The Divergence

Lavinia did briefly wonder about identification.

Normally, clubs checked IDs.

Age mattered.

Identification mattered.

Yet somehow, the black identification cards issued to vampires by the blood clinics had been accepted without hesitation.

Whether they were officially valid for things like nightclubs, she wasn't entirely sure.

Then again...

The security guards had looked far more interested in avoiding a scene than arguing with seven vampires about documentation.

Lavinia couldn't really blame them.

The guards had scanned the cards, nodded stiffly, and waved them inside.

The moment the doors closed behind them, the music became noticeably louder.

Heavy bass vibrated through the floor beneath their boots.

Lights swept across the dance floor in constantly shifting colors.

Compared to outside, softer sounds became much harder to isolate.

Heartbeats remained audible.

Breathing remained audible.

Whispers still reached vampire ears.

But all of them were buried beneath layers of music and conversation.

"...This is loud."

Lavinia leaned closer to Celestine to be heard.

Celestine nodded.

"It is."

Valerie led the way confidently through the crowded first floor.

People danced beneath the flashing lights.

Others clustered around the bar.

Several conversations stopped as seven vampires moved through the room.

A few people turned with annoyed expressions after being bumped lightly.

One man opened his mouth.

"Hey, watch..."

His words stopped.

Valerie looked at him.

Orange hair.

Empty crimson eyes.

Perfect pale skin.

The man blinked once.

"...Never mind."

He immediately stepped aside.

Several other people did exactly the same.

The crowd seemed to part naturally as the vampires continued walking.

Rosaline laughed quietly.

"They're polite."

"They're intimidated," Adelaide corrected.

"Both?"

"Probably."

Gwendolyn looked around excitedly.

"So many drinks."

She smiled brightly.

"I'm going to drink until I get a hangover."

Rosaline looked sideways at her.

"...I don't think vampires can get hangovers."

Gwendolyn's smile somehow widened even further.

"Exactly."

Lavinia stared.

"...That sentence concerns me."

"It should."

The stairs carried them to the second floor.

The music remained loud.

Still...

The pounding bass no longer drowned out every smaller sound.

Individual conversations became distinguishable again.

Heartbeats separated from the constant background rhythm.

Lavinia relaxed slightly.

"This is better."

Valerie walked down a short hallway before stopping outside a closed door.

She knocked.

Several heartbeats inside shifted toward the entrance.

Footsteps approached.

The door opened.

A tall woman with long red hair blinked.

Her eyes widened upon seeing Valerie.

Then widened again.

And again.

Her heartbeat accelerated dramatically as she noticed six more vampires standing calmly behind Valerie.

"...Oh."

She took one slow breath.

Then another.

"...Come in."

She stepped aside.

"I'm Hannah."

Valerie smiled.

"Good to see you."

The room was much calmer than the nightclub below.

Music still filtered faintly through the walls, but conversation dominated instead.

Several sofas surrounded low tables covered with snacks and drinks.

Nearly fifteen people occupied the room.

Some sat talking.

Others played cards.

A few immediately turned toward the newcomers.

Every conversation stopped.

Valerie waved casually.

"Hope you don't mind."

She gestured toward the others.

"I brought a few friends."

Lavinia leaned toward her.

"...A few?"

Valerie whispered back.

"I didn't think seven sounded as friendly."

Lavinia looked around the room.

"...Are these all your friends?"

Valerie nodded.

"I have lots of friends."

Lavinia folded her arms.

"If I wanted friends..."

She puffed her cheeks slightly.

"...I could've had lots too."

Valerie smiled.

"I'm sure you could."

No formal introductions followed.

The atmosphere remained uncertain for several moments.

Rather than gathering everyone together, people simply settled back into comfortable positions.

The vampires did much the same.

Gwendolyn wandered toward the drinks table almost immediately.

She poured herself a colorful beverage into a glass before taking a careful sip.

"Hm."

She took another.

"It's nice."

Rosaline wandered over to inspect the snacks.

Adelaide quietly sat beside one sofa.

Celestine remained standing for a moment before choosing a nearby chair.

Evelyn quietly pulled out her phone.

She began scrolling, occasionally glancing upward whenever someone looked toward them.

Lavinia simply observed.

Humans.

