Whispers in the Dark (A Twilight Saga fanfiction)

Chapter 6: Shadows of the Sutherland Legacy

In the musty air of the Sutherland's grand estate, the walls echoed with hushed conversations and the creaking of ancient wood. Mr. Thorne, his face a mask of solemn duty, approached the lord of the house, his voice steady yet filled with an undercurrent of urgency.

"Lord Sutherland," he began, his words carefully chosen, "the night has once again brought its cloak upon us, and with it, the need for vigilance grows. We must ensure the safety of the household."

Lord Sutherland, his gaze lost in the flickering candlelight, nodded slowly. "Indeed, Mr. Thorne. The disappearance of Ana has left a void in our hearts, yet the absence of Victoria... it is a blemish erased."

Mr. Thorne's eyes, though betraying a hint of sorrow, remained unwavering. "If I may speak freely, my lord, both Ana and Victoria were of your blood. Their absence is felt deeply, by all within these walls."

The lord turned, his expression hardening. "Ana was the light of this family, Mr. Thorne. Victoria... she was a mistake best forgotten."

In the shadows, unseen, Ana's figure lingered, her heart aching with the sting of her father's words. She whispered to the night, "Father, if only you knew the truth of what I have become, the fear it would strike in your heart."

Mr. Thorne, sensing the shift in the air, excused himself, leaving Lord Sutherland to his thoughts. In the quiet of the corridor, he met Ana's gaze, his own filled with a resolve born of their shared secret.

Mr. Thorne's footsteps echoed softly as he departed from Lord Sutherland's study, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and secrets. As he passed through the dimly lit hallway, his eyes met Ana's, her form a mere wisp in the shadows. Without a word, he continued to his quarters, the servant's room, austere and unadorned, a stark contrast to the opulence that filled the rest of the estate.

He lit a candle, its flickering light casting long, dancing shadows against the stone walls. The door creaked open, and Ana stepped in, her presence filling the room with an otherworldly aura.

"Mr. Thorne," she began, her voice a soft murmur, "the night's work is done. Yet, I cannot help but feel the weight of our existence upon my shoulders."

Mr. Thorne offered a chair, his demeanor calm and collected. "Miss Ana, we have chosen a path less trodden, for reasons both noble and necessary. Your mother's passing has left the town in mourning, and the estate in a state of flux."

Ana sat, her posture regal yet weary. "Mother was the last tie to my former life. Now, with her gone, the future seems like an endless night. But we must focus on the present, and on Victoria's well-being."

Mr. Thorne nodded, his loyalty unwavering. "Indeed, Miss Ana. We must ensure Victoria's transition is smooth. She is unaware of the legacy she now carries, and the hunger that will soon awaken within her."

Ana's gaze hardened, a reflection of the resolve that had sustained her through the centuries. "We will guide her, teach her to harness the darkness that now courses through her veins. And we will continue to protect the innocent, luring only the wicked to their deserved end."

As the candle burned low, they spoke of plans and precautions, of a world that feared and misunderstood them. Together, they would navigate the treacherous waters of their new reality, bound by blood and shadow, guardians of a secret that would forever alter the course of the Sutherland legacy.

As the days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, the Sutherland estate remained shrouded in a somber stillness, punctuated only by the occasional clatter of a carriage passing by. The lord of the manor, his once robust frame now stooped with grief and the passage of time, wandered the halls like a specter, a constant reminder of the family's loss.

In the village, whispers of Ana's disappearance wove themselves into the fabric of daily life, a tapestry of sorrow and speculation. Yet, for Victoria, no such whispers were uttered. Her absence was met with a silence that spoke volumes of the family's relief to be rid of the scandal she represented.

Unbeknownst to the townsfolk and the grieving lord, Ana and Victoria had been reborn into a world of darkness, their humanity slipping away with each passing night. Mr. Thorne, ever the faithful servant, had embraced this new existence alongside them, his devotion transcending the boundaries of life and death.

In the privacy of his quarters, Mr. Thorne penned letters to no one, missives filled with the details of their nightly endeavors and the struggles of their immortal souls. These letters, never sent, were his way of keeping a record, a chronicle of the life they had left behind and the eternal night they now inhabited.

Ana, her once vibrant eyes now a deep well of eternity, watched over Victoria as she stirred from her slumber. The transformation had taken its toll, leaving her fragile and disoriented. "Fear not, sister," Ana whispered, her voice a soothing balm, "for we are bound by blood, and in this new world, we shall find our place."

As the Sutherland estate lay enveloped in the quiet mourning of Lady Sutherland's passing, the will was read in the presence of the remaining family and the few trusted servants. The solicitor's voice echoed through the grand hall, "And to my beloved daughter, Ana, should she return, I bequeath all my worldly possessions, the estate, and all within it."

Lord Sutherland, his face a mask of stoic acceptance, nodded silently. The provision for Ana's return was a glimmer of hope that the Lady had clung to until her final breath—a hope that her daughter might one day reemerge to claim her rightful place.

In the shadows, Ana listened, her heart heavy with the knowledge that her mother's love had endured, even as her own existence had become a thing of myth and whispers. She turned to Mr. Thorne, her confidant in the darkness, "Mother believed in my return, yet how can I reclaim a life that is no longer mine?"

Mr. Thorne, his expression unreadable, replied, "The legacy your mother left is not just in lands and titles, Miss Ana. It is in the hope for your happiness, a hope that we must honor, even as we walk this earth as creatures of the night."

Ana's resolve hardened, "Then we shall continue as we have, protecting Victoria, safeguarding the innocent, and upholding the Sutherland name from the shadows. Mother's love will guide us, as it always has."

And so, the secret of the Sutherland daughters remained within the walls of the estate, a legacy of love and darkness intertwined, waiting for the day when Ana might step forth from the shadows to claim her inheritance, or perhaps, to forge a new destiny altogether.