"𝐈'𝐌 𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐘"
"It wasn't your fault."
"I didn't mean to hurt him."
"I know kid."
"He was going to kill you."
Kate approached them, her lips adorned with a dancing smile that seemed out of place given the circumstances they found themselves in. "At least if we die today I'm happy to have passed my legacy on to you."
Eleanor's eyes fixated on her, and then she shifted her gaze to her trembling hands. A wave of revulsion surged through her, making her feel an overwhelming urge to claw her own skin off. How could she have been so irresponsible? What if, instead of Demetri, she had accidentally touched someone else? Renesmee had been holding her hand all the time. What if she had hurt her?
The mere thought of such a possibility tightened in her chest. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself for something like that.
"What are they thinking?" Bella asked in a whisper to Edward.
Edward's jaw clenched and unclenched. "Looking for accusations, naturally," he shook his head. "The alliance with the wolves isn't enough. They know they're not like the Children of the Moon." Pausing for a brief moment, his eyes widened as a chilling realization swept over him. "Irina," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "They'll call upon Irina."
"I want to talk to the informant," Caius announced, just as Edward had said. Irina timidly approached him, her gaze fixed on the ground. "So you appear to have been quite mistaken in your allegations."
"I'm sorry," Irina whispered. "I should have made sure of what I was seeing. But I had no idea..."
Caius cut her. "We all know you made a mistake," he said brusquely. "I meant to speak of your motivations."
Irina's brows furrowed in confusion as she met his piercing gaze. "My motivations?"
"You were clearly unhappy with the Cullens, otherwise you wouldn't have come to spy on them in the first place. Why were you unhappy with them?"
Her voice quivered as she confessed, "I was unhappy with them because the wolves killed my friend... And the Cullens wouldn't let me avenge him."
A faint smile played upon Caius's lips, almost as though he had anticipated this very response. His satisfaction was evident as he leaned forward, speaking with calculated precision,"If you'd like to make a formal complaint against the shape-shifters—and the Cullens for supporting their actions—now would be the time."
Everything fell silent for a moment. Eleanor held her breath until Irina spoke again.
"No. I have no complaint against the wolves, or the Cullens," she said, her jaw set with determination. "You came here today to destroy an immortal child. No immortal child exists. The Cullens, the child and the other child too... They are all innocent. This was my mistake, and I take full responsibility for it," her gaze shifted to them, her face contorted with anguish. "I'm sorry," she implored, her apology hanging heavy in the air.
It was safe to say that Eleanor didn't know Irina at all. If there was any knowledge of her in her mind, it was solely rooted in the fact that Irina's false accusations had brought about the circumstances that led them all to be gathered there on that fateful day. And yet, she coulnd't help but feel a unexpected surge of emotions gripping to her chest as she saw the remorseful face of the Denali vampire standing there, alone, surrounded by the intimidating black cloaks.
What would happen to her now? Would the Volturi forgive her? Would she return to her coven with some sort of warning?
All those questions piled up in her mind. But nothing prepared her for what her eyes witnessed.
With a single gesture from Caius, Demetri was in front of Irina in a second. Instinctively Eleanor clung tighter to Thomas.
A ghastly, metallic sound reverberated through the clearing, cutting through the air like a chilling lament. It pierced Eleanor's senses, leaving her gasping for breath, her trembling hands instinctively flying to cover her quivering mouth, desperately suppressing the scream that threatened to escape.
No. No. No.
Her mind recoiled, resisting the comprehension of the scene that unfolded before her eyes. She fervently wished to reject it, to deny its existence. Yet, there it was, a gruesome tableau etched into her vision. Irina's lifeless body lay motionless on one side, while her severed head, callously torn from her neck by Demetri's own hands, rested a few feet away.
It had all happened within a matter of heart-stopping seconds, too swift for anyone to react, leaving them frozen in disbelief, their gazes locked in a trance of sheer incredulity.
With a coldly smile, Caius approached the scene. "Now she has taken full responsibility for her actions," he declared, his voice laden with icy satisfaction. And with that, he cruelly ignited a fierce flame that engulfed Irina's remains, erasing any trace of her existence forever.
Eleanor reached her breaking point. She hid her face in Thomas' arm, who immediately reacted by wrapping her protectively. Inevitably, she felt the first tears fall.
Any lingering doubts about the Volturi, any remnants of confusion caused by Aro's honeyed words, instantly vanished. They were monsters. Or perhaps less than that, for they had not even seemed remorseful for what they had done, indifferent to the cries of pain that now escaped the Denali clan.
