42 | THE PRODIGAL SUN RETURNS |

(rory strutting into the castle like the baddie vampire she is)

RORY QUICKLY REDISCOVERED THAT SHE HATED SILENCE. She had grown used to never having a true moment of silence in Forks. Carlisle had a penchant for playing classical music in the house while researching, Emmett was always playing video games, Esme would be out in the garden, Rosalie would be in the garage, Edward with the piano or Bella, Alice binge-watched Netflix shows, and Jasper watching his old western movies or talking to her. She missed them, all of them, and especially Jasper.

She had forgotten how quiet the Volturi vampires could be. After the confrontation, barely any words were exchanged as they ran full speed back to Seattle, in want of leaving the country. Even on the long, fifteen hour private plane ride, Alec barely engaged in conversation despite sitting beside her. He mostly flipped through folders and filled out official reports, the Volturi desiring to keep official track of their operations. Rory felt more alone than ever before as she sat in her seat next to the private planes's window, a purse full of unopened letters, and wanting nothing more to be surrounded by the beautiful, ever green trees of the woods of her home.

She had finally realized despite being back with the Volturi, she wasn't really with them. She had began to classify them as they and her, no longer on the same side—not that she could claim the Cullens, she was really on her own. They were indifferent and condescending towards the human world that she had been reconnecting with the past month. She was powerful, yes, but the vampires surrounding her had ten times more life experience than her and even more. They were the knights while she was a mere pawn, a piece in the game.

The Volturi castle was as breathtaking and imposing as it had been the first time Rory had opened her eyes to find herself thirsty for blood and no memory besides her name. The ancient home looked the same as when she had left it, same thousand year old tapestries, sculptures, and gorgeous artwork—a few of her own pieces were on display—decorated the stone corridors.

However, Rory no longer saw it as the safe haven she once believed it to be as a naive, all too-trusting newborn. The castle's shadows seemed darker than ever as she walked beside Alec who led the forefront of their group. They passed the lower guards on duty that night, exchanging brief nods. Maritza, the receptionist who just began working at the castle before she left, was still there to greet them, a bright eyes and an unsuspecting smile.

She thumbed the thick, heavy fabric of the jet-ink black cloak that Demetri shoved into her hands the moment the jet landed in Italy. She had realized what the cloaks of the Volturi Guard symbolized too late. Much too late.

She had always known the Volturi were never opposed to manipulating situations in order to benefit themselves, but the underhanded, belligerent way the matter of the Cullens and the newborn army was handled shocked Rory. Perhaps remembering her past allowed her to merge a secondary perspective of the royal coven's dealings, either way, Rory was not the same Aurora who left Italy only a month ago.

But she was good at pretending.

Two servants opened the grand doors of the throne room to reveal the entire guard and the Volturi leaders waiting for them. It was like a funeral with all the black formal wear and stoic dispositions, despite the gathering meant to welcoming them. There were a few eager faces amongst the crowd of red-eyed vampires, in want of hearing the interesting missions of the most prevalent guard members.

The five formed an inverted triangle shape before their masters, all bowing before the three kings in respect. With Felix and Demetri behind them, Rory found herself right in front of the ancient leaders of the vampire world with Alec and Jane.

"Ah, my children, you've all finally returned home," Aro spoke as if he were surprised by their appearance, the friendly tone easing the tension, although in he had really been well aware of their arrival. He ran his gaze over the vampires patronizingly and expectantly. "What reports do you bring from your missions?"

It may have been easier for the telepath to have just offered his hand, but it was clear he wanted the whole guard to hear of their expected triumph. Aro liked any excuse to show off. His gaze landed on Rory expectantly.

She had reassembled her Aurora facade—the cold, powerful newborn—as the Volturi fixed their attention on her. "The circumstances surrounding their reasons not to change Isabella Swan just yet were justifiable—the Cullens would have been hunted down and the main suspects if they were to all disappear," she explained cooly. Her observations excused the Cullen's reason for not following through with their agreement when they had come to Volterra. "She will be turned after her wedding to Edward Cullen wherein the disappearance is more explainable to the humans. I compelled them to do so even if they wanted to extend their deadline—they can't."

