The vision left me shaken, my pulse hammering against my ribs as I leaned against a nearby tree. The image of those golden eyes lingered in my mind, vivid and unshakable. Someone—no, something—had been watching me. And not just in the present, but in the future.
A Cullen.
The realization made my breath hitch. There weren't many people in this world with eyes like that, and I knew exactly what it meant. Vampire.
My hands curled into fists as I tried to suppress the rising panic. If I was right, then I wasn't alone in this world. But that also meant I was walking a razor-thin line between survival and disaster. Because I wasn't just a human in their world—I was an unknown factor.
Would they see me as a threat? A mystery to solve?
The hum beneath my skin intensified, that strange awareness of my abilities settling deep into my bones. I had power here. But I was still vulnerable, still human.
For now.
I exhaled sharply and turned away from the woods. If I was going to survive, I needed a plan. And that started with understanding exactly what I could do.
I needed to test my powers.
———**
I spent the next few hours wandering the outskirts of Forks, pushing at the limits of my abilities. The mind shield came naturally, like an instinct woven into my very being. Whenever I focused, I could block out mental noise—the hum of emotions, the weight of stares, even the subtle pressure of being observed.
It was more than just a passive defense.
I could extend it.
I experimented cautiously, sitting on a bench outside a gas station. A few people walked past, but I focused on one in particular—a middle-aged woman on the phone. Her shoulders were tense, her voice rising in frustration.
I reached out with my power, willing the shield to expand.
The moment it touched her, a visible shift occurred. Her brows furrowed, her voice stuttered, and for a brief second, she looked confused—like she had forgotten why she was angry.
Then, just as quickly, she shook it off and continued her conversation, the frustration slipping back in.
I exhaled. It wasn't mind control, but it disrupted emotions, dulled mental states. That could be useful.
The future vision, though… that was harder to control.
It came in flashes—brief, fragmented moments that I couldn't trigger at will. The golden eyes in the woods had been my first real glimpse of something significant. But what did it mean?
A warning? A meeting yet to come?
I didn't know. But if I was right about who those eyes belonged to, then I needed to be careful. Because if the Cullens found out about me, there was no telling what would happen next.
For now, I had to stay under the radar.
———**
The motel Linda had mentioned wasn't much—just a small, run-down place with flickering neon lights and a lobby that smelled faintly of mildew. The old man at the front desk barely looked up as I approached.
"Need a room?" His voice was hoarse, like he'd been smoking for decades.
I hesitated. "Yeah."
"Cash only."
Shit.
My fingers clenched at my sides. Of course, I had no money—no ID, no way to explain myself. But as I stood there, something odd happened.
The air around me shifted.
It was subtle, but I felt it—the way the man's attention seemed to blur, like a fog settling over his awareness. His fingers hovered over the desk, his eyes unfocused.
I didn't question it.
"Actually, I already paid," I said, testing the waters.
For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, slowly, he nodded.
"Yeah… yeah, that's right." He slid a room key across the counter without another word.
I took it, my heart pounding.
That—that was new.
I didn't just block something. I influenced him.
The implications sent a shiver down my spine.
———**
I barely slept.
Visions haunted me—fragmented glimpses of things I couldn't understand. Shadows moving in the forest. The gleam of golden eyes. A name whispered on the wind.
When I woke, my body felt heavy, my mind tangled in the remnants of something half-remembered.
I needed to clear my head.
The morning air was crisp as I stepped outside. Fog clung to the streets, curling around lampposts like ghostly fingers. The town was still quiet, the early hours untouched by the rush of the day.
I didn't know where I was going, but my feet carried me forward.
And then—I felt it.
A presence.
My steps faltered, my heart lurching in my chest. Someone was watching me.
I turned my head slowly, scanning the street.
Nothing.
But the feeling remained. A subtle weight in the air, a silent pressure against my senses.
Not human.
I swallowed hard.
The vision from the woods hadn't been just a possibility.
It had been inevitable.
And now, they were here.
———**
I didn't run. That would be stupid.
Instead, I kept walking, pretending not to notice. But every instinct screamed at me—my shield hummed, a silent barrier pressing against unseen eyes.
Then, in the reflection of a shop window, I saw her.
Alice Cullen.
My breath caught.
She stood across the street, half-hidden in the morning fog, her golden eyes locked onto me with an intensity that sent a chill down my spine.
She knew.
Maybe not everything, but enough to notice me.
I turned, forcing myself to stay calm. Our eyes met for the briefest second—
And then, just as suddenly as she appeared—
She was gone.
A ghost in the mist.
My fingers trembled.
This world was shifting, the threads of fate weaving tighter around me.
I had been found.
---
END OF CHAPTER 3