Twilight: Darling of Volturi (YURI/GL)

Jane's red eyes gleamed with ruthless anticipation as she declared, "Let's hope it's a gift Aro has no interest in. Better yet, I hope this girl ends up in my hands just like Fabio did. I'll keep her by my side personally and educate her properly."

The words had barely left her lips when Demetri came sprinting back toward them. Pointing toward the mountain's highest peak, he reported before anyone else could speak, "The target has stopped. That lunatic gave up crossing the mountain range and decided to climb to the summit instead! She's completely insane! I chased that maniac for two days and two nights, and in the end I somehow ended up climbing the Alps!" 

Throwing himself dramatically against Alec's shoulder, he wailed like an actor on stage, "Alec, please! Find the right distance and knock her down already!"

Together, the three of them climbed higher, piercing through the sea of clouds until they emerged above it. The snowfall ceased, and the world abruptly became clear once more. Sunlight, hidden behind layers of dense cloud, spilled across the mountaintop in dazzling brilliance, making the worlds above and below the clouds appear like two entirely different realms.

Alec slowed his pace and silently searched for the perfect distance from which to release his sensory-numbing mist. Here atop the snow-covered mountains, his usual black mist would stand out far too conspicuously, so he altered it into an invisible, colorless haze. The dark mist was better suited for intimidation and psychological warfare; this transparent version was far more practical for silent hunting.

Holding their breath, Jane and Demetri concealed themselves within a blind spot among the rocks. Not a trace of human life existed on the snowy peak. The only thing moving in the endless white landscape was the lone vampire girl they had pursued across half of Europe.

The strange newborn vampire stood motionless at the summit, staring intently at something resting in the palm of her hand as though studying it with complete concentration. Perhaps it was the weight of three unwavering gazes upon her, or perhaps Alec's drifting mist had brushed too close, but the girl's instincts suddenly flared. 

The petite figure lifted her head, slowly scanned her surroundings, then, without the slightest warning, turned directly toward the place where the three Volturi guards were hiding.

As she tilted her face over her shoulder, the exposed side of her cheek caught the intense ultraviolet light atop the mountain. Her skin erupted into dazzling brilliance, sparkling more brilliantly than diamonds layered beneath laser light.

Every vampire possessed skin like this.

Yet the sight struck Jane with unexpected force.

The glittering light seemed not to enter her eyes but pierce directly into her heart.

She recognized her.

The girl standing outside the palace entrance.

The human she herself had secretly allowed to leave.

So... she still fell into the hands of vampires.

An indescribably complicated emotion welled inside Jane. Almost instinctively, she looked away, avoiding the girl's radiant face as though unable to endure its brilliance.

The girl had already turned completely toward them. Both of her arms were visibly crooked, the bones having healed incorrectly after being broken, though the venom had already fused them back together. 

Not a problem, Jane thought calmly. Break them again, then set them properly. With Alec suppressing her sense of pain, the whole process will be effortless.

While Jane was quietly making plans, Alec's colorless mist gradually drifted around their target.

By the time the newborn realized danger had arrived, it was already too late.

She chose a direction at random and lunged straight into the invisible fog.

Instantly, every one of her senses disappeared.

No light.

No sound.

No awareness.

No touch.

No taste.

No strength.

It was as though she had been cast directly into hell itself. In the end, even her consciousness faded into nothingness.

It was a terrifying ability.

The instant their target collapsed helplessly into the snow, the three Volturi guards surged forward simultaneously, surrounding her from every direction. Any vampire trapped in such a formation would immediately understand a single truth:

Disaster had arrived.

The unconscious girl curled instinctively into herself. In a strange way, losing consciousness had become her greatest stroke of luck.

Crossing his arms, Demetri nudged her lightly in the back with the tip of his boot before grumbling, "This little brat sure knows how to run."

Jane crouched beside the fallen girl and gently brushed the snow from her face before turning toward Alec. "Alec," she asked, presenting the girl's face to him, "does this remind you of anything?"

