The Night Realm

Chapter 1

In this world all people know is loss, people are a lot like drones. Drones in a world full of life and beauty, blinded by the things they have created. They ignore the environment, they ignore the fact that there are other living things on this earth. I will never be blinded by this problem, for I am not human.

I'm sitting in a waiting room along with my parents and many others, their breathing suffocating my ears, the buzzing of cellphones an often occurrence. The walls and floors are all the same blank boring shade of white, and the pale blonde receptionist in the corner receiving calls and calling back other impatient individuals, it's all so overwhelming. I can see myself in a large mirror on the wall, sitting in an uncomfortable grey chair, pitch black hair draped down my back, and my over-sized cactus green sweater, which just so happened to be the same colour as the painting on the wall, was complimenting my empty grey eyes. My parents sat on either side of me, my father looking serious and my mother emanating a nervous yet also stern aura.

We are waiting to see a man who goes by the name of C. J. Straut, seeing him may as well determine my life and death.

"Amelia Dowstaff, Mr. Straut will see you now," the receptionist calls while waiting for someone to rise. I casually pick up the black backpack that I brought with me, it's filled to the brim with all sorts of books, my parents pounce off of their chairs and make eye contact with the receptionist. "Through the hall, first door to your left," she said cautiously as I swung my bag onto my shoulder. All three of us stride strongly yet worriedly across the small waiting room and down the hallway while getting looks from other people in the room, as usual. I've always been an outcast, not just because I'm a vampire but in every way possible. I try not to draw too much attention to myself, but somehow I'm always the one people look at. I follow the rules, and I do my best to blend in, but they always know that I'm not one of them. Human, I mean.

I come from a strong line of vampires who were all, apparently, fully educated on their power and status. Throughout the years I guess this chain of power throughout my family faded, my grandparents fled to earth for safety because they were shunned for the decrease in status. Now, two generations later, my parents want me to go back to the Night Realm to learn about myself and my abilities.

We reach the large wooden door and my mother knocks politely before opening the door. The office wasn't nearly as bare as the waiting room, the white tiles shifted to brown checkered carpet and the walls to a dull yellow. Books covered almost every surface except a large wooden desk in the middle of the room. The man sitting at the desk, who I assumed was Mr. Straut, looked around 20, he had dark brown hair and stubble on his chin, which had lighter brown highlights. He was wearing a navy blue suit, It clashed with his bright red eyes. Yet his jaw made up for it, perfectly chiselled.

"Hm," he gazed at me piercing right through my tall, yet frail body, "You're Amelia Dowstaff?" He scoffed while resting his feet on his desk. He studied me from head to toe, took one of the files off his desk, and put on the pair of glasses that were hung on his collar. "Says you're 16, is that correct?" He asked me quizzically. I give my parents a confused glance and answer his question,

"15, but I turn 16 in May." It was already March so I wasn't far off from being 16, I was very tall for my age which didn't help my attempts to draw no attention to myself. The last time I measured I was around 5'10 but It wouldn't surprise me if I was approaching six feet. My father is at least 6'7 and my mother is also above average at 6'1.

Mr. Straut looks at me again and then says, "Have you ever been to the Night realm?" He asked as if he didn't already know the answer.

"No," I respond quickly with a hushed whisper. He laughs under his breath in a deep, menacing voice,

"You're in for a real treat then, Amelia." He lowers his feet from the desk and rises from the chair. "You see, the Night Realm is dangerous and deadly, without proper preparation, you may end up injured or even dead." I take my gaze off him and look to my father, his stare is blank but I can see a drop of sweat running down the side of his bald head. Then I look to my mother who has fixed her gaze upon Mr. Straut. "You have a lot to learn Amelia, about yourself, your family, and your world." I shift my weight to my left foot and ruffle my hand through my long dark hair.

"I'm not as clueless as you may think," I say defensively, but the truth is, I know nothing of this new realm, and I think he knows that. A flash of light spreads throughout the room and Straut is standing directly in front of me, his back arched so his face is about six inches from mine.

"You listen and you listen close my child," he whispers, "the mortals you have been living with are nothing compared to what you will face at Ichor, do you hear me?" A shiver travels down my spine and I nod, my body stiffening. He straightens and smiles, showing his long, sharp fangs. "Good! Now I shall see you to the realm right away!" He turns and takes a dusty, purple book off the top of his desk.

"Wait, you're taking her now? I thought she had time to prepare-" My father is cut off by another flash, only now instead of me Straut is inches from my father's face.

"Would you like to repeat that old man? Or would you like to spare your life and let me take Mel?" My father stares wide-eyed, only he and my mother call me that name, how does he know about it? My gaze flips between the two men and I grab Straut's arm.

"Let's go, he's nothing to you anyway," I say, my voice shaky, Straut lets out a little laugh as I let his arm go, and soon after, he turns to face me instead of my father.

"You're right Mel, we should go, The Watcher is waiting." He grabs my hand, pulls me closer to the center of the room, and takes his place beside me. His hand firmly laces with mine and he puts them out in front of us, I comply. I see him open the book and skim the first line. "Close your eyes, It's going to be bright." He says to my parents and me, my eyes close and I find myself grasping his hand even harder now. I can hear him snicker and feel him grasp my hand more firmly as well. "May the spirits of this child's ancestors open the portal to The Night Realm for free travel throughout worlds." I can hear the books around us shake, a bright white light similar to Straut's flashbang clouds my closed eyes. After about fifteen seconds everything slows and  sounds normal, Straut's hand loosens but doesn't let go as he says, "You can open your eyes." Slowly I peel my eyelids open and fix my gaze upon the large building that stands in a distant mountain before us. The walls are made of black stone, towers surround it with many balconies, and the pointed roofs make it look like a castle. After studying the building I get a better look at where I am, the sky is black and purple, speckled with stars. We're standing on a large concrete circle in the middle of what looks like a town square. It's breathtaking, I look back at Straut and quickly let go of his soft hand, my face going red. I see him smirk, he faces me and then starts, "This is The Night Realm, you will continue your high school education there," he points at the castle-like building, "starting as a first-year." I try to wrap my head around all of this.

"So, wait, where am I going to stay? How do I-" He cuts me off and says,

"You will stay in the school dorms, food will be provided for everyone. If I were to suggest anything it would be to stay with your group." He winks, My group? "There are many different 'outcasts' in Ichor," It's like he's reading my mind, "Vampires, Werewolves, Sirens, Witches, Wizards, and everything in between. Stick with the vampires, you know what they're capable of, you can handle it. You know how they think." He puts his hand on my shoulder and something sparks within' me. "I must be going now, head towards that fountain over there," I notice straight ahead a large white fountain with a carving of an angel perched on top of it. "When you stand beside it say the words Lifeblood." He retracts his hand and begins walking away from me,

"Wait, Straut!" I call from behind him, He stops and turns his head to look back at me,

"Call me Conan," He says, then vanishes in another flash of light.