Samantha fit into the group surprisingly fast. With her friendly and open nature, it wasn’t hard to see why — and her frequent chats with Alice had already done their job; she knew the entire Cullen family quite well.

Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Jane, who had watched the broadcast of the events at Blackwood Mountain and later told Esme and Carlisle about it, were now eagerly asking Samantha questions about her friends — how they were feeling after everything that had happened. Esme, as always, was the first to show motherly concern, genuinely worried for the kids’ well-being.

Everyone sat around the table, enjoying the dinner Esme had prepared. Alex couldn’t help but note — the lady of the house was truly talented. The food was delicious, filled with that comforting homemade warmth you couldn’t find even in the finest restaurants.

When dinner came to an end, Alex, Emmett, and Jasper moved to the living room to play Mario Kart. Meanwhile, the girls discussed their own topics, and Carlisle sat nearby with a book — the very one Alex had given him as a gift.

The next race ended with Alex’s victory. With a smug grin, he glanced at Emmett, who once again came in last. Emmett gripped his controller in frustration, ready to smash it against the floor, but one sharp glance from Esme was enough — the giant vampire instantly calmed down, carefully set the controller on the table, crossed his arms, and sulked like a hundred-year-old child.

Carlisle looked up from his book just long enough to smile. His family truly seemed happier now.

A few minutes later, Emmett recovered and grabbed the controller again, determined not to come in last this time. But their next race was interrupted by the sound of a car pulling up outside.

Alex smirked — he immediately guessed that Edward and Bella were back from their date. He exchanged glances with Jasper and Emmett; all three nodded in sync like conspirators about to ruin someone’s romantic moment.

Alex quickly pulled out a couple of blank posters, scribbled ridiculous phrases on them, and handed them to the others. Just as Bella and Edward were approaching the house, laughter and quiet conversation echoed from outside — Bella was admiring the beauty of the mansion while Edward calmly told her about its history and interior.

She listened attentively, but the closer they got to the living room, the more nervous she became. Before meeting Edward’s parents, she had rehearsed every word — but now her heart was pounding, and her thoughts were a mess. Edward, noticing her tension, gently squeezed her shoulder and gave a reassuring smile.

“Everything will be fine,” he said softly, guiding her forward.

Bella took a deep breath and stepped across the threshold of the living room… and froze.

Before her stood Alex, Emmett, and Jasper — all wearing smug grins and holding up posters above their heads. The posters read things like “Welcome to the madhouse!” and “Congrats on your first supervised date!”

Lucina, Alice, Samantha, Rosalie, and Jane burst into laughter. Edward, on the other hand, froze with a stony expression, as if nothing could possibly faze him. Bella stood in the middle of the room, unsure whether to laugh, blush, or just sink through the floor.

Esme gently rose from her seat and approached Bella with a warm, kind smile. Carlisle followed right behind her, standing beside his wife.

“Bella, these are my adoptive parents — Mom Esme and Dad Carlisle. You already know the others,” Edward said, pretending not to notice the trio with the posters.

“P-pleased to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen,” Bella stammered, nervously biting her tongue as her face turned red.

“No need to be so formal, dear,” Esme replied kindly. “Just call me Esme. Feel free to make yourself at home.”

“And I’m Carlisle,” added the head of the family with a gentle smile. “It’s a pleasure to have you here.”

Bella nodded, feeling her cheeks burn. She was sure she had already ruined everything she had practiced so hard.

And then, from the couch, came a familiar, overly smug voice:

“Come on, Bella. Where’s the girl who lost sleep trying to find out who her pale prince was? If you don’t know what to say, just say something stupid. Like: ‘Your son sparkles so sexily in the sunlight!’ Or better yet: ‘Does everything on him sparkle in the sunlight?'”

The room fell into dead silence.

Then came Emmett’s loud, contagious laughter — he doubled over, clutching his stomach. Jasper turned away, trying to hide his grin, but his shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter.

Bella, however, stood frozen like she’d been struck by lightning. Her eyes were wide with shock and disbelief, her face burning crimson. She didn’t even dare to look at Edward — not after what Alex had just said. Edward himself, as always, kept a perfectly straight face, as if none of this concerned him in the slightest.

Carlisle chuckled quietly, while Esme sighed and shook her head — the way any mother would when dealing with familiar mischief. Lucina, Alice, Samantha, Rosalie, and Jane exchanged glances, silently asking Alex with their eyes, “Did you seriously just say that?”