Although Caius and a few other vampires were clearly dissatisfied with the continued existence and proclaimed innocence of the coven, Aro smiled happily. He did truly treasure Carlisle Cullen and his brilliant mind. He would hate to put his friend's coven under trial.

"Clever girl," he remarked, not needing to touch her skin to confirm her words. "Any other interesting news?"

Rory's eyes roved around the room of expectant vampires who hardly cared what she had to say in all honesty. Most vampires disliked the Cullens, who preferred blending in the human community rather than feeding on them. Caius didn't mask his disdain for the coven, he looked almost suspicious of her report, unsatisfied with her corroborating with the coven. Rory had to reiterate her standing with the others.

"No other findings. They're all incredibly dull," she said convincingly, practicing her indifference. "Bella is probably the most interesting thing that's happened to their vegetarian lifestyle in years."

Laughter reverberated around the chamber, easing the anxiety she felt. They accepted her childish judgement and didn't press her for more information. She settled back into formation beside Alec.

Caius raised his brow, continuing the meeting. His sharp laser red stare landed on the other female in the group. "And Jane. You took your time in Seattle."

"Their creator was difficult to find." Jane glanced at Demetri pointedly, the male vampire glaring slightly at her as she continued to speak, "We followed them all the way to Forks. It appeared they were created to destroy the Cullens, a plot cleverly planned since the coven killed the creator's mate."

"How vicious," Marcus remarked apathetically.

"Luckily, the Cullens were able to defend themselves," Demetri nearly snorted at the turn of events.

Aro nodded understandably, his fingers touching in a triangular form. "Very lucky indeed."

"Aurora took care of the last newborns they didn't manage to end," Alec added smoothly, his eyes flickering over to her before returning to face the three leaders.

Aro clapped loudly. "What state of fortune we are in to have such a lovely girl in our aid. We are ever grateful for you, dearest Aurora."

Aurora forced a smile onto her face whilst her insides twisted and turned.

"If that is all...?" Aro met each vampire's eyes searchingly, but finding no need to further prod them. They all shook their heads wordlessly. Aro smiled widely and bowed his head mercifully. He returned to his throne. "You may all go now. Welcome home."

➖

Rory didn't question Alec as he followed her into her quarters in the far east tower after their laconic dismissal. She may have looked calm and collected, but her insides were wringing with anxiety and regret. She shouldn't have returned with the Volturi, she shouldn't have returned to the battle—she should have stayed far away from it all and disappeared. But now it was too late.

At least the Cullens were safe. Rory could endure remaining in the castle, not trusting anyone and keeping an eye on her back, if she had succeeded in somewhat making up for hurting those she had betrayed.

Onto the person who had betrayed her—Alec had shut the bedroom door and was now regarding her with sharp, microscopic obsidian eyes. No one had a chance to feed since arriving, and Rory wasn't exactly keen on going back on the human-blood diet despite her emotion-fueled lapse.

Rory was saved from the prolonged silence as Alec broke it. "You've changed."

She raised her brow. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"We're not in America anymore, you can lose the facade," Alec wasn't surprised by the rude eye roll he received. He grinned softly. "Yet, there. Yes, you have changed, haven't you?"

She was easily irritated by his smug tone, "I literally can't change—you made sure of that," she snapped, crossing her arms and turning to face him.

Alec looked thoroughly interested, his eyes filled with insight like he just discovered a juicy secret.

"What?" she asked, rubbing her arms slightly unnerved by his stare.

"You recovered your memory." Alec always had a quick, intelligent mind. It was easy for him to piece together things from the barest hints. It was another reason why he was so fearsome and deadly.

Her jaw dropped at how quick he came to a conclusion. "How'd you—"

"—you used the word 'literally'. Your American slang has returned, I didn't expect to miss it as much as I did." Another eye roll, this one accompanied by a huff. "Yet I didn't miss the constant eye rolls."

