A/N. Sorry guys! I have been so busy with school that I didn't get a chance to update when etherealloveliness did. Here is Chapter 2, written by her, and chapter 3 will be up soon. Again, sorry.

Having your heart broken is like a cold dose of reality. Whatever someone may call it, it's a bitter wake-up call, one that jerks you out of the comfortable fantasyland you've emerged yourself in.

And it's not fun.

I'd never had a boyfriend before Edward, so I had nothing to compare the break-up to. Nothing in my life had left me that shattered before, nor had it left me to be the one to pick up the pieces. I hadn't had much time either. A few hours at the most. Time really does fly by sometimes.

It left me wondering-if Edward and the rest of the Cullens had carried on something from their past life, had I carried on something, too? Perhaps it wasn't a talent like blowing up people with my mind. Maybe it was something like Carlisle's or Esme's, a lesser but nonetheless magnificent trait. Though I knew it wasn't compassion. My heart felt like an icy wasteland so I doubted it was a cheery feeling. I pinpointed this nagging sensation to cause the Cullens to hurt as much as I had.

That was the reason I was on my way to the Volturi.

The Volturi was a coven of enormous power located in the city of Volterra, Italy. In a way, they were the rulers of the vampire world. It was unlikely they would help me take out the Cullens. Edward had told me on my first excursion to the Cullen house that Carlisle and the leader had gotten along quite well. If I could simply convince them...

My journey was interesting. I traveled over land and even swam through water. I knew I would have had to eventually, but like running, I had discovered, I hadn't expected it to feel so natural. I could only compare it to flying.

When I walked out of the water on the coast of Italy, dripping water and my pale skin sparkling in the radiant sunlight, people stared. They stared like I was a freak, like they were frightened. I could tell that their instincts were telling them to run, but as I had, they were entranced by a vampire's presence and their feet were glued to the spot.

However, I had hunted yesterday and the ever-present burn in my throat was beginning to flare up again. My thin thread of self-control I had managed to develop was thinning, especially with a crowded coastal town full of pumping blood.

The string snapped and I lunged.

Sweet ecstasy gushed into my throat as soon as I grabbed the person nearest to me, the person whose life would be ending now. A thought crossed my mind that my victim might have been a child (not that I was paying attention to details) because the supply soon dried up.

Another person ran past me. I grabbed him or her and they became victim number two.

After a while, I lost track of how many lives I had ended. The wildfire in my throat had since quieted to a dull burn not unlike the glowing embers in a dying fire.

When I finally looked up and saw the deserted road, I counted seven carcasses. Blood stained the narrow, cobbled streets.

There's a time and place for everything, but, even as I couldn't ignore the cadavers lying on the street, I couldn't help but notice the quaint little shops. Umbrellas covered several tables outside of a café. Bicycles, blue, green, yellow, were parked along the walls of the alleyway. A pizzeria was located farther down.

A visitor's map was abandoned on the ground. On a happier note, I was able to locate Volterra on there.

I went southeast.

The castle was magnificent. That was my only thought as I examined the spindly brick towers. Two people-who I could only assume were vampires-stood outside the gates. Even as one myself, I couldn't help but be a bit frightened at their cloaked appearance. One was practically a giant with even bulkier muscles, and the other was smaller yet still well-toned.

They glanced up at me. The tall one asked with faint amusement, "What are you doing here in Volterra?"

With my chin held high, I crossed my arms over my chest. "Isn't it obvious?" I replied, cockier than I'd intended. "I'm here to see the Volturi. And who are you?"

The shorter one looked taken aback at the way I had talked to him. "Well," he murmured, "we have an interesting one here, Demetri."

"Yes, Felix," the other one agreed, curiosity shining through his ruby eyes.

My impatience was getting the best of me. "Are you going to let me in or not?" This seemed to ease them, as to why, I couldn't guess.

Demetri said, "But of course. And what is your name, child? How old are you?"

"Bella Swan." I brushed a stray lock of hair out of my eyes. "I'm eighteen years old. I was turned three days after my birthday. So I've been a vampire for about a week." I could only help thinking about how this whole mess I was in was because of a certain Edward Cullen.

I had expected him to be surprised that I was younger than the average vampire. Instead, he graced me with a certain nonchalant air. "Very well, we will take you to Aro now. Just...beware of Gianna, since you're young." I had no idea who Gianna was but the situation didn't sound good.

I was led down into the dark underground of the city through a sewer pipe, it appeared. The odor was pungent and prominent with my new sense of smell. All in all, it was a disgusting experience as I daintily stepped over who-knows-what. "Are we almost there?" I practically pleaded while at the same time trying not to sound too desperate to get out of the current dank depths. I wanted to impose on them a strong image of myself.

In the dark I saw a smile twist on Felix's lips. "Yes, we are almost there. Impatient, now, are you?"

I bit back a growl. "I'm usually patient with things, yet this is taking it to a new level," I answered as I edged around a damp stone wall. It seemed like the three of us had been in there forever when I saw light peeking out at the end of the tunnel.

"Thank God," I whispered. We rushed forward and I found myself surprised as the dirt floor gave way to expensive ceramic tiles, leading us into a...lobby?

"Good afternoon, Gianna," Felix greeted the woman at the desk. She had a dark complexion and smiled at us when we entered. Gianna stood up. That's when the scent hit me. I tensed up as my mouth pooled with venom at the simple smell of a human.

I felt strong arms lock me in their iron grip as my eyes surely darkened. Weren't seven people enough to feed me? I was almost disgusted with myself. Almost.

As Demetri urged my along, he said quietly to the secretary, "She's new."

Much to my relief, I found, we were soon walking along another corridor carved with care. Our footsteps echoed down the hall, and my stomach twisted into a knot in apprehension. For the billionth time in my life I wished that vampires couldn't sense your emotions so well. At least Jasper wasn't here to blab it to everyone.

Felix strode ahead of us at pushed open two double doors at the end of the hall, revealing three ancient vampires sitting atop their thrones. He immediately walked up to the throne located in the center of two others, where a man with black hair and milky-red eyes lightly touched him back.

His head slowly turned toward me. He smiled gleefully.

A shiver ran down my back.

There you go! Like I said, chapter 3 will be up as soon as I can start writing it. Updates should start coming quicker, seeing as I don't have school right now. Review, review!

~Qaralia :)