Twilight: blood & brimstone

Volterra: A Choice Made

Edward stood in the dimly lit corridor of the Volturi stronghold, staring at the letter in his hands. Bella's words burned into his mind, each line carrying a weight he could barely comprehend.

You always did love chasing ghosts.

But I am no ghost.

You want answers? Find me.

Come alone.

Or don't come at all.

Jasper and Alice flanked him, their concern pressing against him like a physical force.

"This is a mistake," Jasper muttered. His golden eyes flickered with unease. "She's leading you straight into a trap."

Edward clenched his jaw. "I don't care."

Alice exhaled sharply. "Edward, listen to yourself! You're walking into something—we don't even know what she is anymore."

Edward turned on her. "Then I'll find out." His voice was cold, resolute.

Alice hesitated, searching his face for any sign of doubt. She found none.

Carlisle, who had been silent until now, finally stepped forward. His expression was unreadable. "Edward," he said carefully, "you know we won't stop you."

Edward nodded. He had already made his choice.

Jasper sighed. "At least tell us where you're meeting her."

Edward glanced down at the letter again. There were no coordinates, no location. Only an unspoken promise between the words.

"She'll find me."

Jasper's expression darkened. "That's what I'm afraid of."

The Arrival

Edward left Volterra at dusk.

The Italian countryside blurred past him as he moved, his speed inhuman, his senses hyper-focused.

He could feel something—a pull deep in his chest, something dark and unnatural guiding him.

Bella.

She was calling him.

And he was answering.

The ruins appeared on the horizon like the bones of a forgotten world. Crumbling stone, shattered archways, and a sky that seemed darker above this place.

Edward slowed as he approached, every step measured, every breath calculated.

Then, he felt it.

A shift in the air.

The cold touch of something ancient brushing against his skin.

And then—

Her voice.

"You came."

Edward turned.

Bella stood atop a broken pillar, the wind stirring her dark cloak. Her hair was longer now, her skin paler—not like a vampire, but something else.

Something wrong.

Her eyes weren't brown anymore.

They weren't even red.

They were black.

Not the black of thirst, not the empty hunger of a newborn.

This was something deeper.

A void.

Edward swallowed hard. "What have you done?"

Bella smiled—slow, deliberate. "I've lived."

Edward took a cautious step forward. "You don't have to do this, Bella."

Bella tilted her head. "Do what, Edward? Exist? Breathe? Be free?"

Edward's hands curled into fists. "This isn't you."

Bella laughed, a sound both soft and cruel. "And you would know?" Her voice dipped into something almost mocking. "How many times have you decided what I should be, Edward?"

Edward flinched. "That's not—"

"Isn't it?" Bella took a step down from the pillar, her movements unnervingly graceful. "You never wanted me to change. Not really."

Edward's throat tightened. "I loved you."

Bella's smile didn't waver. "Loved?"

Edward took another step toward her. "I still do."

For a moment, silence.

Then—

Bella exhaled slowly, shaking her head. "You love a memory, Edward. A shadow of a girl who died the moment she stepped into your world."

Edward's chest ached. "You don't have to be this."

Bella's gaze darkened. "And what is this?"

Edward hesitated. "Something… unnatural."

Bella chuckled. "You think you're natural?"

Edward didn't answer.

Bella smirked. "That's what I thought."

She stepped closer now, slowly circling him.

Edward didn't move.

She was testing him.

Waiting.

And then—

"Tell me, Edward." Her voice was almost a whisper. "If I had been born like this, would you have still loved me?"

Edward froze.

Bella's eyes gleamed. "If I had been a monster from the start?"

Edward opened his mouth, but no words came.

Because he didn't know.

And that was the answer she was waiting for.

Bella smiled again, and this time, there was no amusement behind it. Only cold understanding.

"That's what I thought."

The Demon's Offer

The shadows shifted behind Bella.

And then—

He stepped forward.

The demon.

Edward had felt his presence before, lingering at the edges of Bella's transformation. But now, face to face, it was undeniable.

He was tall, wrapped in a form that flickered between man and something else entirely. His eyes burned like molten gold, his smile sharp as a blade.

"Well, well," the demon mused. "The famous Edward Cullen."

Edward's body tensed.

The demon smirked. "Relax, lover boy. I don't bite." His grin widened. "Well. Not unless I want to."

Edward ignored him, his gaze fixed on Bella. "You let him do this to you."

Bella arched a brow. "You say that like I didn't have a choice."

The demon chuckled. "Oh, she chose." He glanced at Bella, his gaze dark with something possessive. "Didn't you, darling?"

Bella met his eyes.

And didn't deny it.

Edward's stomach twisted. "Bella…"

She sighed. "You're still trying to save me, aren't you?"

Edward stepped forward. "You're still you, Bella. I know you are."

Bella studied him for a long moment.

Then—

She smiled.

Slow. Dangerous.

And extended a hand.

"Then prove it."

Edward hesitated.

Bella tilted her head. "You came all this way, Edward. Are you afraid?"

Edward swallowed hard.

Then—

He took her hand.

And the world vanished.