Alex just leaned back, folding his hands behind his head, pretending not to understand what the problem was. But his little stunt worked — the awkward tension in the air, caused by Bella’s nervousness, vanished instantly.

While Alex, Emmett, and Jasper kept laughing, Rosalie stood up and walked closer to Bella.

“Don’t mind those idiots,” she said with a small smile. “You get used to it pretty quickly. As you can already tell, our family isn’t exactly normal.”

“Oh, Rosie-chan,” Alex drawled in fake hurt, clutching his chest. “You wound my delicate heart! I thought we were family, yet here you are, stabbing a knife into my soul!”

Rosalie shot him a cold look, clearly unimpressed by his performance.

“Of course we’re family,” Alice chimed in, grinning. “Come here, my fluffy nekomata, I’ll comfort you!” she said, stretching her arms toward Alex.

“Nekomata?” Bella repeated, looking between Alice and Alex. “Is that his nickname, or… what is that supposed to mean?”

“Ah, that,” Alex said with a sly smirk. “Want me to show you a trick? Just try not to faint.”

Bella tensed but curiosity quickly won over caution. She hesitantly nodded.

Everyone instantly knew what he was about to do. Carlisle and Esme even set their things aside — they’d heard the stories of Alex turning into a two-tailed cat, but they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes yet.

Catching their expectant looks, Alex took off his black coat and tossed it into the air to distract Bella. Instinctively, she looked up, watching the coat drift downward — and when she looked back, Alex was gone.

“Did he run away?” Bella asked, glancing around in confusion.

“No, I didn’t run. I’m right here,” came a familiar voice.

Bella spun around — and froze. On the table sat a sleek black cat with two tails and bright blue eyes she recognized immediately.

“Oh my God…” Bella breathed. “He has Alex’s eyes…”

She rubbed her own, thinking she must be seeing things, but the cat was still there, lazily flicking both tails. Samantha couldn’t resist reaching out to stroke his glossy fur, and Alex narrowed his eyes in contentment. Alice was already moving to pick him up, while Esme stepped closer and gently petted his fluffy head.

Carlisle, ever the scientist, examined him with genuine fascination.

“Alex, is that really you?” Bella asked, approaching cautiously.

“Who else would it be?” he replied lazily, flicking his tails in opposite directions. “Well? Surprised?”

“You… you’re a shapeshifter?” Bella whispered, unable to look away.

“No, not a shapeshifter,” Alex said seriously, sitting up on his hind legs and crossing his front paws. “It’s just a transformation spell. Handy when you want to spend some time being fluffy.”

“I… can I pet you?” Bella asked uncertainly, reaching out a trembling hand.

“If you want,” Alex sighed, rolling his eyes. “Just know that everyone else here’s already had their turn.”

Emmett burst into laughter again, Alice snorted into her palm, and even Rosalie shook her head, fighting a smile.

Bella glanced at Edward, and he gave a small nod, showing that he didn’t mind. The girl carefully reached out to pet Alex, and when her fingers brushed against his soft fur, a warm smile appeared on her face.

Meanwhile, Alice was already circling around Alex, snapping photos from every possible angle. Before he could turn back into his normal form, Samantha suddenly scooped him up — she hadn’t gotten the chance to cuddle him before. Samantha adored animals, and the fact that her boyfriend could turn into a cat was, without question, a huge bonus in her eyes.

Bella finally noticed Samantha, whom she hadn’t seen at first.

“Um… I didn’t notice you earlier, sorry. I’m Bella,” she said awkwardly.

“It’s all right,” Samantha replied with a gentle smile. “My name’s Samantha, but you can call me Sam. I also just arrived today and met everyone.”

“So I’m not the only normal human here,” Bella whispered, feeling a little relieved.

“I’d argue with that, Bella,” Alex said lazily, still in his feline form as Samantha stroked his fur.

“What do you mean?” Lucina asked, glancing between him and Samantha.

Alex smirked and turned his gaze to Samantha, giving her a slight nod — silently giving permission to reveal the truth. Samantha nodded in understanding, opened her bag, and took out her father’s old journal and a small ornate box marked with the symbol of the Men of Letters.

When she set it on the table, silence filled the room. Lucina stared at Samantha in open shock — she hadn’t expected to see something like that. Even Alice raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

Alex looked over at Carlisle — he, too, recognized the symbol. Jane, having once been part of the Volturi coven, recognized it as well and frowned. The rest simply watched in confusion, not understanding why Samantha had brought an old journal and an ancient-looking box.

