The drive back to Charlie's house passed in a blur, my mind still reeling from the encounter in the woods. Edythe's abrupt departure had left me with more questions than answers, and that inexplicable pull between us seemed to grow stronger with each passing mile.
As I pulled into the driveway, the house looked the same as it had seven years ago - a beacon of normalcy in a world that felt increasingly surreal. The porch light was on, casting a warm glow against the gathering dusk. Inside, I could hear the muffled sounds of a sports game on the TV, punctuated by Charlie's occasional comments.
I sat in the car for a long moment, trying to gather my thoughts. The sweet-metallic scent that seemed to define Edythe still lingered, fainter now but no less potent. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face - those golden eyes darkened with hunger, that flawless skin, the way her lips had parted slightly when my scent had reached her...
A tap on the window startled me out of my reverie. Charlie stood outside, brow furrowed in concern. I rolled down the window, trying to arrange my features into something resembling normalcy.
"Everything okay?" he asked, studying my face. "You've been sitting out here for a while."
"Yeah, just... tired," I managed, the lie sounding hollow even to my own ears. "Long day."
Charlie's expression said he didn't quite believe me, but he didn't push. "Well, come on inside. I ordered some pizza while you were out, so if you're hungry, grab a slice."
I followed him into the house, the warmth and familiarity a welcome contrast to the chill of the forest. The TV was playing a Mariners game, the announcers' voices a comforting background noise. I grabbed a slice of pizza, more out of habit than hunger, and settled onto the couch.
Charlie watched me for a moment, his eyes thoughtful. "Raph," he began, his tone serious, "I know it's been a while since you've been here, and a lot has changed. If there's anything you want to talk about, I'm here to listen."
I met his gaze, seeing the genuine concern there. For a moment, I was tempted to tell him everything - the strange pull I felt towards Edythe, the way my senses seemed to sharpen in her presence, the questions that burned in my mind. But something held me back. The last three years had taught me the danger of involving others in the shadows that lurked at the edges of the world.
"I know," I said instead, managing a smile. "Thanks, Charlie. I'm just... adjusting, I guess. It's been a long time."
He nodded, understanding in his eyes. "I can only imagine how difficult it's been, especially after your mom..." He trailed off, the unspoken tragedy hanging in the air between us.
Instinctively, my fingers reached for the silver compass in my pocket, the cool metal a familiar comfort. I traced the intricate engravings, the motion soothing the sudden ache in my chest. It had been three years since the attack that had taken my mother's life, but the wound still felt fresh. The scars on my neck, partially hidden by my collar, seemed to throb with phantom pain. There was something about that night, something about the creature that had attacked us, something about the impossible that I ended. But I pushed those thoughts away, focusing on the present.
"Yeah, it's been... hard. But I'm glad to be here, to have a fresh start."
Charlie reached out, patting my shoulder awkwardly. "Well, you're always welcome here, Raph. This is your home, too."
I nodded back with my own awkward gesture of a half-smile. "Thanks, Charlie. That means a lot."
We lapsed into silence, the game playing on in the background. As the night wore on, I found myself growing increasingly restless. Charlie, perhaps sensing my unease, suggested I turn in early.
"Better get some rest," he advised. "Bella will be here in a few days, and you've got school starting soon. Best to be prepared."
I nodded, suddenly feeling the weight of the day's exhaustion pressing down on me. "You're probably right. Thanks again, Charlie. For everything."
He waved off my gratitude with a gruff nod. "Get some sleep, kid. I'll see you in the morning."
I climbed the stairs to my room, the once-familiar space now feeling strange and new. As I lay in bed, staring at the play of moonlight on the ceiling, my thoughts kept returning to the woods - to Edythe's face, her scent, the electricity that seemed to crackle between us. I replayed our conversation over and over, searching for clues, for some hint of the secrets she was keeping.
Despite the exhaustion that weighed on my body, sleep proved to be a fickle companion. I tossed and turned, the sheets tangling around my legs as my mind refused to quiet. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face - those golden eyes that seemed to see right through me, that flawless porcelain skin, the way her bronze hair had caught the faint light filtering through the trees...
