The trip to school went smoothly. For Bella, Alex and Lucina were still the only people she could talk to without feeling tense or embarrassed. She didn't even understand herself why she felt so comfortable around them, but she liked that they didn't judge her awkwardness or her struggles with socializing.

When they arrived at school, Alex calmly parked the car and stretched after turning off the engine. Another school day awaited him, though he already had little desire to return — and it was only the second day.

He was the first to get out of the Impala, and just like yesterday, he immediately drew everyone's attention. The students' eyes were fixed on his yellow jacket — a replica of the one that once belonged to Gloria. Lucina had already suspected back at home that the effect would be exactly this.

"I wanted to ask… where did you get that jacket?" Bella asked quietly, glancing at him with curiosity.

"Where I got it, there aren't any more like it," Alex smirked, shoving his hands in his pockets. "You could say it's one of a kind in this world."

"I never would've guessed you cared about fashion," Bella remarked as she walked beside Alex and Lucina.

"And what did you think?" Lucina raised an eyebrow.

Bella hesitated, unsure how to put her impression into words.

"You don't need to struggle," Lucina said with a soft smile. "I get it. The truth is, Alex rarely wears other colors. Mostly black, red, or dark blue."

"Hey!" Alex protested. "I'm right here, you know. You could at least wait until I'm not around before gossiping about my wardrobe. That's kind of hurtful."

"Want me to comfort you?" Lucina asked in a mockingly tender tone. "After all, you're such a big boy, and those mean girls hurt your feelings."

"Tempting," Alex chuckled. "But let's save it for home. Bella's face is already so red, she looks like a tomato."

Lucina glanced at Bella and saw that indeed, her cheeks were burning. Of course, Bella's teenage mind instantly jumped to what couples do at home, but Lucina had meant something entirely different. She just shrugged, choosing not to explain, knowing that would only make things worse.

They walked Bella to her locker, where she grabbed her books, and then headed to their first class — literature.

The lesson turned out to be dull. Alex buried himself in his phone to escape the teacher's monotonous voice, which sounded like he didn't even want to be there himself. Lucina continued scrolling through police archives on her tablet, while Bella looked like she might fall asleep on the spot. At one point she let out a loud yawn, and when she noticed Alex's glance, she quickly covered her mouth with her hand, blushing. He just gave her an understanding nod: if not for the games on his phone, he would've been out cold himself.

Fortunately, the class didn't last long. The bell rang, and Alex stretched with relief.

"What's next?" Lucina asked, slipping her tablet back into her backpack.

"Social studies, I think, but I'm not sure," Alex replied, shoving his phone into his pocket.

"I've got social studies too," Bella smiled. "We're headed the same way."

Alex nodded and strolled lazily toward the classroom, hands in his pockets. Lucina wrapped her arm around his and walked beside him. The thought of ditching class and heading to Port Angeles flashed through Alex's mind, but the moment it did, Lucina gave his arm a sharp tug and shot him a look that left no doubt: just try it, and he'd regret it later that evening. He had no choice but to put those plans on hold.

Entering the social studies classroom, they settled in the back with Bella. Alex planned to spend another boring lesson in peace and immediately pulled out his phone, but this time the teacher had other ideas.

"So, Mr. Voldigoad," the teacher addressed him directly, "what do you think about modern society and how people interact within it?"

Alex lifted his eyes from his phone and looked at the teacher. Lucina shook her head, clearly hinting at him not to start one of his usual lectures. But Alex just raised a finger and said:

"First, we should ask ourselves: what is a human being, and what is society? And why was it the human who created this society in the first place…"

Alex spoke nonstop for a full twenty minutes — reflecting on the nature of society, on human connections, and on how hypocritical people could be. The teacher, who at first tried to interrupt with objections, soon found himself more like a debater's opponent in a real discussion. But how could Alex, a friend of Buddha himself, pass up the chance to "crush" an opponent with arguments?

By the end of class, the teacher sat at his desk, clutching his head in his hands, looking as if his entire worldview had just been shaken to the core. Alex, meanwhile, stood with his back to the class, finger raised high, lecturing as though before a crowd.

