The story opens with the 49th Black Swan and a dhampir on their mission to hunt down and kill Strauss. The Black Swan is immune to his magic and its powers grow with each vessel it possesses. Once the marks of the Black Swan appear, the vessel has to kill Strauss within a year, or the curse will consume her completely.
Strauss kills the 49th Black Swan and is aware that they were equally matched and that the next Black Swan will surely suppress him. For all the vessels chosen by the Black Swan inherit the memories and fighting prowess of their predecessors. Running out of time, he must find his queen before the 50th Black Swan appears.
50 years later, Strauss runs into dhampirs led by their leader, Bridget, a woman who once looked up to him as both a father and mentor. Facing grave danger, he is saved by the intervention of an unexpected person. The 50th Black Swan, Kayuki! Deceptively simple in its premise, the plot gradually develops in complexity with unexpected twists and turns.
Earth is facing a crisis: Aliens are threatening to invade the planet. Humanity's only hope: the power of last survivors of the vampire race, Strauss and his queen. Thus, an uneasy truce is forged between Strauss, the dhampirs and the Black Swan.
Who is the mastermind of this desperate solution? It is none other than the great GM, a mysterious figure who is the secret controller of most of the world's political and economic power. He is also the grandfather of the current Black Swan.
Having centuries-old foes stuck in close proximity is never a good idea and tensions soon start rising. Black Swan Kayuki finds it impossible difficult to feel hatred towards her 'enemy' Strauss. The former vampire king is considerate and possesses a gentle nature, a far cry from the bloodthirsty monster she would rather him be. Also, she realizes that her feelings towards Strauss were shared by her predecessors. Why would the Black Swan feel thus?
As leader of the dhampirs, Bridget struggles with her conflicting emotions towards Strauss and his betrayal of all she had believed in so long ago. His move resulted in dhampirs and humans being caught in constant conflict. The current truce is temporary and Bridget longs for a day when her people may co-exist with humans without fear and persecution.
What really happened those centuries ago? What exactly is the true origin of the dreaded curse of the Black Swan? Why did Strauss forsake his kingdom and loyal subjects?
The plot interweaves between past and present through various accounts of what happened in the past as various characters relive their memories of the events preceding fall of the Kingdom of the Night.
Will they find the long-sealed queen? Will they succeed in preventing an alien invasion? Will Strauss ever be free of the Black Swan's curse? What will happen to the dhampirs? This series will keep you second-guessing until the end.