"Don't act all cute with me, Alec, considering it's probably your fault I lost my memories in the first place." She wanted to throw something at him, like the marble table, but she didn't want to risk letting the entire castle know their business.

"My fault?" he repeated with an arched brow. "I distinctly remember the back of your skull being nearly bashed in by Victoria before I found you."

Alec's eyes flicked down at his right hand briefly where it had once been covered with Aurora's blood all those months ago as he cradled her dying body in his arms. He hadn't anticipated her being pissed about his choice when she remembered everything.

Rory narrowed her eyes stubbornly. "I told you not to turn me, but you did so anyways." She recalled the way she pleaded for him to let her die in peace, but he was selfish and he bit her anyways. She stepped closer to the older vampire angrily. "Why did you condemn me to this life?"

He stared at her wordlessly.

"Why?" she asked again forcefully.

This time, he couldn't evade her question by the power she commanded it with. "I couldn't let you go," he said, his dark eyes baring into hers.

"You should have," she hissed, at her sides, her fists clenched in anger. "This isn't what I wanted—I never wanted to become this monster that you made me."

She killed, she betrayed, and she was not the Rory Aden she was before ever meeting a vampire. She was now something else entirely and she despised it. And it was because Alec was selfish and wanted to save her from death. Boo hoo. She could've been partying up in the afterlife with her sister instead being stuck between two places in all aspects of the meaning. Literally.

He grinned widely at her fury, his razor sharp teeth glinting wickedly. "I'm a monster now? I thought I was the devil, my darling?"

"I'm not a monster because I'm a vampire. I'm a monster because I'm like you. I hurt people, people who loved and trusted me."

He chuckled darkly, his obsidian eyes narrowing dangerously. "What? Did you fall for that empath again? The one who drove you here to Italy, where I found a mess of a girl who barely cared if she lived, and now you suddenly care that you had to let the past die in order to become who you were always meant to be."

Rory exhaled harshly, thinking of every deed she had done since awakening, with or without memories. She was disgusted by her own actions. "I never wanted this. To be this girl I don't even recognize when I look at myself in the mirror—which having a reflection still surprises me, but I digress. I lost everything—my life, my family, my soul. I was better off dead. You turned me into your little doll to manipulate—"

"You are the one doing the manipulation, Aurora," Alec's cruel laughter echoed throughout the tower. His expression was stormy as he snarled, "You have reduced me into a vampire I hardly recognize. But I do not care anymore. Everyday is a struggle for me now, everyday without—"

"Don't," she interrupted him sharply, interrupting his words that threatened the state of their tittering relationship. "Don't you dare, Alec."

His jaw ticked at her impudence. "You act as though you are clueless when you and I both know what you've done to me. Don't blame me when all I've done is save you—I could've killed you or allowed you to die a thousand times by now."

"You made the wrong choice."

"Regardless," Alec muttered bitterly, "I cannot help but love you."

She froze. "You shouldn't."

Before she recovered her memories, Rory had had an inkling that Alec was possibly in love with her given the fact he hated everyone else in the world beside Jane, his masters, and Rory. But hearing the truth confirmed was a whole other emotion she didn't expect.

"Yet you can not deny your own affection for me. There is something between us, a pull I tire of ignoring," Alec said all too smugly, as arrogant and sharp as ever. He tucked a dark wave of loose hair behind her ear.

"I'll do whatever I want!" Rory shot back heatedly, if she was human her cheeks would be flaming crimson. She took a large step back, but he only followed her, towering over her with a careless, cocky smirk on his red lips.

He had purposely kept silent on his feelings for Aurora when she had awoken with no memory of their relationship when she was human. He was in love with Aurora Reyes, not Aurora the newborn, who was inherently different from the girl he fell in love with. Same face, but different souls, but now that she remembered everything, he didn't see the point in holding anything back as the fire he fell in love with was back. Especially when he knew she had conflicting feelings.