And beneath those surface details, the mystery that surrounded her. The way she seemed to appear and disappear at will, moving too fast and too silently for human capabilities. The way my scent seemed to affect her, drawing her in even as she fought to maintain her distance. And most of all, the inexplicable pull that seemed to exist between us, like an invisible force that defied reason or explanation.
Giving up on sleep, I sat up in bed, running a hand through my hair. The digital clock on the nightstand read 2:34 AM, the glowing red numbers harsh in the darkness of my room. Moonlight filtered through the window, casting strange shadows across the floor.
With a sigh, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, the cool wooden floorboards a shock against my bare feet. I crossed to the window, staring out into the night. The forest beyond the backyard was a wall of black, the trees blending together into an impenetrable mass. But even in the darkness, I could feel it - that same electric awareness that had haunted me since I first locked eyes with Edythe Cullen.
Absently, I touched the scars at my neck, tracing the jagged lines that dipped beneath the collar of my t-shirt. The memory of that night was never far from the surface - the searing pain, the shock of hot blood against my skin, the feeling of tearing flesh, the sound of my mother's scream cutting through the darkness... And most of all, the eyes. Those glowing yellow that had glowed in the shadows, filled with a hunger that was anything but human.
I'd always known there was something more to that attack than the official reports claimed. Animal attacks didn't leave scars like mine. They didn't move with the speed and cruel intelligence that my foggy memories hinted at. But I'd never had a name for what I'd seen, never had an accurate frame of reference for the impossible things that lurked at the edges of my nightmares.
The last three years had been a blur of grief and obsession, a relentless hunt for the truth that had consumed my every waking moment. Home schooling had allowed me the flexibility to pursue the creature that had shattered my world, even as whispers followed me, rumors of a boy unhinged by loss, chasing shadows and monsters. But I'd known the truth, even if no one else believed. I'd seen the impossible made real, and I couldn't rest until I'd found the answers I sought.
And in the end, I had. The creature had been fast, strong, moving with a grace and power that defied natural law. But it hadn't been invincible. And when the final confrontation came, when I'd looked into those glowing yellow eyes one last time, I'd felt a grim satisfaction in knowing that my mother's death had been avenged.
But the scars remained, both physical and emotional. And now, standing in my darkened bedroom in Forks, I couldn't shake the feeling that my journey was far from over. Because Edythe Cullen wasn't human. That much was clear. But what she was, what secrets she and she was hiding, I didn't know. What I did know was that she was much stronger, and faster than whatever the thing I hunted down was.
Bella and Charlie thought I'd come here for a fresh start, to escape the memories of my mother's death and the scars it had left on me, both literally and figuratively. Truthfully, they had right, but I'd also been drawn here by something I couldn't explain, pulled by an invisible thread that had led me straight to the enigma that was Edythe.
And now, standing at the window in the dark of night, I knew I wouldn't be able to rest until I unraveled the truth. The truth of what's happening to me, what she was, and why I was drawn here. No matter the risk, no matter the cost, I needed to know.
With a final glance at the impenetrable darkness beyond the glass, I turned away from the window. I would start searching for answers. But tonight, all I could do was wait for the dawn and try to ignore the feeling that even now.
As I climbed back into bed, I couldn't shake the sensation of being watched. It was a feeling I'd grown accustomed to over the years, a side effect of the secrets I carried and the shadows I knew lurked just out of sight. But this was different. This was the prickling awareness of golden eyes in the dark, of a presence that shouldn't be there but somehow was.
I closed my eyes, trying to force my body to relax. But even as I drifted off into an uneasy sleep, I knew that Edythe Cullen would be there waiting in my dreams, just as she was waiting in the waking world for me to uncover the truth about her.
And deep down, in a part of myself I barely recognized, I knew that whatever the truth was, it would change everything. Because Edythe wasn't just another mystery to solve or another secret to uncover. She was something else entirely, something that called to a part of me that had been long kept undisturbed.
As sleep finally claimed me, my last conscious thought was of golden eyes and a pull that felt like destiny.