NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: Chapter 2: A Vision of Fate
Chapter 2: A Vision of Fate
Alice Cullen sat cross-legged on her favorite chair in the Cullen family's living room, her hands resting lightly on the armrests, her eyes half-closed in concentration. The world around her faded as she entered the familiar haze of her visions. It was a gift—a curse, at times—but one that Alice had grown to embrace. She saw the future, glimpsed at the possible outcomes of decisions not yet made. Most of the time, her visions were quick, fleeting glimpses—just enough to guide the family, just enough to help them stay ahead of the dangers they often faced.
But today was different.
Today, the vision hit her with a force she hadn't expected.
She saw him. A boy—no, a young man—standing in the middle of a high school hallway, his face set in a quiet expression of reluctance and frustration. His presence felt oddly familiar, like a piece of her own soul had been touched by his mere existence. Elijah. His name echoed in her mind as she watched him move through the crowd, unaware of the fateful connection that was about to change everything.
And then the shock. Esme. Her mother. The woman who had always been the heart of their family, the epitome of warmth and love—her soulmate. Alice felt her breath catch. How could this be? She hadn't seen this coming. She had always known about the bond between Bella and Edward, the deep, irrevocable connection they shared. But this? This was something entirely new.
Elijah was Esme's soulmate.
The realization hit Alice hard, like a thunderclap in the midst of a storm. She had known that the Cullen family's history was far from ordinary, but this? The older brother of Bella Swan, the girl who was already tied to Edward… and yet, here was Elijah, whose fate was now tied to Esme in a way that Alice couldn't fully understand. It wasn't just a passing connection—it was deep, undeniable, as though the universe had designed it from the very start, despite the inexplicable twists it had taken.
Her heart pounded as she blinked, trying to shake the lingering image of Elijah from her mind. The vision shifted slightly, and she saw Esme's reaction. The joy, the relief, the surprise in Esme's eyes as she recognized Elijah—there was no mistaking it. Esme's soul was drawn to him, just as Alice's was drawn to Jasper, and Edward's to Bella. The bond was unmistakable.
But the complications. The tension between Bella and Edward, already fragile with the dangers of being part of the supernatural world, would only grow when Bella's older brother—someone bound to Esme—came into the picture. How would Edward react to this newfound connection? Would Elijah even be aware of it? He hadn't seemed to know what was happening to him in the first chapter of his new life, and Alice couldn't predict how he'd handle the truth about his bond to Esme.
Alice's mind raced. She had never seen a connection quite like this before. It was as though Elijah had been thrust into their world, his role unclear, his purpose yet to be fully realized. But the connection to Esme—there was no denying it. It was real.
"Edward," Alice whispered to herself, her voice barely audible in the empty room. "This is going to change everything."
She had to tell her family. She had to find a way to make them understand what was unfolding before their eyes. But there was no easy way to explain this. She had to be careful. With Bella and Edward already navigating their own tumultuous path, and now this new revelation about Esme's soulmate, Alice feared the strain this would place on their already fragile family dynamics.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft click of the front door opening. It was Carlisle, his steady footsteps echoing in the hallway. Alice immediately got up, her heart still racing from the intensity of her vision.
"Is everything alright, Alice?" Carlisle asked, concern evident in his voice as he entered the room.
Alice hesitated, her mind still trying to process the whirlwind of emotions and visions. "Carlisle, we have a problem," she began, her voice low and serious. "Esme has a soulmate. His name is Elijah, and he's Bella Swan's older brother."
Carlisle raised an eyebrow in surprise, taking a step closer to her. "Bella's brother? I wasn't aware she had an older sibling."
Alice nodded, her eyes wide with the weight of the revelation. "Neither was I. But I saw it in my vision. He's here, in Forks. He's unaware of his connection to Esme, and I'm not sure how he'll react when he finds out."
Carlisle's brow furrowed as he processed the information. "And Esme?"
Alice smiled softly. "She doesn't know yet either, but I can feel it. She'll recognize him as soon as they meet. The bond is undeniable."
Carlisle's face grew thoughtful. "This changes everything, doesn't it?"
Alice's expression darkened. "It does. We need to figure out how to handle this before it causes more trouble. Bella and Edward have enough challenges to face already. But now… with Elijah, things are only going to get more complicated."
As Alice looked out the window, the soft rain drizzling down, she felt the weight of the future pressing in on her. There was no going back now. The connections were made. Elijah and Esme were tied together by fate, and somehow, the entire Cullen family's carefully constructed world was about to shift.