All Characters of Twilight respectfully belong to Stephanie Meyer. Unless stated otherwise. This is a non-profit story. No copyrights infringements intended. Plot and so on belongs to me. Enjoy~
It takes a resilient mind and a strong heart to accept the truth – That humans aren't the only intelligent and superior creatures existing in this world. That there was a much more greater level in the predatory chain, too high for humans to grasp and so well hidden from our mere eyes to see. Even as they walked among us, undetected – coy, beautiful and dangerous.
If a human was lucky enough to discover one of them, they wont live to tell a soul. If only I knew of the risks back then. But the mere thought of such a discovery was too enthralling to dismiss. This is what Edward was to me. This mysterious enigma that waited for my impatient fingers to slowly unravel. It was a challenge. And Edward all but beckoned me to take action.
At first he appeared to shun my curiosity, but later my prying piqued his interest and I dare not disappoint. Not only would I gain the answer to satisfy my hunt for the truth. But I craved the acceptance to be seen for more than just a mere nobody, average and ordinary, nothing worthy enough to be spared a second glance. I was getting too tired of sinking in an abyss when the air smelled so much sweeter beyond the surface. And I felt it would lead me to a place where I truly belonged. I just needed to get my hands on the truth. I swear I was so close I could almost taste the answer on the tip of my tongue.
A series of strange dreams served as premonitions that illuminated a few hints into not just Edward's true nature, but also the entire Cullen family's mysterious shared traits. And I was a fool to even think that it only limited them to their physical appearance. In a twisted way, I was ironically grateful I was nearly crushed by that van, otherwise Edward wouldn't have shown me the most amazing phenomena in existence.
Now I would like to first say that I am not stubborn, not by any means. I mostly lived an introverted lifestyle, where I just let things be and allowed the days to blur away together in a series of memories I would not even be bothered to recall when I became much older.
And even though people in my youthful age still clung to the ideals and ambitious to achieve their heart's content. I on the other hand adapted a mentality of a semi middle-aged woman, except in my case I gave up before I even tried. And I just agreed with people for the sake of agreeing because I wanted everyone around me to be pleased and dismissive of me. Some people would have me classified as a doormat, but I whole-heartedly disagree. I just live a simple life; I hated attention, despised sticking my foot in people's business, and disliked any sort of confrontation.
But when a boy that looked too good to be true and behaved in a way no other human should, and felt as cold as ice and stopped vans with just one hand, stumbled into my life, I ask you; what would you do in my situation? It wasn't so much as stubbornness that propelled me but more along the lines of motivation. I just needed a day or two to figure it out. But with all things that were most unfortunate in my life. The inevitable of being depraved what I yearned to seek was pulled further from my reaches when my dad received an invitation from an old friend that wished to get reacquainted with him.
Far be it from me to stand in the way of Charlie reconnecting with a long lost friend of his. But being pulled along for the journey was the last thing I anticipated to happen. Especially from my odd yet predictably recluse father that shied away from any attempt to be trapped in the same space with me for more than a few hours. But in that aspect I took more after him. And solitude was my second favorite companion beside my books.
In hindsight that was probably the lesser of my worries. Because Charlie could not travel all the way to Europe and leave his only daughter behind to 'fend for herself' and like a heavy burden that I felt I was to my father, he dragged me on his journey with him.
And when Edward knew of my plans for mid-year's vacation, to my disappointment he looked slightly relieved that I wouldn't be probing him for answers. Although at the same time he looked devastated at the news of my short absence. But maybe I was just deluding myself into believing that somehow I became endeared to him. That is until he made me promise to keep in touch, and how could I say no when he flashed me that dazzling crooked smile.
We were traveling in the heart of Romania. Our plane landed in Bucharest and the rest of the journey was by a rental car as we continued north where Charlie's 'friend' owned a home on the countryside.
I couldn't stress how much of an understatement Romania considered its own country region to be, as it was less of the open field type and more of the thick wooded area type. The kind you do not want to get lost in due to the slim prospect of coming out the other end in pristine condition. Just by the look of them you can tell they were infested with dangerous animals than our own woods back in Forks. So the odds of me taking a stroll were zero to none if the scenery that enveloped the narrow road we drove on didn't thin down some of the dark cluster of trees. I'd wager if I walked into them for at least a yard or so, I might not spot the road within my vision.
