Twilight: blood & brimstone

The Flight to Volterra

The private jet hummed softly as it cut through the clouds, its cabin heavy with silence. The Cullens sat in tense contemplation, each lost in their own thoughts.

Edward sat by the window, his fingers tapping idly against his knee. He had barely spoken since they left Forks. His mind was elsewhere—trapped between the past and the unknown.

Bella was out there.

Not hiding. Not running.

But waiting.

And that terrified him more than anything.

Across from him, Alice stared blankly at the table in front of her. It had been days since she last saw anything of Bella.

A void.

A nothingness.

And that scared her more than she cared to admit.

Jasper sat beside her, unusually still. His senses were screaming at him. Everything about this felt wrong.

Carlisle was the only one who seemed composed, but Edward could hear the slight shift in his thoughts—the carefully hidden worry buried beneath logic and reason.

They weren't just walking into enemy territory.

They were stepping into something they didn't understand.

Rosalie and Emmett sat further back, speaking in low voices. Even Emmett, usually unfazed by the threat of a fight, seemed more serious than usual.

Finally, it was Carlisle who broke the silence.

"The Volturi won't like us stepping into their domain without invitation." His voice was measured, calm. "We need to be careful."

Edward exhaled sharply. "If they know anything about Bella, I don't care what they like."

Carlisle studied him for a moment before nodding. "Just remember—they are not our only concern."

Edward didn't need to ask what he meant.

Bella was no longer a girl caught in the middle of supernatural forces.

She had become one.

Volterra: A Warning from the Shadows

The city of Volterra loomed before them, its ancient stone walls whispering of secrets older than memory.

As they approached the Volturi's domain, Edward's senses sharpened.

Someone was watching.

A blur of movement in the shadows. A whisper of something not quite human.

Then, a voice.

"You shouldn't have come."

Edward turned sharply, golden eyes locking onto the figure stepping from the darkness.

A vampire. Cloaked in deep red, his skin the ashen pale of the Volturi's elite.

Felix.

Edward narrowed his eyes. "We need to see Aro."

Felix's lips curled in amusement. "You think he doesn't already know you're here?"

Jasper tensed beside Edward, his every muscle coiled in anticipation of a fight.

But Felix only chuckled. "Come. He's been expecting you."

Edward didn't like this.

None of them did.

But they followed anyway.

The Throne Room of the Damned

Aro's throne room was exactly as Edward remembered—vast, cold, and suffocatingly dark.

The ancient vampire sat upon his throne, his eerie smile already in place. Caius and Marcus flanked him, their expressions unreadable.

Aro spread his hands in mock welcome. "Ah, my dear Cullens! What a surprise."

Edward didn't waste time with pleasantries.

"You know why we're here."

Aro's smile widened, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Do I?"

Edward clenched his fists. "Bella."

For a brief moment, silence.

Then, a soft chuckle.

Aro tilted his head, his long fingers tapping against his chin. "Ah, yes. Your beloved Isabella." His tone was laced with something unreadable. "I did wonder when you would come seeking answers."

Edward took a step forward, ignoring Jasper's subtle warning glance. "Then give them to me."

Aro sighed, almost theatrically. "Oh, Edward. You ask for things as if I simply owe you the truth."

Edward growled, low and dangerous. "If you know something—"

"Oh, I know many things," Aro interrupted smoothly. "And I must admit, your little human-turned-something else has become quite the fascinating mystery."

Alice tensed beside Edward. "Then you have seen her."

Aro's expression didn't change. "Oh, not in the way I would have liked. You see, ever since her transformation, she has… how shall I put this? Become quite difficult to track."

Alice stiffened.

Edward's eyes darkened.

"You mean you can't see her either."

Aro smiled, clearly enjoying their discomfort. "Isn't it curious? I can read the thoughts of every creature that walks this earth, yet your dear Isabella has slipped beyond my reach."

Edward's patience was wearing thin. "Then tell me what she is."

Aro leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping into something softer.

"A storm, dear boy."

Edward's breath caught.

"A storm that has only just begun to awaken."

Bella: The Web Tightens

Far from Volterra, Bella stood at the edge of a ruined city—a place long forgotten by time.

Her new domain.

The demon stood beside her, watching as she traced a hand along the cracked stone.

"They're coming," she murmured.

The demon smirked. "Of course they are."

Bella's fingers curled, and the very air around her shuddered.

"I want them to."

The demon chuckled. "And what will you do when they arrive?"

Bella turned to him, her expression unreadable.

"I'll show them what they lost."

She stepped forward, shadows swirling around her like a living thing.

"They came to save me."

A slow, dark smile curled her lips.

"But I don't need saving."