Chapter 21: Nightmares and Birthday
Ethan ran through the forest, his footsteps echoing in the stillness of the night. All around him, the sound of breaking branches and falling leaves could barely overshadow the roars coming from ahead. In the clearing, a violent battle was taking place. Vampires, fast and deadly, surrounded a gigantic beast: a wolf of enormous proportions, much larger than any Ethan had seen. His fur, dyed copper red, was stained with his own blood, but his wounds closed almost instantly
The wolf attacked with unleashed fury. With each blow, he tore apart the vampires who were trying to restrain him. Bodies fell around them, destroyed mercilessly. Ethan, in his human form, watched from a distance, knowing that even if he transformed himself, he would be no match for that unstoppable beast. He wanted to get closer, but a feeling of helplessness kept him rooted to the ground.
Suddenly, the beast turned, directing his gaze towards a group of three people: his father Billy, his brother Jacob and the person he loved, Rosalie. Everyone was trying to protect themselves. In a second, he pounced on them. One by one, they fell under his clutches until he finally saw her attacking Rosalie. Her piercing scream rang through the air as the beast caught up with her. Ethan tried to run towards her, but the wolf turned on him, and before he could react, it split him in two with a single blow
Ethan woke up suddenly, her body covered in sweat. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, and his breathing was rapid, uncontrolled. He ran his hands over his face, trying to calm himself, but the image of the giant wolf destroying his loved ones was still vivid in his mind. These nightmares repeated night after night, each time more intense.
The darkness of his room enveloped him, barely broken by the moonlight that filtered through the curtains. He sat on the bed, looking at the window, trying to control his heavy breathing. He knew it wasn't just dreams. There was something deeper behind those visions, something that terrified him even more: the fear that this beast was nothing other than himself. The anger he felt growing inside him, the increasing difficulty in maintaining control during his transformations... Everything pointed to a tragic outcome
"What if I lose control completely?" he thought. "What if I end up hurting the people I love?"
Ethan clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. His power grew, but with it, so did the danger. He knew that he couldn't allow himself to rest or let his guard down. The internal conflicts he had been facing since his transformation kept him on edge, and although his instincts told him that he should talk to someone, he didn't trust anyone to understand what was really going on in his head.
Getting up slowly, he walked towards He went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. His reflection in his mirror gave him an image he didn't recognize. His deep dark circles and exhausted expression spoke of the constant emotional and physical wear and tear that accompanied him. For a moment, his reflection seemed to distort, and he swore his eyes glowed red. He blinked, and the image disappeared. 'I'm losing my mind,' he thought with a sigh before returning to his bed.
Miles away, as Ethan tried to find some peace in the darkness, the sun was beginning to peek over Forks. Bella Swan woke up with a start, although not from nightmares, but from the cheerful voice of her father, Charlie, who entered her room with a smile, holding a package wrapped in wrapping paper.
—Happy birthday, Pretty! —Charlie said, with that affectionate but clumsy tone that she always used in important moments.
Bella sat up slowly, still feeling the weight of sleepiness on her shoulders. She smiled weakly as she saw her father standing at the door, trying to be attentive even though celebrations were not her strong suit. She looked at the package she was holding and accepted it with a wider smile, although her mind was elsewhere. Today she turned eighteen, a number that for many meant freedom and the beginning of adulthood, but for her it was only a reminder that she was growing old while Edward, her vampire boyfriend, remained frozen in eternal youth.
After After exchanging a few words with her father and thanking him for the gift, Bella left the house, finding Edward waiting for her in his car. He greeted her with his intense gaze and a charming smile, leaning down to kiss her on the lips.
"Happy birthday, Bella," he murmured against her skin
Bella tried to smile, but a part of her did. I couldn't help the anxiety. Getting older meant continuing to grow older, and the more time passed, the more aware she became of the distance between her world and Edward's. As they drove to school, Bella was lost in thought about her. "What will happen when she really gets too old for him?" she thought. The thought of her tormented her, but she didn't want to mention it in front of Edward. Not on his birthday
As Bella and Jacob prepared to enter school, Jacob Black appeared. Bella stopped, surprised by how much her friend had changed. Jacob was taller, more muscular, his body seemed to have suddenly matured. He was almost like he was someone else
—Wow, Jacob! Bella exclaimed, amused. Steroids?
Jacob laughed, but there was a tension in his gaze that Bella couldn't ignore.
"Nah, just a little growth spurt," he replied, giving her a hug.
As They hugged, Bella noticed that Jacob seemed more distant, his look was more serious than she remembered. There was something dark and mysterious about his countenance.
"Happy birthday," Jacob said, stepping back slightly, although his eyes avoided Edward, who was observing the scene with his typical reserved expression.
"Thank you, Jake," he replied. Bella, before asking. Hey, have you seen Ethan lately? I haven't seen him in months, and he's like... missing.
Jacob tensed up a little at the mention of his older brother
"Ethan's fine," he said, though she said. His tone was somewhat evasive. Still somewhat... distant, as always. But lately he is more absent than usual. I don't know what's wrong with him.
Bella frowned. There was more to the story, but before she could insist, Jacob gave her a somewhat forced smile and said goodbye to her with a quick hug, although not before she gave Edward a look of disdain. Clearly, Jacob's feelings towards Edward had not improved over time.
After saying goodbye to Jacob, Bella and Edward walked through the hallways, the atmosphere changing when they saw Alice and Jasper waiting for them on the stairs. Alice, with her usual radiant smile, stepped forward to hug Bella
—Happy birthday, Bella! —Alice exclaimed, with contagious energy. Her golden eyes were shining with excitement.
Bella, feeling somewhat overwhelmed, smiled. —Thank you, Alice.
Alice already had everything planned for the celebration. Bella knew it, although she tried to ignore the advances Alice had been making the last few days. She didn't like celebrating her birthday, especially not now, but she knew it was useless to try to stop Alice
Jasper, as always, was on the side, silent but present. He kept a safe distance, his eyes focused, as if he were always at the edge of his self-control. Despite his reserved posture, Bella could feel the aura of calm emanating from him, almost as if Jasper was using his gift to ease his discomfort
"Don't worry, Bella." —Alice continued, ignoring her friend's tension—. Tonight we will do something special, but don't worry, it will be something small.
—Small? —Bella raised an eyebrow, clearly distrustful of Alice's definition of "little."
Alice just smiled, but before she could say more, Jasper intervened with a calm voice.
—I promise I won't. "It'll be a bit over the top," he said, his tone calming. Just enough for you to have some fun.
Bella appreciated Jasper's attempt to reassure her, although she knew that if Alice was involved, she wouldn't be able to escape a celebration. Still, she was grateful for Jasper's calming presence.