For thousands of years, no one had dared call her by name. She was simply the Queen.
Her empire stretched across an entire galaxy. Star systems were born and vanished under her rule; other empires rose and fell like waves on an ancient shore. A fleet of vampires patrolled interstellar routes, and entire cities were built inside asteroids orbiting red suns.
And at the center of it all – the Obsidian Throne.
The Queen sat upon it, legs crossed, staring through the transparent window into the endless stars. Space felt small to her.
Once, it had been thrilling.
Once, she had gone on conquests herself—leading fleets of ships, laughing as entire planets surrendered. Once, she had felt the hot blood of life, the fear, the power.
But now…
Everything had already been conquered.
Everything was already known.
Everything… was boring.
She swirled the crystal cup in her hands. The red liquid inside spun like a tiny nebula.
Behind her knelt the three oldest ministers of the empire.
"Your Majesty," said the first, carefully, "the Adriyon star system has paid its annual tax."
"Good," she said without turning.
"And the rebellion at the Delta-9 miners' colony has been crushed."
"Excellent."
Silence.
The second minister exchanged a glance with the third.
Finally, she sighed.
"Is that all?" she asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Another long silence.
Then she spoke the sentence that would change the galaxy.
"I'm bored."
The three ministers froze.
Ancient vampires thousands of years old feared almost nothing. They had seen star wars, suns collapse, and entire civilizations rise up.
But they had heard this sentence before.
And last time she was bored… three planets had disappeared from the map.
"What… does Your Majesty want to do?" asked the third minister cautiously.
The Queen finally turned to face them.
Her eyes were red, like the core of a dying star.
"I've been thinking," she said. "An entire empire. A whole galaxy. Thousands of years…"
She paused.
Then she smiled.
"And I have no one to share it with."
The ministers said nothing.
"I need a king."
The words echoed through the vast hall.
"Someone to rule with me," she continued. "Someone who won't die in a hundred years. Someone who won't fear me. Someone… interesting."
The first minister swallowed.
"Your Majesty… it's hard to find someone like that."
"True."
Her smile widened.
"Then we'll find one."
She rose from the throne. Her black gown trailed behind her like a shadow.
"We'll announce a competition."
The ministers all looked up at once.
"A competition?" asked the second.
"Yes." Her eyes sparkled. "Across the entire galaxy."
She began walking slowly across the hall.
"Anyone who thinks they are worthy to be king by my side—will come. Warriors. Vampires. Humans. Princes of distant stars. Mercenaries. Thieves. Even monsters."
"And what will the rules be?" asked the minister.
She stopped.
"Very simple."
She raised one finger.
"Stage one – survival."
A second finger.
"Stage two – strength."
A third finger.
"Stage three… wisdom."
Then she smiled again, a smile that promised trouble for anyone who joined.
"And the final stage," she said quietly, "will be against me."
The hall fell silent.
"Whoever survives until the end," she said, "and somehow manages to impress me…"
She returned to sit upon the throne.
"Will become the king of the empire."
The third minister whispered:
"And how many people do you think will die in this competition?"
The Queen shrugged.
"Many."
Then she leaned back and gazed at the galaxy once more.
This time, with a new spark in her eyes.
"Finally, it will be interesting."
And at that moment, across every star system in the galaxy, a single message appeared on the screens of stations, ships, and cities:
The Queen is seeking a king.
And people from every corner of the universe began to arrive.
Some sought power.
Some sought glory.
And some… sought to kill the Vampire Queen.
But none of them yet knew that the first stage of the competition had already begun.