Timeless Ties || Volturi Kings

31. Zero

I find it hard to say the things I want to say the most
Find a little bit of steady as I get close
Find a balance in the middle of the chaos
Send me low, send me high, send me never demigod

— Imagine Dragons

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The following day, while meticulously tending to her hair in front of the bathroom mirror, Alessia contemplated the absence of Didyme from the house.

Alessia had scoured every nook and cranny, except for the room where she knew Helios was with Aro, enveloped in sepulchral silence. She even stole a quick glance into Caius' art room, deliberately avoiding any lingering looks at the artwork, but Didyme remained elusive.

There were only a handful of plausible explanations for Didyme's absence from Caius' home. She might have been out hunting, or perhaps at the agora — though Alessia hadn't crossed paths with her en route, suggesting she must have taken an alternate path if that were the case. Another possibility was that Didyme was once again on the hunt for her mates. Alessia also considered the prospect that Didyme could be working on constructing the other part of the coven's base.

Alessia harbored doubts that her absence had caused any interruptions to their plans; Aro, Caius, Didyme and now ̶H̶e̶l̶i̶o̶s̶ Marcus were likely still considering expansion. In spite of that, reflecting on her recent dream, she entertained the notion that perhaps they had opted to delay the expansion. If Caius, Aro, and Marcus were grappling with the same turmoil as Alessia, it wasn't simply a matter of reluctance to expand — it was a recognition that they couldn't afford to expand while not operating at their peak. As leaders of the coven, they couldn't afford to exhibit any sign of weakness, lest others exploit it.

Not that Alessia held any belief that they were experiencing even a fraction of the heartbreak she endured, nor were they likely to feel the slightest trace of the emotional turmoil she dealt with. Their attempts — and to her great shame, some successes — in manipulating her, their penchant for secrecy, and their evident lack of concern for her well-being suggested they were unlikely to empathize with her emotional state. Nevertheless, she entertained the possibility that they might be experiencing some of the physical effects she had endured.

The word "strained" lingered in Alessia's thoughts, echoing Caius's disclosure to Aro about their bond. As she had pondered this during her search for Didyme in her dreams the previous night, she had arrived at a realization: if Alessia — or anyone else, such as the strange man accompanying Radmir — had the ability to reject the bond, as hinted by Aro's explanation that the bond was likely "punishing" the guy, there must exist something akin to a rejection but with subtler effects, maybe something akin to straining.

Alessia couldn't shake the connection between the onset of that dreadful pain in her chest, which struck seconds before she left their home after discovering everything. It seemed intrinsically linked somehow. Furthermore, considering Aro and Caius' words, all the lingering aftereffects she had experienced might also be tied to this supposed bond, if they were feeling tiredness and headaches too. In Alessia's mind, there had to be a correlation in the end.

Of course, she loathed the notion that she might be enduring punishment from that horrible bond, as though she were the one who had betrayed her supposed mates. It felt unjust that she could suffer due to the actions of others, yet it consumed her thoughts in the absence of further information.

Alessia dedicated a few moments to pondering her next steps in gathering more information. Just as she finished grooming her hair, she headed toward her laptop, ready to commence her investigation. However, before she could reach it, the sudden ringing of her phone interrupted her thoughts. Alessia almost grimaced, fearing it might be her father calling. To her surprise, the caller ID displayed Julia's name. Alessia quickly answered the call, but before she could utter a word, it abruptly ended. Perplexed, she opened her conversation with Julia on her phone, only to read Julia's message stating her intention to visit Alessia's house that morning. Realizing Julia was waiting outside, Alessia swiftly made her bed and hurried to greet her friend at the gate.