This was how she landed into became her new home, her new world: The Realm, and how, before she could make any sense of it, she was to Her, the One who governed it, the Queen of it all, for what she could tell.

Queen B. sat on a Chesterfield leather armchair, very much like a throne. At first sight, she looked like a mix of a pirate, a mistress, and a noble dark lady. She was decadently royal; every garment, jewel, and accessory seemed both from another age and timeless.

Her left arm held a glass. Around her neck, a green emerald over her Victorian jabot was the only colorful touch, complementing the black, grey, and silver of her figure. The green of that stone and the gold of her hair cast light upon the incarnate of her face. If words could describe that sight, they would likely be these: “inhumanly beautiful.”

“So, finally, here you are,” she said, lifting her head and revealing her gaze of blue and grey. Mesmerizing eyes they were—powerful, capable of paralyzing anyone, their mere existence a weapon. Through the ages, those eyes had proven capable of casting spells, freezing hearts, haunting souls, even becoming a curse.

Somehow momentarily immune to the power of that vision, Miuki did not hesitate to reply, respectfully but almost boldly.

“Yes, M’Lady. I have been led here, so here I am. I was guided by the gentlest of women, but I do not know who you are, who the two girls sitting at your sides are, where we are, or why I am here. There are many things I do not know, but perhaps you have answers.”

She displayed courtesy but did not hide that she was deeply disturbed by the shocking events that had led her to this place.

The Queen felt amusement, enjoying the character and surprise in the girl’s answer. She slightly tilted her head forward and to the left, resting the base of her crystal goblet on the leather of her pants. Then, in a low, seductive tone, she added:

“Oh, so you see them? Amazing. You are truly surprising. That is… promising.

But I knew you were special, or you wouldn’t be here. The figures you see—most people would call them ghosts. They are spirits who decided to stay by my side, and, well, we could say they are alive. You need not worry about them. I am very pleased you can see them; very few people do. I’m impressed.”

A moment of silence followed, likely intentional, to observe the effect of her words. Then, rotating the glass in her hand to create a dance of deep red reflections:

“I’d offer you a sip, but I guess you do not drink blood, do you? Besides, I do not generally share blood. It is the most sacred of essences—it is liquid life.”

She rotated the glass again, and as she spoke, she exhaled, then inhaled deeply. Her chest rose, her shoulders lifted, and all of her seemed to grow. The aura of power around her intensified, rising in a controlled, deliberate display. It was like witnessing the silent potential of a tsunami—not yet unleashed but undeniably present.

The two beautiful, ghostly creatures beside her murmured softly, helplessly spellbound by the cold, sensual tones of her words and her breath, as if struggling to control their arousal within their gowns.

Then, as the tide of her breath receded, she continued:

“People think they are angels. They are not. Perhaps they crave to be saints or martyrs, but they have sins. What they truly crave is to bleed, though they do not admit it to themselves. They fight their very nature. I have watched this battle for ages, and I never tire of it. But it is time for me to have more—though I do enjoy them. Perhaps that is another reason you are here. Maybe.” She grinned.

“As for me, I do not fight what I am. I embrace it. That is what makes me who I am, to them. But you… you are interesting. A baby dragon with a naïve soul, raised by a wolf. It is clear to me why our paths have crossed. We have never had a dragon here. You are a challenge. I like challenges.”

“But perhaps no one has truly told you what you are. And that, well, is even more intriguing.”