When Night Comes

8. 𝓥𝓮𝓲𝓵𝓮𝓭 𝓦𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰

The first part of the night had unfolded relatively well. (Y/n) had mostly stood beside the vampire, introduced to others as his future fledgling. Somehow, she had managed to not cringe at that. Gradually, she began to somewhat feel more at ease in the midst of the elegant gathering. However, to her the ballroom was like a labyrinth, and in a moment of distraction, she found herself separated from the duke.

Panic took hold of her as she frantically scanned the room, searching for the familiar figure. The grandeur of the gathering now felt oppressive. Her heart raced, and she quickened her pace through the crowd, anxiety clawing at her.

The thought of what all these vampires could do to her in this vulnerable state lingered in her mind. She was alone and couldn't help but fear that any one of them could jump on her at any moment.

In her hurried quest, she collided with someone. "Be careful," a girl with a thick French accent chided, her voice gentle despite the initial annoyance. (Y/n) looked up, startled and apologetic.

The young girl couldn't have been older than sixteen, with rich dark skin and brown eyes that almost appeared red under the warm glow of the candlelights. She wore a dark purple dress with white gloves and held a delicate fan, while her hair was adorned with black and purple flowers.

Her glare transformed into a curious gaze, then dropped to the black ribbon around (Y/n)'s neck. An eyebrow raised as she observed, "You're human."

(Y/n) flinched and instinctively backed away, but the vampire girl took a step forward. "Rest assured, I won't harm you," she promised, pointing at the ribbon. "This ribbon around your neck signifies that you are one of us, or at least that you will become one of us."

The human girl yelped in surprise as the vampire took her arm and walked arm-in-arm with her, leading her to a slightly elevated platform with a view of the ballroom. Tables and chairs were arranged around, and people—vampires—occupied the seats. They settled at a mostly vacant table, aside from a frail-looking boy who sat alone. (Y/n) felt too intimidated to object and silently complied.

The vampire girl introduced herself with a curtsy. "My name is Elsbeth Dumont. How do you do?"

"I'm fine, thank you. And you?" (Y/n) responded with the correct etiquette thought to her by her strict governess. At least this part of her teachings was useful; the rest mostly felt like boring lectures.

Elsbeth smiled. "Good," she replied. "I don't believe I've seen you here before."

(Y/n) shook her head. "It's my first time attending," she admitted, her discomfort palpable. "You mentioned something about the ribbon earlier...?"

"Yes," Elsbeth confirmed. "You see, we can easily detect when someone isn't one of us, but sometimes sires bring their soon-to-be fledglings to social events. Black ribbons are placed around their necks for their safety and to distinguish them."

Understanding dawned slowly in (Y/n)'s eyes as she took in this new information. Her gaze shifted to the pale boy beside her, who had a red ribbon around his neck. "Is he a human too?" she inquired, hopeful of finding someone like herself.

The boy looked up, appearing slightly startled and bewildered, but before he could respond, Elsbeth interjected, "Don't engage in conversation with the food. It's considered improper, a social faux pas."

Her stomach churned with a sickening sensation, and she felt frozen in place. The boy cast his eyes downward, retreating into his own world. She was too disturbed to find the words to respond. Had they been dealt different cards, she could have been there instead of him dawning the red ribbon instead of the black one. This thought was terrifying.

"When are you due to be turned?" Elsbeth inquired curiously. "I hope this doesn't sound too personal."

(Y/n) averted her gaze, nervously biting her lip. She wasn't certain if discussing her reluctance to become a vampire was appropriate in this situation. "As I turn twelve years old," she simply stated, the words hanging heavy on her tongue.

Elsbeth's eyebrows rose. "That's quite young," she remarked, as if she was speaking from her own experiences. "Being turned at a young age has the unfortunate drawback of never being taken seriously by mortals."

(Y/n) gave another shrug, not having deeply contemplated the implications. "Well, I guess as I get older, the issue will resolve itself."

The vampire suddenly halted, appearing surprised by her statement. "You do realize that—"

"(Y/n)," came a voice she recognized, causing her to turn around with a relieved smile as she saw the duke. "It appears you've made a new friend in the meantime."

(Y/n) wouldn't call them friends per se. Just an acquaintance that had deigned to keep her company. She didn't want to get too attached as she didn't plan on being a part of this world. "This is Elsbeth," she introduced nonetheless.

"Bonsoir, Duke de Beauvoir," Elsbeth greeted with a charming smile. "My name is Elsbeth Dumont. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The duke's lips curled into a slight smile. "The pleasure is mine," he replied. He then turned to (Y/n) and informed her, "We'll be leaving soon."

"So soon?" protested a shrill voice. "We haven't had a chance to catch up, Duke de Beauvoir."

Seeing his expression change, (Y/n) realized he had an unpleasant history with the person who had addressed him. "Good evening, Madame Rossignol," he almost drawled. "How are you?"

"Quite well, thank you," she replied, her voice dripping with smokiness. "I've noticed your absence from recent gatherings, Duke. You can imagine my delight upon hearing of your presence tonight."

"I've been terribly busy," he explained with a dismissive wave. "May I introduce to you my daughter, (Y/n)?"

The vampire woman, a striking redhead in an emerald green dress that accentuated her emerald eyes, looked down at her and cooed, "What a darling she is. When will she be turned?"

"Upon turning twelve," he replied.

Madame Rossignol seemed surprised. "So young," she commented like Elsbeth had. "You know, at such a tender age, she may require some guidance."

"I am her sire," he countered with a strained smile.

"A motherly guidance," she clarified, her long black nails gracefully brushing her cheek.

The duke pulled (Y/n) away. "That will not be necessary," he refused categorically.

"You see, in the the absence of your companion," she continued, "Someone must take care of the—"

His grip became even tighter as he interrupted her. "My companion is quite well," he practically snarled, his patience wearing thin. "Thank you for your suggestions, but we are perfectly content." He then briskly walked away with (Y/n), announcing, "The sun will rise soon, and we must depart now."

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As some of you might have realized during this chapter, (Y/n) isn't aware that vampires stop aging after their turning. This will become more important later on. She doesn't know much about vampires other than the folk tales. This world is aware of their existence but knows little about them.