She heard screams. Edward panickedly ordering to stop Tanya and Kate who had furiously lunged at Caius' grinning figure. The sisters' screams filled with pure rage. Emmett and Rosalie falling to the ground as they tried to stop Kate, and finally Garrett's gasp as he was shocked by her.
Carlisle's voice cut through the chaos, a soft and earnest whisper. "Listen to me, Tanya, Kate," he pleaded. "Vengeance doesn't help her now. Irina wouldn't want you to waste your lives this way. Think about what you're doing. If you attack them, we all die."
Eleanor thought about it. Would it truly make a difference? Would it matter if they didn't attack? If they stood by, filled with helplessness and pain but secure in the knowledge that they wouldn't start the fight?
She figured no. Because the Volturi were heartless. One way or another they would find a way to to accuse and inflict harm upon them. Even though disbelief mingled on their faces as they observed the Denali sisters retracting from their intended attack, Eleanor understood, as did everyone present, that the story didn't end there.
The evidence was glaring, impossible to ignore. Their reputations had already been irrevocably tarnished. The question lingered: Why did they ruthlessly take Irina Denali's life? Even the witnesses standing behind them, their expressions a mixture of confusion and suspicion, were aware that such an act had been entirely unnecessary.
Aro stepped forward. "Now that Irina has been punished for bearing false witness against this child, perhaps we should return to the matter at hand?"
It was so obvious. She broke away from Thomas, her face still bearing the remnants of tear stains, and her nose tinged with a faint shade of red.
Casting a cautious glance over her shoulder, she found herself jolted by the sight of Demetri's gaze fixed upon her.
Unsettled, she couldn't help but wonder if he was subtly branding her, leaving an indelible mark to track her down when the time came.
"Just to be thorough," Aro spoke. "I'd like to speak with a few of your witnesses. Procedure, you know." He waved a hand dismissively. From the way Edward balled his fists, Eleanor knew that this was nothing about procedure. "Amun! Isn't it lovely to see you again, my southern neighbor?"
Amun nodded, emotionless.
"But the reason for your presence here is not as pleasant, unfortunately. Carlisle called on you to witness?"
"Yes."
"And what did you witness for him?"
"I observed the children. It was obvious from the first moment that they were not immortal children."
"What else did you observe?"
Amun responded with complete neutrality. "The same things you surely saw in Edward's mind. The child is his, biologically. And I don't know the other's past, but she grows, she learns. They both do."
Aro smiled. "And do you believe that they should be allowed to live?"
Thomas hissed. But he wasn't the only one, half the vampires there protested, glaring angrily at the Volturi leader who was indifferent to the dissent. After questioning Amun, Aro passed his questions to Siobhan, a tall Irish-born vampire with whom Eleanor had been able to speak two or three times.
"I agree with Amun," she replied. "But I would perhaps add a little more. Renesmee and Eleanor understand our limitations. They are not danger to humans—they blend in better than we do," the vampire looked at her briefly and added, "Eleanor, for example, doesn't even drink blood. They possess no threats of exposure."
Caius scoffed.
Aro moved toward them, his eyes shining. "Can you think of none?"
Siobhan looked confused. "I don't think I follow you."
"There is no broken law," Aro said calmly, but it was clear he wasn't done there. "However, does it follow then that there is no danger? No." He shook his head gently. "That is a separate issue."
Eleanor and Thomas shared a brief glance. From his distress, she knew he was thinking the same thing she was.
"They are unique, incredibly unique... Such a waste it would be, to destroy something so lovely," he looked at Eleanor and added, "So powerful... Especially when we could learn so much... " He sighed, as if unwilling to go on. "But there is danger, danger that cannot simply be ignored."
She felt Genevieve move behind her, her position on alert, as if Aro at any moment might give the order to his guards to kill them and she would have to step in to play her part just as she had promised Thomas.
"These amazing children,"—he raised his hand pointing to both her and Renesmee. "if we could but know their potential—know with absolute certainty that they could always remain shrouded within the obscurity that protects us. But we know nothing of what they will become!"
His guards smiled viciously, especially Caius.
"Brothers," Aro called out to them, his tone somber. "Let us counsel."
"Let us counsel."
ღ
"I don't want to leave you," Eleanor whispered after swallowing dryly. Her throat had closed into such a knot that it was difficult to articulate words.
She felt the tears welling up in her eyes again. Thomas caught them before they could fall. "Don't worry, kid. You'll see me sooner than you think. I plan to make it out of here today."
And if not? Eleanor wondered, but didn't dare even get it out of her mouth. Usually, she loved to contradict Thomas just to annoy each other. Today the very thought of it felt terrifying.