“I didn’t expect to see one of those…” Carlisle said quietly, still surprised.

“And what the hell does that even mean?” Emmett asked, looking from the box to Samantha.

“Allow me to explain,” Alex began, sitting up straight on Samantha’s lap like a lecturer. “My dear Samantha is the heiress of an ancient organization called the Men of Letters. It’s been around for centuries. Their purpose is to study and observe the supernatural world. They possess knowledge you won’t find anywhere else. In other words, Samantha is one of the last three remaining heirs.”

“And what about the journal?” Alice asked curiously, leaning closer.

“Heh… on top of that, Samantha comes from a family of hunters,” Alex said with a sly grin.

“You’re kidding! That’s a joke, right?” Emmett exclaimed, stunned.

Alex just smirked and let Samantha take over. The girl began to tell what she had learned from her parents. Everyone settled around the table, listening intently. Esme offered Bella something to eat, but out of politeness, Bella was about to refuse — until her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl. Blushing, she nodded in embarrassment.

As Samantha spoke about her heritage and how she recently discovered the truth about her family, the Cullens and Bella asked questions. None of them had expected that the girl Alex had rescued on Blackwood Mountain would turn out to be the descendant of such an old and secretive lineage.

For the questions Samantha couldn’t answer, Alex or Lucina stepped in — both clearly knew far more.

When the story ended, Alex had already returned to his normal form and was sitting between Lucina and Samantha, while Alice perched comfortably on his lap. Carlisle shared his own experiences — he, too, had encountered members of the Men of Letters long ago. Jane mentioned that during her time with the Volturi, she had also crossed paths with them — and it was never pleasant.

They all agreed on one thing: the Men of Letters were powerful but troublesome people capable of causing a great deal of problems.

Bella, however, listened with particular fascination — she was increasingly drawn to this mysterious supernatural world. But Alex quickly cooled her curiosity with a single calm phrase:

“Not everyone you meet will be kind and smiling, Bella,” he said quietly, but with a tone that left no room for argument.

Bella nodded, her face paling slightly. Even the Cullens silently agreed with his words.

After some time, Bella didn’t even notice how her nervousness had faded — she was laughing freely, joining the conversation, and feeling like part of the group. When the chat came to an end, Edward offered to show her his room, and Bella agreed with a soft smile.

Esme and Carlisle also went upstairs to spend some time together. In the living room, Alex, Emmett, and Jasper remained. They settled back on the couch, giving the girls space to talk about their own topics while resuming their video game session.

While Alex focused on the screen, his thoughts wandered far from the game. He was thinking about the Men of Letters bunker and how he should visit it as soon as possible. But he quickly dismissed the idea — a sudden appearance could create tension between him and the Winchester brothers. First, he needed to earn their trust.

He already had plans for that bunker. Alex remembered that it stored a map marking locations of supernatural activity. He wanted to upgrade it — embed a tracking system to advance his own goals. But to do that, he first needed to meet Dean and Sam.

His intuition told him the meeting wasn’t far off. He had recently found traces of Rowena — and if she was nearby, the Winchesters couldn’t be far either.

“So, your girlfriend turned out to be the heir of an ancient organization,” Emmett said, eyes still glued to the screen, controller in hand. “What are you planning now?”

“Nothing special,” Alex replied, pausing the game. “I’ll focus on training Samantha. Even though she has the ring that literally protects her from everything, she still needs to know how to stand up for herself.”

“Good choice,” Jasper nodded. “Until recently, Samantha knew nothing about this world.”

Alex simply nodded. He had trained the girls in his family before — making them stronger so they could protect themselves. With the ring, Samantha would progress exponentially faster. He glanced at her — their eyes met, and Alex smiled, warm and loving.

Returning to the game, Alex, Emmett, and Jasper involuntarily glanced out the window — and froze. Edward was climbing a tree, carrying Bella on his back. The girls, noticing this, also turned toward the window.

“He… seriously?” Alex asked, blinking with a blank expression.

“Are you jealous?” Emmett teased with a smirk.

“Do you want me to carry you like that too?” Alice jumped up at him, her eyes sparkling.

“I prefer to be carried like a princess, not like a sack of potatoes,” Alex replied with theatrical seriousness.

Before he could finish, a branch cracked above — Edward nearly lost his footing and almost fell with Bella. The whole group burst into laughter.

