I moved from the couch to lounge on the armchair to the right of Bella's as she was comfortably laid back, with Alice and Rosalie crouching on either side. As they felt her belly rubbing it with anticipation for the baby to come. We were all engaged in conversation. Bella shared the baby names she had picked for each gender, and I thought they were adorable.

Suddenly, soft footsteps echoed from the side, drawing my attention. I turned my head to the right and saw Edward leave the room to greet Jacob. My focus then shifted back to Bella as Rosalie tried to persuade her to reconsider the baby names.

Jake made his way toward Bella while Alice and Rosalie helped her to her feet. With the weight of the baby and her recent lack of strength and energy, she needed assistance.

"Hey," Bella greeted with a wide smile, but it quickly faded as her eyes took in Jacob's less-than-happy expression.

"Yeah, it's not like I'm the one carrying a demon," Jake quipped, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. I rolled my eyes at him and stood up, giving him a narrowed look. He responded with a smirk, clearly finding his remark amusing.

"This is pretty important, Bella," Rosalie began. "Why don't you tell Jacob what you've decided?" Rose urged, encouraging Bella to share her baby name choices.

"What now?" Jake's expression fell as if anticipating something bad was about to happen.

Edward chuckled, noting Jake's growing unease. "Rose is just trying to talk Bella out of her baby names," he explained.

"She hates them," Bella said, glancing over at Rose with a hint of defiance.

"Well, then I'm on your side no matter what you picked," Jake replied, clearly pleased with his stance.

"They're not that bad," Bella defended. "If it's a boy, EJ," she paused for a moment, before taking her gaze over to Jacob. "Edward-Jacob," Bella said, looking at both Edward and Jake with a smile. I couldn't help but smile too; it was a charming choice.

"Ok, fine, that one's not awful," Rose conceded. "Why don't you tell him the girl's name?"

"I was playing around with our mom's names, Renee and Esme," Bella said, glancing around at us all. "And I was thinking... Renesmee." As the name left her lips, I couldn't help but let out a soft 'awe', as I saw no probably in that baby's name at all.

"Renesmee," Jake repeated, clearly taken aback and struggling to hide his reaction. Despite his attempt to mask any dislike, Edward couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Too weird?" Bella asked, glancing around at all of us. Jake's expression remained conflicted, revealing his indecision about the name.

"Um—"

"No," Edward interjected, cutting Jacob off before he could even begin. "It's not too weird. It's beautiful and unique, which is perfect for this situation." Edward's words were reassuring; he was right, the name was both unique and lovely. "I like Renesmee," Edward said with a smile.

"Me too," I chimed in, echoing his sentiment.

Rose bent over slightly, still holding onto Bella, and reached for a cup filled with blood. She grasped it firmly and brought it towards Bella.

"He likes it," Bella said, her eyes locked on Rose as she rolled her eyes at her. As Bella reached out for the cup, her hand missed entirely, causing the cup to drop from Rose's grasp. The cup fell, and at that same moment, Bella went to reach for it, but crack, splitting echoed through the air, alerting everyone there.

She gasped in shock, collapsing to her knees as the pain overwhelmed her. The scene unfolded in a heartbeat—she was lying on the floor, Edward kneeling beside her, cradling her head with a look of sheer panic.

The rest of us rushed to their side, our faces etched with worry and shock as we gathered around, trying to understand the sudden and alarming turn of events.

Edward swiftly scooped Bella into his arms, holding her bridal style, and hurriedly carried her to Carlisle's medical office. He gently laid her down on the examination bed, his movements careful and tender. As soon as Bella was settled, Alice wasted no time and called Carlisle to inform him of the emergency.

The room was filled with anxious faces as everyone gathered around Bella, their eyes filled with concern. My attention remained focused on Bella, hoping fervently that she would make it through this crisis.

"Rosalie, hand me the morphine," Edward commanded urgently. Rosalie quickly retrieved the syringe filled with the medication.

Alice spoke rapidly, her voice laced with urgency. "Carlisle said the placenta must have detached."

With practised efficiency, Edward administered the morphine, aiming to alleviate Bella's pain. I moved to Bella's side, gripping her hand firmly in mine, offering her whatever comfort I could during this critical moment.

"He's coming as fast as he can, but—" Alice began, but was interrupted by Rosalie.

"We'll have to do it," Rosalie said decisively, picking up a scalpel from the table. She moved toward Bella, preparing to make an incision. However, Edward's hand shot out to halt her before she could proceed.

"Rose! Let the morphine spread," Edward urged, his concern clear, worried that Bella would endure more pain if the morphine wasn't in her system fully.

"There's no time. He's dying!" Rose exclaimed urgently; her anxiety palpable.

"Get him out now!" Bella shouted urgently, causing Edward to lose his grip on Rose. As a result, Rose used the scalpel to cut into Bella's belly.

