Chapter 128: The Heroes Of Our Kind…

Cullens' Mansion…

The Cullens were gathered in a tense discussion, still debating how to handle the complicated situation regarding Bella's pregnancy.

To them, this was an unprecedented crisis—one that violated one of the strict, unbreakable rules followed by the Cold Ones:

No romantic relationships with humans who have not been turned.

And now, things had spiraled into something even more dangerous.

If the Volturi got wind of this situation, they would not turn a blind eye.

There was a very real chance that they would intervene, and perhaps even go as far as to destroy their entire coven.

Jojo, who had been listening silently, perked up at one particular detail—Aro, the Volturi leader, had always been interested in Alice's ability to see glimpses of the future.

He had tried multiple times to recruit her into the Volturi, but the Cullens had firmly refused, knowing the danger that came with associating with them.

Despite their rejection, they had earned the enmity of the Volturi, making them even more vulnerable now.

"If this is a problem… why don't we just destroy them?"

Jojo's voice cut through the tension in the room.

His expression remained calm, though a slight raise of his eyebrow showed his curiosity.

"____"

"____"

"____"

Sigh~

The room fell into a heavy silence.

The Cullens exchanged uneasy glances, clearly disturbed by Jojo's casual suggestion.

After a moment, Rosalie let out a defeated sigh, shaking her head.

"The Volturi are seen as the heroes of our kind… touching them isn't simple. If we so much as lay a finger on them, many covens who worship them would take offense and come after us."

Breaking the silence, Edward spoke, his expression grave.

He knew better than anyone how deeply ingrained the Volturi's rule was within the vampire world.

"Let's keep this matter under wraps until the child is born…"

Carlisle, who had been listening quietly, finally stood from his seat.

Walking toward Edward, he placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"After that, Edward… you have no choice. You must turn Bella into a Cold One—whether you want to or not."

His tone was calm but final.

Without waiting for a response, he turned and left the room.

"____"

Edward wanted to protest, but the moment he read Carlisle's mind, he froze.

Carlisle wasn't forcing him—he was genuinely worried about Bella and their unborn child.

The rest of the Cullens remained silent, not interfering, because deep down, they all knew—Bella's transformation could no longer be delayed.

Even Emmett, usually the first to crack a joke, stayed quiet.

Grit~

Swoosh~

Edward stood still for a few moments, fists clenched.

Then, gritting his teeth, he vanished from the mansion in a blur, his agility allowing him to disappear into the night.

After discussing things with the Cullens, Jojo also left, while Rosalie and Alice decided to stay behind to support Bella, who looked distraught.

Since Jojo's bike was back at his mansion, he borrowed Rosalie's car for the ride home.

Jojo's Mansion…

Vroom~

With the roar of an engine, Jojo arrived at his mansion. He stepped out of the vehicle and walked toward the entrance, only to find the doors locked.

Frowning slightly, he turned his attention to the house next door, where Kang and his family lived.

However, when he arrived, he was greeted by the same sight—the door shut and locked.

"Sara, where's Jenny?"

His brows furrowed in confusion.

If Jenny wasn't home, and Kang's place was empty too, where had they gone?

A familiar voice echoed through his mobile phone—his trusted AI, Sara.

"Sir… currently, Mrs. Jenny, along with Mr. Kang and Ms. Inadu, have gone to investigate a Level 1 supernatural case. Oddly enough, there are suspicions that it involves either an evil cult or a psychopath."

Hearing Sara's report, Jojo's expression shifted.

"Oh? Inadu is out... shit—"

His eyes widened for a moment before he suddenly remembered—he had promised to be there when Inadu woke up in her new cultivated body.

Sigh~

A breath of relief escaped him.

Since it was only a Level 1 case, there was no real reason to panic.

With Jenny, Kang, and Inadu all there, he was confident that they could handle anything that came their way.

After all, if things got dangerous, Inadu was more than capable of dealing with it.

"Give me the current status of the case."

Calmly, Jojo turned back toward his mansion.

He knelt down beside a flower pot, lifted it, and found the spare key tucked underneath a green rag.

