Bella
After Edward confessed his intent, I asked for a few moments to think. He left the room, I was now alone with my thoughts. A storm was brewing in my chest. My feelings were a tangled mess of disbelief, anger, and something I could not quite name. How could he possibly think I would believe all this ghost nonsense? Humans do not just die and come back, do they? At least, I did not think so. He also said that an obliterated soul can't return. Then how did Ara appear or was it even her? Also, why did she keep replaying her death to me?
Still, I could not entirely dismiss the look in his eyes as he spoke. It was so raw, so haunted. Losing someone you love does make the world go dark. That much, I understood. Edward had taken my entire world from me. He had ripped away, torn apart everything I had known, and cast me into this nightmare. Yet, when I touched his face, I was ready to let go of everything I had known. How could I ever forgive him for that? How could he even ask me to? But why did I so willingly submit to him that day? Did he use magic on me or was it of my own free will? I still had so many questions.
The day passed in a blur, each moment steeped in unease. At dinner, Edward was quieter than usual. He still placed me on the throne beside him. It was a constant reminder of my unwanted role in his strange world. I had only wanted to be free, not a prisoner to duty. The Fae in the grand dining hall stared at me as if I had sprouted wings or a second head. Their whispers and sidelong glances made my skin crawl.
Yet, there was a shift in the way they addressed me. No longer was I "the human girl" or spoken of in sneering tones. Now, I was "Miss Bella," as though they had suddenly decided I was worthy of respect. How could I be? I felt lower than dirt, still grappling with my place in this strange realm, still furious at the man who had begun to steal more than just my freedom, but my heart.
That night, Edward once again told me to go to "our room." The phrase made my stomach twist with unease. I obeyed, but my steps were hesitant. My memories of last night left me torn. I hated him for everything he had done from taking me as a sacrifice, and treating me like a servant, to stripping away my dignity. I could not stop the flood of emotions when he was near. It terrified me. Is he using magic to bind me to him or is it something that neither of us holds a power over?
I had just stepped inside when Edward closed the door behind us and swept me into his arms as though I weighed nothing. I stiffened, but he only carried me to the bed, laying me down with a gentleness that made my heart ache. His lips brushed against mine, soft and fleeting, before he whispered, "Good night, Bella."
His breath warmed my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. I turned away from him, trying to ignore the blush creeping up my neck. My body betrayed me, reacting to his touch even as my mind screamed to resist. I wanted to hate him. I needed to hate him but I couldn't. As his arms encircled my waist, drawing me closer, I felt a flutter in my chest that I did not want to admit was there. Instead, I lay rigidly in his embrace, listening to his breathing slow and become steady only to finally settle into the rhythm of sleep. His chest pressed against my back, and for a fleeting moment, I allowed myself to relax.
With no other choice, I drifted into an uneasy slumber. In the realm of dreams, a woman appeared before me. She was striking, her blue eyes sharp and piercing, her dark black hair cascading over her shoulders like liquid twilight. Midnight blue and silver wings shimmered behind her, their delicate edges glinting like starlight.
We stood in a grand ballroom, though it was unlike any I had ever seen. The air shimmered with an otherworldly glow, and the floor beneath us was smooth as glass, reflecting the faint light of a thousand unseen stars. Then I saw Edward in his light Fae form. He was held by guards, his arms bound, his face a mask of fury and despair. The panic in his eyes twisted something deep inside me, a sensation I did not want to feel.
"Bella," the woman said, her voice echoing as though it came from the stars themselves. "I have been waiting for you."
I turned to her, my chest tightening.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Ara," she said, her voice carrying both warmth and sorrow. "I was Edward's mate. I know you must be confused, but everything he has told you is true."
I shook my head, stepping back. If everything was true that he had said, then who is claiming to be Ara can't be her. Her soul was obliterated. Who is this creature masquerading as her? Why is she talking to me?
"That is impossible. I am not Fae. I am only human. How could any of this be real?" Even if I might have Fae blood in me somewhere, I was raised a human. The only thing I know about magic is to fear it.
Her gaze softened, her wings fluttering as she moved closer. "Bella, you were chosen. When a Fae spirit has not been avenged, it sometimes reincarnates in the one the intended needs the most. You were necessary to bring Edward back to the light."
Her words hit me like a tidal wave, and I struggled to breathe. Edward avenged Ara and became The Beast because of it. One of them is lying. I want to believe that Edward is lying, but I can't. He was so broken. "I cannot just accept this. Edward has been nothing but cruel to me. I cannot love him. I will not. I will never be you." I was lying to myself because those feelings that I want to oppress and forget about were love. Love for The Beast and dark Edward, not yet Edward of the light because I have only recently gotten a glimpse of him.
Her expression did not falter. "You do not have to be me, Bella. Edward knows I can never truly return as I once was. He used to be kind and gentle. You have a role to play. I will guide you, and show you what must be done. When my spirit is avenged, I will fade from his life forever, and only you will remain. You will remain transformed, not just in body but in spirit."
Perhaps part of what she is saying is true, but I don't even know who I am let along who I want to become. Her words hung in the air, heavy and final. I turned my gaze back to Edward. He was still bound, his anguish raw and unmistakable. My heart ached for reasons I did not understand, and thoughts echoed in my mind. What if she was right? What if I can free him of his Beast? But what would happen to any of us once his Beast was gone?