❝ 𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 ❞ ʲᵃˢᵖᵉʳ ʰᵃˡᵉ ( EN )

☇ 𝟮𝟵

Sitting on the couch in the Cullens' living room, Theodora typed quickly on her phone, her fingers trembling slightly under the weight of the tension coursing through her. Each letter seemed blurry as she tried to compose a coherent message. "Hi Mom, I'm staying at Chloe's tonight. She needed a distraction. Don't worry, I'll be home tomorrow night. Love you."

She exhaled a sigh as she pressed "Send," hoping her mother wouldn't ask too many questions. A slight bitter taste lingered on her tongue, the lie she had just told gnawing at her conscience. It's to protect her..., she reminded herself. So that her mother wouldn't have to bear the burden of fear, so that the danger looming over her wouldn't touch those she loved.

Dark hair swirling in the wind. A cold, icy smile curling at the corners of her lips.

The Cullen house was wrapped in a peaceful atmosphere, a stark contrast to the turmoil that consumed Theodora. The soft glow of the lamps lit the living room, casting dancing shadows on the walls, and the fire in the fireplace crackled gently, like a comforting echo in the silence. She took a deep breath, trying to relax, but a dull tension clung to her mind like an unshakable shadow.

"Do you want to go upstairs?" Jasper's low, soothing voice broke the bubble of silence surrounding Theodora.

She nodded, gratitude filling her eyes, and followed Jasper up the stairs. Each step she took seemed to lighten the weight pressing down on her shoulders, as if Jasper's presence could dispel, if only for a moment, the shadows that surrounded her.

They stopped in front of Jasper's bedroom door, a room she had never seen before. When she stepped inside, an inexplicable sense of calm washed over her. The room, though simple, exuded a reassuring tranquility. Shelves filled with books lined the walls, silent witnesses to a mind seeking knowledge. On the other side, a large window overlooked the forest, where the trees formed a sea of green stretching into the horizon. Moonlight poured through the window, bathing the room in a soft silver glow.

Red eyes, burning, piercing. Pupils dilated with the thirst for power, with infinite cruelty.

"You can stay here as long as you want," Jasper whispered, handing her a soft wool blanket. His gesture, full of tenderness, immediately warmed Theodora's heart. "I'll keep watch."

"Thank you," she replied, her voice barely audible, as if speaking louder would shatter the precious quiet. She sat slowly on the edge of the bed, her hands still trembling despite the comforting softness of the moment.

A predatory smile, revealing sharp fangs. Pale fingers brushing the throat of their next victim.

Jasper sat beside her, his gaze intense yet gentle, fixed on her. He seemed to be trying to understand the thoughts swirling in her mind. "You have nothing to fear, Theodora," he said softly, his cool fingers brushing her arm with infinite delicacy, like a silent promise. "I'm here."

"But... for how long?" she murmured, her throat tight with emotion, tears threatening to spill. "I can't help thinking that... that you'll leave, that you won't be here when I really need you."

The words she spoke resonated within her like a confession, a fear she had never dared voice before. Jasper closed his eyes, and she felt that he was fighting, too, against a buried pain, against fears as heavy as hers. "I won't leave," he murmured, his voice firm but laced with gentleness. "Not as long as I can protect you."

Theodora tried to anchor her gaze to his, to find comfort in his words. But the image of Maria, with her jet-black hair and cruel smile, still haunted her, like an insidious shadow clinging to her mind.

"I keep seeing her," she admitted, her voice trembling, her hand clenching the blanket. "I see her red eyes, her stare... It was like she was telling me she could reach me, no matter where I am."