Timeless Ties || Volturi Kings

05. What A Time

I know we didn't end it like we're supposed to
And now we get a bit tense
I wonder if my mind just leaves out all the bad parts
I know we didn't make sense

— Julia Michaels, Niall Horan

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When Alessia started to dream again, Hermes and Apollo were before her, standing in an unfamiliar house, their bodies tense and bags under their eyes. Aro was in a corner of the room, fixated on Caius, who was seated in a cushion seat in the middle of the room, his brow furrowed. Not a word passed between them, so Alessia decided to materialize herself directly.

"Hey," she greeted as she appeared in the middle of them.

Caius and Aro directed their full attention towards her. Caius rose to his feet, his gaze sweeping over her form. Aro swiftly joined Alessia's side, scrutinizing her every breath.

Alessia felt a tinge of confusion.

A profound silence enveloped the room as Caius and Aro continued to observe her, motionless like statues. Normally, Alessia would have attempted to lighten the mood, but the heavy atmosphere and their peculiar behavior deterred her from doing so.

Caius narrowed his eyes, the crimson hue rapidly transforming into an ominous shade of black. "Hey? Hey? " he said through gritted teeth. " Where have you been? It has been four years ."

Oh, the passage of time hadn't even crossed her mind. She was aware that her dreams operated on a different timeline from her waking life, beyond days blending into one another. But she hadn't dwelled on it, nor had she shared this insight with them.

"Home," she replied, giving him the same answer she had given Helios.

"And where is home?" he probed.

"It doesn't matter," Alessia said. She was certain that Brazil didn't exist in their time, or at least it shouldn't exist.

"Of course it matters," Aro expressed from his place at her side, his voice resonating with a mixture of anger and concern. "The Dacians have unleashed massacres, targeting entire villages to enforce their leadership upon humans. What if your village enters on their hit list?"

" Massacres ? Who are these Dacians exactly?" Alessia asked, taken aback. What in the world was happening within the realm of her dreams?

Aro proceeded to clarify, "The Dacian Coven reigns as the largest and most powerful coven in the vampire world. They have initiated a campaign to make humans aware of the existence of vampires, with the intention of exerting control over both realms. Naturally, humans are not receptive to this revelation, as vampires are now killing anyone in broad daylight, leading to resistance. Whenever the Dacians face opposition in a particular area, they select a few villages within that region to serve as a warning."

"They annihilate the entire village," Caius interjected. "The Dacians choose two or three villages nearby and exterminate every single human inhabitant — men, women, children, promised humans , it doesn't matter. If you haven't heard of it, it means they haven't targeted your country yet. But we need to ascertain your place of residence."

Alessia was utterly dumbfounded by what she was hearing. What on earth? The vampire rulers were attempting to assert control over humans ?

"You disappeared for a span of four years , leaving us unaware of your whereabouts. Without knowledge of your current location, we cannot determine if you are in imminent danger. Where do you reside?" added Aro, sounding vexed.