Only the bell announcing the end of class managed to stop him. Lucina watched him with a tired look, palm pressed to her forehead, while Bella — like the rest of the class — was in shock. When it became clear Alex wasn't about to stop, Lucina jumped up, grabbed his arm, and practically dragged him out before he started recruiting followers. Bella, snapping back to reality, hurried after them.

Outside, behind the school building, Lucina let out a heavy sigh, as if she had just dropped a mountain off her shoulders. Bella caught up just in time to see Alex calmly pull out a pack of cigarettes, light one, and lazily exhale smoke into the sky.

"Why did you do that?" Lucina asked, staring at him in disbelief.

"I just answered the teacher's question," Alex said in an innocent tone. "He asked me what I thought about society."

"You could have answered more briefly. When I left, he looked like his whole life had been a waste," Bella noted, ignoring the cigarette in his hand.

"At worst, he'll just quit and go find himself. That might actually do him some good," Alex shrugged.

"And at best, you'll become a local celebrity and start gathering fans," Lucina added wearily.

"All complaints go to Bu-chan," Alex said without a trace of embarrassment.

"Bu-chan? Who's that?" Bella asked in surprise.

"A friend, you could say. We shared the same outlook, so we got along. As for the nickname… that's just details," Alex replied with a slight smile.

Bella only nodded, still under the impression of his speech. Lucina, meanwhile, felt the beginnings of a headache just thinking about where this might lead. But at least she was relieved that Alex hadn't hit the teacher.

Meanwhile, rumors were already spreading through the school. People whispered in the hallways about how the new student had driven the social studies teacher into an existential crisis. Naturally, word reached the Cullens. When Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Jane turned to Alice for an explanation, she only smiled awkwardly and tried to excuse herself. Emmett, on the other hand, was clearly thrilled once he heard the details — to him, it was great entertainment.

Alex's next class was gym. He said goodbye to Bella and Lucina, and after taking a smoke break, he arrived last in the locker room. The sharp smell of sweat nearly knocked him over. Grimacing, he changed quickly and headed to the gym. Emmett, already waiting, had half-expected Alex to ditch class, but then spotted him walking in with a look of pure disgust.

Emmett grinned and waved. Alex waved back, but because he was late, he was made to run laps around the gym. Emmett, not one to miss an opportunity, joined him.

"Man, you really set the place on fire in social studies," Emmett chuckled as they jogged.

"I'm not to blame that the teacher has such a narrow worldview," Alex replied with a straight face. "Being the kind person I am, I simply shed light on his lost soul."

"Right. Making your teacher question the meaning of his own life — truly a noble deed," Emmett laughed.

Alex ended up running laps with Emmett far longer than the PE teacher had assigned. The man noticed, of course, but seeing the boys running and chatting animatedly, he simply waved it off — let them burn their energy. The other students, however, looked on in confusion and even mild horror: how long could someone keep circling the gym without stopping?

Alex and Emmett only stopped when the teacher yelled, announcing the end of class. Exchanging glances, they both smirked — they'd gotten so caught up in their conversation that they ran through the entire lesson without even realizing it.

In the locker room, Alex quickly changed, intending to catch up with Lucina and Bella so they could head to the cafeteria together. But at the exit, his way was blocked by Emmett's massive frame.

"Shit, man!" Emmett's eyes locked on the jacket. "Where'd you get that awesome piece? Where'd you score it?"

"It was a gift from someone very dear to me," Alex smiled softly. "But tell me, why were you waiting for me?"

"Oh, right!" Emmett smacked his forehead. "Your killer jacket distracted me. Listen, you wanna grab lunch with me and my family? You can bring Lucina too, if you want."

In truth, Emmett was just following Alice's request. She'd been nagging him all day: "Invite Alex to lunch!"

"Hold on, I'll ask Lucina," Alex said, pulling out his phone.

The message was sent instantly, and the reply came just as fast. Lucina didn't mind — in fact, she wanted to spend time with the Cullens herself. But soon another text followed: something had come up with Bella. After hearing the details, Alex only nodded in understanding. The answer was short, with no need for explanations — "girl stuff." They urgently needed the car keys.

"I'm in," Alex said, sliding the phone back into his pocket. "But first I've gotta drop the keys off to Lucina."

"Something wrong with your girlfriend? If she's not feeling well, you don't have to come with us," Emmett said with genuine concern.