Nearly all of them had racing hearts.

Not from immediate terror.

Mostly excitement.

Curiosity.

Some uncertainty.

It reminded her of people seeing an unusual animal at a zoo.

Nobody seemed particularly eager to approach first.

Valerie disappeared into conversation with several of her friends.

Within a few minutes, she returned.

She dropped comfortably into the seat beside Lavinia.

"So?"

Lavinia looked over.

"So what?"

"What do you think?"

Lavinia glanced around again.

"...It's nice."

Valerie nodded.

"They're my gaming group."

"Oh."

"They invited me after I told them I'd changed."

Lavinia tilted her head.

"You told them?"

Valerie shrugged.

"They asked why I wasn't online."

"So I said..."

She smiled.

"...because I became a vampire."

Lavinia laughed.

"And they believed you?"

"Eventually."

Valerie gestured around the room.

"They were curious."

"They wanted to meet a vampire."

She shrugged again.

"I figured there wasn't much difference between seeing one..."

"...or seven."

Lavinia rolled her eyes.

"Of course you did."

Valerie smiled proudly.

"It saves everyone time."

Lavinia's gaze wandered around the room once more.

Then narrowed thoughtfully.

She leaned closer.

"...Do you have a crush on anyone?"

Valerie blinked.

"My eyes keep wandering."

Lavinia gestured vaguely around the room.

"I'm checking."

Valerie laughed.

"Checking what?"

"If anyone likes you."

Valerie leaned back.

"Lavinia."

"...Hm?"

"Are you jealous?"

Lavinia immediately waved one hand dismissively.

She puffed out her tiny chest.

"Please."

"I'm not jealous."

"Why not?"

"Because."

Lavinia smiled confidently.

"You're mine anyway."

Silence.

Then laughter erupted around the nearby vampires.

Rosaline nearly spilled her drink.

Adelaide covered her face.

Gwendolyn laughed so hard she had to steady herself against the table.

Even Celestine smiled into her cup.

Valerie stared for a second.

Then laughed as well.

"There she goes again."

"I merely stated the truth."

"The imaginary harem?"

"It isn't imaginary."

Rosaline pointed toward herself.

"I don't remember agreeing."

"You didn't have to."

"That's concerning."

Before the conversation could continue, several humans finally gathered enough courage to approach.

Hannah led them.

Two men followed behind her.

Another woman lingered slightly farther back.

Hannah smiled awkwardly.

"...Mind if we introduce ourselves properly?"

Valerie gestured toward the empty seats.

"Go ahead."

One by one, names were exchanged.

The vampires introduced themselves in return.

Lavinia.

Valerie.

Gwendolyn.

Rosaline.

Adelaide.

Celestine.

Evelyn.

The initial nervousness faded surprisingly quickly.

Perhaps because none of the vampires acted mysterious.

Or threatening.

Or aloof.

Instead...

They joked.

Smiled.

Answered questions without hesitation.

One of the men leaned forward.

"So..."

"...What's it actually like?"

Lavinia tilted her head.

"Being a vampire?"

"Yeah."

She considered the question.

"...Comfortable."

He blinked.

"Comfortable?"

"I don't get tired."

"I don't really get sick."

"I'm stronger."

"Faster."

"I sleep well."

She shrugged.

"I like it."

Another woman raised her hand slightly.

"...Do you really have fangs?"

Gwendolyn smiled.

Then opened her mouth.

Small white fangs became visible immediately.

The woman leaned closer.

"They're adorable."

Gwendolyn blinked.

"...Thank you?"

Another question came almost instantly.

"Have all of you actually drunk blood?"

The vampires exchanged looks.

Then nodded.

"We have," Adelaide answered.

"What does it taste like?"

Lavinia smiled.

"There isn't really anything to compare it to."

"It's sweet."

"Warm."

"Very rich."

"And fresh blood tastes different from stored blood."

Several people leaned forward with obvious fascination.

"So the blood clinic blood isn't as good?"

"It's still good," Lavinia replied.

"Fresh just..."

She searched for the right word.

"...feels more alive."

Another hand went up.

"Does sunlight really hurt?"

Rosaline nodded.

"Very much."

"What happens?"

"We burn."

The room grew noticeably quieter.

Someone swallowed.