Who in their right mind would live in a place like this? Even the weather suffered a serious depression. Though Forks had the miracle of a sunny day every few weeks, I don't think this side of the world had seen the sun in many months!
I slumped in my own little bubble of misery as I watched the world blur by in nothing but trees, and trees, and even more trees. I reached inside my jacket pocket for my cell phone and groaned aloud what last remnants of frustration I felt. No service signal.
The gruff sound of a throat being cleared from the driver's side was a sign for my demanded attention. I looked to my right at the source; because the European automobile system had the driver situated at the right side of the vehicle, and met the frowned gaze of my disapproving father.
"You're not going to need that." Charlie stated firmly while eyeing my iPhone.
"But Dad …"
"I wont have you sitting through this entire ride with your face slumped in front of your phone. Do you know how much the texting bill costs on international numbers?"
I puffed my cheek at his presumptions. "Maybe you should have also gotten me a pre-paid number when we stopped for gas."
"No." His answer was out before I had a chance to blink.
"Da~d …" I whined. Charlie could really bring the immature out of me even though I had more responsibilities to wash and cook for him at the house than he had living by himself. As he was busy taking care of our town, apparently he didn't have time to take care of himself. That's where I came in.
Charlie sighed in his own fashion of a rebuttal. "We only needed one and we are only using it for emergencies." He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel before he added. "Besides, this is suppose to be a holiday, right? Technology will only get in the way."
If Charlie weren't focusing on the road then he would have seen the sarcastic deadpan expression on my face, because the irony of such a comment coming from someone who was glued to his TV watching the sports channel wasn't lost on me.
Suddenly a metaphorical light bulb flashed above my head. "Mom would have strongly agreed on me having a phone."
For the first time, Charlie offered me a slight smirk that just looked weird on his constant poker face. "I spoke to your mother before we left." He turned his eyes back to the road but the smirk never left his face. "You were outvoted, kid. Sorry."
"But Dad, did I really have to be here?" I might have been able to rephrase it better, but no amount of interpretation could disguise the irritation in my tone.
"Sweetie, I won't have you staying home alone during the entire week. It's not safe and I should know, I'm the chief."
"He's your friend. What am I going to be doing for a whole week?"
"I told you, he has a niece around your age. I'm sure both of you are going to get along just fine."
Like a menacing dead gaze of an owl, I slowly turned my head to face my father. "You said on the plane that she was my age, not around my age." I worded cautiously.
"Well …. She is a teenager. " he stated emphatically.
But I narrowed my eyes because even though he wasn't looking at me, I can tell my intense staring was figuratively burning the visible side of his face. "What range in teen years are we even talking about?"
He attempted to mutter his answer and hope I wouldn't hear him. But he didn't do a very good job. "Mmmhf-fourteen-hmm"
For the entire five minutes that I sat staring a hole through Charlie's skull he never, not even once, dared to meet my gaze. When I deemed the silence sufficient enough, then I spoke. "You can't just assume we will instantly become best friends for the sole reason that we are teenagers! That's not how teenage girls function you know?"
"Bells, stop being so sour." Charlie chastised.
I looked straight ahead and rubbed my forehead vigorously. "I can't believe your doing this to me."
"You could at least try." I could hear a slight tint of sympathy in my dad's voice.
I peered at Charlie from the corner of my eye. "I could have been fine if I stayed over at Jake's house, or have him stay over."
His mood immediately shifted from placating to annoyance almost instantly. "Bella as much as I like Jacob like my own son, he is still a teenage boy running on wild hormones." Charlie peered at me for a few seconds before he focused on the road again. "And I see the way he looks at you." He added almost like an after thought.
"Dad .. Ew ... No.." I muttered dejectedly.
"So you say,"
"Jake is like a brother to me!"
"But that's not how he sees it, Bells. That boy has always been smitten with you."
"Now your talking crazy." I sighed.
I straighten in my seat feeling the kink in my lower back from sitting in the car for an oddly long time. I looked around, and pretty much the view was still the same. And it was getting even darker. As what light was casting through the sky and getting muddled by the heavy blanket of clouds was slowly setting to mark the nearing end of the day.