"No, it's fine," Alex waved him off. "Bella just needs to head home."

"Perfect then," Emmett grinned. "I'll wait by my locker. Rosalie and I usually meet there before heading to the cafeteria."

"'Kay, choom. Once I hand over the keys, I'll be back," Alex replied, heading toward the parking lot.

Emmett watched him go and exhaled with relief. Finally, he'd managed to invite Alex. He had no desire to deal with Alice's whining again, no matter how hard she tried to act sweet and subtle when her eagerness was written all over her face.

At the parking lot, Alex spotted Lucina and Bella. Bella looked visibly uncomfortable, avoiding his eyes. Alex pulled out the keys, but Lucina immediately snatched them from his hand. He understood perfectly well what was going on, and even briefly wondered: "Does this have something to do with the way Edward was staring at Bella in biology yesterday?"

The girls left quickly, and Alex headed back inside. From a distance, he saw Emmett and Rosalie by the locker, with Alice beside them. She couldn't stand still, practically bouncing with impatience. Alex couldn't help but smile.

"Calm down, Alice," Rosalie said evenly. "I get it, he's your partner, but if you're too pushy, he'll think you're a weirdo and bolt."

"I'm trying, Rosie, I really am!" Alice replied nervously, rocking back and forth with her hands behind her back. "But he's just… especially in that yellow jacket! He looks so hot, and it's killing me to hold back. I wanna hug him the way you hug Emmett."

Emmett cleared his throat, a subtle warning for Alice to shut up — he'd already noticed Alex walking down the hall. Alice arched a brow, looked at her brother, then followed his nod. The moment she saw Alex, her eyes lit up like stars. It became even harder to hold back — she wanted to run to him, hug him, cling to him, or at the very least breathe in his scent.

Alex could practically hear every thought running through Alice's head, even without using any of his abilities, but his face remained calm. He was used to this — it wasn't the first time a girl had thought of him that way.

"Alex!" Alice exclaimed, waving her hand. "Long time no see! How are you?"

"Pretty normal, I guess. Except for the whole going to school thing," he replied with a smile as he walked closer. "And you?"

"Great! I'm so happy to see you… Feels like we haven't met in forever," Alice admitted, her emotions completely genuine.

"You're exaggerating a little," Alex said gently. "You can always text me, you know. By the way, Rosalie, how are you?"

Almost absentmindedly, he patted Alice on the head. She froze, then melted into a blissful smile. Rosalie, on the other hand, kept her face stone cold. She wasn't surprised at all that Alex had turned out to be Alice's partner. If anything, it made sense — only someone like him could keep Alice's hyperactivity in check. But the question aimed at her still struck a nerve.

"It would be better if someone hadn't driven our civics teacher to quit," she said icily, piercing Alex with her gaze.

"Oh wow… what a terrible person," Alex drawled with mock shock, his face twisting into a theatrical expression. Alice couldn't help but burst into giggles beside him. "Alright, choom, lead the way. The rest are already waiting for us, right?"

Emmett smirked — Alex's reaction amused him. Taking Rosalie's hand, he started forward, while Alice latched onto Alex, chattering nonstop, tugging on his arm like a child. Most of her stories were about the paintings she had worked on yesterday. Alex listened attentively — he knew how deeply Alice loved art, and he was genuinely interested.

When they entered the cafeteria with the Cullens, a ripple of surprise spread through the room. Normally this family kept to themselves, so the sight of an outsider walking in with them drew plenty of stares. Alex, however, paid no attention, still listening to Alice, who could talk endlessly.

Approaching the table, Alex noticed Edward's absence and smirked inwardly. He was now almost certain that Bella's mood earlier that morning had everything to do with that "strange brother." The harbinger of visiting relatives, Alex chuckled inwardly, instantly giving him a new nickname.

"Hey, guys! This is Alex!" Alice announced cheerfully, practically pushing him forward. "He's my art partner and our new friend!"

"We know, Alice," Jasper said calmly. "You spent all of last night talking about him. Hey, Alex. I'm Jasper, and this is Jane. Despite her coldness, she's actually pretty sociable."

"Nice to meet you in person," Alex replied with a nod. "Emmett already told me about you. By the way, where's your strange brother? Where'd he disappear to?"