As tempting as Alice’s offer sounded, Alex refused. He could do the same thing himself, only much more impressively. However, Alice didn’t give up and continued looking at him with that “offended” gaze that was almost impossible to resist.

Alex squinted, thinking over the situation, but eventually sighed and nodded. Alice immediately lit up — her eyes sparkled, and she started bouncing excitedly on the spot.

“Since you agreed, then let’s go! I want to try it right now!” she exclaimed, grabbing Alex’s hand.

“Alice, do you even realize how this looks? You barely reach his chest. How are you planning to carry him?” Rosalie said, sounding like the voice of reason.

“Very simple — he can shrink!” Alice declared confidently, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Shrink? How?” Samantha asked, confused.

“Well… become smaller!” Alice answered, carefully choosing her words, as if explaining the obvious.

Everyone, except Lucina, stared at Alice, who was enthusiastically trying to explain how she intended to carry Alex on her back despite his height and weight.

Listening to her rambling arguments, the others just exchanged glances, then simultaneously turned their eyes to Alex. He let out a heavy sigh, as if resigning himself to the inevitable.

A soft light enveloped his body, and within a second, ten-year-old Alex was sitting on the couch between Emmett and Jasper. The light faded, leaving behind the boy with black hair and that familiar, piercing gaze.

Alice couldn’t contain her excitement — she jumped up and immediately scooped him into her arms, shining like a Christmas garland.

“You… turned into a child?” Rosalie asked in astonishment.

“Yep. I can do a lot of things,” Alex replied lazily, gazing off disinterestedly while Alice hugged him tightly. “I just try not to use this form.”

“Why?” Samantha stepped closer, unable to resist squeezing his cheeks.

“Because last time I did this,” Alex said calmly, “one overly persistent goddess decided to kidnap me.”

“And who was that?” Rosalie asked with a soft smile. “Though, I must admit, I can understand her. You really are charming like this.”

“Aphrodite. From Brunhilda’s world,” Alex sighed, glancing at the girls. “Long story. And enough with the squeezing — it’s weird. I’m a grown man, by the way — I just look ten.”

The girls laughed and reluctantly stepped back, though smiles lingered on their faces. Jane, however, wisely kept her distance, observing the scene with her characteristic cold interest.

Emmett, on the other hand, nearly rolled on the floor laughing, watching Alex in child form fend off the intrusive attention.

“Oh, I can’t! — the mighty and terrible baby form!” he exclaimed.

Alex just rolled his eyes but stayed silent.

After a few minutes, the chaos finally settled. Alice, happier than ever, hoisted Alex onto her back and shot out of the house at superhuman speed.

Emmett’s laughter echoed through the living room for a long while.

The fresh air stung his face. Alice raced through the trees, her feet barely touching the ground. Alex felt the wind ruffle his hair as the trees blurred past him.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked, holding onto her shoulders.

“Absolutely!” she shouted back, climbing up the trunk of the nearest tree.

Despite the strangeness of it all, Alex caught himself… enjoying it. He watched Alice leap effortlessly from branch to branch, laughing, moving with a grace as if she were dancing.

Finally, they reached the top of the tallest tree. Alice stopped, and Alex, standing on her shoulders, spread his arms, feeling the wind blow against his face.

He looked down and… leaned back slightly.

“Alex!” Alice shouted, but it was too late — he was already falling.

Without hesitation, she jumped after him, caught him midair, flipped, and, pushing off the trunk, gently landed on the ground.

“That was awesome!” Alice laughed, holding him close and twirling him around.

“Glad you enjoyed it,” Alex replied, still smiling. “Although, you know, falling from orbit without a parachute is even cooler.”

“Heh, I’m not that crazy about extreme sports,” Alice snorted. “Seeing it in my visions was enough… like when you and your friend fell onto that icy planet with monsters.”

Alex nodded, saying nothing.

Alice decided not to return immediately. They strolled through the forest for a while — just the two of them. She wanted to savor the moment — the quiet, the lightness, his presence.

Alex didn’t mind. Sitting on her shoulders, he chatted about trivial things, joked, and discussed plans. Everything was calm — until a strange sound echoed from afar, breaking the silence.

Alice tensed instantly and sprinted toward the noise. Leaping effortlessly from tree to tree, she moved swiftly until they reached the source.

Before them stood Edward and Bella. Edward shielded the girl with his body, eyes wary as he observed several figures surrounding them.

