Ethereal Bondsand Unmatched PowerThe Reincarnated Guardian of Twilight

Chapter 5: A Truck, a Save, and a Line Drawn

A couple of months had slipped by since Caspian and Bella first stepped into the chaotic orbit of Forks High School. The days had settled into a rhythm—school, banter, Caspian keeping a sharp eye on Bella while dodging the Cullens' subtle scrutiny. He'd kept his powers under wraps, blending in as best he could, though his golden eyes and too-perfect features drew whispers he couldn't entirely avoid. Bella had noticed the stares too, but she brushed them off, content to have her brother as her anchor in this rainy, unfamiliar world.

Then came the day that changed everything—the day straight out of Twilight's opening act. It happened in the parking lot, a blur of ice and bad luck. Tyler Crowley's van skidded out of control, barreling toward Bella as she stood frozen beside her truck. Caspian had been a few steps away, chatting with Eric about some meaningless assignment, when he saw it coming. His hybrid instincts kicked in before his mind did—time seemed to slow, his senses sharpening as he calculated the angles. But before he could act, Edward Cullen beat him to it.

In a flash of inhuman speed, Edward was there, slamming his hand against the van and stopping it inches from crushing Bella. The crunch of metal echoed through the lot, followed by a chorus of gasps from the onlookers. Caspian reached Bella a heartbeat later, his telekinesis flaring instinctively to steady the van's teetering frame, though he masked it as a quick shove with his shoulder. No one noticed—too focused on Edward's impossible feat.

"Bells!" Caspian's voice cut through the chaos as he grabbed her arms, pulling her upright. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with shock, but she was unharmed. "You okay? Talk to me."

"I—yeah, I'm fine," she stammered, her gaze flicking between him and Edward, who stood a few feet away, his expression a mix of relief and wariness. "He… he saved me."

Caspian's jaw tightened as he glared at Edward. "Yeah, I saw." His tone was clipped, his golden eyes narrowing behind a flicker of ember-like sparks. He didn't like this—not one bit. Edward Cullen, swooping in like some brooding hero, planting the first seed of Bella's obsession. Caspian had read the story, knew where this led, and he wasn't about to let it play out unchecked.

"Thanks," he said to Edward, his voice flat, devoid of warmth. "But we're good now. You can go."

Edward hesitated, his own eyes narrowing as he tried—and failed—to pierce Caspian's mind. "She could've been hurt," he said, his tone measured but edged with something defensive. "I couldn't just—"

"I said we're good," Caspian cut in, stepping between Edward and Bella, his protective aura flaring subtly. It wasn't a power he unleashed fully—just enough to make the air feel heavier, a warning Edward couldn't ignore. "She's my sister. I've got her. Leave."

Bella frowned, tugging at Caspian's sleeve. "Cas, he saved me. You don't have to—"

"I don't trust him," Caspian muttered, low enough that only she could hear. "And I don't like him sniffing around you. We're done here."

Charlie arrived not long after, summoned by the school's frantic call. The parking lot was a mess of police tape and worried students, but Bella was unharmed, and that was all that mattered. In the cruiser on the way home, Caspian laid it out plain. "Dad, that Cullen kid—he's trouble. I don't want him near Bella. Kick him out of our lives if he shows up."

Charlie, still rattled from the near-miss, didn't hesitate. "If he's causing problems, he's gone," he said gruffly, his hands tight on the wheel. "I don't care who his family is. You two are my priority."

Caspian nodded, satisfied. Bella, slumped in the back seat, stayed quiet, her mind spinning with questions she didn't voice. She didn't get why Caspian was so harsh about Edward—he'd saved her, after all—but she trusted her brother's instincts. He'd always been her shield.

Meanwhile, across town in the Cullen house, the family gathered once more, the air thick with tension. Alice stood by the window, her golden eyes distant as she replayed her latest vision. She'd seen it all—the van, Edward's save, Caspian's fury. And something more: a thread tying Bella to Edward, faint but growing, and the unshakable bond linking Caspian to her and Rosalie.

"He's protective," Alice said, breaking the silence. "Really protective. He doesn't like Edward near her—Bella, I mean. He told Charlie to keep him away."

Edward, leaning against the piano, scowled. "He's impossible," he said. "I can't read him, can't figure him out. And Bella… her mind's blank too. They're both hiding something."

"They're not hiding," Jasper corrected, his voice calm as he sifted through the emotions he'd felt from a distance. "Caspian's not scared or secretive—he's angry. Territorial. He sees you as a threat."

"To Bella?" Edward asked, incredulous. "I saved her life."

"To his control," Jasper clarified. "He's her brother. He's got a grip on her safety, and you just shook that."

Rosalie snorted, her arms crossed. "Good for him. I'd kick you out too if you were hovering around my family."

Emmett chuckled, sprawling across the couch. "This guy's got guts. Staring down Edward like that? I like him already."

Alice turned from the window, her expression a mix of excitement and unease. "There's more," she said. "Bella—she's tied to Edward. I saw it. It's not clear yet, but it's there. Like… a soulmate thread. And Caspian—he's still ours, mine and Rosalie's. It's stronger now, after today."

Edward stiffened, his gaze snapping to her. "Bella's my soulmate?" The words felt foreign, heavy, but they stirred something in him—a pull he couldn't deny.

"Looks like it," Alice said, her smile faint. "But Caspian's not happy about it. He doesn't trust us—any of us. And he's powerful, Edward. More than we thought. I felt it in the vision—a spark, like fire and light. He could've stopped that van himself if you hadn't."

Carlisle frowned, stepping into the circle. "If Bella's tied to Edward and Caspian's tied to Alice and Rosalie, this complicates things. We need to tread carefully. He's not human—we know that much. But what he is… we can't assume."

Rosalie's eyes flashed. "I don't care what he is. I'm not playing along with this soulmate nonsense. He can keep his sister and stay out of my life."

Alice sighed, but her optimism didn't waver. "You'll see, Rose. He's not going anywhere. And neither are we."

Back at the Swan house, Caspian sat on the porch, staring into the darkening woods. The system hummed in his mind, a quiet update: *"Event Triggered: Canon Divergence Initiated. Bella Swan Saved. Edward Cullen's Involvement Noted. Protective Protocols Active."* He smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. Edward had Bella in his sights now, and that pissed him off more than he'd expected. Alice and Rosalie were still out there too, tugging at a bond he refused to acknowledge. But for now, he focused on Bella—his sister, his responsibility. Whatever the Cullens were planning, he'd be ready. They didn't know who they were dealing with yet.