The Divergence

The forest welcomed them.

Towering trunks rose like ancient pillars around the group, their immense branches weaving together high overhead. 

Moonlight filtered through countless leaves, painting shifting patches of silver across the forest floor.

Every sound carried with startling clarity.

The rustling of leaves.

The distant rush of flowing water.

The steady chorus of insects.

The heartbeat of dozens of unseen animals scattered throughout the woods.

Lavinia breathed deeply.

"...I love this place already."

Before anyone replied...

She bent her knees.

Then launched upward.

The ground disappeared beneath her in an instant.

Nearly thirty feet above the forest floor, her hand caught a thick branch.

Using the momentum, she swung effortlessly beneath it before twisting gracefully through the air.

A heartbeat later...

She landed lightly atop the branch.

Not a wobble.

Not the slightest stumble.

She straightened proudly.

Placed both hands on her hips.

Then looked down.

"...Did I look cool doing that?"

Rosaline looked up.

Her lips curled into an amused smile.

"You looked very cool."

Lavinia grinned victoriously.

"I knew it."

Valerie gently nudged Rosaline's shoulder.

"Don't indulge her."

"Why not?"

"Because now she'll keep doing it."

"...I was already going to."

Lavinia called down cheerfully.

Rosaline laughed.

"I know."

The group continued walking beneath the immense canopy.

Above them...

Lavinia never returned to the ground.

She bounded from branch to branch with surprising elegance.

Each leap carried her twenty...

Sometimes thirty feet.

The thick branches barely flexed beneath her weight before she sprang away again.

She looked more like some enormous golden squirrel than a vampire.

Evangeline smiled upward.

"You're having fun."

"I am!"

Lavinia called back.

Another effortless leap.

Another graceful landing.

She balanced casually along one branch with her arms spread.

"I can see forever up here!"

The forest stretched endlessly around them.

Rolling waves of moonlit treetops disappeared toward every horizon.

Even the stars seemed closer.

Below...

Gwendolyn quietly watched.

A small smile slowly appeared.

She drifted beside Valerie.

Then...

Nudged her gently.

Valerie looked over.

"What?"

Gwendolyn pointed upward.

Toward Lavinia.

Valerie followed her finger.

Lavinia leapt again.

Dress fluttering.

Valerie's expression changed.

"...Oh."

A knowing smile spread across her face.

She nodded once.

Gwendolyn giggled softly.

A few moments later...

She nudged Valerie again.

And pointed.

Another jump.

Another flutter.

Valerie bit her lip.

Rosaline noticed the exchange.

"...What are you two doing?"

"Nothing."

Valerie answered far too quickly.

Gwendolyn smiled innocently.

"Nothing at all."

Several more jumps followed.

Each time...

Gwendolyn quietly pointed upward.

Each time...

Valerie's smile became a little harder to suppress.

Eventually...

She sighed.

Cleared her throat.

"Lavinia."

Another leap overhead.

"What?"

"Come down."

Lavinia laughed.

"No."

She spun gracefully across another branch instead.

Her black dress flared dramatically around her.

"I refuse."

She landed with theatrical confidence.

"I'm not walking around like a normal person."

She folded her arms proudly.

"I'm embracing the trees."

Gwendolyn burst into laughter.

Valerie smiled.

"...That's wonderful."

"I know."

"...But."

Valerie looked upward.

"Everyone here can see straight up your dress."

Silence.

Lavinia blinked.

"...What?"

Valerie continued gently.

"We're vampires."

"Our eyesight is excellent."

She smiled apologetically.

"I can even see the details of your panties."

Time stopped.

Lavinia froze.

Completely.

She slowly looked downward.

At everyone.

Nobody said anything.

Rosaline's lips twitched.

Cordelia looked away politely.

Evelyn suddenly found the ground fascinating.

Celestine covered her mouth.

Gwendolyn was trying and failing not to laugh.

Lavinia's face remained perfectly still.

"..."

Without another word...

She stepped off the branch.

Forty feet.

She simply fell.

Leaves rushed past.

Branches blurred.

Then...

Thud.

She landed effortlessly upon both feet.

Not even her knees bent.

She immediately straightened.

Smoothed the front of her dress with perfect dignity.

"...I'd rather walk."

For exactly one second...

Nobody spoke.

Then...

Rosaline burst into laughter.

Evangeline doubled over beside her.

"I can't-"

She laughed so hard she struggled to breathe.

"You-"

Another fit of laughter interrupted her.

Rosaline leaned against a nearby tree.

"Oh..."

She wiped away an unnecessary tear.

"...That was the fastest change of opinion I've ever seen."

Valerie stepped closer.

