POV Seraphina

The first hours of the school day went by as usual, yet there was a subtle tingling in the air. I couldn't quite name it, but something felt different. Jasper and I had just finished history, a subject I was surprisingly starting to enjoy more and more—not least thanks to Jasper.

We walked side by side down the hallway, heading to the cafeteria. Jasper was telling me how he had actually witnessed part of the history he had been teaching us—a topic that always fascinated me.

“You know,” he began, turning slightly toward me, “most people believe the Declaration of Independence was passed in complete unity, but that wasn’t the case. There were heated debates. I remember a man who almost sabotaged the negotiations—I was in Philadelphia at the time.”

I stopped and stared at him in disbelief, smiling. “You actually witnessed that?”

He nodded, his gaze sparkling with amusement at my reaction. “Only as a silent observer. But it was an exciting time. History is never as simple as it seems in the books.”

“You’re not just strong, you’re also a walking history book,” I remarked with a smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as smart as you.”

Jasper raised his eyebrows slightly before looking at me with a loving gaze. “You bring out the best in me, Darlin'.”

We continued walking, and as we entered the cafeteria, I immediately noticed Alice sitting at our usual table. She seemed excited, her eyes scanning the room until she spotted us. She waved us over energetically, barely able to sit still.

“There you are! Sit down, quick!” Alice’s voice was a whisper, but her energy was contagious.

“What’s going on?” I asked as I sat next to her, while Jasper took a seat across from us.

Alice leaned conspiratorially toward me. “She’s here,” she whispered, her golden eyes sparkling. “Bella. She’s sitting just three tables away.”

My gaze followed hers, and I saw her. Bella Swan. She was sitting with a group of students I recognized as Mike Newton, Jessica Stanley, and Angela Weber. Bella was simply dressed, in jeans and a plain sweater, but it was her demeanor that intrigued me. She appeared a little shy, perhaps even insecure, but there was something else—an unspoken strength, a reserve that made her stand out from the crowd.

“That’s our Bella,” I murmured, more to myself, as I had only observed her from a distance in the past few days. She didn’t look particularly dangerous. In fact, she seemed like an ordinary girl. But it was impossible to ignore the significance she seemed to have for Edward.

Alice nodded, her voice barely controlled with excitement. “Yes, that’s her. I saw her in a vision in one of our classes—with Edward. They’re going to share a biology class.”

I looked at her, surprised. “You mean, Edward will have the chance to talk to her?”

“That’s exactly what I mean!” Alice clapped her hands quietly. “This is our chance to find out what makes her so special.”

“If she’s even that special,” Rosalie interjected dryly, elegantly sitting down in one of the chairs at the table. “She looks like every other girl here. And I doubt she understands what she’s getting into.”

Jasper shook his head and glanced briefly at Bella, then back at us. “It’s remarkable that Edward hasn’t fallen for her immediately—or attacked her.” His voice was calm, but intense.

My eyes followed Bella, who was sitting with her new group. The other tables around us seemed to blur, the sounds of the cafeteria faded into a distant hum, while my gaze remained fixed on her.

Bella Swan wasn’t an extraordinarily striking girl, and yet I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was sitting with her group—Mike, Jessica, and Angela—and laughing softly at something Mike had said. But despite the smile, it wasn’t one of a girl completely lost in conversation. It was a cautious smile, as if she was still adjusting to the surroundings and the people around her. Her shoulders were slightly hunched, as though she was trying to hide within the group, her hands folded in her lap as if she wanted to protect herself somehow.

What fascinated me most, however, was the gaze she unconsciously kept drifting around the room. Her gaze didn’t wander randomly. She looked toward the door on one side, as though waiting for someone—who, I didn’t know. On the other side, her eyes slid to our table, then back to her group, without betraying a single movement. Her eyes met Edward’s for a fraction of a second. But there was no visible reaction, no excited flutter like I’d seen from the others who surrounded Edward. She just looked—calm, observant, but at the same time, reserved, almost too calm.

I felt the change in the air, the subtle pressure filling the room as her gaze imperceptibly wandered to Edward. He was sitting next to Jasper, as usual, but I could see him tilt his head slightly, as if he was listening to her too, without really wanting to. Edward tried to focus, but his expression was one I knew all too well when he tried to suppress something within himself.

I turned to Alice. Her eyes were gleaming, her movements almost twitching as if she couldn’t contain the urge to talk about what she was seeing. “She’s really cute,” she said softly, but I could hear the almost electric spark in her voice. “I think she’s going to have a positive influence on Edward; he just needs to open up.”

The words echoed in me, but my gaze was still fixed on Bella. She had just looked up for a moment, as if she could sense something—maybe not Edward, but something else. Her eyes widened for the tiniest second, and then she was back immersed in her group, as if trying to divert attention from the others.

Her expression was friendly, but her eyes—there was something different. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something I didn’t understand yet. She had something that I couldn’t name, something intangible, that suddenly made the air around her feel heavier.

I turned my gaze to Edward, who seemed completely unaware of our conversation, and looked back at Alice, who was watching me with a knowing grin.

