The night stretched over the forest like an endless abyss, silent and waiting. But before me, the silence held weight. It was the calm before the storm.
The Shadows stood in formation, their twelve hundred figures blending seamlessly into the darkness. They were my creation—not mere foot soldiers, not mindless beasts, but individuals. Each with a personality, a purpose, a quirk that set them apart from the others.
They weren't just an army.
They were a society.
And at their helm stood my six captains—Victor, Joan, Luca, Aurora, Dante, and Selene. Each one commanded two hundred Shadows, and each of those two hundred carried a spark of uniqueness that made them more than just soldiers.
Victor's group was full of warriors, disciplined and strong, some of them still holding onto the formalities of a past life. Joan's group was strategic, clever, full of vampires who could think three steps ahead. Luca's Shadows were chaotic, wild, full of vampires who thrived in unpredictability. Aurora's group moved like ghosts—silent, precise, deadly. Dante's was the most brutal, the most straightforward, every member as sharp as a blade.
Selene's, however, were different.
Her Shadows carried themselves with the elegance of predators who knew they were at the top of the food chain. They were methodical, confident, and terrifyingly efficient.
Joan whistled as she looked over them. "They look even more refined than last time."
Victor chuckled. "They're evolving. Learning." He glanced at me. "You didn't just create them to obey, did you? You gave them free will."
I nodded. "What's the point of creating perfection if it's incapable of growth?"
Luca smirked. "Then the Volturi don't just have an army to deal with… they have a civilization rising against them."
Selene crossed her arms. "The question is… do they even know?"
A breeze carried a familiar scent through the trees. Someone was approaching.
Edward Cullen.
Edward emerged cautiously, his golden eyes scanning the gathering before him. The moment he stepped out of the treeline, his entire body froze.
I saw it then—the raw disbelief on his face.
His gaze flickered across the army, lingering on the distinct groups, on the way they weren't just standing there but interacting. He saw the way some Shadows whispered among themselves, how others exchanged knowing glances, how some stood with their arms crossed, impatient, as if waiting for something to happen.
They were alive in ways he had never seen in an army.
His lips parted slightly, but no words came out. His mind was moving too fast, trying to rationalize something that had no rational explanation.
Finally, he found his voice.
"What… is this?"
I smirked. "Preparation."
His eyes darted to mine. "You… you brought them here?"
"In a way," I said smoothly.
His jaw tightened. "They aren't newborns."
"No."
Edward exhaled sharply, his thoughts racing. He didn't even know where to start.
The Cullens believed they knew the limits of vampires, the way power worked, the rules that governed our kind. And yet, here I was, breaking every single one of them.
"You created them," he whispered, more to himself than to me.
I smiled. "Now you're getting it."
His breath hitched, his golden eyes wide. "But… that's impossible."
I tilted my head. "Is it?"
His entire stance shifted. His body tensed as the realization finally set in—he had walked into something beyond his comprehension.
"You're preparing for war," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper.
I met his gaze. "I'm ensuring victory."
Edward took a slow step back, his face still caught between horror and disbelief. He came here to gather information, but he had found something far worse.
"The Cullens haven't made their choice yet," he admitted, his voice almost distant. "But after seeing this… I don't think we even know what we're choosing."
I watched as he turned and disappeared into the trees.
Selene smirked. "He looked like he saw a ghost."
"He saw something worse," I said.
Joan grinned. "So, what's next?"
I turned back to my army. My people.
"We don't wait for the Volturi," I said. "We prepare the battlefield. And when they arrive, we show them what true power looks like."
The world was about to change.