Gently patted Lavinia's shoulder.

"There, there."

Lavinia slowly turned.

Gave her a withering look.

Then brushed Valerie's hand away.

"...I'm pretending none of you saw anything."

"Oh."

Rosaline smiled.

"We definitely did."

Lavinia sighed dramatically.

"...I regret climbing that tree."

"I don't."

Rosaline answered.

"It was hilarious."

Even Adelaide's shoulders shook slightly.

She wasn't laughing loudly...

But she was unmistakably amused.

Lavinia noticed.

"You too?"

Adelaide nodded once.

"...A little."

"Oh, wonderful."

Gwendolyn finally regained her composure.

Mostly.

She smiled brightly.

"...I have an idea."

Everyone looked toward her.

She took several casual steps forward and then turned to look back.

Looked between all of them.

Then smiled wider.

"We should race."

Before anyone answered...

She turned.

And vanished.

One instant she stood among them.

The next...

She was gone.

Only the faint sound of delighted giggling echoed deeper within the forest.

For perhaps two seconds...

Everyone remained completely still.

Then...

Lavinia grinned.

"...She's cheating."

The forest exploded into motion.

Nine vampires became blurs.

Grass flattened beneath their feet.

Leaves spiraled into the air.

The forest echoed with countless rapid footsteps before even those became too quick to distinguish.

The wind rushed past Lavinia's face.

Her golden hair streamed behind her like a banner.

Trees flashed by.

Bushes.

Boulders.

Moonlight.

Everything flowed together.

She wove effortlessly between the massive trunks.

Stepped around exposed roots.

Vaulted over fallen logs.

Slipped through narrow gaps in the undergrowth without losing speed.

As a human...

Something moving this quickly would've been terrifying.

Instinct alone would've demanded caution.

Now...

Running well over one hundred miles per hour through dense forest...

She felt none.

No fear.

No hesitation.

Every branch.

Every rock.

Every tree.

She perceived all of them clearly.

Her body responded before conscious thought ever became necessary.

Apparently...

Everyone else experienced the same thing.

A laugh sounded behind her.

Then...

A hand reached toward her shoulder.

Lavinia twisted smoothly.

The fingertips missed by barely an inch.

Evangeline laughed.

"So close!"

"You'll have to do better than that!"

Lavinia shot back.

Neither lost even the slightest amount of momentum.

Ahead...

Cordelia suddenly appeared beside a low bush.

She reached toward Lavinia.

Lavinia reacted instantly.

She leapt.

Cleared the bush in one effortless motion.

Cordelia laughed.

"Oh, no you don't!"

She vaulted after her without missing a stride.

Rosaline darted between them.

Valerie attempted to tag Rosaline's shoulder.

Rosaline spun away.

Evelyn narrowly ducked beneath a low branch while Adelaide slipped around the opposite side of the same tree.

Within moments...

The race had transformed completely.

No one merely wanted to win anymore.

Now...

They wanted everyone else to lose.

Lavinia laughed aloud.

"This isn't fair anymore!"

"It wasn't supposed to be!"

Cordelia replied.

Ahead...

One scent stood apart from all the others.

Warm roses.

Sweet caramel.

Gwendolyn.

The fragrance drifted through the night like a trail deliberately left behind.

Far ahead...

They could still hear her.

She was giggling.

Entirely too pleased with herself.

Lavinia frowned dramatically.

Then called forward.

Her voice barely rose above normal conversation.

"Gwendolyn!"

The laughter continued.

"You cheated!"

More laughter.

"You should've started when the rest of us did!"

Around her...

A chorus immediately answered.

"I agree!"

Rosaline called.

"Absolutely!"

Valerie shouted.

"She had a head start!"

Cordelia added.

Even Evelyn smiled.

"...It was a little unfair."

From somewhere farther ahead...

Gwendolyn's laughter rang through the trees.

Bright.

Playful.

Entirely unapologetic.

"I didn't want to have to dodge all of you too!"

She laughed again.

"I'm already running!"

Lavinia groaned dramatically.

"That doesn't count!"

"It counts enough for me!"

Gwendolyn answered gleefully.

The chase continued.

Nine vampires tore through the untouched wilderness beneath the moonlight.

Their laughter echoed between ancient trees that, until yesterday, had never existed.

The Diverged Lands stretched endlessly before them.

And for the moment...

Winning mattered far less than simply racing through a world that was finally large enough to surprise them again.

...

The forest blurred around them.

Ancient trunks flashed past in streaks of dark brown.

Bushes bent beneath the wake of their passage.

Moonlight danced through the canopy above as nine vampires tore through the untouched wilderness, laughter carrying between the trees.