"Are you sure we are not lost? We have been driving for hours." I spoke with worry as I looked around, trying to hide my frantic anxiety. There were no buildings or any sign of suburban life to be seen. And I was sure, as sure as the sun rises from the east, that we were not sleeping in the car because that was just not our style. Charlie was not that liberal and I am sure I inherited that trait from him too.
As a response to my statement, Charlie examined the small screen placed on a mounted stand right on the center of the dashboard. He remained silent while I began to eye him hesitantly. "Are you sure this thing is reliable?" I asked, tapping the bulky plastic frame of the device.
Charlie mumbled, "It's military grade satellite navigation, Bells." He rotated the screen to my side so that I can see what he was just scrutinizing. He pointed at a very narrow road up ahead on the GSP map that broke away from the one we were already on. "Once we reach this point, we reach our destination." Charlie stated before he allowed the car to fall into silence.
And surely, a few miles away we veered from the main road and came across a much bumpier one. And if I thought the forest hugged the main road back there, then it was nothing compared to this intensity. I could literally roll down my window, reach out and confidently touch one of the passing trees, or even worse, I could have my arm ripped from the socket. It was just that dangerously close.
But it didn't take long as the trees parted and suddenly my side of the car was a massive barrier of brick to brick concrete that extended a good length of forty feet skywards. Was there an army base camp near where Charlie's friend lived? This thing went as far as my eyes could see. Almost like it held a fortress beyond it.
"We're here." Charlie suddenly spoke. As between the row of bricks lay a large black iron gate that showed nothing beyond for the outside world to see. And what stunned me even further is when Charlie pulled our rental right up to it.
"No way." I whispered almost to myself than to my dad. But Charlie just shrugged at me, and the look on his face showed that he also wasn't expecting this either. There was an intercom stand right next to the driver's side and Charlie pushed the only button that was on the silver grey box, beneath a protruding semi black orb which I guessed to be a security camera. I craned my head to examine the large iron black gate, and on each side were two more painfully obvious security cameras. Clearly someone took serious issue to trespassing and privacy.
"Yes?" the static muffle of a very delicate feminine voice came from the speaker box. I didn't know why I was shocked it was a woman that answered on the other side of the intercom. Perhaps because this place lacked the luster of such a delicate lulled tone to even belong in this sort of setting. And I tried to rationalize that maybe it was much safer to be on the other side of this massive wall than outside it. After all, with such kilometers of forest, who knows what dangerous predators might be lurking in the dark.
For some reason my dad thought it was prudent to clear his throat before speaking. And I surmised that the young feminine tone caught him off guard. "Charlie Swan here to see .." Charlie barely got the sentence out before the other side of the speaker suddenly perked up. "Oh yes! The Master is expecting you. Please proceed."
The massive black gates parted, they seemed to have been electronically operated. But like a scene from a horror film, they emitted a very loud screeching sound as they skidded on the ground, almost as if the very gates were trying to protest at us. However I didn't think anything beyond it as my mind was occupied with other things, like deep down I wished that they had sufficient enough technology, like a Wifi connection.
"Please proceed!" The lady on the intercom repeated, scaring the hell out of me, when our car didn't immediately drive forward. And when we proceeded inside, I furrowed my brow at what we saw. It seemed that the landscape within the walls inclined upward, because as Charlie drove along the surprisingly long driveway, which was also bizarrely framed by long hedges of well trimmed bushes that didn't provide preview of our surroundings, the more our car tilted up.
"We're not in Kansas anymore, kid." Charlie grunted. While a gruesome version of the Lollipop Guild hiding behind the long hedges, waiting to attack our car was instantly imagined in my head.
"Uh-huh." I muttered as I wrung my hands together, suddenly feeling very nervous. I couldn't explain it, but something just felt so … off about this place. No sooner had I thought it then the road widened into an open landscape. And my jaw simply fell at what I saw in front of me.
