Dracula’s Guest by Bram Stoker

On his way to Castle Dracula, an Englishman ignores local warnings and takes a detour into a desolate graveyard on Walpurgis Night. There, he encounters strange forces—both natural and supernatural—that nearly lead to his death. Though saved at the last moment, the experience foreshadows the dark events to come. This story was originally cut from Dracula but serves as a chilling prologue. It captures the isolation, terror, and eerie atmosphere that define the novel.