Ahead, Gwendolyn's scent of roses and caramel remained just out of reach.

Lavinia grinned.

"I'm catching you!"

"No, you aren't!"

Gwendolyn's delighted laughter floated back through the woods.

"You've got a head start!"

"It sounds like a you problem!"

Lavinia groaned dramatically.

"It is a me problem!"

The ground sloped gently downward.

The sound reached them before the sight.

Flowing water.

Fast.

Clear.

A heartbeat later...

The trees parted.

A broad river stretched across their path, moonlight shimmering across its surface.

It was enormous.

Nearly fifty feet wide.

Gwendolyn didn't slow.

She simply leapt.

Her white hair streamed behind her as she crossed the entire river in one graceful bound.

She landed lightly on the opposite bank without breaking stride.

Lavinia laughed.

"Oh, that's easy."

She pushed harder.

The ground disappeared beneath her feet.

Wind rushed past her face.

The river swept beneath her.

She landed perfectly.

Not even a stumble.

"Ha!"

She looked smugly over one shoulder.

Then...

One after another...

Rosaline cleared the river.

Cordelia followed.

Adelaide.

Celestine.

Evelyn.

Evangeline.

Violetta.

Finally Valerie landed beside her as though the leap had been completely unremarkable.

Lavinia clicked her tongue.

"...Oh."

Valerie chuckled.

"What?"

"I wanted at least one of you to fall in."

"You sound disappointed."

"I am."

Valerie smiled.

"I wasn't about to give you a feast for your eyes by getting completely soaked."

Lavinia looked scandalized.

"I wouldn't look!"

Valerie giggled.

"You absolutely would."

"I would not."

"You definitely would."

Lavinia threw both hands into the air.

"You're prejudiced."

Valerie blinked.

"...Excuse me?"

"You are."

She pointed accusingly.

"You think I'd look because I used to be a guy."

Rosaline's smile immediately widened.

"Oh, this should be good."

Lavinia folded her arms.

"If I wanted to look..."

She gestured broadly toward herself.

"...I'd just look at me."

She shrugged matter-of-factly.

"We're all about the same anyway."

Silence.

Then...

"What?"

"No, we aren't."

"Excuse you?"

Several voices answered at once.

Lavinia blinked.

Rosaline folded her arms.

"I'm definitely not as flat as you."

Cordelia nodded.

"Neither am I."

Valerie smiled smugly.

"I was going to say it more politely."

Evangeline tilted her head.

"...I think mine are a little bigger too."

Even Celestine quietly raised a hand.

"...Mine as well."

Lavinia stared.

Then looked down.

Then back up.

"...Huh?"

She genuinely looked confused.

"My chest is just as big as everyone else's."

Rosaline laughed.

"Oh..."

She pointed at Lavinia.

"...Don't let me catch you."

Lavinia blinked.

"...Why?"

"I'll show you."

Lavinia immediately looked toward Valerie.

"...See?"

"They're threatening me."

Valerie nodded thoughtfully.

"They are."

Ahead...

Gwendolyn's laughter drifted back.

"...It is a bit weird."

Everyone looked ahead.

Gwendolyn sighed dramatically while continuing to run.

"I was so much bigger as a human."

Rosaline nodded sympathetically.

"I was too."

Evelyn smiled apologetically.

Lavinia's expression slowly changed.

"...Oh."

She had made a mistake.

She wasn't entirely sure how...

But judging from the reactions...

Definitely.

She looked around while continuing to sprint effortlessly through the forest.

"...On a scale from one to ten..."

She smiled cautiously.

"...How mad are all of you?"

"Zero!"

Evangeline answered brightly.

Instantly.

Without hesitation.

Lavinia looked toward the cheerful voice.

"...I don't believe you."

She accelerated.

"I definitely don't believe you."

The forest blurred even faster.

"They're absolutely going to beat me up if they catch me!"

Rosaline laughed.

"I wasn't planning on it..."

A pause.

"...Until now."

"Oh no."

Lavinia picked up even more speed.

Ahead...

Gwendolyn's scent remained strong.

Lavinia suddenly called forward.

"Gwendolyn!"

"What?"

"If you stop..."

She pointed dramatically despite running.

"...you'll lose because you'll have to stop them from turning around ahead of you and cutting me off!"

A laugh answered her.

"I'm not helping you!"

"Traitor!"

"I'm winning!"

"That's even worse!"

The race continued for several more exhilarating minutes.

The forest seemed endless.

Ancient trees stretched in every direction.

Moonlight spilled across moss-covered stones.

Owls watched silently from towering branches as the nine vampires became streaks of motion beneath them.

