Twilight: blood & brimstone

Forks: A House of Ghosts

The Cullen house had always felt more like a sanctuary than a home—an untouched relic of time where monsters played pretend.

But now?

Now, it was a graveyard.

The remains of Bella's power still lingered, saturating the walls, curling into the cracks of shattered glass and broken wood. It was a scent Edward could taste, an echo he couldn't ignore.

She had stood here.

Had spoken his name.

Had looked through him.

And then, she had left.

Esme had already begun cleaning, her hands trembling as she picked up the pieces of their ruined home. Carlisle stood beside her, offering comfort where he could, but even he looked unsettled.

Because deep down, they all knew—

The home was gone.

Not the house.

Not the structure.

But the meaning of it.

Bella had been their tether. Their bridge to something human.

And now, she had burned it down.

Edward sat on the steps of the staircase, head in his hands, listening to the scattered voices of his family.

Alice was quiet, lost in the void Bella had left behind.

Jasper was tense, his emotions locked behind an iron wall.

Emmett paced. Rosalie watched.

No one spoke the words that needed to be said.

No one dared say she wasn't coming back.

Because if they did—

It would be real.

Edward exhaled sharply, pushing himself up. "We have to get her back."

Rosalie scoffed, crossing her arms. "There is no 'getting her back.' She's gone, Edward."

His eyes snapped toward her, burning with something too desperate to be rational. "She's not."

Jasper sighed, his voice rough. "You saw her, man. We all did." His golden eyes were sharp with something close to warning. "That wasn't just Bella. That was—" He hesitated, then shook his head. "Something else."

Edward's jaw tightened. "She's still in there."

Alice finally spoke, her voice quiet but firm. "And what if she doesn't want to be found?"

Edward turned to her, his hands curling into fists.

"I have to try."

The Demon's Queen

Far from Forks, beyond the reach of human understanding, Bella stood before the abyss.

It stretched before her, endless and waiting, a void of power that hummed beneath her skin.

She wasn't afraid of it.

She welcomed it.

The demon stood behind her, watching in silence. He had been patient, waiting for her to make her move—to claim her new world for herself.

And now, as she lifted her hands and let the darkness bend to her will, he knew.

She was ready.

Bella turned to him, her expression unreadable. "How long will they chase me?"

The demon smirked. "As long as you let them."

Her eyes flickered, thoughts unfurling like a spider's web.

Edward wouldn't stop.

She knew that.

He would search. He would fight.

He would try to save her.

But what he didn't understand—what none of them understood—was that she wasn't lost.

She had found herself.

And she had no intention of going back.

Still, there was something almost enticing about the idea of watching him try.

A slow smile curved her lips.

"Then let's see how far he's willing to go."

The demon chuckled, stepping closer. "Now that is what I like to hear."

Bella tilted her head, eyes glinting. "Teach me."

His smirk deepened. "With pleasure."

A Dangerous Pursuit

Edward knew it wouldn't be easy.

He knew Bella wouldn't simply walk back into his arms.

But he also knew that he couldn't just let her go.

Not like this.

Not when something had taken her.

Something wrong.

Carlisle watched as Edward paced, his expression thoughtful. "You're sure this is the right path?"

Edward's eyes burned with determination. "I don't care if it's right. I just know I can't do nothing."

Alice hesitated, her hands clenched in frustration. "I can't see her anymore, Edward." Her voice was sharp with helplessness. "It's like she's vanished. Even if we try, we're going in blind."

Edward exhaled sharply. "Then we find someone who can see her."

Jasper lifted a brow. "And who, exactly, do you think can help us track that kind of power?"

A pause.

Then, slowly, Edward turned toward him.

"…Aro."

The room went silent.

Alice's eyes widened.

Rosalie's face twisted into pure disgust. "You cannot be serious."

Edward's expression remained firm. "The Volturi have seen more than we ever will. If anyone knows what she's become, it's them."

Jasper swore under his breath. "This is suicide."

Edward met his gaze, unwavering. "So is doing nothing."

Carlisle finally spoke, voice low. "And what if they see her as a threat?"

Edward's jaw locked. "Then I'll make them see reason."

Silence.

Then, reluctantly, Alice exhaled.

"I'll go with you."

Jasper tensed. "Alice—"

She shook her head. "I need to know, Jasper. I need to understand what she's become."

Edward looked at his family, waiting.

One by one, they nodded.

They would go.

They would fight.

But deep down, a part of them already knew.

They weren't just searching for Bella.

They were stepping into a war.

A Queen's Invitation

In the abyss, Bella felt the shift in the world—the ripples of a decision made in Forks.

The Cullens were coming.

Edward was coming.

She smiled, the darkness curling around her like silk.

Let them chase her.

Let them try.

By the time they found her, she wouldn't be the girl they remembered.

She would be something else.

Something they could never control.

And when they arrived?

She would be waiting.