Genevieve rested her hand on her shoulder, indicating that they were ready to leave. She watched Renesmee bid farewell to her parents in the same manner. Then her gaze then swept across the faces before her—Edward, Bella, Carlisle, Esme... Even Leah, whose captivating silver fur had entranced her from the very first moment.
All of them destined for a horrible end.
The ancient vampires were silent, still counseling.
"Chelsea is trying to break our bindings," Edward whispered to them. "But she can't find them. She can't feel us here..." he turned to Bella. "Are you doing that?"
If Eleanor hadn't been on the verge of collapsing at that very moment, she might have smiled proudly for Bella. It was strange the way she could sense how the older vampire had been using her shield around all of them. And though she was intrigued by the odd ways in which her gift seemed to work, for the moment she was just happy to know that Bella would be protecting them, at least from the hands of Jane and her twin who was said to be worse.
But she was on the verge of collapse. Her legs threatening to give up at any moment.
Tanya seemed annoyed. "Why aren't they waiting for the decision?" she hissed.
Edward smiled bitterly. "They usually incapacitate those on trial so they can't escape."
In a sudden rush, Eleanor recalled the challenges of maintaining her shield without unwavering concentration. How would Bella manage to protect them all while engaged in combat? In a final effort to be of assistance, she whispered, "She must stay focused. She can't fight."
Across Bella's face flashed the realization of something she hadn't thought of. Edward soon reassured her. "I'll keep them away from you."
"No," his wife responded with a tinge of panic in her voice. "You have to get to Demetri."
He shook his head. "Demetri will go after Thomas. I read his mind. He's still angry about what happened before."
Eleanor felt like she might throw up.
Bella still didn't seem sure. "Then you two take care of him. Zafrina can stay with me and keep them away."
The Amazon vampire nodded. "No one will touch this young one."
Everyone began to divide opponents. Eleanor's senses momentarily blurred, the sounds around her melding into an indistinct hum. She looked at the clearing. Traces of Irina's ashes still lingered in the snow.
"Before we vote," Aro spoke up. "Let me remind you, whatever the council's decision, there need be no violence here."
No one believed him.
"Let us vote, then," he announced, looking at his brothers.
One of them, the who had not been involved so far, raised his eyes to speak. "I see no immediate danger. They're safe enough for now. We can always reevaluate later. Let us leave in peace," he stated in a disinterested, monotone voice.
Pretending he hadn't even spoken, Caius continued with palpable eagerness in his words. "These children are an unknown quantity. There is no reason to allow such a risk. They must be destroyed, along with all who protect them."
Aro's lips tightened, his expression feigning sorrow. "I must make the deciding vote, it seems."
Genevieve urged her to leave. Eleanor ignored her, desperate to prolong the seconds with the family she had finally found.
Suddenly, Edward stiffened, drawing everyone's attention. "Yes!" he hissed. "Aro?" he called. "The danger you foresee form my daughter and Eleanor—this stems entirely from our inability to guess how they will develop? That is the crux of the matter?"
Aro nodded. "Yes, friend Edward. If we could but be positive... be sure that, as they grow, they will be able to stay concealed from the human world—not endanger the safety of our obscurity..."
Edward laughed almost with joy. "Then I do have something more to offer."
A distinct sound gradually grew louder within the forest. It was the unmistakable presence of a vampire coven, perhaps consisting of three or four members. Eleanor, limited by her human side, struggled to discern it clearly. Nevertheless, within seconds, they emerged into the clearing.
Two of them stood out from the rest for their distinct golden eyes, members of the Cullen clan without doubt. Eleanor speculated that they could only be Alice and Jasper.
The other two vampires bore a striking resemblance to the Amazons, possessing untamed features that exuded a deep, wild aura.
But the last one... She opened her eyes in surprise, being able to almost see herself reflected in the slow way he ran, in his human eyes and in the particular sound of his heartbeat, just like the one she and Nessie shared.
"Alice has been searching for her own witnesses these last weeks," Edward said with a smile that he clearly couldn't hide. "And she does not come back empty-handed."
The petite vampire came up to his side, casting a brief glance toward where she and Renesmee waited. She raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "That one I definitely didn't see," she whispered with a frown. She then proceeded to shake her head and point at the newcomers. "This is Hulien and her nephew, Nahuel."
As Hulien told the story of her sister and her half-vampire half-human nephew, Eleanor couldn't help but feel relatable to the new hybrid.