Then...

Gwendolyn slowed.

Her scent lingered in one place.

The laughter stopped.

Lavinia frowned.

"...She actually stopped?"

She eased her pace.

The others followed.

The trees gradually thinned.

The dense forest opened into an enormous clearing.

Everyone emerged from between the final rows of ancient trees.

And stopped.

Silence settled naturally.

No one spoke.

Ahead...

A manor stood proudly beneath the moonlight.

It was magnificent.

Dark stone walls rose three stories into the air.

Elegant towers framed the sprawling structure.

Countless tall windows reflected silver moonlight.

Ornate balconies overlooked perfectly maintained gardens.

Steep roofs and elaborate spires reached toward the night sky.

The entire building carried a distinctly gothic character.

It looked...

Old.

Perhaps one hundred years.

Perhaps two.

Yet every stone appeared pristine.

Not weathered.

Not neglected.

Simply...

Perfect.

Lavinia slowly walked forward.

The stone pathway beneath her boots felt smooth despite its apparent age.

She stopped beside Gwendolyn.

"...Wow."

One after another...

The remaining vampires emerged from the trees.

Their scents rushed together.

Warm vanilla.

Fresh leaves.

Lavender.

Chocolate.

Honey.

Cherries.

Pine.

Flowers.

The familiar fragrances mingled gently within the cool night air.

Nobody looked away from the manor.

Adelaide quietly broke the silence.

"...It's crazy."

Everyone listened.

"...To imagine something like this was simply here."

She looked toward the endless forest behind them.

"...In the middle of all this."

Gwendolyn nodded slowly.

"We've been running..."

She thought for a moment.

"...nearly half an hour."

Rosaline looked back.

The forest had already swallowed the direction they'd come from.

There was no sign of any roads.

No trace of civilization.

Only wilderness.

Lavinia rolled her eyes dramatically.

"I think it's crazier to imagine the world suddenly becoming four times larger."

"That's fair."

Cordelia admitted.

Before Lavinia could continue...

Two arms wrapped around her waist.

"...Huh?"

She suddenly found herself lifted completely off the ground.

Valerie smiled pleasantly.

"I haven't forgotten."

Lavinia blinked innocently.

She batted her long golden eyelashes.

"What did I do wrong?"

Her voice became almost painfully sweet.

Valerie stared at her for several seconds.

Then sighed.

"...You're impossible."

She released her.

Lavinia dropped lightly back onto the pathway.

"I remain innocent."

"No."

"You can't prove anything."

"I don't need to."

Rosaline laughed.

"I witnessed the crime."

"There was no crime."

"There absolutely was."

Lavinia folded her arms with exaggerated dignity.

"I reject your accusations."

"You don't have that authority."

"I've decided I do."

Violetta smiled quietly.

"I don't believe that's how authority works."

Lavinia considered it.

"...Worth trying."

The group resumed walking.

The gardens surrounding the manor were immaculate.

Stone pathways curved elegantly through carefully arranged flowerbeds.

Dry fountains stood proudly among sculpted hedges.

Moonlight reflected across intricate stone carvings decorating low walls and pillars.

Everything appeared lovingly maintained.

As though someone had finished tending the grounds only hours earlier.

Yet no footprints disturbed the paths.

No lights shone from within.

Only silence.

Celestine drifted toward one flowerbed.

The blossoms immediately caught her attention.

Their petals were deep crimson.

Nearly black beneath the moonlight.

Others bloomed in dark violet.

Rich burgundy.

Midnight blue.

She smiled.

"...I like these."

Cordelia joined her.

She looked over the flowers before nodding.

"They definitely match the overall aesthetic."

"They're beautiful."

"They are."

Even the fragrance felt unusual.

Rich.

Subtle.

Earthy.

Nothing bright or overly sweet.

Perfectly suited to the manor surrounding them.

Lavinia slowly climbed the broad stone steps leading toward the entrance.

The front doors towered before her.

Dark wood reinforced with ornate metalwork.

Each panel was carved with intricate gothic patterns.

The doors looked impossibly heavy.

She reached forward.

Placed one hand against the cool wood.

"...Think it'll open?"

Rosaline shrugged.

"Only one way to find out."

Lavinia pushed.

She expected resistance.

Instead...

The door swung inward with surprising ease.

Smoothly.

Silently.

As though perfectly balanced.

Lavinia tilted her head.

"...Huh."

Everyone looked toward her.

"I thought..."

She glanced at the massive doors.

"...that was going to be a lot harder."

Beyond the threshold...

Darkness waited.

Not empty.

Not ominous.

Simply quiet.

And strangely...

Inviting.

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