On a luxurious bed made from the best timber and the highest quality gold, a young woman slept. She seemed comfortable and at peace. She was not the most beautiful, but very few could compare to her in this aspect. She had fine features, delicately sculpted by the Creator.
Her lips were full, her nose perfectly placed. Her eyes were of the most exquisite shape, and her ears were works of art. Her skin was fair, and her long, silky black hair was spread out above her head.
She was so pleasing to the eye that even a god could not stop themselves from falling in love with her.
For mortal men, a single glance would be all that was needed before they surrendered all they were into her hands.
She was perfect indeed—but this was only the appearance visible to the eye.
She began shaking slightly, and after a few seconds, she cried out and almost jumped from her bed. She was covered in sweat, her chest rapidly moving up and down. It was clear she had just risen from a truly haunting nightmare.
She looked around, and as she recognized her surroundings, she understood she had only been dreaming.
"It was nothing but a dream."
She reached to the nightstand and grabbed a glass of water—she had placed it there before sleeping. This was not the first time she had woken from this nightmare.
She drank the water before lying back on the bed. She did not dare sleep again. She only had enough courage to do so once a day. Any more than this, and she was sure the nightmare would rob her of her remaining sanity.
She looked up at the high ceiling, examining the intricate golden design of the stars for the thousandth time. She spent the whole night like this.
When the first ray of sunlight came through her glass windows, she felt relief well up in her heart. She hated the dark, and whenever the sun hid its light, she felt as though her heart was sinking into an endless pit from which it would never escape.
She left her bed and took a shower. From her blue nightdress to her bathroom, everything was the best money could buy.
When she came out of the shower, she found three maids already waiting for her.
They bowed deeply without saying a word. She was not surprised—this was in accordance with the laws. She was far too high in status for their world to have any meaning to her.
She did not agree with this belief, but changing it would require great personal power and status. This was not just a problem within her home—it was something that affected everything and everyone in the Otherworld.
Changing these outdated practices was not just a matter of want. One had to choose the hill they were willing to die on, and for her, this was not it.
The maids styled her hair, applied her makeup just the way she liked it, and helped her dress. She wore a simple blue dress that neither hugged her body nor was too loose.
Today, she allowed the maids to pamper her as much as possible so she could be presentable. Not that she usually wasn't—but today was no ordinary day. She would be leaving her home for the first time in who knows how long.
When she left the bedroom, even the maids could not believe someone as stunning as her existed in this world—and that they had been allowed to touch her.
She moved through the corridor outside her bedroom, a place covered in wealth and grandeur. Everything, from the floors to the flowers, was perfect.
All the people she passed bowed down and remained silent.
She walked past them with confidence and the aura of a queen. She descended the stairs with ease, admiring the many portraits covering the walls. These portraits depicted men and women, many wearing crowns—kings and queens of the past.
She smiled at some, frowned at others, and even laughed at a few.
"We need to take care of this beast before it becomes a real problem," she heard a voice say, one that brought a smile to her face.
It was her father's voice. Though he sounded displeased at the moment, it was still the only sound that could soothe her mind.
If one called her a daddy's girl, they would not be wrong. She stopped admiring the portraits and rushed into the dining room.
There, she found her father seated at the head of the table, speaking with his most loyal servant, the Grand Vizier, Ulf.
She did not much like this man, but since her father trusted him—even treating him like family—she tried to hide her dislike.
The man at the head of the table was King Harald, a figure of great influence and power in the Otherworld.
The moment the king saw her, his eyes lit up as he stood from his chair.
"Hildr," he said, hugging her tightly.
Ulf understood it was time to leave. He bowed deeply to Harald, his back at a perfect ninety degrees, before exiting the room. His respect for the king was unquestionable.
Hildr and her father sat at the table and began breakfast.
The table was set with all kinds of delicacies, but the two barely touched them. Instead, they mostly drank from their glasses, filled with a red liquid.
It was blood—anyone could tell at a glance.
King Harald and his daughter Hildr were creatures of the night called Draugr. Some might call them vampires, but they preferred "Draugr," as it best described what they were. They were not alone in the world—there were enough of them that Harald ruled as their king and master.
This made Hildr a true princess, and in the Otherworld, titles like "king" and "princess" still held power.
The Draugr were not the only inhuman creatures in this world. These beings were collectively called the Other, and their realm was the Otherworld. This did not mean they lived in a separate world—they coexisted with humans, but their lives were so distinct that interactions were rare. To an outsider, it might seem the two races lived in different worlds.
"Are you ready?" the king asked, setting down his glass of blood.
Hildr took another sip before sighing. "I know you do not want to go, but this is the only way you can be recognized as my heir," he said.
They had had this conversation many times already.
"I am not ready... but I will go," she replied.
Harald smiled.
They moved on, discussing everything from the weather to which prince might be an acceptable consort for Hildr.
When breakfast ended, the two entered a large hall, standing at the center of a massive circle carved into the floor. The circle was covered in intricate symbols, all connected to form a mesmerizing pattern.
The king's blue eyes glowed faintly, and the circle lit up with power. In the next moment, the two vanished from the hall.
In the world, there are many hidden places, but none as secretive as a single island at the center of the Ionian Sea.
The world knew of the Ionian Sea—just another body of water near Greece and Italy. Humans even knew of the Calypso Deep, the deepest point in the Mediterranean, located within the Ionian Sea. They knew it for its seismic activity and stunning underwater landscapes—but nothing more. And they would never know more unless the Other allowed it.
The truth of the Calypso Deep was that it was the center of power for the Other.
This place was the location of the world's eighth continent, hidden by powerful magic that shielded it from human eyes and technology. It was completely isolated—humans could only enter with permission from one of the Kings of the Otherworld. Since meeting someone like King Harald was nearly impossible, humans were rare on this eighth continent: Lemuria.
Even humans knew the name "Lemuria," but beyond that, everything they believed was false.
At this moment, Hildr and King Harald appeared in the center of a similar circle within a palace on Lemuria—the Draugr Palace, the heart of the Draugr Dominion.
Just as humans had nations, the Other had Dominions, each ruled by a king or queen. The Draugr Dominion, of course, belonged to King Harald.
Harald had absolute control over his lands—his word was law. There was no parliament or governing body to restrict his power. He loved his authority and saw no need for such limitations.
When the king and Hildr appeared, a group of people were already waiting, kneeling in reverence.
"The Dominion rejoices in Your Majesty's return," they proclaimed.
These were all Draugr, yet none dared show disrespect. From what Hildr could tell, their submission was genuine—they truly revered her father.
Pride swelled in her, though she also grew self-conscious. This was her first time seeing them, but they had seen her before.