Parallax

Chapter 1

"Is this really what you want?" Bella softly asked the vampire who was crumpled on the ground in front of her.

She hadn't expected her vacation to turn out this way. She was on her way to meet her family when she came across a lone vampire who stumbled upon her in the woods, eyes looking at her wildly like she was someone who just rose up from the grave.

He had introduced himself as Caleb and the reason he was looking at her reverently was because he had claimed that she looked like his dead mate. That's when curiosity overcame her and she had stayed to find out more about him.

Caleb had shown her a picture of his beloved Helena and somehow it did not surprise her that the picture was of a human girl. She could see a few similarities here and there but with her human memories muddled, she could not remember if that was how she looked like when she was still human all those years ago.

She had realized that his story started out the same way as hers, with a vampire falling in love with a human but that was where the similarity ended. She had her happy ending.... Well, not really the happy ending that anyone could expect especially when she was facing eternal damnation as a creature of the dark but she did not have any issues with what she was, and considering that she was with her soul mate for all her immortality plus a family that she belonged to, it was a price she was willing to pay.

He however, did not have that chance. He had loathed his existence, loathed it even more when he realized that his mate was a human. He didn't want her to be damned but his beloved did not look at it that way. She was madly in love with him too and did not care about what he was but he did, and instead of fighting for their love, he chose to stay away, thinking that it was the best for her. He wanted to protect her from what he was and he wanted her to live her human life away from his influence. He thought that with her human existence, she would eventually move on with her life, have a family of her own, forget that once upon a time, she fell in love with a creature like him.

He had left and he was a broken man with the mate bond tearing him apart, the farther he went away. Caleb eventually could not bear to be away so he went back after two years, not to be with her but to at least get a glimpse of the woman that have changed him irrevocably, trying to get temporarily relief of having him near before enduring again the pain of an existence without her.

However, Caleb was too late.

When he came back, she was already gone. He had underestimated the effect of the mating bond. Helena already had a weak heart and the pain of losing him was too much for her to bear that her body slowly deteriorated until she could not take it any longer.

He blamed himself for what happened to her and now, he was left to walk the earth, a shell of the being that he once was, with nothing left but his pain and agony of existing without his mate.

Bella shuddered at the thought of losing a mate. Looking at him, she could not imagine.... she did not want to imagine an existence without the man that she loves. It was not an existence at all. She could see his struggle, his pain, and his desperation.

He had wanted to end it all but he could not dare take his own life. He had asked others of their kind to help him but they were either too disgusted to see him begging for his life or did not care enough to bother granting his request.

"You have heard of the Volturi right?" She had tentatively asked and he had stiffened. Bella had heard of stories of vampires seeking audience to the Volturi kings to either present them with gifts or ask them of favors. Some of these favors where unfortunately those who seek their end after an untimely demise of their mates.

"I... can't" He had held her gaze and his eyes showed secrets that he was not willing to share. Bella had guessed that there was more to it then. She was thinking that there might be something that he has that might interest the Volturi and instead of destroying him, they might decide to keep him and Bella could see that he no longer wishes to continue on with his life. She had seen how Marcus sat on his throne, unfeeling and detached from the world because of the loss of his mate. She couldn't imagine another vampire enduring that kind of torture.

"I understand" She didn't push any further. The less she knows, the less he would get into trouble with the Volturi. She could always hide it from them of course, because of her shield, but she might as well not take any chances.

"It seems so unfair that I get to walk this earth as a damned creature, killing people, while she was not even given a chance to live her life. If only I could trade my life for her, I would gladly do so" He had spoken with so much hurt that it broke her.

He had turned towards her then, red eyes imploring against her amber ones and she knew. Before he even spoke the words, she knew what he was going to ask of her.

And she would do it. She would give him what he has always been wanting because, if it was her, she would ask the same thing too and she would want someone that would honor her request to be with the one that she loves.

Now, as she stood up, she asked one more time.

"Are you really sure this is what you want? "

Caleb looked up at her with such relief and gratitude that Bella did not feel any remorse with what she was about to do. He nodded slowly and held her gaze.

"I'm ready to be with my Helena"

He kneeled in front of her and spread his arms wide, accepting his fate with open arms.

She had executed her kind before. Some out of duty and some out of defense but never had she destroyed one of her kind for mercy. She didn't like it but she knew it has to be done. For Caleb. For Helena.

She took a step forward and with one swift motion, she detached his head from his body with one metallic screech. The body stayed kneeling and she moved it so it could lay on the ground, laying his severed head on top of it.

Bella took out a lighter that she always carried for emergency purposes and lit up the body.

All throughout her actions, she did not look away. She needed to see it through the end.

Before his head was entirely engulfed in flames, he looked at her and he was smiling, knowing that the end was near. Bella wanted to cry but knew she could not. She wanted to cry for the life that was lost and for the possibility that somewhere out there, he would be reunited with his beloved.

Caleb's eyes glowed violet as the fire reached his eyes and his expression turned to one of panic. Bella was suddenly alarmed. She couldn't understand what was happening. He looked like she was trying to warn her of something but without his mouth, he was unable to do so.

Bella was transfixed with his eyes glowing violet wondering if this was his gift manifesting one last time as a sort of defense mechanism before the flames finally consumed him and all that was left was a trail of smoke and a pile of ashes.

She finally closed her eyes and felt her body growing heavy. She inhaled an unnecessary breath and opened her eyes but the heaviness did not go away. Bella's brows furrowed as she felt her eyes closing involuntarily. She opened it wide, surprised at the feeling of sleepiness.

As her eyes closed on its own, Bella felt his presence before she heard him call out his name. She wanted to answer back but she was unable to as her body swayed and she felt herself falling to the ground.

The last thing she remembered were strong arms catching her and then everything went black.