Samael – POV
After gathering my things, I left the art room, stepping into a hallway that had already begun to empty as the last bell of the day pushed most of the students toward the exits. Without the usual rush of voices and slamming lockers, the corridor felt almost peaceful, the quiet broken only by the distant murmur of conversations near the front doors and the echo of my own footsteps.
As I walked toward the exit, I noticed someone stepping out of the school office.
Edward Cullen.
I already knew why he had been there.
Biology, more specifically, the situation involving Bella and her rather unfortunate role as his so-called blood singer.
For a vampire, a blood singer was essentially the worst possible seating arrangement imaginable. Her blood smelled irresistibly appealing to him, dangerously so, yet from the outside, his reaction had looked completely different. Anyone observing the earlier scene in class would have assumed Bella smelled terrible. Edward had kept his distance with visible effort, his posture rigid and his expression tight, as if he were trying not to breathe in her direction.
In reality, the opposite was true.
The scent of a blood singer could drive even disciplined vampires to lose control, and very few of them were capable of sitting peacefully beside one without eventually giving in to instinct.
Which meant Edward's sudden visit to the office had been less about avoiding Bella and more about protecting her.
As I passed the office, I caught a brief glimpse through the open door.
Bella was still standing inside.
She looked confused, maybe even a little hurt, as if Edward's reaction to her had made absolutely no sense. Judging from the uncertain look on her face, she had probably come to the conclusion that she somehow smelled bad.
Which, from her perspective, was a perfectly logical explanation.
Edward had his reasons for reacting the way he did, even if explaining them to a human girl would have been… complicated.
Since it ultimately had nothing to do with me, I continued walking without giving the situation any further thought.
Outside, the cool Forks air greeted me with its familiar mixture of damp forest scent and quiet afternoon calm. A handful of students were still scattered around the parking lot, leaning against cars or chatting in small groups, and several heads turned the moment I stepped outside.
I ignored the attention and headed toward my car, unlocking the door before sliding into the driver's seat and starting the engine. The low rumble of the motor broke the quiet of the lot as I backed out of the parking space and slowly drove toward the exit.
Near the far edge of the parking lot, I spotted the Cullens, who had clearly been waiting for Edward earlier but were now beginning to disperse after he finally returned from the office.
Rosalie and Emmett were climbing into their car, while Edward himself had just arrived and quickly slipped into another vehicle as if eager to leave the entire situation behind. Jasper and Edythe were nowhere in sight, which likely meant they were already seated inside their own car.
Alice, however, was still standing outside.
Just as my car passed them, she turned her head toward me, and our eyes met for a brief moment.
Her lips curved into a small, playful smile before she gave a quick wink that was both effortless and completely unfair, considering she already knew well what even a simple smile could do to me.
A moment later, she slipped into the car, and by the time I reached the road and began driving away from the school, I realised I was smiling.
_______________________
The road leading away from school curved through tall trees and damp stretches of forest, the quiet scenery of Forks giving my mind more than enough space to wander.
My first day had been… eventful in ways I hadn't quite expected. New people, a few unexpected meetings, and several conversations that had taken turns I certainly hadn't planned for.
And yet, despite everything that had happened throughout the day, my thoughts kept returning to one person.
Alice.
Nothing bad had actually happened today, and yet a faint sense of frustration lingered somewhere in the back of my mind.
Not directed at her.
At myself.
The imprint had affected me more strongly than I would have liked to admit. Several times during the day, I had reacted on instinct rather than deliberate thought, and losing control, even briefly, was not something I tolerated well.
Self-control had become one of the most important principles of my existence since this new life had begun. Becoming a winged lion had forced me to learn that lesson very quickly. Power without discipline was simply another form of danger.
Which meant that noticing even small cracks in that control was… unpleasant.
As I drove through the quiet streets of Forks, passing rows of small houses and towering pine trees, I tried to analyse the imprint itself. Unfortunately, my thoughts did not lead to any groundbreaking revelations.
One thing had become clear, however.
The initial emotional storm had begun to settle.
The overwhelming rush of feeling from earlier had softened slightly, and my mind was gradually adapting to it, learning how to handle the intensity without drowning in it.
The feelings themselves had not weakened.
If anything, they were still just as strong.
My mind had simply begun learning how to live with them.
_____________________
A few minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot of the local supermarket.
This time, I had made absolutely certain not to repeat the mistake from the first night.
Several cars were parked in front of the building, though only one immediately caught my attention.
A police cruiser.
More precisely, a Ford sedan belonging to the Forks Police Department.
Sheriff Swan.
Interesting.
I stepped out of the car and headed inside.
The store was quiet, with only a handful of customers moving slowly through the aisles. I grabbed a basket near the entrance and began moving through the shelves with a fairly methodical routine, picking up whatever I would need for the next several days.
Eventually, the first basket filled, forcing me to grab a second one.
By the time I reached the checkout counter, both were packed with enough food to make the cashier raise an eyebrow.
She scanned the items, occasionally glancing at the growing pile on the counter. Once everything had been tallied, I paid in cash and began packing the groceries into several large bags.