A thick, black mist rose from the people before them. Their movements were unnatural, and their voices distorted.

“I’m drowning… you’re drowning…” rasped one of them.

Edward pressed Bella to him. His eyes darkened.

“Bella,” he said in a low voice, “I’ll hold them off. Run to the house. Call for help.”

“I’m not leaving you! You’re hurt!” Bella shouted, gripping his hand.

“I don’t want… to be in your story…” muttered another, his voice hoarse, as if spoken through water.

“This… is not my path…” whispered a third, and the air around them grew icy cold.

Alex frowned — he knew exactly what these creatures were. The Taken. Humans whose bodies and souls had been consumed by darkness. What puzzled him, however, was why they had appeared in this universe. The darkness that created them and the local one were completely different concepts, inherently incompatible. But there was no time to ponder — first, he needed to help Edward and Bella.

Alex extended his hand, and a portal opened behind him. From it, Chastifol’s spear shot out. With the slightest flick of his finger, Alex aimed the weapon downward — the spear whistled through the air, piercing all three Taken and pinning them against a tree trunk. They writhed, trying to break free, but it was futile.

Alice jumped from the tree, holding Alex on her shoulders, and rushed to Edward, examining his body.

“Were you hurt?” Alex asked as he landed on the ground.

“Yes, one of them grazed Edward,” Bella replied, barely noticing that a ten-year-old child stood before her.

“How did you encounter them?” Alice asked, studying the wound carefully.

“We were just walking through the forest…” Edward began. “Then these… people appeared, or whatever they were. They were too fast. One of them tried to reach Bella, but I managed to shield her. Though I got hit.”

When he moved his hand, Bella gasped and covered her mouth — tears welled up in her eyes. Alex and Alice frowned as they saw black smoke seeping from the wound. The darkness slowly crawled over Edward’s body, infecting his flesh. The vampire gritted his teeth, holding back the pain.

Alex placed his hand over the wound. A soft light radiated from his hand — within seconds, the injury healed, and Edward’s face relaxed.

After finishing the healing, Alex turned to the pinned Taken. Their incoherent, distorted mutterings made no sense. It annoyed him that he couldn’t extract anything from it.

“What happened to them? Why are they like this?” Bella asked, still holding Edward’s hand.

“They’re called the Taken,” Alex replied grimly, lighting a cigarette. “But they shouldn’t be here. This is wrong. There’s no condition under which they could have appeared here.”

“What do you mean?” Alice frowned.

“These creatures are born from a special kind of darkness. It takes over a person’s mind and body until nothing human remains. But the darkness that created them is from another world. And the one here… is completely different. That’s why this whole situation doesn’t sit right with me.”

Alice nodded — she knew exactly which Darkness he was referring to. The one that once went by the name Amara.

Alex stepped closer to the Taken, sensing the tension in the air. According to his information, they shouldn’t have left the borders of Bright Falls and usually stayed near Caldron Lake. All of this was damn strange.

He pulled out his phone and began searching for references to familiar names. Maybe it was just Amara’s influence on some creatures? But when he stumbled upon Alan Wake’s book and the news of his disappearance, his eye twitched.

“Damn…” he whispered, ruffling his hair irritably. “I should’ve figured it out.”

He realized that he had spent months searching for cursed locations but had somehow missed one of the most obvious. A city no one spoke of directly. A city that existed only within the boundaries of someone else’s story.

Not wanting to waste another second, Alex stepped forward and with a single punch destroyed the three Taken. Their bodies dissipated into dark smoke, vanishing without a trace. Bella recoiled, but seeing no blood, her eyes only widened.

“My love… I think we screwed up,” Alex said in a tired tone, flicking off the ashes.

“Is this connected to them?” Alice asked, holding his hand.

“Absolutely,” he replied.

“What did you do?” Edward asked cautiously.

“We’ve been collecting data on cursed locations for months,” Alex said, looking at Alice and Edward. “And, of course, we missed Bright Falls. By the way, how far is it from here?”

“About a hundred and fifty kilometers,” Alice replied. “The city is within the Olympic National Park.”

“Got it…” Alex muttered, staring into the darkness. “Alright, let’s head home. I don’t like that the Taken showed up so far from their territory.”

“That’s… strange?” Bella asked quietly.

“Very strange,” Alex replied grimly, tossing his spent cigarette to the ground. “And if I’m right… we should prepare for the worst.”

