(Ash's POV)
A name has power.
It shapes how people see you, how they remember you. And for someone like me—someone who woke up in this world with no past and a future I could barely glimpse—I needed a name that was mine. Not borrowed. Not forgotten. Mine.
When I first saw my reflection in this life, I had been... unsettled. Silver-white hair, electric blue eyes—features that belonged to a character from a world of fiction. But I wasn't him. I had never been him. My memories, fragmented as they were, held no trace of Gojo Satoru's past. I hadn't lived his life, hadn't fought his battles.
I was just me. Whoever that was.
So I chose my own name.
Ash. A reminder that I had burned away from my old life, reborn into something unknown.
Nightsun. A contradiction—light in the dark. A reminder that even in this world of vampires, of secrets and shadows, I wouldn't be swallowed by it. I would decide my own path.
It was a name that felt right. One I could claim as my own.
----
I had considered avoiding the Cullens altogether.
When I first realized where I was—what I was—staying away from them seemed like the safest option. But I knew, deep down, that it was pointless.
If I was truly a part of this world now, then pretending otherwise was a waste of time. My unreliable future vision only made things worse, constantly flashing glimpses of something significant happening here, at Forks High School. Whatever was coming, I felt drawn to it. Avoiding the Cullens wouldn't change that.
So instead of running, I decided to take control.
I would meet them on my own terms.
That meant getting into Forks High School.
Of course, I had a small problem—I didn't exist.
Not officially, anyway.
That was where my power came in.
The mind shield I possessed wasn't just a defense. It could manipulate perception, subtly influencing thoughts and memories. It wasn't full-blown mind control—I couldn't force people to do things they normally wouldn't. But I could plant suggestions, guide decisions, make things seem… natural.
Creating a fake identity for myself was easier than I expected.
A simple visit to the school district's office, a casual conversation with the administrator, and just a nudge with my power.
An orphan. Moved around too much to have a clear record. Foster system errors. A perfectly reasonable excuse for why no one could find documentation on me.
By the time I walked out of the office, my enrollment was confirmed.
I was officially a student at Forks High School.
And now, standing at the entrance of the school, I wondered if this was a mistake.
Then again, it was too late to turn back now.
Taking a breath, I stepped forward.
—
The moment I stepped onto campus, the weight of a hundred stares settled on me.
It wasn't subtle.
Students whispered behind cupped hands. A girl near the entrance nearly tripped over her own feet, her friend catching her just in time. A group of guys by the parking lot exchanged looks—confusion, disbelief, maybe even a little irritation.
Yeah, I should've expected this.
I knew what they saw—someone who didn't fit here. Too tall, too sharp-featured, too otherworldly with silver-white hair and eyes that seemed to glow even under the gray sky. My appearance had never been normal, but here, in Forks, it was something else entirely.
I forced a neutral expression and headed toward the main office, ignoring the rising whispers.
—
The office was warm, the scent of old paper and coffee lingering in the air. A woman in her late forties with graying brown hair looked up from her desk, her gaze flickering with momentary surprise before she composed herself.
"You must be the new student," she said, reaching for a folder. "Ash Nightsun?"
"That's me," I confirmed.
She gave me another glance, as if trying to piece together where someone like me had come from, but didn't question it. Instead, she handed me my schedule. "You'll have Biology, then English, and… Ah, I believe you'll be in the same classes as the Cullens. They are bright student. I'm sure they be able to help if you have any questions."
I hummed noncommittally. Oh, I'll have plenty of questions, alright. Just not the kind you'd expect.
Tucking the schedule into my pocket, I thanked her and left before she could scrutinize me any further.
—
The hallway was worse than the parking lot.
If outside had been subtle curiosity, this was outright attention. Girls whispered and giggled, some sneaking glances at me before quickly looking away. Even some of the guys did double takes, their expressions ranging from confusion to mild annoyance.
I exhaled slowly. This is getting old fast.
Then, just as I turned a corner—
I felt it.
A shift in the air, subtle but distinct. A presence that stood out like a thread of gold in a sea of gray.
My steps slowed.
At the far end of the hallway stood the Cullens.
Even among the students, they were impossible to miss—too graceful, too poised, too perfect. But what really caught my attention was Alice.
She was staring at me.
Her expression was unreadable, but there was something behind her golden eyes—an intrigue, a curiosity that made my skin prickle. She's trying to see me.
I didn't know what she was glimpsing in her visions, but judging by the small crease in her brows, it wasn't clear.
Our eyes met.
For a moment, the hallway faded into the background, the noise of students dulling into nothingness.
Then, a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
Something in my chest tightened.
I swallowed and turned away first, breaking the silent moment between us. Not yet.
This was only the beginning.
And I had a feeling things were about to get a lot more complicated.
"Alice's POV"
The future twisted the moment he walked in.
At first, the vision was vague—a ripple of uncertainty in the once-clear path of Forks High School's routine. And then, the details sharpened. A boy, silver-haired and bright-eyed, stepping onto campus. The second I saw him, I felt the shift in my chest—something deep, something irreversible.
I gasped softly, my fingers curling around the edge of the of my book.
"Alice?" Jasper's voice was quiet beside me, filled with concern.
I barely heard him. My mind was consumed by the vision unraveling in front of me. It wasn't like anything I'd seen before. Normally, my sight gave me clear glimpses—choices, decisions, their consequences playing out like a movie reel. But with him, the future fractured.
It wasn't gone, but it wasn't whole either. His path flickered, shifting between countless possibilities, each one dissolving before I could grasp it. That had never happened before.
The moment I saw his face, the present snapped back into focus. I looked up—
And there he was.
Ash Nightsun.
My breath hitched.
He was even more striking than my vision had shown me. Tall, with hair so white it seemed to glow under the dim school lights. And those eyes—an impossible shade of blue, deeper than anything I had ever seen. They locked onto mine, and for a single second, the chaos of his future stilled.
I felt it then. A pull, something primal, something absolute.
I had seen it before, in others. The moment a vampire recognizes their mate.
My stomach twisted. This isn't possible. He's human.
And yet, as his gaze flickered away, as he walked past me like he hadn't just unknowingly changed everything—I knew the truth.
Fate had just rewritten itself.
And I had no idea what it meant.
---
END OF CHAPTER 4