The Divergence

───

Lavinia stepped across the threshold.

The heavy front door swung shut behind the group with a deep, muted thud.

Her boots settled soundlessly onto a thick burgundy rug that stretched the length of the entrance hall.

She stopped.

"...Whoa."

The manor's exterior had been beautiful.

The interior somehow surpassed it.

Everything around her radiated restrained luxury.

More richly woven rugs softened the polished stone floors, their intricate patterns winding elegantly through the enormous foyer. Dark wooden tables rested against the walls beneath elaborate mirrors framed with carved black oak. High-backed chairs upholstered in deep crimson fabric surrounded small sitting areas, while tasteful sculptures occupied alcoves between towering windows.

Directly ahead...

A magnificent staircase curved upward toward the second floor.

Its polished railing gleamed faintly beneath the moonlight filtering through the tall windows.

The ceiling soared overhead, disappearing into shadow.

Despite the lack of lamps or candles...

The darkness posed no inconvenience whatsoever.

Every carving.

Every thread woven into the rugs.

Every grain in the wood.

They could all see it perfectly.

Evangeline slowly turned in a circle.

"This is amazing."

Rosaline nodded.

"It really is."

Evangeline's eyes suddenly brightened.

"...Do you think there's a dungeon?"

Rosaline looked at her.

A smile spread across her face.

"I think you should go find one."

"I will."

Without another word...

Evangeline happily wandered away.

Rosaline watched her disappear down one of the many hallways.

"...She actually went."

Cordelia laughed.

"You encouraged her."

"I didn't think she'd listen."

The others gradually drifted apart.

No one discussed it.

They simply...

Spread out naturally.

Some wandered alone.

Others paired together.

The manor felt far too large to explore as one group.

Lavinia found herself drawn toward the grand staircase.

She climbed slowly.

Not because she needed to.

Because she wanted to appreciate it.

Each polished step reflected the moonlight filtering through the windows.

The railing felt smooth beneath her fingertips.

She reached the second floor.

Another expansive hallway greeted her.

Doors lined both sides.

Elegant paintings decorated the walls.

She wandered without urgency.

Looking left.

Looking right.

Occasionally stopping simply to admire another carved pillar or decorative archway.

"...Why am I surprised?"

She smiled to herself.

"The outside was already ridiculous."

Of course the interior matched.

If anything...

It exceeded it.

She wasn't entirely sure why.

She had never cared much for castles.

Or old architecture.

Or anything especially historical.

At least...

She hadn't thought she had.

Yet wandering through this manor filled her with an almost childlike excitement.

Every room invited another look.

Every hallway seemed worth exploring.

She rounded another corner.

A pair of tall doors stood slightly ajar.

Curiosity won immediately.

She peeked inside.

"...Oh."

A bedroom.

An enormous one.

A massive four-poster bed occupied the center of the room, draped with rich dark fabrics.

Elegant wardrobes stood against one wall.

A fireplace rested opposite the bed.

An intricately carved desk overlooked tall windows hidden behind heavy curtains.

Everything looked...

Fit for royalty.

Or perhaps...

A particularly wealthy medieval noble.

Lavinia chuckled quietly.

She absentmindedly rubbed a finger against the fabric of her own dress.

"...Yeah."

She had made the connection long ago.

So had everyone else.

It wasn't exactly subtle.

Vampires dressed in clothing inspired by another era.

The castles.

The manors.

The elaborate gothic architecture.

Anyone with functioning eyes could put those pieces together.

She smiled.

"...I suppose this is vampire welfare."

A quiet laugh escaped her.

"Even Cordelia had to sleep in the ground getting to the city."

That seemed almost ridiculous now.

She stepped farther inside.

The bed immediately drew her attention.

"...Surely..."

She pressed one hand gently against the mattress.

It sank beneath her fingertips.

Soft.

Almost impossibly soft.

Lavinia stared.

"...That's dangerous."

For one dangerous moment...

She considered diving straight onto it.

She resisted.

Barely.

"...Self-control."

She nodded proudly.

"I have it."

Turning instead toward the windows...

She grasped the thick curtains.

Then drew them apart.

Moonlight poured into the room.

Beyond the glass...

An elegant courtyard stretched below.

Stone pathways curved between carefully maintained flowerbeds.

A dry fountain stood proudly at its center.

Beyond the courtyard walls...

The immense forest continued in every direction.

Towering trees swayed gently beneath the night breeze.

It was beautiful.

She smiled quietly.

"...Worth it."

After another minute...

She left the room.

The manor remained almost silent.