Seeing no reason to delay their return home, Alex, Alice, Edward, and Bella headed toward the Kallen mansion. Alex flicked his finger — and Chastifol’s spear, tracing an arc through the air, vanished into a portal, returning to his inventory.

Alice held Alex’s hand tightly, stealing glances at his face. She could feel how his thoughts swirled frantically, as if he were trying to piece together scattered fragments of a mosaic. Alex was pondering how the Taken could have ended up so far from Bright Falls. After all, the Darkness’s influence extended only over the city itself and a few spots around Caldron Lake.

He walked in silence, but his mind was racing. The only logical explanation— the Darkness in the lake could be part of Amara’s power, leaking into this world. After Cain’s seal was broken and Amara gained her freedom, she had burst from the depths of the earth. That meant Chuck had indeed imprisoned her at the very core of the planet.

And if Amara had been down there, underground, it wasn’t surprising that a fragment of her power had seeped out—even through the seal, it could influence the host’s mind. Alex understood: if he didn’t deal with Bright Falls now, the consequences would be far worse.

He remembered the story of Alan Wake—a writer whose imagination had become a tool for the Darkness itself. In that reality, the Darkness needed Alan to gain freedom and plunge the world into darkness. But here, it was different. Here, the Darkness was Amara, and the darkness in Caldron Lake was essentially a shard of her. A small, independent alter-ego that had leaked out while the main essence remained sealed.

If this hypothesis was correct, perhaps through this shard, it might be possible to find Amara herself… but first, he needed to deal with what was happening in Bright Falls.

When they reached the Kallen house, all four of them wore serious expressions. Inside, the usual warm atmosphere reigned—some laughing, some arguing. But as soon as they entered, the laughter died. Edward’s torn clothes and Alex’s grim expression were not a good sign.

Lucina was the first to notice Alex’s look—pensive, tense, with a hint of irritation. She knew it meant he was trying to tie too many complex threads into one.

“What happened?” Rosalie broke the silence first.

“Shit hit the fan again,” Alex replied dryly, sitting down at the table.

Everyone exchanged glances, not fully understanding what he meant. Alice silently headed to the kitchen to brew some coffee—she knew Alex wouldn’t think clearly without it.

Once everyone had settled, Alex began to speak. He didn’t go into unnecessary details, but enough to make it clear that something serious had happened. Bella listened quietly, Edward frowned, and Lucina’s scowl deepened as he spoke.

“For God’s sake, can we ever just live a normal life for once?” Emmett muttered, leaning back in his chair.

“And what are you going to do, Alex?” Rosalie asked, intertwining her fingers with Emmett’s. “Are you going to check out Bright Falls?”

“What choice do I have?” Alex said, taking a mug of coffee and swirling it in his hands. “If the Taken appeared this far away, it means the influence of the Darkness is spreading. And that’s bad. Really bad.”

“And what does that mean?” Samantha asked, leaning forward slightly.

“If nothing is done,” Lucina answered for him, pressing her hand to her temple, “it will only get worse.”

“And how are you going to handle that?” Edward asked, looking directly at Alex.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, the corners of his lips twitching slightly. “Maybe I’ll tie Emmett to a big spotlight, turn him into a disco ball, and throw him in the lake. Darkness disperses with light—it’s logical.”

“Hey! What the hell?! I didn’t sign up for this!” Emmett protested, pointing at him.

“I allow it,” Rosalie said calmly, with a sly smile. “Just make sure he comes back in one piece. And dry.”

Emmett stared at her like a devoted man, while laughter began to fill the room. The atmosphere lightened just enough for everyone to relax a little.

Alex smirked but couldn’t shake the heavy feeling in his chest. The thought that he had missed Bright Falls gnawed at him. It annoyed him that he hadn’t noticed something so obvious.

Lucina, noticing this, gently touched his hand.

“It’s okay,” she whispered.

Alex just nodded and exhaled. He knew the next few days would be difficult. Bright Falls demanded attention. The city needed to be cleansed of the Darkness’s influence… and he would have to do it without using his powers, to avoid drawing unwanted attention.

He lifted his gaze to everyone sitting at the table.

“Rest for now. Tomorrow—we start dealing with this.”

To be continued…

(So, no matter how much I thought about it, I realized that Alan Wake’s style fits this universe very well. The Darkness is there, the writer is there, everything is connected. If Chuck can write his own story, then why can’t the Darkness do the same? So that’s how it is.)

Early access to chapters on my patreon: p*treon.com/GreedHunter

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep