The Edge of Insanity | Rosalie Hale

Chapter 8: Whispers in the Shadows

1914

Laughter echoed across the farm fields, Oliver and William's joyous shrieks carrying on the warm summer breeze. Daniel, his heart brimming with a happiness so pure it ached, chased after them. In that moment, with his brothers by his side, the world seemed perfect. Maybe, a thought flitted across his mind, this was all he was ever meant to do – run free with them forever.

Their mother stood at the doorway, a welcoming smile gracing her lips. The twins reached her first, their small bodies engulfed in her warm embrace. Daniel, a little winded from the chase, was just catching up when a sound unlike any other shattered the peaceful evening. A low rumble, growing steadily louder, filled the air. He stopped dead in his tracks, a knot of dread tightening in his stomach.

Then, he saw them. As if in slow motion, sleek shapes peeled away from the distant clouds, their bellies heavy with death. Bombs. The world seemed to slow down, the laughter dying on his lips, replaced by a gasp of horror. His family, oblivious to the impending doom, remained at the doorway.

"No!" he screamed, a yell that tore from his throat. He surged forward, desperate to reach them before the sky erupted in a blinding flash. The ground trembled beneath his feet as the bombs detonated, the deafening roar filling his ears. A wave of heat washed over him, throwing him back.

Disoriented, his vision blurred, Daniel struggled to his feet. A persistent ringing filled his ears, drowning out the world. Then, through the haze, he saw his mother. Her once vibrant face was contorted in a mask of agony, her beautiful skin marked by burns. William lay motionless beside her, his bright eyes dull and lifeless.

With a horrifying clarity, the truth slammed into him. In a single, brutal moment, his world had shattered. His brothers, his laughter-filled companions, were gone. His mother, her voice raspy with pain, reached out a trembling hand holding her ring, giving it to him.

"Don't worry, Daniel," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "You'll find me in the birds that fly free, in the flowers that bloom in summer. Look for me in the peace that will one day mend your broken heart."

Her grip slackened, her breath hitching. Then, with a final, shuddering gasp, she went still. Daniel cradled her lifeless body in his arms, a chilling emptiness echoing within him. The world had gone silent.

1955 - Present

The memory of his mother's final moments burned bright in Daniel's mind. The stark contrast between the misery etched on her face and the monster before him fueled a simmering rage. Why? Why did a kind soul like his mother suffer such a cruel fate, while this man, this embodiment of evil, remained unscathed? The injustice of it all gnawed at him.

"Well, hello to you too, Danny," the man said, pulling Daniel from his internal torment. Confusion rippled through the other vampires. Was this Daniel's father? Was there a chance for reconciliation? Surely, a flicker of love remained between them. Rosalie stole a glance at Daniel, his face an unsettling mask of calm. Yet, a subtle shift in his eyes betrayed the despair threatening to consume him.

"Danny? You don't get to call me that, you filthy-"

"Yes, my boy," the man interrupted, his voice dripping with mockery. "How have you been? Quite a feat, luring you all the way here. My own son, a Volturi guard – who'd have thought of it?"

Daniel's laughter, a brittle sound that sent shivers down Rosalie's spine, shattered the tense silence. It was a laugh born of fractured sanity. "Of course you're alive," he choked out, the humor twisting into a bitter sneer. "Of course you are. Oh, the irony of it all! This world truly is a twisted joke." He met the man's gaze, a cold glint replacing the despair. "Hello, Thomas."