Only distant footsteps occasionally echoed through its halls.

Then...

"I told you so!"

Evangeline's delighted voice echoed from somewhere below.

"I told you so!"

Lavinia laughed.

"...Apparently she found something."

She headed back toward the staircase.

As she descended...

She noticed something she hadn't consciously considered before.

The manor contained no obvious source of light.

No chandeliers burned.

No lanterns.

No candles.

No electric fixtures.

Yet none of it mattered.

Not to vampires.

Darkness simply...

Wasn't an obstacle.

Perhaps the design of the manor...

Had never factored light into the design.

Halfway down the staircase...

Someone rounded the corner below.

Celestine.

She carried an old, beautifully decorated book beneath one arm.

Its leather cover appeared centuries old.

Gold detailing framed intricate floral designs.

Lavinia smiled.

"Find anything interesting?"

Celestine looked down at the book.

Then simply handed it over.

Lavinia accepted it.

"...Thanks?"

She opened it.

Beautiful paper.

Elegant binding.

She turned one page.

Then another.

Then several more.

"...Huh."

She frowned.

Then flipped farther.

More pages.

Nothing.

Blank.

Every page.

She looked up.

"...It's empty."

Celestine nodded.

"I've been through several rooms."

"A library or study?"

Celestine smiled faintly.

"I wanted books."

"And I found a study."

"But..."

She glanced toward the book.

"They're all like that."

Lavinia looked thoughtful.

"The paintings?"

"No people."

"Just scenery."

"The furniture?"

"Real."

"The decorations?"

"Real."

"But the books..."

"... Are blank."

Lavinia slowly closed the cover.

"...It's almost like..."

She thought carefully.

"...the manor itself was placed here."

She looked around the hallway.

"...But the history wasn't."

Celestine nodded.

"That's what I thought."

Footsteps approached.

Cordelia rounded another corner.

"I heard that."

She smiled.

"You two aren't exactly quiet."

Lavinia lifted the book.

"Think this place had history?"

Cordelia shrugged.

"It feels like it should."

Lavinia gently shook the book.

"It might have."

She smiled.

"Even if it doesn't now."

She tucked it beneath one arm.

"We couldn't explain vampires and werewolves after the First Divergence."

She gestured broadly around them.

"I'm certainly not explaining this."

Cordelia laughed.

"Fair."

The three continued toward the sound of voices.

Laughter drifted through another doorway.

Lavinia pushed it open.

Inside...

Everyone else had gathered.

Evangeline stood proudly in the center of the room.

Grinning from ear to ear.

Dangling from one finger...

A large ring holding several dark iron keys.

"I told you so!"

She proudly held them higher.

"I found the dungeon."

Rosaline stared.

"...You what?"

"I found it."

"...How?"

Evangeline shrugged.

"I wanted to."

She smiled brightly.

"So I wandered around until I found it."

Rosaline blinked several times.

"...That's not an explanation."

"It worked."

"...Apparently."

Violetta looked around thoughtfully.

"There are..."

She glanced toward the hallway beyond.

"...so many rooms."

She looked back toward Evangeline.

"And yet..."

A small smile appeared.

"You came directly to this one."

She turned toward everyone else.

"...Out of curiosity."

"When you were exploring..."

She paused.

"Were you looking for anything specific?"

Celestine answered first.

"I wanted books."

"So I found a study."

Valerie nodded.

"I wanted to see the gardens."

"I wandered outside again."

Evelyn smiled softly.

"I found the kitchen."

Lavinia laughed.

"I wanted to see the courtyard from inside."

She pointed vaguely upstairs.

"So I naturally ended up in a bedroom with exactly that view."

Rosaline chuckled.

"Convenient."

Lavinia looked toward Violetta.

"...Do you think..."

She hesitated.

"...we already know the layout?"

Violetta shook her head.

"No."

She spoke carefully.

"But..."

She folded her hands.

"There are instincts shared by all vampires."

Everyone listened.

"We naturally seek one another."

"No one teaches us."

"We simply do."

She continued.

"We instinctively understand that sunlight is dangerous."

"We make certain decisions differently from humans."

"Our instincts concerning violence are different."

She looked around the room.

"So..."

Another thoughtful pause.

"...I wonder if this manor is similar."

Lavinia tilted her head.

"You mean..."

"Not remembered."

Violetta clarified.

"...Familiar."

Gwendolyn slowly nodded.

"...That actually makes sense."

She looked around.

"I've definitely never been here."

She smiled sheepishly.

"But..."

"I didn't get lost once."

"I just..."