After a brief exchange of polite words, I stepped back outside.
My arms were full, though the weight hardly registered.
As I approached my car, I noticed someone standing beside it.
Charlie Swan.
The sheriff was studying the vehicle with clear interest, his hands resting on his belt as he circled it slowly.
When he noticed me approaching, he nodded toward the car.
"This yours?" he asked.
"Yes, sir."
He gave a low whistle.
"Don't see many cars like this around Forks," he said. "Especially not driven by someone your age."
He straightened and stepped forward, extending a hand.
"Charlie Swan," he said. "Sheriff."
"Samael Ashborn."
He shook my hand firmly before glancing back at the car once more.
"You new in town?"
"Just moved here recently."
Charlie nodded slowly.
"Figured," he said with a small nod. "Forks isn't exactly the kind of place where new faces slip by unnoticed."
His gaze shifted back to me, studying me a little more carefully now.
"So what's the story?" he asked. "You visiting someone? College kid passing through? Working up here for the summer or something?"
"No," I said calmly. "I'm seventeen. Today was actually my first day at Forks High."
That clearly caught him off guard.
"You're serious?"
"Yes."
Charlie scratched the back of his head, looking me over again like he was recalculating something.
"Huh. I'll be honest with you, I didn't peg you for a high school student."
"I hear that sometimes."
"Well," he said with a chuckle, "guess I shouldn't jump to conclusions."
After a short pause, he shifted the conversation slightly.
"School treating you alright so far?"
"It's been… memorable."
"That's one way to describe it," he said with a faint chuckle. "My daughter would probably have a few different opinions about that place."
"Bella?"
Charlie's eyes sharpened a little.
"You already met her?"
"Briefly," I said. "We introduced ourselves earlier. I also heard someone call her the sheriff's daughter, so it wasn't hard to figure out."
That seemed to satisfy him.
"Fair enough," he said with a nod. "Small town like this, people talk."
His attention drifted back to the car again.
"Truth is, that's mostly why I walked over," he admitted. "When something like this shows up in my town, I like to know who it belongs to."
"That seems reasonable."
Charlie gave a faint smile.
"And between you and me," he added, "a car like this could blow past the speed limit without the driver even noticing, so I figured I'd introduce myself before that ever became a problem."
"I'll try not to give you a reason to pull me over."
"Appreciate that."
"So your folks move out here with you?" he asked. "Get settled alright?"
"I'm actually living on my own."
Charlie blinked.
"On your own?"
"It works for me."
He looked like he had several more questions ready, but after a moment he simply nodded instead.
"Well," he said, pushing himself away from the car, "if you run into trouble around town, you know where the station is."
"I'll keep that in mind."
He clearly had several more questions, but after a moment, he simply nodded.
"Not every day we get a kid your age who seems this put together," he said. "Forks could use more of that."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"You should."
Charlie extended his hand again, and we shook once more.
Then he picked up his grocery bags and headed back toward his cruiser.
A moment later, I loaded the groceries into my car and climbed into the driver's seat.
When I finally arrived home, I drove the car into the garage and shut off the engine, taking a moment to enjoy the quiet that settled in as the low rumble of the motor faded away. After the steady noise of the road and the constant background chatter of the day, the silence felt almost refreshing.
The house greeted me with the same calm stillness as before.
I stepped inside and headed straight for the kitchen, setting the grocery bags on the counter before beginning the slow process of unloading everything into the fridge and cabinets. Once that was finished, I went upstairs, grabbed a change of clothes, and took a quick shower. By the time I had finished and changed into something more comfortable, most of the lingering tension from the day had finally begun to fade.
Feeling considerably more relaxed, I returned downstairs and made my way back to the kitchen.
That was when the next question appeared.
Food.
The way my body handled food had been… interesting since my transmigration.
If I ate something particularly large while in my human form, like the deer from my first night in Forks, nothing dramatic happened. I simply ended up feeling extremely full for quite a while and usually didn't need to eat again for several days.
Yet at the moment, despite that earlier meal, I was already hungry again.
The explanation had become fairly obvious after a bit of experimentation.
Whenever I transformed into my werelion or full lion forms, my body increased significantly in both size and strength, and apparently, the amount of food it could process increased along with it. When I returned to my human form, however, the food itself seemed to… adjust.
Which meant I couldn't simply devour something enormous while transformed and then ignore meals for the next several months.
Unfortunately.
That would have been extremely convenient.
At the moment, however, my human stomach was making its opinion very clear.
So I placed several large steaks on the stove and began cooking them. My approach to meals had become fairly simple since arriving in this world - no complicated recipes, no elaborate side dishes, and certainly no vegetables unless absolutely necessary. Meat alone was more than enough to satisfy both my body's needs and my appetite.
I had also noticed that my tolerance for vegetables had dropped significantly. It wasn't that I suddenly hated them; I could still eat them if needed. I simply had no real desire to.
Meat, on the other hand, was perfect.