"...That's rough."

"It is."

As the questions continued, more of Valerie's friends gradually wandered over.

They listened.

Asked their own questions.

Laughed at the vampires' jokes.

The initial fear steadily dissolved into genuine curiosity.

Before long, nearly everyone in the room had drifted close enough to join the conversation.

Lavinia looked around at the relaxed smiles surrounding them and couldn't help smiling herself.

Only a few nights ago, something like this would've been unimaginable.

Before long, the room naturally separated into several smaller conversations.

No one had planned it.

Questions simply branched into other questions, until little groups had formed throughout the room.

Near the drinks table, a handful of people were asking Gwendolyn and Rosaline what it felt like to be bitten.

Across the room, Valerie had somehow gathered nearly everyone interested in vampire abilities.

Lavinia leaned back comfortably in her chair, quietly listening while sipping from the colorful drink Gwendolyn had poured for her earlier.

"So..." one of Valerie's friends asked. "Exactly how fast are you?"

Valerie tilted her head.

"Fast."

The room collectively rolled its eyes.

"That's not an answer."

Valerie smiled.

"It'll be easier to show you."

She stood.

Everyone's attention settled on her.

Then...

She vanished.

Several people gasped.

A faint rush of air crossed the room.

A soft clap echoed from the opposite wall.

Everyone spun around.

Valerie stood near the far corner with one hand still raised from the clap, smiling as though nothing unusual had happened.

Hannah stared.

"...I didn't..."

She blinked several times.

"...I didn't see anything."

Another person nodded vigorously.

"There was just..."

He waved a hand helplessly.

"...a blur."

"And then you were over there."

Valerie walked back at a normal pace.

"We move really quickly."

"...Really quickly," someone repeated weakly.

"How fast?" another person asked.

Valerie shrugged.

"I haven't measured it."

"But..."

She thought for a moment.

"...Fast enough that most humans wouldn't really follow us."

One of the men frowned thoughtfully.

"What happens if you run into someone?"

Valerie answered without hesitation.

"If it happened..."

She smiled lightly.

"...it would probably have to be intentional."

Everyone looked confused.

"Our eyesight, hearing and sense of smell are good enough that avoiding people is easy."

She gestured toward the room.

"I know where everyone here is."

"I can hear all your heartbeats."

"I know roughly where you're moving."

"So accidentally running into someone isn't very likely."

She paused.

"But..."

"If I deliberately ran into someone..."

Her expression became thoughtful.

"...It would probably feel like getting hit by a wall travelling over a hundred miles an hour."

Silence settled over the room.

The amazement lingering on several faces slowly shifted into something more uncertain.

Lavinia quietly sighed into her drink.

She looked at Valerie.

"...You could've softened that answer."

Valerie looked over.

"I answered honestly."

"I know."

Lavinia smiled helplessly.

"But maybe..."

She lowered her voice.

"...leave out the wall moving at a hundred miles an hour next time."

Valerie considered that.

"...Fair."

The mood recovered surprisingly quickly.

Curiosity still outweighed fear.

One of the young women approached Adelaide first.

"...Can I ask something strange?"

Adelaide smiled.

"You just did."

The woman laughed.

"I mean..."

She gestured awkwardly.

"...Could I touch your hair?"

Adelaide blinked.

"My hair?"

"It looks..."

The woman searched for the right word.

"...Really soft."

Adelaide shrugged.

"I don't mind."

The woman carefully reached forward.

Her fingers slipped through Adelaide's pale green hair.

Her eyes widened.

"...It's so smooth."

"It really is."

Another woman stepped closer.

"Can I?"

Adelaide nodded again.

Soon two people stood quietly admiring her hair.

Nearby, someone else approached Lavinia.

"...Would it be alright if I touched yours too?"

Lavinia glanced toward Valerie.

Valerie simply shrugged.

"It's your hair."

Lavinia smiled.

"Go ahead."

Cool fingers carefully brushed through the golden strands.

"...Wow."

"It's unbelievably silky."

"It doesn't even tangle."

"I think that's cheating."

Another person laughed.

"I think vampire skin is cheating."

That drew Adelaide's attention.

She looked toward the speaker before smiling warmly.

"I think your skin is nice too."

The young woman blinked.

"...Really?"

