The Edge of Insanity | Rosalie Hale

Chapter 22: The Weight of Immortality

I'm back

— ✦ —

Daniel was running alongside Rosalie, his eyes fixed on her as she dragged Bella's clothes through the dense trees. Rage simmered beneath his skin—he knew this was going to happen. He had warned them. Again and again. But no one ever listened. Not really.

He was so tired. Tired of the noise. Tired of pretending. His eternal life—and even the short, fragile years he had as a human—had been nothing but a cycle of fear, anxiety, and pain. All he had ever wanted was peace. Just a moment of silence in his mind. A moment where he didn't feel like he was falling apart.

"Dan, baby, are you okay?" Rosalie's voice pulled him back. She had slowed, sensing his silence. They stopped in the middle of the forest, surrounded by nothing but trees and shadows.

"I—yeah. I'm sorry," he said, barely above a whisper. "I don't want to worry you, or make this any harder than it already is. It's just..." His voice cracked. "I don't know what I've done—in this life or any before—to deserve this constant suffering. I'm always scared. Every second. Just thinking about something happening to you, or Jasper, Emmett, Alice, Carlisle, Mom—" his breath hitched. "I can't breathe."

He knew he didn't need to. He was a vampire. Breathing was optional. But this—this panic—it crushed him. The voices in his head, always waiting for a crack to slip through, seized the moment.

"You think you can protect them all? Look at you."
"You're pathetic."
"Weak."
"Always afraid. Always failing."

They laughed. Mocked. Echoed louder and louder until his knees gave out and he collapsed onto the forest floor.

Rosalie was already there, kneeling beside him, grabbing his hand with trembling strength. He hadn't even realized he was shaking.

"Hey," she whispered, her voice fierce and soft all at once. "Look at me."

He did.

"You are not alone. You're okay. We're okay."

The voices went quiet.

Daniel held Rosalie's gaze for a second longer, steadying himself. The voices had gone quiet, but his thoughts still burned.

Then something shifted. He noticed.
The forest—silent. Too silent.

He turned his head slightly, listening. No branches snapping. No footsteps behind them. The air was still.

"They're not following us anymore," he said, his voice low.

Rosalie straightened, narrowing her eyes. "You're sure?"

He gave a tight nod. "James is gone."

A second later, his phone buzzed. He answered without looking.

"What."

"He knew it was a trap," Edward's voice crackled through the line. "James turned around. He's not tracking anymore. Come back."

Daniel didn't respond right away. His jaw tensed.

"You there?" Edward pushed.

"Shut up. We're on our way," Daniel muttered, then hung up.

Rosalie raised an eyebrow. "That was civil."

He rolled his eyes but let a small, reluctant smile slip. "Barely."

They started running again, faster this time.

"He said James bailed?" she asked between strides.

"Yeah. He changed tactics. Either way, Forks is clear for now. But Edward wants to go to Phoenix. Says Bella's not safe."

"And he wants you to go with him?"

Daniel gave a humorless laugh. "Apparently."

Rosalie glanced sideways at him. "You gonna fight him the whole way there?"

"Only if he opens his mouth."

— ✦ —

When they arrived at the Cullen house, Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, and Edward were already waiting in the living room. The tension was immediate—thick, heavy, electric.

Edward didn't waste time. "Emmett, Rosalie, Daniel—I need you to come with me to Phoenix."

Daniel let out a sharp scoff, stepping forward. "You're out of your bloody mind if you think Rosalie's going anywhere near another fight."

Edward's jaw clenched, but he didn't respond.

Daniel went on, voice low but cutting, every word deliberate. "I'll help you. Not because of Bella fucking Swan, and definitely not because of you. But because those bastards aren't just after Bella anymore—they're after all of us now."

He turned slightly, blocking Rosalie with his arm. "But Rosalie stays here. You want to destroy them, fine. But I won't risk her for your bloody mistakes."

Rosalie didn't argue. She didn't need to. The room went still.

Carlisle spoke gently, trying to ease the tension. "We understand. But time is short. We need to move soon."

Daniel nodded once, curt. "Then let's not fucking waste it." 

— ✦ —

Hello!

Sorry for the long-ass break. When I was writing this, it only had like five views (four of them were mine, lmao), and I lost motivation. Then, when I saw people were actually reading it, I tried to get back to it but didn't know how to continue the story.

This week, I re-read everything, including your comments (some of which were funny as fuck), and I realized I really want to finish this.

Also, I noticed there's a serious lack of male OC fics lately — I can't find much to read for Twilight, Marvel, F1, celebrities... nothing really catches my eye, and there are barely any stories focused on male OCs. So, I want to change that.

Anyway, please tell me if you liked it! It was short, but I'm still getting used to writing again.