She gestured helplessly.

"...knew where to go."

Evelyn nodded.

"I found the kitchen the same way."

"I wasn't searching."

"I just..."

"...went there."

Lavinia frowned thoughtfully.

"I don't know."

She looked around.

"Knowing sunlight is dangerous..."

"That feels instinctive."

She tapped the book lightly against her palm.

"But a building layout?"

She shook her head.

"How does architecture become instinct?"

Cordelia leaned comfortably against the wall.

"...Maybe it isn't."

Everyone looked toward her.

She smiled.

"If somewhere feels like home..."

She shrugged.

"Maybe knowing your way around it is part of that."

Silence settled.

Rosaline slowly nodded.

"So..."

She looked around the room.

"None of us have ever been here."

She gestured toward the manor surrounding them.

"But we're..."

She searched for the right word.

"...remembering..."

"...the layout..."

"...of a building..."

"...that didn't even exist seven hours ago."

Cordelia smiled faintly.

"...That's probably exactly what's happening."

No one laughed.

Because after two Divergences...

After vampires.

Werewolves.

A world suddenly four times larger.

Castles appearing in forests that hadn't existed that morning.

Remembering the layout of a manor they'd never entered before...

Somehow...

Didn't seem like the strangest thing anymore.

Valerie quietly drifted over until her shoulder rested against Lavinia's.

Lavinia immediately noticed.

"...What?"

Valerie looked around conspiratorially before leaning closer.

In an exaggerated whisper, she asked,

"...Have you picked a room yet?"

Lavinia stared at her.

Then slowly rolled her eyes.

"...Really?"

She reached over.

Poked Valerie squarely on the forehead.

"We ran for at least half an hour."

Another poke.

"We're nowhere near the city."

Valerie rubbed her forehead dramatically.

"...Ow."

"I barely touched you."

"It was emotionally painful."

Lavinia snorted.

"I'll make the next one physical."

Rosaline laughed from nearby.

"I believe her."

Violetta smiled as she glanced toward one of the manor's tall windows.

"We're approximately sixty miles from the city."

Silence settled over the room.

"...Sixty?"

Cordelia blinked.

"Already?"

Adelaide looked genuinely surprised.

"I didn't realize we'd gone that far."

Gwendolyn slowly nodded.

"...Neither did I."

She thought back over the run.

"It honestly felt like we were only out there for a few minutes."

Rosaline stretched lazily, her back arching as she let out a contented hum.

"...We're sixty miles away from humans."

She smiled.

"Maybe we should just stay out here."

Lavinia laughed.

"As tempting as that sounds..."

She pointed toward Adelaide.

"You've got Marcus."

Then toward Gwendolyn.

"And you've got your mother."

Both nodded.

"I don't think either of you are disappearing into the woods forever."

Gwendolyn smiled sheepishly.

"...Probably not."

Lavinia looked around the room.

"And..."

She spread her hands.

"I don't think this place has internet."

Valerie's face fell.

"...Oh."

Lavinia continued.

"Or electricity."

Valerie deflated dramatically.

She leaned even farther against Lavinia until she was practically hanging from her.

"...Cruel."

Lavinia chuckled.

"I know."

After several seconds...

Valerie straightened again.

"...Actually."

She looked around the lavish room.

"I don't think I'd mind."

Everyone looked toward her.

She smiled quietly.

"The manor is beautiful."

Her gaze wandered toward one of the enormous windows.

"The forests are beautiful."

She shrugged.

"I think I'd stay entertained for quite a while."

Rosaline nodded.

"I understand."

"So do I."

Celestine added softly.

"There isn't much noise."

"It's peaceful."

Before anyone could continue...

A metallic click echoed through the room.

Everyone turned.

Evangeline stood before the heavy iron-bound door leading underground.

One of the dark keys rested in the lock.

She grinned.

"I knew these fit."

She turned the key.

A heavy clunk echoed from within the mechanism.

The lock released.

Evangeline removed it triumphantly.

Then wrapped both hands around the handle.

The thick wooden door swung inward.

Cool air drifted upward from below.

Stone steps disappeared into darkness.

Evangeline beamed.

"I found the dungeon!"

Then, without the slightest hesitation...

She bounced down the staircase.

Her delighted laughter echoed upward.

Rosaline watched her disappear.

"...She really likes dungeons."

"I've noticed."

Cordelia replied.

The others followed at a much more reasonable pace.

The staircase descended farther than expected.

The air grew noticeably cooler.

Stone walls surrounded them.

Their footsteps echoed softly.

