the vampire, she silently prayed that Salina and Tiffany had found what they needed. Because if they hadn't, she feared this confrontation might be their last.