5 Minutes To Midnight

A Gothic Horror Novella

In the fog-choked town of Ravenhollow, the clocks have long since stopped telling the truth.

Liora awakens in an unmarked coffin with no memory, no pulse, and a thirst older than language. Drawn to the decaying Blackthorn Manor on the hill, she discovers she is no ordinary vampire—she is the lost vessel of an ancient entity known only as the First. Bound by a dark Covenant written in blood, she has until the clock freezes at five minutes to midnight to reclaim her will… or be unmade forever.

Haunted by fragments of a sunlit past, hunted by a weary vampire killer, and guided by a witch who deals in terrible bargains, Liora must confront the mother who remade her, the man who loved her enough to damn her, and the wound in the world that wears a beautiful face.

As the veil thins and the final hour approaches, one question remains:

When the clock strikes five minutes to midnight… will she kneel, or will she break the night itself?

A dark, atmospheric gothic horror tale of blood, memory, and the thin line between damnation and choice.

About the Author: Ahmer Anis is a Gothic Horror author from Karachi, creator of BENEATH BLACKWATER LAKE. Follow my writing journey: linkedin.com/in/ahmeranis/.