Eventually...

The stairs ended.

The room below was surprisingly spacious.

Unlike the manor above, however...

The walls here were almost bare.

Almost.

One enormous stone relief dominated the far wall.

Everyone stopped.

Nobody spoke.

It felt...

Familiar.

The figure carved into the stone possessed unmistakably feminine features.

Long flowing hair.

Slender frame.

Pointed ears.

Eyes carefully carved as smooth circles.

Behind her...

Immense bat-like wings spread proudly.

They stretched outward as though carrying her over an intricately carved forest below.

The craftsmanship was extraordinary...

Every membrane.

Every fold.

Every claw at the wing's joints.

Painstakingly detailed.

The figure appeared almost alive.

Gwendolyn tilted her head.

"...Do we have wings?"

Silence.

One after another...

Everyone subtly tilted their heads in exactly the same thoughtful way.

Lavinia slowly rubbed one finger along her cheek.

"...Apparently..."

She frowned.

"...we always did."

Several pairs of crimson eyes turned toward her.

She shrugged uncertainly.

"I don't think..."

She searched for the words.

"...we forgot."

She looked back toward the carving.

"I think..."

"...we just never thought about them."

Another pause.

"So..."

She shrugged again.

"...we never knew."

Evelyn smiled softly.

"...That's sort of like my blood."

Everyone looked toward her.

"I didn't know it healed people."

She clasped her hands together.

"Not until..."

A faint smile crossed her face.

"...the nurse."

Everyone remembered.

The blood clinic.

The frightened nurse.

The accidental discovery.

"It was always there."

Evelyn continued quietly.

"I just..."

"...hadn't needed it before."

Lavinia nodded slowly.

"...Exactly."

She stepped backward.

Several paces away from everyone else.

Rosaline raised an eyebrow.

"...Planning something?"

"I have to know."

Lavinia rolled her shoulders.

"If we really do-"

A powerful gust of displaced air filled the chamber.

Whoom.

Everyone instinctively looked upward.

Five-meter-long black wings exploded outward from Lavinia's back.

The leathery membranes unfurled with astonishing speed.

The tips immediately touched both the stone floor...

And the ceiling above.

"...Oh."

Lavinia blinked.

"...Right."

The dungeon wasn't nearly tall enough.

The wings folded inward almost immediately, disappearing back into her body as naturally as they had appeared.

She rubbed the back of her neck.

"...I regret doing that down here."

Rosaline laughed.

"A little cramped?"

"A little."

Lavinia admitted.

"...But."

She smiled proudly.

"I had to be first."

Cordelia chuckled.

"Of course you did."

Lavinia looked over her shoulders.

Then twisted one way.

Then the other.

Despite the wings having vanished...

She couldn't stop smiling.

"They're actually real."

She laughed quietly to herself.

"I always thought vampire wings would be..."

She searched for the right word.

"...dramatic."

Rosaline smiled.

"They are."

Lavinia sighed theatrically.

"...We're never living down the vampire stereotypes now."

Cordelia walked over.

Without asking...

She reached out toward Lavinia's back.

The black wings emerged once more.

More carefully this time.

Only partially unfurled.

Cordelia gently rested one hand against the cool leathery membrane.

Her fingers glided lightly along its surface.

The texture surprised her.

Smooth.

Firm.

Cool to the touch.

Almost silky despite looking rugged.

Lavinia shivered slightly.

"...That feels weird."

Cordelia smiled.

"I imagine."

She continued tracing one of the wing's supporting bones.

The cool sensation beneath her palm remained surprisingly pleasant.

Finally...

She looked back at Lavinia.

"...Even without the wings..."

A small laugh escaped her.

"...we were never going to escape the stereotype."

Rosaline nodded.

"We drink blood."

Evangeline counted on her fingers.

"We avoid the sun."

Celestine added,

"We live in gothic manors."

Valerie smiled.

"We're all ridiculously pretty."

Gwendolyn raised another finger.

"We have red eyes."

Evelyn giggled.

"And pointed ears."

Adelaide folded her arms.

"...The wings are honestly just the final detail."

Lavinia looked around at everyone.

Then sighed dramatically.

"...You know..."

She couldn't help smiling.

"...That's actually fair."

The room filled with quiet laughter.

Behind them, the ancient relief watched silently from the wall.

Its stone vampire spread immense wings over the carved forest below.

No one had ever seen it before tonight.

Yet somehow...

It no longer looked like a depiction of a mythical creature.

It looked like a portrait.

One that, only hours after the Second Divergence, suddenly made perfect sense.