"Mhm."

Adelaide nodded.

"I don't think you have much to be jealous of."

The compliment immediately turned the woman's face pink.

She laughed awkwardly while absentmindedly continuing to stroke Adelaide's hair.

Across the room, another group had become fascinated by the vampires' skin.

Rosaline extended one hand.

Someone lightly touched the back of it.

"...It's so smooth."

"And cold."

Rosaline smiled.

"It warms up a little."

"It already is."

Several curious hands carefully compared the difference.

Lavinia watched with quiet amusement.

Only a week ago, people would've run away from something like this.

Now they were politely asking whether they could touch vampire hair.

A voice called from another table.

"Arm wrestle me."

Everyone turned.

One of the young men looked toward Gwendolyn.

She immediately brightened.

"Okay."

She skipped over and sat opposite him.

Her elbow rested lightly on the tabletop.

She wiggled her fingers playfully.

"I'm ready."

The young man laughed nervously.

"I know I'm going to lose."

"You might surprise me."

"I won't."

Their hands clasped.

Someone nearby counted down.

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

"Go."

The man immediately strained.

Muscles tensed.

His face gradually reddened.

Gwendolyn simply smiled.

"...Are you trying?"

"I am!"

"...Really?"

"I promise!"

Several people laughed.

Very slowly...

Almost delicately...

Gwendolyn's hand began lowering his.

No jerking.

No sudden burst of force.

Just a smooth, unstoppable movement.

Tap.

His hand touched the table.

Gwendolyn blinked.

"...Was that too much?"

The man looked down at his arm before laughing.

"I don't think you even tried."

"I was trying."

"No."

He shook his head.

"You were pretending."

Gwendolyn looked genuinely puzzled.

"I wasn't."

That somehow made everyone laugh even harder.

Another man stepped forward.

"My turn."

The result proved identical.

Then one of the women wanted to try.

She lost.

Then another.

She lost too.

Regardless of how much effort the humans put into it...

Regardless of how much they groaned or laughed...

Gwendolyn's expression barely changed.

She simply guided each hand gently down to the tabletop.

After the fifth victory, she smiled sheepishly.

"...Am I supposed to lose one?"

"No."

The room erupted into laughter again.

Lavinia sipped quietly from her cup.

She looked around the room.

Rosaline was animatedly answering questions about vampire hearing.

Adelaide had somehow gathered another group around her after complimenting everyone's skin.

Celestine calmly explained how vampire regeneration worked, carefully emphasizing that they were still vulnerable to sunlight despite recovering from injuries.

Valerie continued demonstrating little things, occasionally disappearing for a heartbeat before reappearing somewhere else.

Even Evelyn...

Lavinia smiled softly.

Evelyn had gradually become part of one of the conversations.

She still spoke quietly.

Still hesitated before answering.

Still looked down every so often.

Yet compared to how she'd acted around the other vampires during their first meeting...

She looked noticeably more relaxed.

Someone asked her another question.

She answered.

The group smiled.

One person laughed.

Evelyn smiled back.

Small.

Shy.

But genuine.

Lavinia found herself watching the interaction for several moments before looking down into her drink.

The room felt...

Comfortable.

Nobody here treated them like monsters.

Nobody looked ready to attack them.

There were questions.

Curiosity.

Occasional nervousness.

But mostly...

People simply wanted to understand.

She lifted her eyes again.

Valerie caught her looking.

"...What?"

Lavinia smiled.

"...Nothing."

She took another sip.

"I was just thinking..."

"What?"

"...This is nice."

Valerie looked around the room.

Humans laughed alongside vampires.

Questions flowed naturally.

Someone challenged Rosaline to another game.

Gwendolyn had somehow acquired another drink.

Adelaide was smiling.

Even Celestine seemed completely at ease.

Valerie smiled back.

"...Yeah."

"It is."

Outside, the city still struggled to adapt to vampires, werewolves, and everything else the Divergence had brought.

Arguments continued online.

People remained afraid.

Others remained hopeful.

Yet inside one rented room above a busy nightclub, those fears felt surprisingly distant.

The night stretched onward with drinks, conversation, laughter, and curiosity, until it became increasingly difficult to tell who was human, who was vampire, and who had simply become friends enjoying the same evening together.

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