Starting with Pire's unexpected pregnancy to Hulien's overwhelming sense of helplessness, unable to save her and left with the weighty responsibility of raising and nourishing the very creature that had, quite literally, taken her sister's life. It felt as if she was hearing her own story told by someone else.
"You were able to create an immortal?" Aro questioned, his facade struggling to conceal his intense fascination.
"Yes, but none of the rest can."
As if sharing a mental communication, Eleanor and Renesmee instantly looked at each other. The rest?
Aro looked just as shocked as they did. "The rest?"
Nahuel shrugged. "My sisters."
It seemed that their status as hybrids wasn't so unique after all. It had only been carefully kept secret now revealed by Nahuel, who claimed to have three more sisters.
"And your father's name?" Caius asked with evident displeasure.
"Joham."
Eleanor's mind flashed with recognition. Joham. She remembered when Thomas had told her about him, about his crazy theories and his self-perception as a scientist obsessed with creating a new type of race.
A question began to take shape in her thoughts, and it appeared she wasn't the only one pondering it, for Caius fixed his gaze upon her and, in a commanding tone, posed the query, "Is Joham your father too?"
A weighty silence descended as all eyes locked onto Eleanor, causing her to instinctively shrink back. Her initial inclination was to shake her head in denial, but the more she contemplated it, the more the odds seemed to lean heavily towards that possibility.
The pattern was strikingly similar. Her mother, Nahuel's mother, and the other mothers of the hybrids—all carrying something they couldn't fully comprehend, from someone they couldn't be entirely sure of either. Abandoned to navigate their own paths, yet destined to meet the same tragic fate.
The thought of her mother loving someone this cruel made her shudder. "I don't know. I never knew him," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Caius displayed his discontentment with her response, but Eleanor paid him no mind. Her focus was fixated on Nahuel, their eyes locked in a shared understanding. He must have grasped the thoughts racing through her mind.
The chances that her mother had suffered at the hands of Joham were high. And so it was also very likely that she and Nahuel were siblings. By blood. Siblings by blood.
It felt too much to process. Thomas at her side took her hand and gently gave it a squeeze.
So absorbed in her own thoughts, in the way her little world had taken an unexpected turn, resignifying her whole existence, she had not even paid attention to Aro's final verdict.
"I'm so glad this could be resolved without violence," the vampire leader said, back to his sweet tone. "Dear Carlisle, I hope there are no hard feelings. I know you understand the strict burden that our duty places on our shoulders."
Carlisle's gaze remained rigid as he stared back at him. "Leave in peace, Aro."
Aro bowed his head, his ruby eyes darting fleetingly towards Eleanor. He smiled, with a smile that made her skin crawl. "Lovely Eleanor, I hope our paths will meet again in the future. Now that the enigma surrounding your true nature has been resolved, I can't wait to see the unimaginable ways in which your gift shall unfold!"
A low, instinctive hiss escaped Thomas' throat, although it appeared to have little effect on Aro. If anything, the vampire leader appeared rather amused by his reaction. In front of them, Edward stiffened furiously, probably having read something in the Volturi's mind that didn't please him at all.
Aro's smile persisted, though tinged with a touch of inscrutability, as he slowly began to retreat, accompanied by his loyal guard. "Farewell, my dear friends."
ღ
Edward settled down in their familiar spot atop the tree, a smile playing on his lips as he turned to face Eleanor. "Alice is absolutely enamored with you," he remarked. "She can't believe that all this time you were so close and she had to travel so far to find Nahuel."
The sunlight danced through the leaves, casting playful shadows on their faces.
"But Nahuel was necessary."
The vampire with eyes of pure gold nodded in agreement, his gaze drifting towards the distant horizon. "Without him the Volturi wouldn't have given up. While you and Renesmee are still young, he, being over a century old, possessed the power to demonstrate that your kind poses no threat to humanity."
A fleeting pause hung in the air, punctuated by the rustling of leaves, before Eleanor summoned the courage to voice the nagging uncertainty that had invaded her mind since the encounter with the Volturi. Her tone carried a hint of vulnerability as she posed her question "Do you think I should look for him? Joham, I mean."
It seemed the most obvious choice. Throughout her entire, albeit brief, existence, two matters had relentlessly plagued her thoughts. One of them, her nature, was already settled. The other still kept her awake at night.
And yet there was something holding her back. There was something that told her that looking for Joham would only disappoint her. How could he have ruined the lives of all those women? How could he have presented himself before Nahuel knowing what he had done to his mother? How could he see human life as mere objects for his experiments?
And her mother... Her mother who had probably fallen into the clutches of that despicable being. It filled her heart with an overwhelming sense of anguish.