"He went to visit relatives in Alaska," Rosalie said indifferently.

"What a coincidence!" Alex feigned wide-eyed amazement. "Bella's relatives came to visit her today too. Edward went to see his relatives. Quite the string of miracles, don't you think?"

His words drew mixed reactions: Rosalie, Jane, and Alice exchanged confused glances, Jasper struggled to keep from smiling, while Emmett outright burst into laughter. The vampires knew exactly what he was hinting at.

Alice lightly smacked Alex on the arm for his cheek, Rosalie stared at him blankly, realizing more and more why Emmett and Alex had hit it off so quickly. They both shared the same odd, but equally infectious, sense of humor.

Alex only smiled and kept talking with the Cullens, though he mostly stuck with Alice and Emmett. The others, meanwhile, continued to study him in secret.

"Alright, enough staring," Alex finally said, rolling his eyes. "If you've got questions, just ask. You're not teenagers — no need to be so shy."

"So, you're… that…" Emmett began, searching for the right words.

"Yeah, that's me," Alex cut him off with a grin. "I'm a demon. The first demon, to be exact. My brothers are Lucifer, Michael, and Adam. And you're vampires who sparkle in the sunlight. Although, to be fair, I can totally see why Rosalie picked you, Emmett. She probably couldn't take her eyes off your glittering muscles in the sun."

With that, Alex flashed a wide smile, and Emmett burst out laughing, slapping him on the shoulder.

Alex's words left the Cullens in genuine shock. Silence fell over the table — only Alice looked as if her revelations had finally been confirmed. Rosalie flicked the corner of her eye, while Emmett laughed again and, as if to punctuate the joke, flexed his biceps. Alex calmly watched their reactions, a slight smirk on his face. For him, this had become routine: first came shock, then came questions.

"And now I have a counter-question," he said lazily, resting his cheek on his fist. "How did you find out who I am?"

"I saw it!" Alice blurted out happily, raising her hand as if expecting praise.

"And how much did you see? My situation is a bit… unique," Alex asked, stroking her hair.

"What's so unique about it, besides the fact that you're a demon?" Rosalie interjected, squinting.

Alice didn't let him answer.

"I'll tell you! Alex has no past and no future. He exists only here and now!"

Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Wow. You even know that. Now I'm really curious how far your visions go."

"I've seen Orario, Night City, Valhalla… worlds of zombies and demons…" Alice counted off on her fingers. "And your vacation with your family."

"Alright, that settles it," Alex nodded. "Now my suspicions are completely confirmed."

Alice nodded enthusiastically, clearly proud of herself.

After that, the conversation shifted into Alex's usual groove: a "question and answer" session. The Cullens took turns asking about his travels. Emmett, as always, was most interested in strength training, while the others asked about the most amazing places Alex had seen. He mostly shared funny or curious stories, avoiding the darker details.

"One more question," Rosalie spoke up. "Did you feel a connection with Alice?"

Alex smiled and looked at the girl.

"Yes. From the first glance. If I were to describe it… it's like the legends of the red thread of fate. It pulls until two people meet. I had the same connection with the Valkyries. Or… with my wife Zhang Ya."

"Wife?" Emmett exclaimed. "How many women are you married to, anyway?"

Alice rolled her eyes.

"I told you! Zhang Ya is a ghost. She has a very sad story. But when she met Alex, she started living in his shadow."

Everyone's gaze dropped to the floor. Alex's shadow trembled for a moment and took on feminine contours: long hair, a slender figure. Silence fell over the group. Even Rosalie, usually stern, softened slightly: Zhang Ya's story had always evoked her sympathy. After all, Rosalie had gone through a somewhat similar situation in her past, before she became a vampire.

Meanwhile, Alex took out the lunch carefully packed by Erina. Opening the container, he sighed: there was too much food, and it almost seemed to glow. The Cullens exchanged glances. For them, deprived of taste, it looked almost mocking.

"Damn," Emmett breathed, staring at the appetizing meat. "If I were human, I'd snatch your lunchbox."

"And I'd probably get punched for it," Alex smirked. "But maybe I know a way you could feel the taste of food again."

"Oh, miracle magic?" Rosalie said skeptically.

