Chapter 1: Bella

It was a usual day at the castle. I was heading to the main hall when Cassie called me from behind.

I turned to see her approaching me with a pleasant smile on her face.

"Good morning, Bella. Slept well?" she teased. I rolled my eyes at her.

Vampires never sleep. I didn't even remember how it felt like to sleep or dream. Being a vampire gave us youth, eternal life, immense strength and some of us even had special powers, like, and I could act as A Mental Shield against mind manipulations.

Even after all this, being a vampire always felt like some sort curse to me. I would've never wished this life for me if I had choice. The memories of my human life were blurry, but I remembered that I loved my human life. It wasn't perfect but it was good. Aro learned about me when I was 20 years old, I didn't even know how. He saw a potential shield in me and he decided to turn me into a vampire. He had held my mother captive so I had no choice but to agree to his proposition. Following that, I and my mother – who was also turned into vampire - lived in the castle with The Volturi.

Aro had many gems in his coven. He used them to regulate other vampires and covens. Volturi held special place in the world of vampires. They had taken down the previous rulers and now held the throne. Volturi required a shield to protect them from enemy's mind manipulations; especially they feared Jane and Alec, who were infamously known as Evil Twins with dangerous abilities. Rumor had it that Jane and Alec had joined the Greeks who were planning a rebellion against The Volturi. This was the reason why I was stuck with Volturi for all my life. I had no option but to keep serving them since my doing otherwise would cost me my mother's life.

So there I was, in the castle, doing nothing but what Aro said and asked of me. Cassie was the only person who made my time a little more tolerable. She was also in the guards and she had been serving them for 300 years now. She was a kind, nice person and she was my only friend.

Walking down the hallway we began to talk.

"Cassie, you and your jokes! I never understand how you manage being so charged up all the time."

"Now, now Bella, I did learn a few things in my short life you know." Cassie said with a wink.

"Short indeed. Haha." I laughed.

"Come now, we should head down to the main hall. There is some new assignment, I hear."

"New assignment? Already? But we JUST returned from the last one. I didn't even get a chance to go and meet my mother."

"We came back yesterday at dawn. How couldn't you get time to meet your mother in 30 hours? Normally, you rush to see your mother the moment we get back to castle."

"I did, this time too, but she was taken to hunt and they aren't back yet."

"Oh, ok. We'll go and see her back before we leave for this assignment." Cassie said.

We both entered the main hall of the castle. Aro, Caius and Marcus were sitting and others were standing at their usual place. I and Cassie went in front of Aro and gave him a little bow and then went to our places with other guards.

After everyone was gathered, Aro got up.

"Well, now that we have all our staff present, let's hear what our messenger has to say, shall we?" Aro said in his grave voice. He took his sit again.

"Good morning, everybody. I am here to report a very grave happening. Denali coven from Alaska has committed a serious crime. They've turned a young boy into a vampire." Messenger explained how and when he had gathered this information and gave all the details of the coven to Aro.

By the time he was finished, there was a lot of whispering in the hall. We came across many crimes but creating immortal child was regarded as most serious kind of crime.

Aro stood up again and all the murmuring stopped.

"Immortal Child. Pity! This must be dealt with immediately." Aro said, he looked at Corin and continued,"Corin , why don't you accompany our messenger to Alaska and give this coven a notice of our arrival." Aro ordered with a wicked smile.

I looked at Cassie and sighed. By now, i had learned this about Aro, he loved playing mind games. He enjoyed the panic, helplessness and powerlessness of his prey.

"Very well, master." Corin said.

"I hear the woman who has created the immortal child doesn't live with her coven so the message shall be given to her rather than her remaining coven?" Messenger asked.

"Yes, give her the message. Leave instantly. The rest of us will join you shortly."

Corin and messenger left after bowing to Aro.

"Very well, be prepared for the new assignment. We leave tomorrow. You are allowed to withdraw." Aro announced.

Everyone started to disperse. I was going with Cassie when I heard Aro, Caius and Marcus talking…

"I hear this Denali Coven vampires feed on animal blood. Reminds of someone, doesn't it, brother?" Marcus said to Aro.

"Carlisle Cullen. The Noble Vampire." Aro said in his cold voice.

"Noble, indeed." Said Marcus.

They continued talking while we walked outside. I was completely surprised to hear that Aro had called someone NOBLE. It made me curious.

"Hey, Cassie!"

"Yeah, Bells?"

"Who is this Carlisle Cullen? Aro called him noble. ARO CALLED HIM NOBLE. He must be a saint!"

Cassie laughed.

"Bella, I understand your reaction. But if you'd met Carlisle you wouldn't have been surprised that Aro called him noble. He is noble, Bella. He was part of Volturi for some period, later he left as he wanted to do something more with his life than staying here and just watching Aro's power plays. I hear he's a surgeon now. He serves people with his medical skills. Vampires can't resist human blood but here we have Carlisle Cullen who saves human lives. He has this unique sense of responsibility. He's a very kind and generous person."

"He is so amazing that even Aro has to admit that Carlisle is noble?" I was amazed.

"That's Carlisle." Cassie said, casually, "I think he has a family now. They live with humans, I heard. Funny, how living differently works out for some people."

I was completely amused after hearing all this. Hearing about Carlisle gave me hope. He was an example that even vampires can have a normal life away from all the Volturi drama. He was, just like me, with Volturi but he went away and now he had everything.

After all, I had always wished I could get away from the castle and start my own life, meet new people, find someone to love and be loved. But all my dreams and wishes were caged in the castle, just like me.

Why was I living there? I asked myself over and over again.

Still thinking about all the things, I went to see my mother. She had finally returned to her cell where they kept her. I talked to her guards and went inside to see her.

Her face broke into a smile as she saw me. As soon as I saw her, I knew why I lived in that cage. It was because living in the cage kept my mother alive. My mother, who was the reason of my life.

I shrugged other thoughts away and went to her. I talked to her and told her about the new assignment. She talked to me for a while.

"I love you, Bella. Take care." My mom said to me when I was leaving. I gave her a smile.

"Love you too, mom." I said to her and went to my room.

The next day, we were leaving for Alaska. This new assignment was going to be different. I was still thinking about my mom and also about what Cassie had told me about Carlisle. I couldn't help wondering if some day even I could have a different life. A life where I could be free as a bird, I sighed as I saw stone walls of Volterra. But still, I was quite anxious about going to Alaska. I was feeling very eager to go there. It felt like I was going to get something important there.

Cassie joined me.

"What are you thinking?" she asked me.

"Nothing. I am just having a very strange feeling. I feel a very strong kind of pull from outside. As if something is calling me from Alaska."

"Something or Someone?" Cassie teased.

I shook my head.

But I couldn't stop thinking about her remark. What if someone was actually waiting for me in Alaska? Someone who would change my life? What if someone was waiting for me all along?

I felt silly even to think and feel like that. But I knew one thing for sure; this assignment was not going to be like other assignments. With a strange feeling still lingering in my heart I took step outside castle. And I guess that step was my first step towards light.