Click~

With a swift turn of the key, he unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Without wasting time, he headed straight to the bathroom—ready for a long, refreshing bath, all while Sara continued updating him on Jenny's situation at the investigation site.

Jenny's Side…

It was a rainy day.

The steady drizzle pattered against the car roof as Jenny, Kang, and Inadu sat inside, staring at the mansion before them.

The house was isolated, far from the nearest settlement, standing alone like a forgotten relic.

Jenny sat in the driver's seat, observing the building carefully.

Beside her, Kang was peering through binoculars, trying to spot anything unusual through the mansion's foggy windows.

In the back seat, Inadu sat silently, her hand extended through the open window, allowing the raindrops to fall onto her palm.

Though she didn't show any expression, the gentle movements of her fingers revealed that she was enjoying the sensation.

"All I see is a lonely old bastard."

With a sigh, Kang lowered the binoculars, his tone filled with disappointment.

Sigh~

"Where are those super sexy cult ladies? Instead, we get an old geezer… Damn it, I didn't sign up for this."

Kang rubbed his forehead, mentally cursing the reality that had shattered his fantasy of a mysterious cult filled with seductive women who lured men into their forbidden rituals.

Frown~

Jenny narrowed her eyes, her woman's instincts immediately sensing that her husband was up to no good. She shot him a sharp glare.

"Let's wait for another half an hour before making a move. We can't judge someone based on their appearance."

Jenny's calm voice broke the tension.

She wasn't about to rush in blindly—not without solid proof.

This old man was their prime suspect in the disappearance of several teenage girls from surrounding settlements.

However, there was one chilling detail that tied all the cases together—

Each missing girl was a devoted believer of God.

Regardless of their religion, they had either spoken publicly about their faith or participated in events celebrating their devotion shortly before vanishing.

It was Sara—who detected the pattern and flagged it as a potential supernatural case.

When they arrived near the mansion, Inadu had suddenly stopped them.

She had felt something.

"There's a heavy dark aura here,"

Inadu had said, her tone serious.

"Someone has attempted various dark rituals inside this house—but every single one of them failed."

That was enough to make them stop and investigate further.

Jenny had even asked Sara if she could connect to any device inside the mansion—perhaps a mobile phone, computer, or even a television.

To their shock, there was nothing.

The owner of this mansion didn't use a phone, didn't own a computer, and didn't even have a TV.

It was as if he completely lived off the grid.

Left with no other choice, they decided to observe the mansion, watching for anything unusual.

Kang, still skeptical, exhaled loudly.

"Yeah… there's a lot of dark aura, alright. But I don't see anything suspicious yet."

Inadu, still playing with the rain, finally spoke up, her eyes returning to the mansion.

"Let's go in and kill him."

A sharp killing intent radiated from her words, her voice calm—yet deadly serious.

Before Kang or Jenny could respond, another voice suddenly interrupted them.

"Let's hurry up… after this house, we need to return to the church. Father Kennedy asked us to be back earlier."

Jenny's eyes snapped to the source—

Two young girls, dressed in modest clothing, were pushing their bicycles toward the mansion's front door.

"Sure, sure… after this house, we'll call it a day, Sister Paxton."

The second girl, Barnes, rolled her eyes playfully as the two of them approached the entrance.

From inside the car, Jenny, Kang, and Inadu watched silently, their eyes fixed on the two unsuspecting girls.

The girls rang the doorbell and waited.

A few moments later, the mansion door creaked open, and the old man stepped out, his face wrinkled with a kind smile.

He spoke to them gently, his posture relaxed, as if he were just a harmless elder welcoming guests.

But then—

The two girls stepped inside.

And the moment they crossed the threshold—

The old man shut the door.

Click!

The sound of the lock turning echoed louder than the rain.

Inadu's eyes narrowed.

"I smell conspiracy."

Without another word, she stepped out of the car, her posture tense, and started walking toward the mansion.

Seeing her reaction, Jenny and Kang knew—this wasn't just suspicion anymore.

Something was very wrong.

They quickly followed Inadu, their pace hurried.

This mission had just taken a dark turn.

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(Author's POV)

(A/N): 

Thanks for reading the chapter!

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