Before they knew it, the day was already lost, but it was well spent. It was almost 7 now and the girls were exhausted from their mini excursion, napping away in bed. Brauner was preparing dinner. His specialty was fettuccine alfredo. Marilyn referred to it as "creamy cheese pasta." It was one of those dishes that Lenore taught him how to make. She was more proficient in the culinary arts, though. He sighed and thought. She would have made an excellent mother. Her daughters would never be able to taste her cooking; only a fraction as good as it would taste.

"Daddy, what are you making? We're hungry." They were already out of bed, standing behind them in their elegant nightgowns.

Brauner continued stirring. "Hmm... Mushroom cake." Marilyn had a disgusted look. "Eww! Why, Daddy!"

Evelyn snuck up behind him and poked him. "...It's not really mushroom cake, Mary." Brauner put down his cooking and poked her back.

"I know..." admitted Marilyn."It's just... You know I hate mushrooms! Blech!" She stuck out her tongue.

Brauner frowned. "Young lady, what did I say about using that word?"

"Umm... It's not acceptable," she recited.

"That's right. We only use that word when the situation calls for it, which is not very often. What do we use instead?"

"...I dislike mushrooms."

Daddy smiled. "That's my little lady. Come, it's time for..." he started. Then in a deep and dramatic voice, "creamy cheese pasta!"

They all laughed and went to the dinner table, smiles throughout their meal. The girls ate ravenously partly because they were hungry, but it was really because after supper, was storytime.

20 minutes later, after the dishes were washed and dried, Brauner returned to the study. His daughters sat on the floor in front of the grand chair, awaiting his seating. He proudly approached his throne and sat down. His royal subjects were ready for his tale.

"Hmm, allow me continue my tale of the infamous Count Dracula." Brauner cleared his throat and told the story.

Now that Mathias had Walter's soul in his grasp, he was the most powerful vampire in the world. However, he was not safe from harm, as the Belmont clan took an oath to hunt him down with every single one of their descendants. He went into hiding around the Wallachia province. There, he began his plan to wage war against God.

Using his new powers, he summoned a castle from the depths of Hell and shrouded the land in darkness, devoid of any and all sunlight. There, Mathias resided and began to build his army. He welcomed humans and heathens alike, any who chose to defy God or had abandoned the light. He even bestowed upon a select few the forbidden art of Devil Forgery. Mathias trained them in the dark arts, teaching alchemy to the chosen ones. Devil Forgery allowed them to create demons, monsters, all kinds of creatures of the dark that pledged their eternal loyalty to their creator, much like Death. Castle Dracula became a haven, a sanctuary for the outcast, the shunned, the damned.

However, not all of Mathias' doings were evil. While in town, disguised as a regular young man, he chanced upon an odd event one night. There was a large crowd gathered around outside a house. He transformed into a small bat and flew in through a window and watched from a ledge. Inside were a young lady and an old man on a bed. The old man appeared to be very ill and was on the verge of death. The young lady mixed and mashed several herbs and made a broth. She fed the old man, tipping the bowl over his mouth, letting the golden soup slide down his throat.

She comforted him, holding his frail hands in her own light and soft hands. When he finished his soup, she laid him down to rest and whispered a few prayers. She then exited the house. The townspeople were silent, waiting for her to speak. She said to them that the village elder would live, and he would recover from his illness. They all cheered and praised her for her healing skills. Mathias was intrigued, and infatuated. This woman had the life of that man in her hands, and gave it back to him. Her face was so kind, her hands so gentle, her voice so strong. Her name was Lisa.

Lisa was a special kind of person to Mathias. She was different from the other humans. Generous, thoughtful and always caring. He retreated to his castle and thought. No matter how hard he tried, she wouldn't leave his mind. Trapped for all eternity. Mathias couldn't concentrate on his vengeance. He needed to see her. He left his castle and found a place to stay in town.

The majority of Mathias' time was spent following Lisa around and seeing what she did. Lisa was a miracle worker. She saved so many lives, old and young from illness. One day, he finally approached her. Though a vampire, Mathias had no desire to bite her. Instead, he sought to claim her heart the old-fashioned way.

Every night, he would spend time with her, and she would gradually open up to him. Mathias began to realize something. Lisa was the reincarnation of Elisabeth. All her beauty, flawless personality and traits, passed on to a different body, a different time. After a substantial number of late night dates, he decided to confess. Mathias told her about his vampiric condition, why he couldn't walk in the daylight, why she was so special to him.

Instead of rebuffing him, she embraced him. She graced his cold cheek with the side of her hand and kissed him. He was confused. He thought she would find him repulsive, an undead creature rejected by God. Lisa smiled and explained to him that she didn't care who or what he was. She cared that he loved her. She cared that he would be so honest with her, risking his identity, compromising his own safety just to be with her. No one made her feel so special in the world before. And on that special moonlit night, they consummated their love.