Unfortunately...
God did not answer her prayer.
The beautiful man presiding over the tribunal turned toward Sophie. His smile remained exactly the same as when she had first opened her eyes.
Warm
Elegant.
Perfectly false.
Only the scrutiny in his red eyes betrayed his true intentions.
"Sophie."
The devil gently spoke her name.
"I neglected to introduce myself. My name is Aro."
So I've become a devil too?
Then of course God would never answer a devil's prayers.
"Forgive me for being unable to trust you completely just yet, Sophie."
Aro inclined his head in a flawless gesture of apology.
Fabio's fading screams became little more than background music, lending Aro's performance an even more chilling atmosphere. He felt neither guilt nor compassion, yet every movement displayed impeccable manners.
Sophie's throat tightened.
Not a single word would come out.
She had always lacked a proper sense of danger. Curiosity had always outweighed caution.
But now...
Far too late...
She finally understood what true fear felt like.
Fortunately for Aro, Sophie's opinion mattered very little.
His impeccable manners...
His graceful posture...
His flawless etiquette...
They were nothing more than performances for his own amusement.
Returning to the throne at the center of the platform, Aro folded his hands together and spoke in a thoughtful, almost lyrical cadence.
"What an extraordinary coincidence and yet coincidence is often merely fate disguising itself. My instincts tell me...Sophie and Fabio are not truly alike."
His gaze shifted briefly toward Fabio.
Judging the punishment sufficient, he nodded.
"That will do, Jane."
Fabio's suffering ceased instantly.
The screams vanished.
Silence reclaimed the vast tribunal.
Jane smiled with complete satisfaction.
Days of suppressed bloodlust had finally found an outlet, leaving her considerably calmer.
Two guards lifted Fabio from the floor and held him upright while awaiting Aro's next command.
"The Naples Museum of Art wishes to borrow one of my sculptures, Veiled Christ, for a three-month exhibition," Aro remarked conversationally, as though discussing nothing more serious than the weather. "Fabio, how would you like to consider this a business assignment? For the next three months, you may hunt as you please... provided you obey our laws."
Aro's methods had always been cruelly effective.
First came the stick.
Then the reward.
After allowing Jane to torture Fabio nearly to his limits, he immediately offered an irresistible temptation. Fabio now felt nothing but overwhelming gratitude. Aro had forgiven his crime, spared his life, granted him blood, and welcomed him back into the family.
Escorted away by the two guards, Fabio's chapter came to an end.
Aro's attention returned to the remaining girl.
"And now..."
"What should I do with you, Sophie?"
The instant the conversation returned to her, Sophie nearly felt every hair on her body stand upright. She fought desperately to keep her trembling limbs under control.
Swallowing hard, she gathered every ounce of courage she possessed.
"Aro... I want to go home."
"Home?" Aro repeated, as though she had told an amusing joke. "Do you even remember where your home is?"
Sophie stared at him in shock.
How did he know?
How could he know her memories were incomplete?
The devil's power...
He read my mind...
"There is the bright sunshine over Volterra," Aro said calmly, counting each memory on his fingers. "The sunset as you lay dying beneath the cliff and the snow-covered Alps."
He listed each memory with such precision that Sophie silently closed her mouth.
She had never been good at arguing with anyone.
Smiling as kindly as a caring parent, Aro continued.
"Sophie, you're still far too inexperienced to control your gift. Allowing you to wander freely and endanger humans would violate everything the Volturi stands for."
"So...why not stay? My twins are rather fond of you. It seems...you all got along remarkably well."
Of course Aro had noticed Jane's cloak draped over Sophie.
He understood Jane and Alec better than they understood themselves.
Even if the twins insisted they had done so merely for practical reasons... even if Jane claimed she simply had no intention of reclaiming a used cloak...
Aro knew better.
Deep inside, both twins had already cast their vote.
As the Volturi's strongest guards, they respected strength above all else.
Jane's pride would never have allowed someone weak to touch her personal belongings. Doing so would have felt like an insult. She would have gone out of her way to prevent such a thing or at least hide it.
Yet she hadn't.
She had openly allowed everyone to see the newborn wrapped in her own cloak.
That meant...
Whether she admitted it or not...
Jane's heart had already accepted Sophie.
The realization amused Aro immensely.
"Marcus."
From the throne to Aro's right, the master who had remained as motionless as stone finally stirred. Without speaking a word, Marcus swept his gaze across everyone present before extending his left hand.
Their fingertips touched.
For a fleeting instant, Aro viewed the room through Marcus's gift and obtained exactly what he sought.
"What passionate devotion...so close...to love."
The statement contained no names.
No one present knew whom he meant.
Suddenly, Aro stepped down from his throne and announced enthusiastically,
"Sophie shall have a guardian. Someone to supervise her..."
"Care for her..."
"Train her..."
"And perhaps, one day, we shall finally uncover the true nature of her dark gift."
Standing once more beside Sophie, Aro slowly swept his gaze across every guard and leader within the tribunal.
Caius's expression darkened.
Aro had clearly chosen someone long ago, yet he still insisted on making a theatrical display of selecting the candidate on the spot.
Finally, Aro's gaze came to rest.
With perfect elegance, he raised one hand and pointed toward the chosen individual.
"I hereby appoint you to become Sophie's guardian."
Alec froze.
His eyes shifted toward the person Aro was pointing at.
His sister.
"That's right, Jane," Aro said warmly. "My good girl. From this day forward, Sophie shall be under your supervision. I grant you complete authority over her."
He paused deliberately before adding the final sentence.
"Including the authority to kill her."
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