Charlie said his friend owned a "house", but when our car arrived into an open landscape, the building before us did not lay in the same category of suburban housing that normal people were accustomed to. And no dictionary in the world that defined the word "house" would have a picture of that looming structure beside it. That was no house! But there was one word for it: a MANSION! A gargantuan, tall, gothic, brick structure. Something from a fantasy or historical book, and it even had an open garden that had bushes of blooming flowers framing the edges. And as our car drove through the narrow man-made driveway between the greenery landscapes, I rolled my window down impatiently to look at the flourishing vista. Roses, peonies, and hydrangeas, were the ones I recognized, and there were a few more I couldn't see properly and some I didn't identify as they looked to be exotic. But it went without saying, whoever lived here took grand consideration of the outer property, and I could only imagine what the inside must look like.
As our car passed the slope of the garden, we curved onto a miniature roundabout where there was an intricate stone fountain in the center, dominated by a magnificent male Greek marble deity sculpture holding a trident in one hand and a jar that poured water within the diameter of the fountain. We drove around it and immediately I saw the doors open as a cluster of men dressed in black attire – the similarity made them look like uniforms – rushed to our car as soon as it came to a stop. One of the fellows came around to open our doors, while others unloaded our luggage.
The man who opened my door offered me his hand to help me out, it sort of reminded me of when Edward used to offer me his hand as a sign of chivalry. And though I was perfectly capable of exiting the vehicle myself, I didn't want to be rude to a kind gesture as the man smiled politely at me with twinkling green eyes, so I took his proffered warm hand and smile back.
I walked around to where my dad was standing beside our luggage and sorting my bags from his own as he instructed the two males present beside him. It only dawned on me then that they were the help around the house. Though they looked barely in their late twenties, but they functioned in harmony like a well practiced unite as they glided around us back and forth.
"Please give the keys to your vehicle to, Armin, he will park it in our garage. We will have the keys in our possession. Should you ever need your vehicle simply inform one of the household members to bring it to the main door." One of the two people standing beside Charlie informed while the man who helped me out of the car extended his hand to take the keys.
When Charlie relinquished the keys, we were ushered to the double doors of the manor and we halted in the first area of the structure – I still couldn't bring myself to call it a house – which looked to be the grand foyer.
"Mister Swan." A sandy blonde haired man approached Charlie and shook his hand. "I'm the Master's ... personal assistance, among a few. My name is Demetri, at your service, sir. I hope traveling was well for you and your …." The young man trailed off as his eyes met mine.
" … My daughter Isabella." Charlie answered and I can sense his forced tone. However, his tone smoothed out as he continued. "It was long, but luckily no obstacles along the way. Although if it weren't for the directions we were provided I think we wouldn't have found this place." He explained.
"Indeed." Demetri nodded, meeting Charlie's eyes briefly before his gaze dragged over lazily to meet mine. He turned to me slowly and extended his hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Isabella. If there is anything you need please do not hesitate to ask me." I took his hand, which were enclosed in soft black leathered gloves, but rather than shaking it he pulled me forward and brought my hand up while he inclined his head down and placed a soft kiss on my skin. His lips touched my hand briefly and skittered along my skin so gently like a light stroke of a butterfly's wing. And for a moment I thought I had imagined that his lips felt colder than the average person. But I shook my head of that daze as I thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me, after all his skin barely touched mine for me to assume such a thing. Demetri was a beautiful man, but I think it was his European charm and surprisingly pale skin that has thrown me for a loop, although I surmised that down to the fact that this countryside didn't see very much sunlight, and the fact that winter was creeping rapidly close – which would also explain the gloves.
Demetri, still bowing, slowly craned his neck up. And for a moment I thought I was still seeing things that weren't real. Because for some reason as our eyes connected, his nostrils instantly flared and his eyes, which I thought were a dark shade of brown, were actually more on the line a brownish-red and looked slightly hazy. I tried to slowly pull my hand away, but he had me in a very strong grip and if I pulled my hand any harder I thought I might bruise myself. And he clearly did not get the hint to release me as he continued to hold me still and eerily gaze at me. And for a moment his beauty, which I thought to be his blessed inherited genetics, transformed into something I just couldn't be able to comprehend.
