Walking through the portal, we appear in EverRest. "It looks exactly the same as before; I said it before, and I'll say it again. Someone needs to spruce things up." I say, laughing.

Jenny has a chuckle and motions for us to follow her.

It takes us 3 hours to arrive at her family house. Looking at the house, I notice it looks like any house you can find in the human world, except it's gigantic. It has at least five different floors. "Wow, Jenny. This house looks amazing. Why did your family ever move out of it?" I asked curiously.

Jenny looks at me and shrugs. "They decided to move to a different house and left me this one. I never really stayed here for long after they left. I went to the human world when I was a child, and that's when I first became friends with you."

Elizabeth speaks up. "Well anyways, let's get inside and make ourselves at home." She motions for everyone to come inside. We all nodded and walked in, and what I saw was amazing.

The floor of the house looked like it was quartz mixed with granite, and I could see my reflection in it. "I always assumed that vampires couldn't see their reflection." I am confused.

"Humans often misunderstand that in their films—the sun can hurt, but it all depends on a vampire's birth family or turned family. Fortunately, Jenny's family had witches cast a spell on them to guard against the light. By being turned into a family, you gain the same benefit. Plus, you should have the family's special fire abilities. Every vampire can manipulate the typical elements, yet Jenny's family has its own distinct brand of fire," Alistair pointed out with a knowing look.

I nod, not truly understanding the whole thing. "What were you born with?" I ask Alistair to put his suitcase in the living room. "Well, with my family, we Regals were born with the ability of Ice. We have a stronger version than what normal vampires can do. You can also get this if you swear a blood oath with a member of said family."

Looking at Elizabeth, I ask her the same question. She looks at me and thinks before answering. "My family, the Taithons, have the ability of lightning; like Alistair said, we have a stronger version of it. We can also use lightning to increase our speed in combat or if you really want to get somewhere faster."

I look at Jenny again. "What's your family name, Jenny? I never asked." Jenny looks at me and replies. "My family name is Algost." Confusion washes over my face. "Algost? I never would have imagined that's what it was." I say.

"So if I were to make a blood oath with another vampire, would they be able to use the light and the darkness?" I ask.

Alistair clears his throat. "No, that is a power deep within you that no one can replicate. As far as I know, there was one person I knew of before who had a power somewhat similar to your darkness. It was the king's son, Alucard. He died over 500 years ago due to human priests and werewolves."

I look at him with a new level of understanding. "I never knew he had a son. Was he a good person, or was he more like Dracula?" I ask. "He was a surprisingly good person who cared a lot for the human race before he was betrayed by them." Alistair replies. I don't say anything, but I nod at him and walk away, looking for a room that I can call mine.

I stop outside a room that has a weird energy coming from it; the energy is rather calming. I open the door, walk in, and notice that everything looks absolutely perfect and pristine. "I wonder how this place looks amazing after such a long time?" I think out loud. "Well, that's easy, sir. We constantly clean and make sure to fix anything that breaks." A voice says this from behind me. I turn around, and I see a woman in a maid outfit staring at me, smiling. "Who are you?" I ask the woman.

She looks at me and giggles. "I'm Rosetta, one of the family maids. I look after everyone, making sure that everyone gets what they need and other services." She says that last part with a coy smile. Looking her up and down, I notice she isn't much shorter than me, but she has some of the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen.

We walk through the hallway, and I look around, taking everything in. "So you have been a maid for over 400 years? That's impressive." I say.

Stolen novel; please report.

Rosetta stops and turns to me with a warm smile. "It has been quite an experience; I have seen many things that most people can only dream of." She says it wistfully. We continue walking and soon end up at the entrance of another room.

"This is my room," Rosetta says as she unlocks the door and opens it to reveal a large bedroom with a single bed in the corner, neatly made up with pillows and blankets. In one corner of the room, there is an armoire filled with various costumes and clothes, while in another corner, there is a dressing table complete with makeup and jewelry. On top of the dressing table sits a book written in an old language that I don't recognize.

I turn to Rosetta and ask her what it says. She blushes slightly before replying softly "It's about how to properly be a servant for vampire families". I thank her for the information before asking one more question.

"What do you think about being a servant for vampires?" I asked curiously.

Rosetta thinks for a moment before answering honestly, "I think it is honorable work, especially when it comes to serving those from such an ancient family like the Algost's." She smiles at me warmly before motioning towards the door, signaling for me to leave her alone so she could rest for the day ahead of her tomorrow morning. Grateful for her hospitality, I bow my head lightly before leaving her room and closing the door behind me.

As I continue down the hallway, I come upon a large wooden door with a sign that reads 'Library'. Intrigued, I slowly push open the large door and step inside. The library is massive, dwarfing even the largest libraries I have seen on Earth. Clearly, this is a room of great importance to this family.

I take in my surroundings for a few moments before walking over to one of the many bookshelves. Looking around, I see many thick books about different topics, ranging from politics to medical topics. One book catches my eye, though, and I pull it off the shelf: a book about vampires and their thirteen distinct families.

Situating myself comfortably in one of the chairs, I begin to read. As I do so, I start to learn more about how vampire society works and why they are almost exclusively part of high-level families like the Algosts. Apparently, each family has special powers unique to them that allow them to manipulate others or even bend reality itself. It's amazing how such powerful creatures can exist in such secrecy yet still be able to influence so much in our world. As I read further, I learned the names of the thirteen families that are currently residing in EverRest. They are the Algosts, Thoners, Fatespun, Dracoths, Greystones, Ocalas, Harvesters, Karvars, Regals, Tepes, Taithons, Orgoths, and Driegers. Each family has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, as well as areas of influence. For example, the Algosts are renowned for their political power, while the Dracoths are known for their magical prowess.

I continue to read about how these families interact with one another and how they all work together to form an incredible network that helps protect those who live in Everest from outside forces that would seek to do them harm. It is truly remarkable how these powerful beings have managed to stay hidden from human civilization for so long.

After some more reading, I came across a section entitled "The Night Walkers". Apparently, they are mysterious creatures who roam during the night and have been known to abduct humans (or vampires) and take them away to some unknown realm of existence.

I find this part of the book particularly fascinating, and I can't help but feel a little bit scared at the thought of such creatures existing in our world. I noticed a book called The Bestiary; it seems to contain a plethora of information about all of the creatures that inhabit Everest. Some of these creatures are fairly familiar, such as vampires and werewolves, dragons, and fairies, while others are more mysterious, like the Night Walkers I read about earlier.

As I continue to flip through the pages, I come across a section devoted to the magical properties held by different creatures. Some have special abilities to manipulate reality, while others can be used to make magical spells powerful.

Next, I stumble upon a section regarding hybrid creatures—mixes between humans and animals or even between different types of animals. These hybrid creatures seem particularly interesting, and with every page I turn, I find out something new about them and their potential powers.

Finally, I came across a section discussing ancient artifacts that could grant the wielder incredible powers if used properly. It seems as though these artifacts are quite rare and few know where they can be found or how to use them effectively.

After reading through this book cover-to-cover, it is clear why this family values it so much; in order for them to keep their secrets safe and protect themselves from any outside forces, knowledge about EverRest's inhabitants and its secrets is essential. After gathering my thoughts together, I decide it is best if I leave this room with all its secrets and return to my bedchamber before darkness falls upon us all.