"Magic comes last," Alex waved his fork. "At home, I have Nakiri Alice — she's a master of molecular cuisine. I think she could help you. And then there's Recca, Red and White — they definitely know ways to restore taste. Even without magic, technology can work wonders."

Alice's eyes lit up.

"Then there's hope! I want to taste sweets again!" she exclaimed, tugging Alex's hand like a child.

Alex smiled and nodded, though deep down he knew: before he could start, he would still need samples of the Cullens' blood and tissues. He was already calculating how, with magic, he could slightly alter their bodies: remove the shine in sunlight, restore taste — while keeping their vampire nature intact, letting them enjoy regular food and walk under the sun.

"By the way, before I forget," he turned to Alice, "want to come over? I'll introduce you to my little ones."

"Of course! I'd love to!" Alice's eyes sparkled immediately.

"Introduce me to your little ones?" Emmett chuckled. "That's an unusual way to ask a girl out."

Alex rolled his eyes.

"They're my pets and assistants. Their personalities are… specific, so they need to remember Alice's scent, so they don't mistake her for a stranger later."

"How… specific?" Rosalie asked with interest.

"You'll see for yourself," Alex shrugged. "So, Alice? Want to come by? Lucy and I are busy reading police archives anyway."

"Yes!" Alice exclaimed loudly. "With pleasure!"

Alex gently stroked her hair. However, her enthusiastic shout drew the attention of the entire cafeteria. The students began whispering again, calling her a weirdo. Alice blushed and lowered her eyes. Alex leaned closer and quietly said:

"Don't pay attention to them. Their opinion doesn't matter. Live the way you want, and that's it."

Alice lifted her head, met his gaze, and her face lit up with a sincere smile.

Unfortunately, the bell for class interrupted their conversation. After saying goodbye to the Cullens, Alex went out to join Lucy and Bella, who had already changed after the earlier unpleasant incident. Lucy, of course, was eager to hear about Alice's meeting with the Cullens. Alex just smirked and promised that guests would visit them in the evening. Lucy raised an eyebrow in surprise but nodded.

The next two lessons felt boring to Alex. The teachers were clearly in no hurry to ask him questions after the social studies teacher had suddenly resigned to "find himself." The news spread quickly through the school that Alex had been involved. Lucy and Bella, of course, knew as well—and each reacted in her own way.

Time flew by until art class. Alex found himself next to Alice again, and they chatted animatedly about favorite things and little details.

"So when are you coming over?" he asked after the bell.

"I'll stop by home first to change. Then I'll come to you. Lucy doesn't mind, right?" Alice asked with a smile.

"She knows. She's also curious to meet you. We've seen various beings, but not vampires yet," Alex replied, smiling.

Alice raised her eyebrows in surprise but agreed. They left together, and once again, snickers were heard in her direction. This time, though, Alice just shrugged. Alex's words had taken effect.

Outside, they ran into the rest of the Cullens, exchanged jokes and chatter. Alex said goodbye, gently ran his hand through Alice's hair once more, and headed to his car, where Lucy and Bella were already waiting.

Bella looked stunned.

"How… How did you do that? How did you manage to befriend the Cullens? And where's Edward?"

Alex let out a theatrical sigh.

"Bella, I told you: I'm simply irresistible. No one can resist my charm. And your dear Edward went to Alaska—to see relatives. You met yours, he went to his. Fate, nothing less."

"Don't say it so loud!" Bella blushed deeply.

"Nothing to be embarrassed about," Alex smirked. "It's all natural. Now sit down; stop looking at me like I'm the greatest evil. I want to get home and lie down."

"I wouldn't say no either," Lucy agreed, intertwining her fingers with his.

It had indeed been a full day. Alex started the engine, honked goodbye to the Cullens, and drove out of the parking lot. The whole way, Bella peppered him with questions about how he had managed to connect so easily with their family. But Alex and Lucy knew perfectly well: all her questions boiled down to one thing—Bella simply didn't know how to befriend Edward.

Alex hesitated between giving her honest advice and observing Bella's awkward attempts to find her way to Edward herself. In the end, he kept it simple:

"Be yourself. Then you'll definitely succeed."

Bella frowned but stayed silent.

To be continued…

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