"Charles!" A deep voice suddenly exclaimed from behind Demetri. And it was almost like he has been physically jolted by it, as he released my hand and all the people around him straightened to face the center of grand foyer, where a twin set of stairs connect the first floor to the ground floor. And from one of the staircase, a very tall man clothed in black from head to toe descended while he tapped his fingers along the mahogany banister. He had dark lush shoulder length hair; even from this distance it looked too soft to be real, skin as pale as a pearl, elegant cheekbones, proud sharp nose, and a defined edged jaw. His austere lips beamed in delight at my father.
Every detail about him screamed of high nobility. But most of all his striking handsome face nearly took my breath away. And I tried to control my pulse and my breathing as they increased instantly. However my reaction to his dramatic appearance and the way he carried himself, almost like he was waltzing on his feet so gracefully, was rather nostalgic in some way. Like I have felt this experience in a sense of a Déjà vu, but I knew I had never met this man and I was never caught in such a scenario before. But this familiar yet strange feeling kept prickling the back of my mind, like it was pleading for me to recall a certain memory.
While I was too busy getting lost in my own head, this striking man approached Charlie and the people surrounding us made way from him almost like it would have been an insult to disturb his personal space. He stopped in front of my dad and they shook hands. I took note to how he was also wearing leathered gloves and it was strange as the inside of this manor felt warmer than the chilling outdoors. I looked around at the other male members present and they all seemed to be absent a set of gloves aside from this Demetri fellow and this mystifying, tall, dark … noblemen? I'm still trying to grasp the concept of how my own father came across such a person like him.
"My friend, how are you? It's been so long. And look at you – you barely aged!"
"Don't flatter an old man when you look like you have been bathing in the fountain of youth. You look exactly as I remember you, or maybe this old tired brain doesn't recall things like they used to."
"Oh Charles, I see your sense of sarcasm hasn't changed." The man smiled at my father fondly.
"Why would I change one of my best qualities? It captures hearts left and right."
"Oh stop it!" The dark haired man sniggered before he looked to me. "And who is this lovely young lady? Charles, introduce, introduce!" he nudged my dad's shoulder.
"Of course, where are my manners?" Charlie – in paternal adoration that he hardly expressed – wrapped an arm around my shoulder and brought me to his side. "This is my pride and joy, my wonderful daughter Isabella." I don't think I have ever seen Charlie ever play the role of a gushing parent but it was sort of embarrassing and I couldn't stop blushing.
The man looked at me with sharp scrutiny before he replaced the hard press on his mouth with a subtle smile. He moved closer and raised his open palm towards me. "A pleasure to make your honored acquaintance, Isabella. My name is Aro, and I am most delighted to welcome you in my home." He spoke with a velvety voice that almost made my knees tremble. And unlike the other people who have heavy European accents, this man lacked an articulation to his origin. Which made his tone inundate with raw deep saturation of masculine potency.
When I didn't take his hand, which hovered awkwardly between us, Charlie gave me an obvious nudge that might as well have been expressed with a clear shout in my ear to take the man's hand and greet him respectfully. And so I did.
Aro's eyes looked directly into mine and held my gaze in a hypnotic stare, and for a single moment all thoughts evaporated from my mentality, because I actually took this moment to really gaze into his eyes. And the slight nagging in my head turned into a throbbing attack on my brain, begging even pleading for me to remember that which I couldn't recall.
For you see, Aro had the blackest of eyes I had ever seen. A darkness in his iris that seemed impossible to be possessed by any person, to the point that I didn't know where the pupils began and where the irises ended. And even in this close proximity to him, with this man being much taller than me, I still couldn't fathom the deep ebony of his stare.
However … they rang clear with a certain familiarity. And when I put the dark eyes together with the impossibly pale skin, and the unnatural beauty of his features, my stomach curled with the horror of the realization of what I just discovered. Because my mind suddenly connected the dots together, and what my memories refused to recall before, suddenly flashed in a series of images and thoughts that caused the blood to completely drain from my face.
And I came to one single conclusion …
Whoever this person is, he was exactly like Edward Cullen.
Author's note: So I'm putting this idea out there for your thoughts. Since I already have other more important stories to update I'm just going to have this prologue posted for the moment. If you like to see this updated and continued later in the future please support it by liking/following/and reviewing.
And do not worry; I'm working on new chapters for my other stories but it's taking longer than expected.