Prologue
AN: This is Twilight for people who like the idea of Twilight, but found the execution left much to be desired. For people into Vampire: The Masquerade, some of this may be familiar. For the rest of us, see after this prologue for a list of the weird term I'll use.
As I write this, the Camarilla is bearing down upon us because of one of our member's indiscretion.
The Cullen family has existed, ignoring the customs of clan segregation and forsaking our mortal and vampire surnames as a mere footnote to the bonds of family which have tied us together, for nearly a century.
For ninety years since our founding in nineteen eighteen, we Cullens have stuck together, fed together, bled together, defied the predation of Kindred upon Kine and always walked The Line with confidence and love, love which has let us catch each other when we fall.
I speak of The Line which so many vampires now do not believe exist. Among elder vampires, so few still believe in it that I, Carlisle Cullen, may be the last elder "believer" in the state. The Line is a narrow path, a tightrope with the abyss on either side. To the right is The Beast; succumbing to our inner natures and losing our humanity and ourselves to the hunger within. On the left lies the loss of our vampirism and the wrath of the Camarilla. Loss of life to our left, loss of self to our right.
And now, one of us has fallen and as usual we were there to catch him.
This time, he dragged us down with him, into the abyss. We could have let go, saved ourselves. But we did not. Because we are a family, and families protect each other come Armageddon itself. And because it was not hate, nor fear, nor anger nor hunger which caused his fall.
'Twas love.
Definitions of the weird terms in this and upcoming chapters:
Camarilla=Ruling vampiric authority, vaguely like the Volturi
Elders=Old, powerful vampires six to eight steps removed from the first vampire (like Carlisle or Aro)
Ancilla=midde-aged vampires nine to eleven steps removed (Like Edward).
Neonates=young, brash vampires eleven to thirteen steps removed.
Elysium=Where vampires can talk and socialize and plot and plan without fear of discovery.
Clan=different varieties of vampire who claim a common ancestor back in the ancient third generation.
The Masquerade=The sacred decree that vampires shall never reveal their nature to humans and the first law of the Camarilla.
Gehenna=Nigh apocalyptic event which took place in the year two thousand, where the vampire race was brought to the brink of extinction by the awakening third generation before they finally killed, imprisoned or made peace with these godlike beings.
Kindred=Term for vampires.
Kine=Term for humans, often used derogatorily like the other term, "cattle".