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ALICE POV
Alice had just opened her eyes after the vision that had consumed her from within. The cold that ran through her from her fingers to her chest did not fade. Her breathing was ragged, as if she had run a race without leaving the hotel room.
Carlisle, watching her from across the room, took a calm step toward her, though concern colored his eyes.
"What's wrong, Alice?" he asked softly but firmly, trying to contain the tension already filling the air.
The rest of the group—the Cullens and the Denalis—fell into immediate silence, as if waiting for the answer they already feared.
Alice couldn't hold back the anxiety strangling her throat. She jumped to her feet, eyes shining and voice breaking:
"It's Nate! He's here! He's going to meet Victoria!"
Laurent frowned, surprising more than one with the speed of his reaction:
"Nathaniel? Didn't you say he was safe in Washington, D.C.?"
Alice clenched her fists tightly, a mix of anger and fear lighting up her eyes:
"I knew something was wrong. We have to go immediately, we can't wait."
Esme, from a corner, approached and placed a gentle hand on Alice's shoulder, trying to calm the storm she saw breaking inside her.
"Calm down, dear," she said kindly. "If you saw it in a vision, it means we still have time. But we must act quickly."
The murmurs of the group began to rise as everyone prepared to leave, grabbing their car keys with almost inhuman speed.
Rosalie, standing next to Emmett, couldn't hold back a sharp, dry comment:
"This whole attack thing was supposed to keep that boy and Edward's girlfriend safe. And the idiot comes and just complicates things..."
Alice turned to her, furious, and took a determined step forward, but Carlisle was faster, placing a firm hand on her arm to stop her.
"Rosalie, dear," he said in a firm yet conciliatory tone, "you're talking about his companion. Please, show some respect."
Rosalie's eyes widened slightly. She looked at Alice, unable to hide her surprise—she had known her for many years and had rarely seen her angry—she lowered her head, a mix of shame and resignation, and murmured:
"I'm sorry..."
Emmett, with a warm smile, trying to lighten the tension, stepped forward and encouraged everyone with an energetic voice:
"Let's go! If we leave now, we can make sure our little brother is safe."
Alice nodded, still agitated but determined. She knew the battle was not only against Victoria and her neophytes; it was also a race against time to save Nate.
The group left the hotel with palpable urgency, each climbing into their cars with quick and decisive movements. Carlisle took the wheel of his own, starting firmly as the engine roared amid the city's quiet atmosphere. Alice settled into the back seat, but anxiety took hold of her almost immediately. Her leg wouldn't stop moving, a nervous tic reflecting the whirlwind of thoughts consuming her.
Carlisle, eyes fixed on the road, tried to calm her with a slow, steady voice:
"Calm down, we'll get there on time."
She glanced at him sideways, irritation bubbling beneath the surface, replying with a hint of frustration:
"We'd get there much faster if we sped."
Esme, sitting next to her, gave a gentle smile and placed a hand on her arm to soothe her.
"It's still daytime, Alice. We can't just go tearing through the city. When we get to the forest, we'll leave the cars and run from there. In seconds, we'll be where we need to be."
Alice nodded, but her brow remained furrowed. Every minute lost to secrecy burned her skin, but simply being surrounded by her family provided a slight refuge against the urge to rush recklessly, not caring if anyone saw her.
When they finally reached the edge of the forest, everyone quickly got out of their vehicles. The stillness of the place contrasted sharply with the tension in their bodies. Without wasting time, they began running toward the factory Alice had seen in her vision, their steps fast and almost silent as they slipped between the trees, zigzagging through shadows and trunks.
But suddenly, something forced them to stop abruptly.
A subtle, cold, and distinctive scent floated in the air. It was strong, but they couldn't immediately identify who or what emitted it.
Kate stepped forward, focusing her gift, ready to respond to the slightest sign of threat.
Eleazar, eyes scanning all directions, leaned toward Carlisle and whispered:
"Do you think it's Victoria? It doesn't smell like a neophyte..."
Carlisle frowned thoughtfully.
"I don't think so... but there's something about that scent that feels strangely familiar."
Alice, silent, took a deep breath and let her mind make the connection before her lips spoke. The smell was unmistakable, a scent she had felt before, one of the Romanians.
Without waiting any longer and unable to contain the urgency burning inside her, she shouted:
"Where is he?! Where's Nate?!"
The group's eyes turned to her, puzzled by the sudden outburst of anxiety.
Then, from inside the forest, a sharp, clear whistle broke the silence.
Alice didn't hesitate for a moment. She lunged toward the sound, her steps quick and determined among the roots and dry leaves.
The others followed, perplexed but adrenaline-fueled.
After moving a long stretch, they stopped suddenly. The whistle sounded again, closer this time.
Looking up, they saw Stefan perched in the treetop, a wide smile on his face that seemed to mock them as he watched from above.
