Twilight: blood & brimstone

Forks: Departure at Dawn

The Cullen house stood eerily quiet, bathed in the dim light of early morning. It felt hollow, as if something vital had been carved out and taken elsewhere.

Edward stood by the window, staring into the forest beyond, his expression carved from stone.

He could still feel her.

Not in the way he once did—no gentle hum of her heartbeat, no warmth of human fragility to wrap his arms around.

No, this was different.

Darker.

Like an echo of something that had already slipped beyond his reach.

Carlisle's voice broke through the silence. "The Volturi will not take kindly to this."

Edward didn't turn. "I don't care."

Carlisle sighed, his golden eyes heavy with something between concern and resignation. "Then we leave within the hour."

The decision had been made.

They would go to Volterra.

They would find out what Bella had become.

And if necessary—

They would bring her back.

Even if it meant war.

The Queen's Throne

Miles away, in the depths of a world untouched by human hands, Bella stood atop an obsidian dais, her new domain stretching endlessly before her.

The demon watched her, lounging against the twisted remnants of something ancient. He was amused—always amused—by her evolution.

"You can feel them, can't you?"

Bella didn't turn to look at him.

She could sense Edward.

Feel the pull of his desperation.

But there was something else—something darker.

Something she knew was coming.

The Volturi would not let this lie.

They had always seen her as a pawn. A human toy to be claimed, turned, or discarded.

They would never accept what she had become.

Bella's lips curled in amusement.

Let them come.

Let them see.

She turned to the demon, her eyes dark as the abyss.

"I want to meet them first."

His smirk widened. "Good. It would be such a shame if they arrived unprepared."

Bella stepped forward, the air around her shifting.

She was no longer the fragile girl who had once begged for immortality.

She was immortality.

And soon—

The world would know it.

A Dangerous Alliance

As the Cullens prepared to leave for Italy, Jasper pulled Edward aside, his golden eyes sharp.

"We're walking into a trap."

Edward's gaze remained cold. "I know."

Jasper scoffed. "Then why the hell are we still doing this?"

Edward met his stare, something raw and unrelenting burning beneath his calm exterior.

"Because I can't let her go."

Jasper exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "You don't even know what she is anymore."

Edward clenched his jaw. "Then I'll find out."

Jasper hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

They were walking straight into the lion's den.

And Bella?

Bella was waiting.