As the steaks sizzled in the pan and the smell began filling the kitchen, my phone suddenly rang.
I pulled it from my pocket and answered.
"Hello, Alfred."
"Good evening, sir," Alfred replied in his usual calm, composed tone.
There was a brief pause before he continued.
"I was curious how your first day at Forks School went."
Even through the phone, I could hear the curiosity hidden beneath.
"It went well enough," I replied while flipping one of the steaks.
Another short pause followed.
"I see," Alfred said carefully. "So… I take it you will be remaining there for the time being?"
He had clearly expected that after experiencing the reality of a small-town high school, I might decide to return to Washington sooner rather than later.
I let out a quiet laugh.
"Afraid so"
A sigh came through the phone.
"Well," he said after a moment, "it was worth asking."
I flipped another steak while he continued.
"Then I should also give you a brief report on the recent Ark's current progress."
"Go ahead."
"The factory we acquired several months ago is nearing completion," Alfred explained. "The production lines should become operational in roughly two months, although initial output will remain somewhat limited for another two months after that."
"That's acceptable," I said while adjusting the heat on the stove.
The factory Alfred was referring to would be responsible for producing electronic components: chips, displays, batteries, and other essential hardware.
Unlike some companies in the technology industry, I had no interest in producing the final consumer products themselves. Competing directly with established giants in that market would require enormous marketing investments and years of brand development.
Producing the components instead was a far more efficient strategy.
Every company building phones, laptops, and other electronics constantly needed better parts.
And better parts were exactly what I intended to provide.
Using my instant mastery ability, I had already studied several engineering disciplines and developed, or more accurately replicated, several technological designs that would be considered fairly standard by the year 2025.
None of them were revolutionary on their own.
But compared to what currently existed on the market, they were significantly more advanced.
My long-term plan was fairly straightforward.
At the beginning, Ark would release several improved technologies in order to establish itself within the market. After that, my role would gradually shift toward guiding the development teams, ensuring they moved in the right direction and avoided wasting years pursuing technological dead ends. With knowledge of future trends, keeping our products ahead of competitors for a very long time would not be particularly difficult.
Anyone familiar with how research teams actually worked knew that countless projects died simply because another group discovered a better approach first.
By removing much of that uncertainty, I could make our teams far more efficient.
"Everything else is progressing according to schedule," Alfred continued. "The engineering teams have already begun working on several of the future development projects you outlined."
"Good."
I flipped another steak.
The smell in the kitchen was becoming almost dangerously appetising.
After a few more minutes of discussion, I finally said, "I think that's enough work talk for today."
"Of course, sir."
"I just finished cooking dinner, and after the day I had, I would prefer to relax for a while."
"That sounds like a wise decision."
Then I remembered one minor… complication.
"Actually, Alfred… there's one small thing."
"Yes, sir?"
"Could you call someone tomorrow to fix part of the house?"
There was a brief silence on the other end.
"Fix… part of the house?"
"One of the walls."
Another pause followed, slightly longer this time.
"…The wall, sir?"
"Nothing serious," I said calmly. "I simply used a bit too much force while moving the table."
"The table…"
"These houses are mostly paper and drywall," I added. "They're… surprisingly fragile."
"I see…"
I heard the faint sound of him writing something down.
"I'll arrange for someone to take care of it tomorrow."
"Thanks. That should be it for today."
"Very well, sir. Enjoy your evening."
"Good night, Alfred."
"Good night, sir."
After ending the call, I carried the plate of freshly cooked steaks into the living room and sat down on the couch in front of the large television. A small table stood conveniently nearby, making it easy to eat while watching something.
I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.
A moment later, the familiar opening of Avatar: The Last Airbender appeared on the screen.
Discovering that this masterpiece existed in this world as well had been one of the most pleasant surprises.
I settled deeper into the couch, picked up my fork, and began eating while the episode played.
For a while, everything was peaceful.
Then my phone buzzed on the table beside me.
[Random tip]
[For those who haven't watched the Twilight movies in a long time]
[I discovered this myself: I watched Twilight 4–5 years before I read my first Twilight fanfic. After that, I read all that I could find. But before writing this fanfic, I watched it again. And man, I realised how my view had changed. I don't blame any author, it's just that each author brings their own changes and personal view of the characters. And they accumulate with each new fanfic.
For example, if you take into account that Bella is Edward's blood singer, and that other vampires would just kill her on sight, his reaction becomes less strange. About Bella: she's just a teenager, and her reaction isn't as awkward as it's often described. The Cullens' gifts could also be seen as much stronger than some remember. Edward can read the minds of people miles away and differentiate between them (like in the fight with the newborns).
Also, for some reason, wolf shapeshifters are only called werewolves in the movies, even though I personally agree that werewolves are different creatures. There are many, many more things that your memory might have swapped. So, my tip is: watch Twilight if you never did, or if it's been a long time.]
[Second tip (it is only related to my fanfic): I picture all the Cullens as their movie actors, height included. Alice in the movie isn't as short as some say, she's nearly the same height as Bella, and Emmett is 188 cm.]