"At least now you know her death wasn't your fault," Edward commented. "When I read Nahuel's mind I recognized right away that his way of thinking was just like yours. Like you, he too grew up tormented by what he had done to his mother, believing himself to be some kind of abomination, some kind of monster."
"But today, when he saw Bella alive, when he saw me by her side... He understood that the problem is and always was Joham. His mother, your mother, should have had different lives. That's certain. But still, there's nothing you or he could have done for them. Joham, on the other hand, could have and still he deliberately chose not to."
As she listened to Edward's words she again felt the urge to cry. It was just so unfair. How she wished with all her heart that her mother's life had been different, that she had never crossed paths with him.
Edward continued gently. "You ask me if you should look for Joham and my honest answer is no. First because I don't think you're ready and second because you're right about something — you won't find anything but disappointment. Remember that you have eternity ahead of you, there is no need to rush. Start first by forgiving yourself and then focus on the good things around you."
Eleanor's eyes followed Edward's subtle nod towards Thomas, who was saying goodbye to Genevieve in the backyard. A faint smile began to grace her lips. "Do you think he will like it when I tell him I want to attend school?" she pondered aloud.
Edward laughed, and she couldn't help but join in. It was definitely hard to envision him, with his wild red eyes, in an entirely ordinary setting.
However, as the laughter subsided, a somber expression settled upon Edward's face. "Eleanor, there's something you need to know," he spoke with sudden seriousness. "During our encounter in the clearing... Aro never intended to end your life. His plan was to order your capture, using the pretense of further studying your kind, much like he did with the immortal children before... Alice showing up with Nahuel not only ruined his plans against us, but also the plans he had for you."
She felt a shiver run down her spine. Certainly, she would be indebted to Alice for all her eternity.
Edward shook his head. "You must know that this will not end here. While you and Renesmee have already proven to be no threat, Aro still continues to be intrigued by you, by what you can do."
"But..." her brows furrowed. "What can he possibly do? He has no more excuses, no other..."
Edward interrupted her. "I fervently hope not, but I wouldn't be surprised if one day he finds them. Remember that this is how they work... And we still don't know if your shield is any good against Demetri's tracking abilities. You have to be careful, Thomas has to be careful. Do you understand?"
Eleanor nodded slowly, though his warning added up to something she had understood perfectly well that day.
Her journey in the supernatural world had begun with pure ignorance, full of questions and, above all, fears. Was she a monster? Were vampires monsters as the books described them?
Thomas had been the first to ease some of her doubts, from the first moment he let her into his home and took care of her without asking for anything in return. Then came the Cullens, who were nothing but good and had also taught her that it was possible to live in a different way without harming any human life.
But even without the diet of animal blood, Eleanor had been able to recognize good when she saw it. She had recognized it in Benjamin and his clear sense of what was right. In the Denali coven and their loyalty to each other, purely derived from love. And in all the other vampires who had chosen to fight for their side, because they knew the truth and were unable to deny it.
But just as she had learned to recognize good, she had also witnessed evil. And that came in the unique form of the Volturi.
While that day would forever be etched in Eleanor's memory as the dawning of her freedom, the very first day she could truly live without the constant need to run or hide, it would also remain as the most terrifying day she had ever experienced.
A specific scene imprinted itself deeply in her mind—an indelible image that refused to fade. It was the sight of Irina's lifeless body, brutally decapitated, while the figure of Demetri loomed nearby, indifferent to what his own hands had just done.
And that scene... She knew that scene it would haunt her forever.
ღ
FINALLY THE BREAKING DAWN STAGE IS OVER
from now on, the chapters will take place in future years, with a fully grown eleanor.
hi, how are you? what do you think of this chapter? do you think eleanor's father is really joham?
i've been looking at other fanfictions these days and i've realized that i haven't established a face claim for eleanor yet. actually, i always let the reader imagine my characters as they like, even if i can give one or another detail of how i imagine them... but if you're intrigued to know, this image of india eisley (especially for this chapter) is pretty close to what i have in mind for her:
and if you ask me about demetri... i've ALWAYS thought of him as arnas fedaravicius, especially with this look of his character in the series 'the last kingdom'. i would only add the obviously pale skin, red eyes and boom, there's demetri.
he's so gorgeous omg
of course, as i said before, you can picture him however you want. charlie bewley in the movies did a fantastic job too. i'm sure many picture him that way.
i'll probably add a moodboard later with some images that approximate to what i envision of them for this fic.
see you in the next chapter! remember to comment and vote! see you ♥