The Denali sisters immediately bristled, their gazes tense and alert as if they had smelled a danger they did not want to face. But Carlisle broke the silence:
"Stefan? What are you doing here?"
Alice didn't wait for Stefan's answer. Anxiety and anger propelled her to raise her voice forcefully, addressing him without filter:
"Tell me where he is. They dragged him here, didn't they?!"
Stefan let out a low, almost mocking chuckle, his face taking on a haughty and contemptuous expression.
"We don't drag anyone around, girl... And honestly, I don't like your tone."
Then he turned his head to look at Carlisle with a mixture of mockery and challenge.
"Looks like you haven't raised your coven well, Carlisle."
Carlisle frowned, clearly confused, and turned his gaze back to Alice, waiting for answers.
"How do you know the Romanians? And what do they have to do with Nate?"
Alice was about to answer, the tension in her chest tightening with each second, when something suddenly dropped in the middle of the group: a dirty, torn shirt full of scratches.
The scent it gave off was unmistakable. The Cullens recognized it instantly: it was Nate's smell.
Alice reacted without hesitation. With overflowing fury, she jumped toward where Stefan was, who at that moment dodged by leaping to another treetop.
Stefan moved with feline agility, jumping from branch to branch, fleeing Alice with a shrill laugh that sounded almost like a game to him.
The combined Cullen and Denali group, still not fully understanding the situation but instinctively supporting Alice, began chasing Stefan. They knew any information he had about Alice's partner had to be revealed if they caught him.
The chase continued intensely, the group moving between the trees with supernatural agility. Stefan, slippery and playful, zigzagged between trunks, throwing loud laughs that seemed to mock his pursuers. He jumped skillfully from branch to branch, as if the forest were his natural home, making every attempt to catch him difficult. On more than one occasion, Kate was about to reach him with a swift move, but Stefan always escaped at the last moment, disappearing among the treetops to reappear at a safe distance.
Emmett, with his impressive strength, tried to close the circle, catching branches or deflecting obstacles, while Rosalie ran with fierce precision, calculating every jump and turn. Jasper watched attentively, reading the emotions emanating from Stefan. "He's too happy... almost like this is a game for him," he commented quietly, sharing his unease with Carlisle.
The united Cullen and Denali team kept pace determinedly, although the forest seemed to stretch endlessly as Stefan led them farther and farther from the factory Alice had seen in her vision. The vampires' muscles showed no fatigue, but the feeling of losing track began to wear on the group's spirits.
Then Irina, with a worried tone, pointed out the obvious: "Hey, we're moving further away from the factory. What if this is a trap?"
Kate huffed in frustration, but didn't lose focus. She prepared to act while Emmett took a firm position on the path. In a quick, coordinated move, Emmett placed his open hands as a step. Kate used that momentum to launch herself forward, flying between the trees with precision and speed. The impact was decisive: she managed to touch Stefan just in time.
Kate's psychic energy exploded on contact, stunning Stefan immediately. The vampire collapsed, unable to maintain the balance or agility that had characterized him until then. The group wasted no time and quickly closed in to trap him.
Stefan lay on the ground, still staggering as Kate's gift left him dazed. The group surrounded him cautiously, never lowering their guard for a moment. Carlisle waited a few seconds for him to recover before speaking:
"These are not the best conditions for a reunion, Stefan, but you obviously know something about the partner of one of my daughters. Tell us where he is."
Stefan let out a low, mocking laugh, fully recovered, and rose with haughty elegance, staring at every member of the group surrounding him.
Alice could no longer hold back. Her voice trembled, full of urgency and desperation.
"This isn't a game! You know he's in danger! He can't face Victoria! Tell us where he is, now!"
Stefan's laugh faded, and his expression turned dark, almost threatening.
"I think it's us who now know Nathaniel a little better," he said in a low, grave voice. "I can assure you he's safe..."
The words cut deep into Alice, who reacted with a fear far more intense than she expected. She couldn't imagine what kind of situation the Romanians might have put Nate in.
Kate, impatient and not letting the conversation drag on, stepped forward.
"We don't have time for games," she declared harshly. With a quick move, she grabbed Stefan's neck and used her gift strongly.
Stefan's confident expression cracked into one of immediate pain. He began twisting on the ground, trying to resist the power dominating him. The seconds felt endless until the effect finally passed.
In a hoarse voice, Stefan murmured, "I hate how unfair some abilities are..."
He turned to look at Alice with a mixture of challenge and resignation.
"I don't know why you come to me when you should already know where Nathaniel is, with those supposed visions of yours..."
Alice's body froze. She realized she had let emotions take control and that they had lost precious time. Without another word, she turned and started running determinedly toward the factory she had seen in her vision.
"Alice, wait!" Carlisle shouted, but the clan leader didn't hesitate. He began chasing her quickly.
The Cullens hurried to catch up, their steps firm and determined. The Denalis remained momentarily still, exchanging worried glances.
