The first thing I did after the meeting—
Was unleash the shadows.
Not dramatically.
Not all at once.
Quietly.
Patiently.
Like a god with too much time and too many minions.
Global Shadow Sweep (a.k.a. I See You)
Shadow soldiers slipped into cities, forests, deserts, oceans, and places humans had names for but never truly understood.
Every continent.
Every ley line.
Every myth that people pretended was fiction.
They didn't attack.
They observed.
Catalogued.
Counted.
Marked.
Not just vampires and wolves—everything else that lived between "urban legend" and "classified incident."
I watched through a thousand eyes and resisted the urge to sigh dramatically.
"…This world was never normal," I muttered to you.
Scáthach stood beside me, arms crossed, amused.
"Humans pretend," she said. "It comforts them."
Negotiations: The Civilized Kind (Mostly)
We didn't start with force.
That would come later, if needed.
Instead—
I talked.
Scáthach loomed.
Together, we visited chieftains, elders, hidden councils, ancient beings pretending to be folklore.
The pitch was simple:
"You may relocate to my world.
You will be safe.
Time will not betray you.
Humans will not dissect you.
If you refuse—
We will still protect you.
But negotiation will be… firmer."
Scáthach smiled whenever I said that last part.
Negotiators.
That's what we called ourselves.
Very polite.
Very dangerous.
And surprisingly?
It went well.
Not perfectly—but well.
Some were cautious.
Some suspicious.
Some immediately agreed and asked about property rights.
I did not describe them here.
You'll see why next chapter.
Volturi Scouts (Who Thought They Were Sneaky)
Halfway through the week, I felt it.
A ripple.
Familiar.
Vampiric.
I sighed.
"…Of course."
A few elegant shadows drifted near Volterra.
Ancient.
Arrogant.
Nosy.
Volturi scouts.
Trying to "sniff around," as they liked to do.
Except—
They weren't scouts.
They were already dead.
They just didn't know it.
Because every one of them?
Shadow soldiers.
Bound.
Watching.
Reporting.
I smiled.
"Let them look," I said. "They'll report what I want them to."
Scáthach chuckled. "You are cruel."
"Efficient," I corrected.
One Week Later: Dates Set
Seven days.
Countless talks.
Threats disguised as agreements.
Agreements disguised as mercy.
By the end of the week—
Relocation dates were fixed.
Timetables established.
Contingencies prepared.
And then—
I noticed something.
Something… unsettling.
The Truth About Model–Monster World
As preparations ramped up, more beings gathered in neutral zones.
Human forms.
Public faces.
And that's when it hit me.
"…Wait."
I stared.
Then stared harder.
Then stared professionally.
"…Why is everyone hot."
Scáthach tilted her head. "Is that unusual?"
"Yes," I said firmly. "Yes it is."
Vampires were already attractive.
That was canon.
But this?
This was excessive.
Men who looked like runway models.
Women who looked like they owned fashion empires.
Beings whose casual appearance would bankrupt Hollywood.
Some weren't just attractive.
They were unfair.
"…Now I get it," I muttered.
Scáthach smiled knowingly.
"The author named your world well."
I rubbed my face.
"Model–Monster World," I said. "Because monsters… but also models."
She nodded. "Your aesthetic standards will suffer."
I looked at you.
"Pray for me."
Strategy Adjustment: Vampires Last
With the dates set and most negotiations done, we reviewed the list.
And unanimously agreed on one thing.
"We contact vampires last," I said.
Scáthach laughed. "Because of the Volturi."
"Because," I corrected, "they have a stick permanently lodged in their collective ass and think governance means micromanaging everyone's immortality."
She nodded approvingly.
"They will interfere."
"They will question."
"They will threaten."
"And," I finished, "they will not like that this plan didn't come from them."
Scáthach cracked her knuckles.
"Then they will learn."
Calm Before the Migration
Everything was ready.
Shadows watching the lab in Antarctica.
Supernaturals quietly preparing to move.
Humans blissfully unaware.
Life, for once, felt… organized.
Which meant—
Something was about to go wrong.
I leaned back in my chair.
"Next chapter," I told you, "you'll see why I didn't describe them yet."
The shadows shifted.
The world held its breath.
And Model–Monster World waited to be filled.
[Chapter Twenty-Eight Complete.]