"I do not care if you have lingering feelings for that Cullen boy," he added, knowing her all too well.

"You don't care about a lot of things, Alec," she spat out, trying to fuel the dying argument.

But Alec was unphased as always as he regarded her endearingly still, "And you know you remain an exception," his palm gripped her chin firmly, his eyes filled with amusement at her fire, blazing bright in her furious eyes. Oh, he had missed her fire well indeed. "I always get what I want, Aurora."

"I will never be yours," Rory gritted her teeth, yanking her chin from his grasp.

Alec smirked. "Don't you know, luce mia?" he grinned wickedly, "I made you mine long before I ever tasted your blood."

➖

A few weeks later, a human girl who had everything at stake and nothing to turn back to, strolled down the stone corridors of the Volturi castle. It was eerily quiet as usual, only the barest of light illuminating her path, as the castle's inhabitants scarcely needed any to maneuver through the ancient grounds. But this human was good at her job and determined to make it through.

Despite her heart hammering like a jackhammer as she passed the two stoic guards who were always stationed at the entrance to the throne room, Maritza, to her credit, kept a calm and collected disposition. She stepped to the center of the room as usual. She swallowed as she offered up the silver platter containing the message she had just received in the mail for the coven to the dark haired leader who stood to approach her from his throne in the center of the three.

"Yes, Maritza? What do you have there?" Aro inquired kindly.

"A wedding invitation," the brunette human answered shakily in Italian, unnerved by the way the three masters of the Volturi had their attention on her, their milky red eyes not letting her forget of their diet.

Aro lifted the ivory envelope from the platter and opened it deftly, his sharp, milky red eyes scanning over the print. "An invitation from our dear friend, Carlisle," he announced to his brothers.

"Aurora did say Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen would marry before Isabella would be changed," Marcus commented dully. He truly didn't understand Aro's preoccupation with the fate of the human girl until Aro sent Aurora on a pointless mission to the coven.

"As Aurora took it upon herself to decide," Caius sneered, eyeing the ivory paper uninterestedly. He would have much preferred the newest addition to the Volturi to be as sadistic and indifferent as the others, but alas, the most powerful of them all had a bleeding heart of gold. It made her pathetic in his eyes. But he wasn't going to argue.

Aro zeroed in on the addressees of the invitation. "Oh, how tragic," he gasped.

Caius lifted one brow. "What, brother?"

"It appears our dearest Aurora was not intended to be in attendance of the wedding. Only us three, which of course, is inconceivable for us to appear," Aro chuckled amusedly at the thought, eyeing the way his and his brother's names were clearly scrawled.

"Her betrayal of their trust must have cut deep," Marcus mused dully.

"I admire the way this played out," Caius smirked. "Almost as if you anticipated Aurora's ties to be snipped by sending her on a sham of a mission, brother."

His gaze lifted from the wedding invitation to the trembling human still standing before him. "I know how to get what I want." He handed the letter off to one of the silent servants standing nearby.

Maritza tried to take a cautious step back, only to bump into what felt like a cement wall. She didn't dare look back to know they were behind her, trapping her from making an escape.

"Some bonds are stronger than others," Marcus commented quietly.

"Nothing is impossible, my brothers," Aro's teeth stretched widely, any friendly fallacy falling away as greedy darkness overcame his expression.

➖

oof im back! and welcome to the final segment of this fanfic :,(

rory's conflicted & dramatic as usual 🤠 finally confronted alec but she kept from being violent which surprises both me and you readers, i know, but she cant really throw hands in the castle. alec epitomizes big dick energy and NOT in a good way lmaooo and aro is villainy as always

pretty short, sorry, but we're about to dive into some pretty wild drama yall get ready for takeoff bc we aint landing until rory gets her happy mofo endingggf

some questions that might be raised from this chapter: when will rory revolt???? will she ever fight alec???? also what's in the letters alice gave her?? why wasnt she invited to the wedding, how shady!? and when will jasper and rory reconcile??!?!?? all those questions might be answered eventually lol

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