At the turn of the staircase half a floor above them, Charles's tall figure emerged from the shadows.
Jane said nothing. Most of her face remained concealed beneath the deep black hood of her cloak, leaving only the cold glint of red eyes visible beneath its shadow. She stood just beyond arm's reach of Sophie, silent and unmoving, like Death itself waiting patiently to reap another soul.
The instant Charles appeared, Jane took a deliberate step toward him, subtly positioning herself between him and Sophie, shielding the latter from his sight without uttering a single word.
Charles immediately drifted down the stairs, careful not to remain on the higher step for even a moment, as though standing above Jane would itself be an unforgivable offense against the Volturi's proudest and most merciless guard.
Though he had long since left the Guard and was no longer counted among the family, the golden V-shaped insignia that now adorned Jane's chest had once rested upon his own. Even after centuries, it remained the object of his deepest longing.
The exhilaration of possibly returning to the Volturi overwhelmed the instinctive fear Jane inspired within him. Unable to contain himself, Charles hurried forward, placed his right hand over the heart that had ceased beating centuries ago, dropped to one knee, and bowed deeply before her in absolute submission. His broad frame bent lower and lower, the spine Sophie had once broken now willingly folding of its own accord, until his forehead nearly touched his knee.
Jane remained silent.
Her red eyes narrowed with unmistakable disdain as she looked down upon the fugitive before her, studying him the way one might inspect a filthy rat cornered after years of fleeing through the darkness.
Time had left Charles's appearance almost untouched, yet his manner had grown far more despicable than she remembered. Even his scent had changed, tainted by the murky stench unique to nomadic vampires who wandered without purpose.
His willingness to kneel was suitably pathetic.
But what of it?
No amount of humility could lessen Jane's desire to see him dead.
No...
Death alone would be far too merciful.
When Jane's anger reached its absolute limit, she found herself smiling instead. Few in the world understood torture as intimately as she did. "Heh... after wandering for so many years, I'd assumed whatever reverence you once possessed had long since been washed away while crawling through the sewers."
Before Charles could utter a single reply, Jane's half-lidded red eyes opened completely.
An overwhelming wave of her gift descended upon him without warning.
This was nothing like the usual punishment that merely wrung a few screams from its victim. The intensity was incomparably greater, a punishment meant not to discipline, but to utterly destroy. Charles collapsed instantly. His carefully maintained kneeling posture shattered as his entire body crumpled onto the cold stone floor. His limbs convulsed violently while his head slammed repeatedly against the unforgiving flagstones.
His red eyes rolled upward until almost nothing remained but the whites. His fingers clawed frantically at his own flesh, instinctively trying to tear away the agony consuming him, but no wound he could inflict upon himself could rival the torment Jane's gift carved directly into the soul. His mouth opened and closed over and over, releasing only silent screams too agonizing for even sound to accompany them. His clothes were shredded apart by his own hands until they hung in filthy tatters, stripping away every trace of the handsome, melancholy facade he had worn like a divine mask.
This... Jane thought coldly. This appearance suits the filth inside you.
Still facing away from them, Sophie heard the faint commotion behind her. Yet the conversation between the two had consisted of only a handful of words, too brief and too ordinary for her to detect anything amiss. Anxiety crept into her voice as she asked, "Jane... how are things over there? Is everything all right?"
"Don't worry." Jane withdrew her gift at once, allowing Charles a few precious moments to breathe. Her voice was perfectly calm, as though nothing unusual had happened. "I'm fine. We merely exchanged a few moves. I wanted to see whether his abilities had improved."
The scorching agony gradually faded, yet the damage engraved upon Charles's soul refused to disappear.
After centuries of existence...
Today had completely rewritten his understanding of what pain truly meant.
Jane approached him with light, measured footsteps and stopped directly before his pitiful form. Looking down at him from above, she examined every trace of his humiliation with detached indifference. Strangely enough, her innocent expression made it seem as though someone else had inflicted his suffering. Her youthful voice rang out, pure and almost musical.
“It's been a long time. It seems both of our gifts have grown stronger. The power of your Lie is remarkable. Even after suffering to this extent... it still hasn't been dispelled."
She had nearly tortured him to death...
Merely to verify a suspicion.
Charles curled into himself, trembling uncontrollably. He knew Jane was more than capable of doing such a thing without hesitation. Stammering through lingering pain, he nodded frantically. "Y-Yes... Unless I personally revoke it... or I die... the effects of my lie... will continue... forever..."
Jane shifted her gaze toward the lone figure who still stood with her back to them.
Her voice turned cold.
"Remove the lie from Sophie."
She paused for a heartbeat before adding, "A witness will be required for the judgment."
Charles dared not refuse.
Barely able to force the words through his throat, he gasped, "Sophie... you may turn around now. You may look back."
The instant the sentence ended, Sophie felt the invisible command embedded within her mind shatter completely. The restriction that had bound her thoughts like an unbreakable decree dissolved in an instant. She never even paused to consider how strange the situation had become. Before her mind could process anything, her body had already made its choice.
It carried her straight to Jane.
Beneath the red cloak that marked Sophie's humble status, both arms wrapped boldly around the shoulders of the Volturi's most exalted guard.
Her embrace drew them tightly together.
As she held Jane, the movement tugged back the hood of Jane's black cloak, exposing the golden hair concealed beneath it. Sophie immediately noticed that Jane was still dressed exactly as she had been before the banquet began.
Yet several emerald bird-beak hairpins that secured her elegant updo had disappeared, allowing loose strands of golden hair to tumble freely around her face. Even the delicate diamond tiara perched atop her head had shifted dangerously to one side, threatening to fall at any moment.
The black hood had hidden all of Jane's disarray.
As long as it remained in place, she still appeared to be the flawless, invincible guardian of the Volturi.
Only now...
With that disguise stripped away...
Could Sophie see how completely shaken she truly was beneath it.
Is this... really Jane?
Sophie froze for a moment.
Ever since they had met, Jane had always been composed, elegant, and utterly unshakable. Whenever she stepped forward, it felt as though the entire world itself should kneel before her. Seeing her in such a state startled Sophie far more than her own brush with death ever had.
Almost instinctively, she loosened the embrace. Rather than continue seeking comfort in Jane's arms, she carefully reached up to straighten Jane's hood once more. More than anything else, she wanted to restore Jane's dignity, preserving her pride and perfection so that no one could witness even the slightest crack in the image she presented to the world.
The exchange lasted only a few brief seconds.
By the time Charles managed to gather his senses again...
All he saw was Sophie seemingly being shoved away by Jane.
"Jane," Charles urged immediately, eager to finish the secret mission Aro had entrusted to him. His voice carried barely concealed anticipation as he bowed his head once more. "Please... begin the judgment at once."
After all...
Aro had never forbidden him from borrowing the power of the Volturi to accomplish his task.
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