The Van Helsing Conjecture – Excerpt No. 312

19 July 2025

Julia turned to Clara and smiled, as though the werewolf was sharing something deeply personal. Clara returned the gesture, but did not immediately dive into her meal.

Instead, she scanned the dining hall. Almost everyone was eating the same dish in an identical manner. If synchronised eating was an Olympic sport, they would handily win gold.

Julia was dipping her bread in the broth before realising that Clara was abstaining.

“What the fuck?” Julia whispered after realising the eerie pattern.

“My thoughts exactly,” Clara said.

a cinematic photograph of a grand, dimly lit dining hall with rustic stone walls, where a sea of nuns and monks, dressed in traditional habits, sit in unison, their faces solemn and focused on their meals, their hands moving in synchrony as they eat, the long, wooden tables stretching out before them, laden with steaming dishes, candelabras, and ornate silverware, the atmosphere thick with the scent of incense and old books, the overall mood contemplative and serene, capturing the harmony and devotion of this sacred community in a single, fleeting moment.

Disclaimer: This novel is an work in progress and readers may encounter grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Please view this a draft and not a published work.