Fabio's memory manipulation possessed one glaring weakness. The moment the victim encountered someone connected to the altered memories, everything would immediately return. Jane knew every missing piece of Alec's memories revolved around this girl. Perhaps simply seeing her face would restore what had been stolen.

Alec grasped the girl's badly healed arms and fell silent in thought. A moment later, without the slightest hesitation, he snapped both bones again before carefully resetting them into their proper positions. Under the effects of vampire venom, the shattered bones immediately began healing correctly.

Only then did Alec nod in realization.

"I broke her arms."

He stared thoughtfully at the recovering limbs before continuing, "I chased her all the way to the riverbed. I lifted the boulder she'd hidden beneath and dragged her onto the shore. She was soaked through, so I couldn't burn her immediately. That's why I broke both of her arms first before preparing to twist off her head and throw it into the fire." He turned toward Jane as though about to ask another question, then abruptly changed subjects. 

"Demetri, head back first and deliver a message. Aro probably needs someone to deliver the banquet invitations, and no one is more suited for that than you. Tell our master that Jane and I promise we'll return in time for the banquet."

Jane silently approved of Alec's arrangement. The twins worked together without another word, smoothly convincing Demetri to head back ahead of them.

They had already spent two full days and nights away from Volterra. Aro was undoubtedly beginning to worry. The journey home would be far easier than the pursuit. There would be no detours through rivers or forests. Taking the shortest route, they could reach Volterra by tomorrow evening.

Having completed his assignment, Demetri made no complaint about being deliberately sent away. Instead, he cheerfully descended the mountain, throwing one final remark over his shoulder. "The hostage's all yours! You two can carry her home."

Only after Demetri disappeared down the mountainside did Alec return to the question he had interrupted earlier.

"Jane..." He looked at his sister quietly. "Do you know her? She told me she'd met me before at the Palazzo dei Priori."

Jane fell silent.

Mistaking that silence for reluctance, Alec hurriedly shook his head. "It's alright if you don't want to tell me. I'm sorry, Jane. I shouldn't have asked."

"No!" Jane denied immediately. Since the day they were born, she and Alec had never been separated. They shared everything with one another. No matter how private or embarrassing the matter, she had never hidden anything from her brother. "She was fortunate enough to see me once, but saying we know each other would be an exaggeration. And you don't need to feel guilty for hurting her."

As Alec gently adjusted the last of the girl's healed joints into place, it was obvious he was trying to ease Jane's conscience.

"That day..." Jane murmured softly. "She wandered into the underground palace completely alone. She was only one step away from becoming our meal, but I..."

Jane mentally replayed everything that had happened that day. At first, she had blamed Heidi's gift for influencing her actions. Now, thinking back, she realized she had wronged Heidi completely.

She and Alec had both been affected by the girl long before Heidi ever appeared.

"...I became so angry afterward that I secretly swore to myself..." Jane's red eyes narrowed. "If I ever saw her again, I would never allow her to leave the Palazzo dei Priori alive."

Without saying anything, Alec stepped forward and embraced his sister. Even in his youthful appearance, he stood noticeably taller than Jane, his shoulders broad enough to shelter her completely. He gently patted her back, soothing the sudden surge of anger rising within her.

"Don't be angry anymore, Jane. Fabio accidentally fulfilled that promise for you." A faint smile crossed his lips. "Perhaps, once we return, you can punish her personally."

Jane hugged him back, her mood immediately improving.

"Fortunately," she said with a small smile, "your mist suppresses the effects of my pain illusion. Otherwise..." Her eyes drifted toward the unconscious girl. "...I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from starting her punishment right here."

Jane bent down and effortlessly lifted the unconscious vampire girl from the snow. Having lain there for so long, her body had become nearly as cold as the eternal ice covering the mountain peak. Her skin was so pale it almost blended seamlessly into the snow itself, making her difficult to distinguish from the landscape. Only her red eyes, half-hidden beneath lowered lashes, stood out vividly, beautiful in a way that resembled death itself.

Alec took the girl onto his left shoulder with practiced ease, then reached out with his free hand to clasp Jane's.

"Come on, Jane," he said warmly. "It's time for us to go home."

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