When Dr. Rugenn finds a unique genetic transcription factor from a discovery long buried in a Norwegian glacier, he can turn-on multiple traits left dormant in the human evolution. A new race is reborn: the nocturnals. Using his favorite mythological creature as inspiration, the scientist is excited to bring about the nocturnals with fangs, nocturnal cat eyes, superior senses and attributes. The nocturnals, or nocs, become his pet vampire project. Long after Dr. Rugenn's death, the small community of nocs live hidden under the protection of the science society he started. It is as a scrawny teenage boy that Varian, a noc, first sees Miranda, while she is attending a science fair with her scientist uncle, Ralph. It is love at first sight. His awkward pale appearance and indoor sunglasses register with Miranda as well, but her memory fades while he spends years waiting for an opportunity to expose himself and his kind to her and woo her. Then one day, Miranda receives an invitation through her skeptics club to attend the summer science seminar at Pinecrest, the headquarters of Rugenn's science society. It is situated in the countryside by the rural town of Hibonville and the hidden nocturnal community. The deconstructive compound is surrounded by lush pine forests, hills, sweeping fields, and a small lake. It is the perfect backdrop for adventure, romance, and tragedy for the young urban seminar attendees. The focus of the seminar is to distill mythological creatures and find scientific possibilities behind the myth.