Time passed slowly—though not without change.
Two months had passed in the blink of an eye, and the once-chaotic town of Forks had settled into an uneasy calm. Whispers of strange events still lingered in diners, schools, and the post office, but the panic had dulled, overtaken by the rhythm of everyday life.
The golden beam of light that had torn through the sky from the depths of the forest two months ago had not gone unnoticed. Many locals had seen it—some claimed it was a meteor, others a divine omen. The FBI had arrived shortly after, sweeping through the area in black SUVs and tactical gear. But for all their efforts, they found nothing.
No evidence. No bodies. No explanation.
Heavy rains had turned the region into a swampy mess. Mudslides had buried the forest floor, erasing all traces of the collapsed mansion. The Karen family had quietly dealt with the ruins, and where once stood their stately home, there now remained only a waterlogged crater some twenty meters wide.
The agents eventually left, disgruntled and empty-handed.
How the Karen family and the Quileute wolves had coordinated to cover up the event, Bella didn't know.
And frankly, she didn't care.
For the past two months, Bella had stayed mostly out of sight. Aside from a brief road trip with her best friend Angie—a week of cruising and small-town diners—she'd spent nearly all her time at home. The world believed she was grieving, recovering, transitioning.
In truth, she was experimenting. Learning.
She had devoted herself to understanding her most valuable asset: magic power.
It paid off.
Sometime during those weeks of self-discipline and experimentation, the [Magic] entry on her attribute panel had transformed. It no longer just read "Magic." It now said "Magic Power: Release."
It wasn't a small detail.
She had discovered that magic power—like divine power in Asgard or cosmic energy in the Marvel universe—was an incredibly flexible energy source. It could be used to amplify physical strength, boost speed, harden the body, or project outward as radiant force.
Magic power, when released through the body, greatly enhanced her base abilities. The extent of that boost depended on how much she channeled. There were limits, of course—but even basic output had massive effects.
More importantly, Bella had discovered something critical: when focused properly, her magic power could be converted into light energy—a type of energy that was particularly effective against dark or necrotic beings.
She'd begun by practicing on small animals conjured with her magic. At first, even generating a simple bird-like silhouette had been difficult. The magical construct would collapse, fade, or explode with the tiniest lapse in focus.
But she improved quickly.
Within weeks, she could shape an eagle the size of a hawk—every feather individually etched in the air, glowing with divine light, majestic and stable. The projection could circle overhead like a true bird of prey.
No longer a chaotic energy wave.
This was precision.
This was progress.
As for combat applications, Bella had turned her attention to something more ambitious—recreating the devastating beam attack known to anime fans as "Excalibur" or, as she jokingly called it, "Ex-Curry Stick."
The logic wasn't hard to follow. The original move worked by compressing magical energy, converting it into highly charged light, and then releasing it in a focused stream—like a laser cannon swung from a sword.
And she understood the math. High-density energy concentration? Beam acceleration through compressed containment? These were just physics and power scaling.
If her magical power ever reached level A, she hypothesized, she'd have enough to vaporize an entire mountain range.
But therein lay the problem.
Her current magic power level wasn't anywhere close.
To reach level A, she'd need to defeat or kill dozens—maybe hundreds—of powerful supernatural beings. Ordinary thugs or minor creatures didn't give her experience anymore. Only exceptional threats provided growth.
Still, she had the theory. That was enough for now.
Unfortunately, theory didn't make the attack real.
The other major roadblock was the weapon itself. Ex-Curry Stick required a specialized medium—a weapon that could conduct and withstand the explosive release of magic power.
And Bella had already learned the hard way what happened when you used a normal weapon.
It melted. Instantly.
The surge of energy would vaporize the blade and nearly backfire on her. She was lucky she didn't lose an arm.
She needed something stronger.
But options were limited.
So far, the most durable material she could obtain on Earth was titanium alloy—strong, but expensive. Sound-absorbing steel might've worked, but it was rare and nearly impossible to acquire without military or government access.
And vibranium?
Forget it.
Only Wakanda had it in usable quantities, and they weren't exactly opening an Amazon store for the global market.
The ideal material was Uru—black metal from Nidavellir, one of the Nine Realms. Forged by dwarven masters, imbued with magic, capable of repairing itself, and forming a telepathic link with its wielder.
It was the perfect fit.
Unfortunately, getting Uru meant dealing with Asgard.
And that wasn't happening.
Bella groaned, tossing her hair back in frustration.
She needed to regroup.
First, she had to get to New York.
Her academic scores were flawless—especially in the SAT. She'd scored near-perfect marks in English vocabulary, reading comprehension, and mathematics. Her total? A stellar 2400.
Only the Cullen siblings came close. But then again, they'd taken the test dozens of times. At that point, even a goldfish could memorize the answers.
She'd received letters from several Ivy League schools. With a recommendation from the school principal, she eventually chose Columbia University.
Not because it had the best program—though its physics and energy studies were excellent.
But because it was in New York.
And Bella loved New York.
Vibrant. Loud. Chaotic. Dangerous.
Perfect.
Columbia would be her base of operations while she pursued deeper research in energy dynamics, electron collision, quantum resonance, and nuclear force fields.
Why?
Because understanding that knowledge would allow her to master magic on a scientific level.
Magic and science weren't enemies—they were two sides of the same coin.
If Tony Stark could build a suit that rivaled gods with nothing but tools and intellect, she could do the same with knowledge and magic.
Though she didn't plan to follow the tech route completely. She wasn't interested in artificial intelligence or robotics.
Her path would be different.
More arcane. More dangerous.
More fun.
She could've gone to MIT. Hell, she could've gone anywhere.
But Columbia offered the proximity she needed to the city.
And in a place like New York—so full of chaos, secrets, and superpowered egos—Bella knew she'd have plenty of opportunities.
"Bella! You packed yet?" came Angie's voice from outside the front door.
Bella smiled.
"Coming!" she called, lifting her suitcase and glancing around her room one last time.
The old place had grown on her. After all, it had been her sanctuary—her workshop, her battlefield, her lab.
A lot had happened here.
She stepped outside and placed the suitcase in the back of Angie's worn-out pickup truck. Rain had finally stopped, leaving the road slick with puddles and the air smelling of wet asphalt and pine.
She paused, looking back at the house.
A quiet nostalgia tugged at her chest.
Angie noticed. "Don't worry," she said with a grin, climbing into the driver's seat. "My dad says he'll have someone check in and clean it up every now and then."
Bella nodded. "Thanks."
Angie leaned out the window and teased, "It's a shame we're not going to the same school. You sure you don't want to transfer?"
"At least we'll still be in the same city," Bella replied, hopping in. "We can still hang out."
The engine coughed and roared to life. With a lurch, the truck pulled onto the road, kicking up water as it rolled toward New Orleans—and then New York beyond that.
A new life awaited.
A new chapter.
And perhaps new enemies to conquer.
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