Early Morning – Forks High School Parking Lot
The sun had barely crested the tree line, but the atmosphere around Forks High felt heavier than usual. Desmond stood leaning against the rusted hood of his truck, backpack slung lazily over one shoulder. His senses were sharper today—too sharp. He could hear conversations from across the lot, the crunch of gravel under every footstep, the flutter of wings overhead.
Something was… wrong.
Leona approached, her eyes watchful. "You felt it too?"
Desmond gave a single nod. "It started when I woke up. It's like the world is too loud. My pulse is off. My blood feels hot."
"Something's shifting," she said. "You're evolving again."
Desmond's jaw tightened. "Then we don't have much time."
Before Leona could respond, a silver Mercedes pulled up near them. The Cullens. Edward stepped out first, his expression tense. He glanced at Desmond warily—as if trying to read his mind but meeting only static. Behind him, Alice looked… uncertain.
Alice approached Desmond, uncharacteristically hesitant. "My visions are… getting distorted. Every time you're involved, I see fractures. Like multiple paths collapsing into one."
Desmond stared at her. "Is that supposed to scare me?"
"No," she said softly. "It's supposed to warn you."
Edward stepped forward now. "We don't trust each other. But something's coming—and I think we're all on the same side."
"Until we're not," Desmond replied.
Later That Day – Forest Clearing Beyond La Push
Elias, Leona, and Desmond stood around an ancient rock slab, newly uncovered beneath layers of moss and time. Carvings on the stone pulsed faintly with red light.
"This isn't a tomb," Elias said grimly. "It's a seal."
Desmond's body tensed as the energy surged. Symbols glowed around his arms—marks that hadn't been there the day before. They throbbed with energy, in sync with the stone.
"You're connected to it," Leona breathed. "It was waiting for you."
A surge of energy burst from Desmond's chest, unbidden—dark and electric, laced with violet fire. The stone cracked. The seal shattered.
A low howl echoed through the forest—one not from any animal or wolf. It was… ancient.
A voice whispered in Desmond's mind:
"One seal broken. Two remain. The Bloodbound awakens."
He fell to his knees, gasping. Memories flooded his vision—fights not yet fought, places not yet seen. A throne of ash. Eyes of fire. A woman cloaked in moonlight whispering his name—
"Desmond."
He blinked. Back in the clearing. Elias and Leona stared at him.
"What did you see?" Elias asked.
Desmond's voice was hoarse.
"War. And something waiting in the dark."
Elsewhere – The Volturi Castle, Volterra
Aro ran a finger along a dusty old book—its pages scorched and bound in cursed leather.
"So the seal has broken," he whispered with a delighted smile. "Then he is truly one of them."
Jane stood by the doorway, expression blank.
Aro closed the book slowly. "Time to prepare for the Bloodbound. We cannot let the second seal fall."