ᴅᴀᴡɴ ᴏꜰ ᴄʀɪᴍꜱᴏɴ ─── ᴇᴍᴍᴇᴛᴛ ᴄᴜʟʟᴇɴ ³

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜɪʀᴛᴇᴇɴ: ᴅᴇᴄɪꜱɪᴏɴꜱ

Emmett and I walked back to the house hand in hand, having spent an hour in the meadow before deciding it was time to return home. The Cullen house was now my home too, though I had always been welcomed there before.

"You could never do anything that would make me see you differently," Emmett said, breaking the silence. His words felt unfiltered, spoken straight from the heart, and I was grateful for his honesty. He was comfortable sharing his thoughts with me—after all, I was his wife now.

I parted my lips to respond but quickly closed them again, unsure of what to say. His unwavering belief in me, despite the prophecy's ominous warnings, left me speechless. The deep love he felt for me, warmed my still heart in a way I couldn't put into words.

"I just needed you to hear that," Emmett added softly, filling the silence when I didn't reply, as he made eye contact with me. My expression softened, and I remained silent, unsure of how to respond. "I know you wanted to stay human—to stay a witch," Emmett said, his voice laced with frustration. "It makes me so angry," I felt the tension in his body, the way his anger simmered beneath the surface. His grip on my hand tightened, a silent reflection of the fury he felt over what I had sacrificed to protect him and the others. "So, whatever you decide to do—if you want to forget about all of this and just live our life together—then that's what we'll do," Emmett said, the tension in his frame softening as he met my gaze. His voice carried a quiet resolve as he continued, "But if you want to dig deeper into this prophecy, to uncover what it really means... I'll stand by you, no matter what... We all will."

I couldn't help but stare at him, my expression a mix of shock and gratitude, stunned by the sincerity of his words. He was giving me the freedom to choose—to decide my own fate and the path I wanted to follow. Part of me yearned for nothing more than to live my immortal life with him, experiencing eternity together with Emmett and the rest of the Cullens by my side. But another part of me couldn't ignore centuries of knowledge, the legacy of the craft that was once my world. And I couldn't simply turn away from the injustice of what the Volturi had done to my kind. It still made my blood boil, made me sick to my stomach.

But there was nothing I could do...

Or was there...

We walked the rest of the way to the house in silence, the weight of Emmett's words lingering in the air. I mulled over the choices he had laid before me, turning them over and over in my mind. Emmett didn't press me; he knew I needed time to process, to decide what path to take.

As the house came into view, I noticed my Grams' car still parked in the driveway, a reminder that she hadn't left yet. Emmett guided me up the drive and through the front door. Together, we ascended the stairs, finding everyone gathered in the kitchen, scattered throughout the space, each having their own quiet conversation.
As we stepped inside, the conversations came to an abrupt halt, and all eyes turned to us. I offered a faint smile to everyone before my gaze landed on my Grams. Her expression was soft, as she could tell I felt bad about what transpired.