Kate asked seriously, "What do we do with him?"
Tanya, with a determined voice, answered, "The most important thing now is to face the neophytes. We can't let the situation get out of control."
The Denali group nodded, and without wasting more time, they started running in the direction the Cullens had gone, except Laurent, who stayed a bit behind, paralyzed by uncertainty.
Stefan watched him with a cold, biting smile.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" he said ironically. "I hope when the sides form, you choose well, Laurent..."
Without waiting for a response, Stefan disappeared into the forest with agility, vanishing among the shadows.
Laurent stood thoughtfully for a few seconds before clenching his jaw and firmly following the path the others had taken.
When the Cullens reached the factory's outskirts, the tension in the air was palpable. Alice, anxious and unable to wait a second longer, tried to advance toward the entrance, but Emmett held her firmly before she could step.
"Calm down, little sister," Emmett said calmly, though with a slight urgency. "We can't rush."
Alice kicked and frowned, wanting to enter immediately. Jasper, standing nearby, extended his concentration and used his gift to try to calm her, sending waves of serenity toward Alice.
Little by little, Alice began to yield, and Emmett loosened his grip, though she remained tense, ready to act.
They waited a few seconds until the others arrived, and with the full group gathered, they began sniffing the air. The silence surrounding them was unsettling.
It was Laurent who spoke first, nervously but decisively:
"I feel the trail of the neophytes... but I don't hear anything. Also, the trail seems to be moving in another direction..."
Alice, a little calmer, freed herself from Emmett and sniffed the environment carefully.
"I sense Nate's scent," she murmured. "Though it's too faint... everything is too mixed with the neophytes' smell."
The group advanced cautiously, almost as if they were hunters in a silent hunt. Each step brought them closer to the factory but also increased confusion. There was no sound, no clear sign, only the sensation of a presence inside.
Everyone undoubtedly felt that a vampire was there. Possibly a neophyte. The gray smoke rising from one of the high windows confirmed that someone was active inside.
With dilated pupils and senses on high alert, they approached slowly until they stood right in front of the factory's facade.
Kate was the first to break the silence, with a firm but hurried voice.
"It's definitely only one. I'll take care of it," she said, pushing herself forcefully and jumping toward a high window, breaking the glass without hesitation.
Tanya tried to stop her with a hand on her arm, but it was too late.
For a few seconds, nothing was heard except the sound of Kate's fast footsteps.
Suddenly, a crash broke the silence. Everyone turned their gaze to the window Kate had entered through.
She was violently thrown out, falling hard to the ground. Her face tensed in pain as she held her stomach, where small cracks began to show on her skin.
"Kate!" Tanya exclaimed, running to her, while the others prepared for whatever might come out of the factory.
Eleazar, who had remained silent since they arrived, finally spoke with a deep, worried voice:
"I feel there's a vampire with a gift inside," he said, frowning, "a pretty powerful one… but I can't quite understand what it can do."
Laurent, standing beside him, slowly closed his eyes, inhaling deeply as if trying to absorb the very essence of the place. Then, in a grave and almost hypnotic tone, he added:
"Yes… I can sense that power. It's intoxicating, almost overwhelming…"
Kate, though still in pain, got up swiftly and gently brushed away Tanya's restless hand, trying to hold her back.
"I don't know exactly what happened," she confessed with a hint of frustration, "but there's only one man inside. I didn't even manage to touch him before he kicked me like I was nothing..."
Her gaze dropped to her stomach, where the cracks that had appeared were quickly closing, as if her body was urgently regenerating.
"Also, it's clear he's very strong..."
Tanya, frowning with a serious expression hardened by the moment's gravity, took command without hesitation.
"Whoever he is, he must know what happened with the neophytes, and he's dangerous. Everyone! Let's surround the factory and attack at the same time."
The group nodded silently, each feeling the weight of the imminent confrontation.
With coordinated, swift movements like shadows, they spread out, each taking position in a different sector around the old factory.
The air was charged, tense, as they waited for the exact moment to assault.
Then, in an almost simultaneous act, they jumped inside the factory.
In the center of that large, gloomy room, lit by flames devouring a pile of bodies, a man stood with his head down, as if absorbed by that macabre vision.
The Cullens froze upon seeing him.
Without hesitation, the Denalis launched themselves toward him, ready to unleash their attack.
But just as they were about to pounce, a scream cut through the air, sharp and urgent.
"Wait!" It was Alice's voice, vibrant and full of a strange mixture of fear and hope.
The Denalis stopped abruptly, their bodies tense and their looks full of questions.
Alice stepped forward cautiously, breathing fast, her gaze fixed on that figure.
Her voice, barely a whisper filled with disbelief, pierced the silence.
"Nate…?"
The man slowly lifted his head.
Time froze as Alice's golden eyes met Nate's intense red ones.