Chapter 3: Ripples in Still Water
The Cullen house was in an uproar. As soon as the sleek Volvo pulled into the driveway, its occupants burst from the car, their usual graceful composure abandoned in the face of the day's extraordinary events. "Family meeting. Now," Alice called, her typically melodic voice strained with urgency. Within seconds, all seven members of the Cullen clan were assembled in the living room. Carlisle, their patriarch, looked around with concern etched on his timeless features. "What's happened?" he asked, his calm voice a stark contrast to the tension filling the room. Jasper stepped forward, his Southern drawl more pronounced in his agitation. "There's a new girl at school. Bella Swan, the police chief's daughter. But that's not the issue. She had... something with her. Something I could see, but no one else seemed to notice." Edward nodded, running a hand through his perpetually tousled hair. "I couldn't read her thoughts. It was like she wasn't even there." "I can barely see her future," Alice chimed in, frustration evident in her tone. "It's all blurry, like looking through frosted glass." Rosalie, who had been examining her perfect manicure with feigned disinterest, finally spoke up. "So what? She's immune to our gifts. It's weird, but hardly a crisis." "You don't understand," Jasper insisted. "What I saw... it was a dragon. A small, color-changing dragon draped around her shoulders like some kind of living scarf." A heavy silence fell over the room. Carlisle's eyes widened. "A dragon? But that's impossible. They've been extinct for centuries."
"Apparently not," Emmett grinned, always ready for a new adventure. "Sounds like Forks just got a lot more interesting." Meanwhile, across town, Bella was having a similarly intense conversation with her father. Charlie listened intently as Bella recounted her day, Prism occasionally chiming in with colorful commentary. "And then Jasper Hale just... stared right at Prism. Like he could see her," Bella finished, her voice trembling slightly. Charlie's brow furrowed, his own dragon, Inferno, growling low in his throat. "That's... concerning," he said, master of understatement as always. "Concerning?" Prism scoffed, scales flickering to a agitated red. "It's a disaster! Our cover's blown on day one. I vote we pack up and move to Antarctica. I hear it's lovely this time of year." "We're not going anywhere," Charlie said firmly. "We came here for a reason. Forks is a nexus point. If there are others who can see dragons..." "Then they might be able to help us figure out what happened to mom," Bella finished softly. A somber silence fell over the room, broken only by the steady patter of rain against the windows. "Look," Charlie finally said, "let's not jump to conclusions. We'll keep a low profile, observe these Cullens, and see what we can learn. Bella, you'll need to be extra careful at school." Bella nodded, absentmindedly stroking Prism's scales. The dragon's color shifted to a soothing blue in response. "Great plan," Prism muttered. "Blend in. Because nothing says 'inconspicuous' quite like a girl with an invisible, sarcastic dragon companion." Despite the tension, Bella couldn't help but crack a smile at Prism's quip.
As night fell over Forks, two very different families pondered the implications of the day's events. In the forest between their homes, unseen figures moved in the shadows, whispering in an ancient tongue. The arrival of the last dragon shifters had not gone unnoticed, and forces long dormant were beginning to stir. In the Quileute reservation of La Push, young Jacob Black woke with a start, his skin feeling too tight, like it didn't quite fit anymore. Something was changing, and he didn't understand what or why. And deep in the Hoh Rain Forest, near one of Washington's hidden portals, an Elven scout paused in his rounds. The very air seemed to hum with anticipation. Without a word, he turned and sprinted back towards Forest Glenn. Prince Morgan needed to be informed immediately.
The wheels of fate had begun to turn, and Bella Swan, the last dragon shifter, was at the very center of it all.