"She's really terrifying… We didn't even see her, and three people died just like that."
Alice exhaled deeply, still shaken by the event.
"I'm more curious how she suddenly appeared in Fox Town," added another member of the Carlisle family, furrowing his brow. "In the past two years, her activity was mostly around New York."
"Could it be related to recent events? Some connection to the Victor family?"
"I doubt it. With her power and personality, she wouldn't care about the Victors unless they did something incredibly stupid. If she really wanted to, the Victor family wouldn't just be troubled—they'd be annihilated."
"That's good news for us then. One less trash family causing chaos."
"Either way, it's pointless to guess so much. Let's just wait and see."
While the Carlisle family quietly speculated over Bella's sudden appearance in their small town, the person in question was already far from them, unconcerned.
That night, Bella gently cradled Angie in her arms as the young woman slept soundly. As for the black sword she had used earlier—Heaven's Judgment—it had been casually tossed aside. Her senses, far beyond human capabilities, easily covered the entirety of Fox Town. So even if she hadn't intended to overhear the conversation between the well-dressed blond man and the Carlisle clan, a few arrogant words had unfortunately passed through her auditory filters.
That was their mistake.
Bella didn't act out of vengeance. Killing three arrogant fools meant little to her in the grand scheme of things. But there were certain lines, and when crossed, judgment would fall from the heavens—literally.
The rest of the night passed uneventfully.
After Christmas, Bella and Angie returned to New York. Angie's school had only approved a brief recovery period—barely six weeks—and now, less than twenty-four hours remained before she had to return.
Back in their cozy apartment, Angie went straight to her room, clutching textbooks and lecture notes. Her eyes burned with determination. The graduate entrance exam was set for February. Missing it would mean waiting an entire year to apply again.
Meanwhile, Bella sat on the couch, deep in thought, spinning a pen in her fingers. Her mind wasn't on Netflix or superhero nonsense—it was on Angie's safety.
She considered several options.
The super soldier serum came to mind first. It had the potential to dramatically enhance one's physique—but the risks were too high. Its success rate was inconsistent, and failure could lead to severe consequences. Too dangerous.
Then there was Tony Stark's technology.
Bella figured Tony had likely already developed a portable version of the MK armor. But even "portable" meant noticeable bulk—Angie wouldn't be walking into school with armor on her back. Besides, that kind of tech came with a spotlight. The nano armor Tony was secretly working on? Now that had potential. If only it was ready.
As for whether Tony would actually hand it over?
Bella chuckled coldly.
"Yeah… sure. Good luck with that."
Other technologies—quantum suits, Extremis enhancements—were out of the question. Either unstable or too alien for daily use.
In the end, Bella took a more mystical approach.
She requested an enchanted necklace from Asgard. When worn, it would automatically trigger a protective spell once a day whenever the wearer was in life-threatening danger. It wasn't foolproof, but it was the best she could get without breaking dimensional laws.
Still, it didn't sit right with her.
New York wasn't safe. Not anymore.
Later that afternoon, Bella absentmindedly scratched behind the ears of a very spoiled and increasingly plump cat nestled in her lap. With one hand on the mouse, she lazily scrolled through headlines and news clips.
Suddenly, her brows lifted.
"Is that... Spider-Man?"
On the screen, a red-and-blue blur darted between skyscrapers, swinging through the urban jungle with practiced ease.
"So he's finally made his debut. The pieces are moving."
More clips flashed across the screen—gunfire, sirens, gang violence. Bella scoffed.
"More gang turf wars? Boring. Probably Kingpin again."
Losing interest, she opened a comedy movie to pass the time. Say what you will about Country M's cinema, but their comedies had punch. Within minutes, Bella was laughing, the sofa shaking slightly from her chuckles.
The big, fat cat blinked in confusion, its body bouncing with each laugh. It let out a disgruntled meow.
"What the hell is this? I'm trying to nap here."
Its squinted eyes seemed to glare at her for disturbing the royal nap schedule.
Bella reached down and vigorously rubbed its belly in apology, causing the feline to purr and snore in seconds.
A peaceful evening—almost.
Night eventually rolled in, and with Angie studying late on campus, Bella was left to enjoy dinner alone.
She poured high-end cat food into the little guy's bowl, switched the TV to a music channel, tied an apron around her waist, and began prepping dinner.
She hummed to herself while cooking, humming a melody as she flipped the steak onto the sizzling pan.
And then… it hit.
A low, rumbling tremor spread through the apartment, rattling dishes on the shelves. A gut-chilling roar echoed from what felt like the pits of hell itself.
Bella froze, hand still gripping the spatula.
The lights flickered.
Then, a complete blackout.
In the stuttering darkness, a strange screech reverberated through the walls. Bella turned sharply.
Behind her, in the shadows of the hallway, something gray and ethereal had appeared.
A girl-shaped figure.
Skin pale as ash, soaked in dry, clotted blood. Hollow eyes like dark abysses. Ordinary people would have screamed their lungs out. Many might've passed out cold.
But Bella?
She stared at the creature like it was a mildly annoying roommate.
"Really? While I'm cooking?"
The undead girl blinked in confusion. That wasn't the reaction she expected.
Roar.
A grotesque snarl filled the room. Her sharp teeth gleamed with decay.
Bella didn't flinch.
In fact, she reached behind her casually—and summoned a pure white handgun out of thin air. Holy runes glowed along its silver frame, and a palpable wave of divine energy washed over the room.
The undead's growl faltered.
The muzzle pointed straight at her face.
"Speak. Can you even talk, or are you just another screecher?"
"...squeak?"
Bella's brow twitched.
"Did you just squeak?"
It was almost enough to make her burst out laughing.
She released a small pulse of magic. White flames of holy light radiated from the gun's barrel, instantly reacting with the ghostly entity's essence. Wisps of blue smoke rose from the creature's skin as she let out a heart-wrenching shriek.
"Let me go! Please—! It hurts!"
Bella's expression softened slightly. The voice wasn't what she expected—it was childish, like a young girl crying for her mother.
She withdrew her magic power, and the room's lighting slowly stabilized. The spiritual pressure lifted.
The undead collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I-I just wanted to play… why'd you bully me…"
Bella blinked in mild disbelief.
Before her, the terrifying phantom began to shrink, her monstrous features fading away. With each sob, her form adjusted until she was barely more than a 1.2-meter tall girl in a white princess dress, dual ponytails bouncing on either side of her head.
The undead was… a little loli ghost?
Bella sighed and crossed her arms.
"Only in New York."
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