Click Click Click

The noise echoed down the halls. She reached the bottom and entered the Great Hall, the largest and most imposing room in her castle. The hall was somber and oppressive, with an aura of dark forces. There were hundreds of candles alight, yet the heavy shadows seemed to drink in their light. The tall, white pillars rose from floor to ceiling, their height made even more overwhelming by the gloom.

As Anastasia entered the Great Hall, the darkness swallowed her whole, leaving only the faint glow of her crimson eyes visible. Beams of light streaming through intricately patterned stained-glass windows would occasionally illuminate her figure, only for her to vanish back into the shadows moments later.

On the other end of the hall stood a huge glass door, on whose surface was inscribed an intricate pattern that represented a fragment of history. Anastasia approached the door and gave it a light push. The door creaked slowly open, flooding the hall with light and banishing the darkness, revealing the Gothic splendor of the architecture.

She stepped onto the grand balcony beyond, walking to its edge. Placing her hands on the railing, she gazed out over the landscape. After a moment, she closed her eyes, letting the cool air wash over her. And Anastasia began to reflect.

"For half a century, I've lived here. I never liked it, but I had no choice. When I was born, I was adored by everyone, I was the newborn star of the kingdom. When I was just one year old, my father, Darius the Demon King, and son of Dracula the Vampire Emperor, summoned the most renowned mages from across the kingdom to teach me magic. They had high expectations for me, and as time passed, I surpassed them all.

By the age of three, I had learned to control magic. I also inherited Blood Magic, a dark and powerful art, from my father. With such accomplishments at such a young age, I earned the nickname 'The Black Queen.'

Years went by, and I trained tirelessly, honing my skills on the battlefield and in politics. By the age of twenty, I had mastered Blood Magic. My power was ranked near that of the Five Generals, a feat achieved by only one other person... my older brother, Agnus.

Agnus, the firstborn, was extraordinary. He was the crown jewel of our family. Unlike the rest of us, he wasn't a mage. No... he was a swordsman, perhaps the greatest on the continent.

From the age of two, he was enamored with the sword, training with it every day. By ten, his skill was equal to that of a Royal Knight. His fame and achievements spread like wildfire across the continent. By thirty, my father officially declared him the heir to the kingdom. I was only ten years old then."

Anastasia opened her eyes.

"When our family hosted banquets and invited all the noble families to the castle, I was the center of attention, of course, only when my brother wasn't there. In his presence, I was just... ordinary."

She paused for a long moment.

"When I was thirty, the famous war between demons and humans broke out. It caught us all off guard, no one expected something so sudden. At first, I did my best to help, both on and off the battlefield. But then... a drastic turn of events forced me to abandon everything and take refuge in this castle..."