Chapter 7

As they heard the car approaching their home, Carlisle moved closer to the glass window to get a better look. He had already been informed of Frankenstein's impending arrival, albeit without any explanation as to why he wanted to meet. Seeing the car parked outside, which appeared to be the same as Frankenstein's, Carlisle took a deep breath and reassured the others, "It's okay, he's my colleague."

The tension in the room dissipated momentarily as everyone exhaled in relief, their gazes shifting towards Alice, who appeared slightly embarrassed and confused by the mix-up.

Without further delay, Carlisle made his way downstairs to greet his colleague, eager to find out the purpose of Frankenstein's visit.

As Carlisle stepped outside to greet his colleague, his expression shifted dramatically. Instead of seeing Frankenstein, he only saw Raizel standing before him. Esme, who had joined him with a smile to greet Carlisle's colleague, also noticed the handsome young man with an imposing demeanor approaching alongside another handsome man with long blond hair, whom she assumed to be Carlisle's colleague. However, her smile faltered as she observed the red eyes of the young man, a detail that made her heart skip a beat. She glanced at Carlisle's face, seeing reflected there an expression of disbelief mirroring her own.

For Carlisle, the sight of Raizel triggered a flurry of memories, as he tried to etch every detail into his memory. He recalled the ancient canvases he had seen in the Volturi, particularly one depicting two imposing figures. The facial features, the red eyes, the raven-black hair, and the cross-shaped earring—all of these details pointed to the ancient existence he now faced. Carlisle understood the significance of encountering such a being; these ancient beings were the reason behind the formation of the Volturi, the coven tasked with enforcing the laws of the Cold Ones' world. Without the Volturi, the race of Cold Ones would have been hunted to extinction by these ancient beings long ago. Many Cold Ones, including those considered royalty, had bowed to the Noble race in order to survive, giving rise to the Volturi.

Now, faced with one of these ancient beings standing before his house, Carlisle couldn't help but feel a surge of anxiety. The encounter with Raizel, coupled with Alice's unsettling vision, heightened his apprehension to another level, as he grappled with the realization that they were dealing with existence far beyond their understanding.

Carlisle felt his legs weaken, he found himself compelled to kneel before Raizel. Slowly, he sank to the ground in front of Raizel. The others emerged from the house, their expressions a mix of disbelief and apprehension, especially Edward, who recognized Raizel from their previous encounter. Edward's nerves were on edge, unsure of Raizel's intentions, particularly after their previous interaction.

Witnessing Carlisle's act, Esme hesitated briefly before following suit, while the rest of the family looked on in astonishment. Raizel, his gaze fixed downward, calmly suggested, "We could talk inside."

Carlisle lifted his head to meet Raizel's gaze, and Raizel continued, "Lead the way."

With a sense of decorum, Carlisle rose to his feet, extending a gesture of respect by welcoming Raizel into their home. Though stoic outwardly, Raizel couldn't help but feel a sense of surprise at Carlisle's demeanor, realizing that there was much more to learn about himself than the other. 

As they made their way inside, Raizel glanced at each member of the family in turn—Alice with her head bowed, Jasper offering a slight bow of respect, Rosalie avoiding his gaze, and Emmett striving to maintain politeness. Finally, his gaze settled on Edward, who was doing his best to avoid eye contact. In that moment, Raizel's voice echoed in Edward's mind, "I told you, we meet again.".