POV Jasper

As Seraphina and I entered the parking lot, I was still trying to shake off the rest of the school day when I suddenly spotted Aaron and Micah. They were standing a little off to the side, speaking quietly to each other, and seeing them caused a vague tension to rise within me. They hadn’t been at school today, as they had been in contact with the council, trying to inform them about our current situation.

Seraphina was already heading toward them, and I followed, but the moment we approached them felt different than it should have. Aaron and Micah’s expressions were hard to read, and a strange feeling rose in me as we got closer. I tried to focus, to understand what was going on, but the uncertainty in their eyes left a queasy feeling in my chest.

“How did it go?” Seraphina asked, her voice calm, though I noticed a trace of uncertainty in her eyes. She probably felt the same thing I did.

Aaron looked at me for a moment, and I could see the tension in his face, which immediately transferred to me.

What had happened?

I wanted to know, but when he answered with a crooked smile, he seemed to be searching for the right words. My senses, which were normally razor-sharp, started to betray me—this wasn’t normal. I couldn’t read a clear answer, and that disturbed me more than I cared to admit.

A cold, uncomfortable feeling clenched in my chest, a suffocating sensation. Almost as if I could feel the familiar darkness inside me starting to rise. The Major, the dark side of me, whispered in my mind, his words sharp and clear: “You would do anything for her. If she’s threatened, you’ll kill. She’s yours. No one can take her from you.”

I felt my teeth grind behind my lips and an uncontrollable wave of anger, almost explosive, building up inside me. The thought that the council might be against our bond crept into my mind like a shadow. Would they take her from me? Would they put her in danger? My hands clenched into fists as the threat solidified in me.

No one can take her from me.

It wasn’t rational, but it was what I felt. The thought of being separated from Seraphina choked me.

POV Seraphina

I immediately noticed that something was off with Jasper as I approached the two of them. His expression had suddenly tensed, his body a rigid line as if he was struggling with himself. I couldn’t find the usual control in his eyes, and a sense of unease rose in me.

“Jasper?” I asked softly, trying to reach through the strange distance to him. I knew him well enough to know he was wrestling with his thoughts. I felt that something wasn’t right, something to do with him and with the situation we were facing.

“Jasper, what’s wrong?” I repeated, a little concerned, as I placed my hand on his arm, hoping to share a bit of my calm with him.

He looked at me for a moment, as if he had just noticed me. I could see that he was fighting with his thoughts, and the unrest radiating from him was almost palpable. It was as if a dark cloud was hovering over him, one that didn’t belong there.

It was the Major, his dark side, trying to take control again.

I took a step closer and tried to speak gently to him as I felt his tension. “Jas, it’s okay. You’re here. And you’re not alone.” I knew these words wouldn’t immediately bring him the peace he needed, but I hoped they would be a small anchor for him.

He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, as if he was trying to control the unspoken turmoil within him. It was as if he was fighting against something that was slowly eating him up inside. I knew he always wanted to protect me, and in that moment, I wished I could help him the same way.

“You need to relax,” I whispered, my hand gently on his chest as if trying to soothe him. “It will be okay. We’ll get through this together.”

And though I knew he wasn’t entirely with me in that moment, I felt him slowly start to release some of the pressure from his shoulders. He took a deep breath and tried to push away the darkness surrounding him. But I knew that what he was feeling wouldn’t just disappear. And I would be there, helping him overcome it—just like always.

Aaron calmly explained to us that the council wasn’t particularly pleased that we hadn’t simply withdrawn. A strange, heavy atmosphere lingered in the air as he continued speaking. The council was never an easy topic, and I could see Jasper tense under the weight of these words. I myself was on edge as I listened. We both knew the council wasn’t lenient when it felt threatened, and the thought that we had challenged their authority wasn’t easy to shake off.

“They’re not happy about it,” Aaron finally said, “but when the subject of you two came up, their stance seemed to soften a bit. They’re asking you to come back with us, Jasper, to discuss everything further.”

The words hung in the air, and I could feel Jasper’s body stiffen for a moment as he processed the information. A mix of relief and deep concern washed over me. So, the council hadn’t immediately decided to punish us—but what would happen now? Would they really let us continue living in peace, or was this invitation just a trap?

I looked at Jasper to make sure he wasn’t overwhelmed by the situation. Even though his expression remained calm, I could feel the flicker of concern in him. The Major, that part of him filled with battle and ruthlessness, was probably whispering to him that he would protect me and himself at all costs—and that meant he was ready to fight for us. But how far would he have to go?

“That sounds… at least like a step in the right direction,” I said quietly, my voice almost cautious, as if I were trying to control my own fears. “They’re listening to us. Maybe there’s a chance we can work this out.”

Jasper nodded, but I could see something dark stirring in his eyes. I knew what it was—the tension, the thoughts of the coming battle, the questions ahead when we entered the lion’s den. But we had to endure it. It was the only way to ensure that we were all safe.

“We just have to be careful,” I added, trying to offer him some comfort. “But I don’t think we have a reason to panic. If they want to listen to us, that’s already a start.”

But even though my words sparked some hope in me, I knew I was only saying them to calm ourselves. The truth was, none of us knew exactly what the council wanted from us or what they had planned. But for now, I could only hope that this step would bring us closer to a solution.

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Another chapter and I whish you all a happy new year! :)
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