"Look at me, Bella!" I urged urgently from her left side; my gaze fixed on her face. But all I received in response was a scream of sheer pain.

Bella's scream subsided, and I glanced down to see Rosalie, her eyes fixed on the scalpel in her hand, now slick with blood. Her own thirst for blood was evident, and the danger was palpable.

"Rosalie, don't!" Edward shouted in desperation, but I was already in motion.

"Motus!" I yelled, casting the spell. In an instant, Rosalie was lifted off her feet and thrown forcefully across the room, the scalpel slipping from her hand as she collided with the floor.

"Alice, get her out of here!" Edward commanded urgently.

Alice seized Rosalie by the neck and dragged her out of the room with force. They faded from view, but the sound of Bella's cries for Rosalie, as she was the one who helped her through this, who stuck by her side. Bella needed her.

"Save her! You need to change her!" Jake yelled at Edward, his voice trembling with desperation as Bella's cries of pain echoed through the room.

"I can't, not whilst he's still in there," Edward said urgently. "I got to get him out first."

"Keep breathing, Bella. Stay focused, stay with us," I urged her quickly as her screams of pain filled the room once more.

"No! He's suffocating!" Bella cried out in panic. Edward quickly bent down, biting into her flesh to free the baby, causing Bella's screams to grow more agonized. Tears blurred my vision as I watched her suffer, her grip on my hand tightening with each cry. Edward continued his desperate efforts, leaning back down to bite again. The raw pain she was experiencing was palpable and heartbreaking.

After a few more agonizing moments, Edward successfully delivered the baby. The piercing cry of the newborn filled the room, and I turned to see Edward cradling the infant in his arms. A relieved, almost triumphant smile spread across his face as he looked down at the tiny life.

Suddenly, a surge of intense invisible energy swept through the room, enveloping everything in its path. I could feel the electric tingle of it against my skin, causing the hairs on my arms to stand on end. This was a power unlike anything I had ever experienced—an overwhelming force that seemed to saturate every corner of the space. It was like an astronomical event, a handful poured into one singular event.

"Hey, hey," Edward murmurs softly to the baby, his voice soothing and gentle, pulling me back to the present moment, though the powerful sensation still lingered. "It's Renesmee." He shifts his gaze to Bella, his face and the baby both streaked with blood. Despite the mess, his eyes are tender and filled with wonder as he cradles the newborn with the utmost care.

"You did it, Bella," I whispered, offering her a warm smile. Edward approached, cradling the baby gently and extending her towards Bella. The baby, already so beautiful, made soft, delicate noises as Edward drew closer. Tears of joy welled up in my eyes as I witnessed this unforgettable moment.

"You're beautiful," Bella said softly, her eyes fixed on Renesmee as Edward carefully extended her towards Bella for a better view. Bella gazed at her daughter with awe and tenderness. But after a few precious moments, Bella groaned, her face contorting in pain as if a sharp wave of discomfort surged through her. Renesmee's cries filled the room, prompting Edward to swiftly move the baby away. I watched Bella slowly grow a smile, as she stared at her daughter.

"Bella?" Jacob's voice trembled as he nudged her gently, but there was no response. "Bella!" His panic escalated, and he shook her more forcefully.

I felt a wave of dread washing over me, my vision dimming as reality slipped away. As Jake shoved me aside and began performing CPR, I was paralyzed by a growing sense of helplessness. My mind was in chaos—torn between the urge to sit and cry or to scream in anguish. Everything around me felt surreal, and I was consumed by a feeling of utter helplessness, unable to process what was happening.

"Jacob, take the baby!" Edward's voice was urgent, tinged with desperation.

"Keep that away from me!" Jacob snapped, his anger evident as he glared at Edward and the baby.

"Edward," Rosalie's voice cut through the chaos. "I'll take her," she insisted firmly. "I promise I'm okay. Just let me." My mind spun with the agony of Bella's loss, my heart shattering with each passing second.

Edward swiftly retrieved a long silver syringe from the metal drawer, filled to the brim with a shimmering grey liquid—his venom. Without hesitation, he plunged the syringe into Bella's chest, injecting the contents into her system with urgent precision. As he administered the venom, his words, along with Jacob's, became a distant blur. Despite the chaos, I clung to the hope that the venom might be her salvation.

The room was heavy with silence as the three of us waited, our eyes fixed on Bella, hoping for any sign that the venom had taken effect. With each passing second, my hope began to wane, and my faith felt like it was slowly crumbling.

Edward started performing chest compressions on Bella's still form, his movements mechanical and desperate. "It's supposed to be working," he muttered in disbelief, his voice barely audible as he struggled to comprehend the gravity of the situation.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down my cheeks as I brought a trembling hand to my mouth, desperately trying to suppress the sobs that were rising within me. The reality of Bella's death sank in, and everything around me seemed to freeze. My heart throbbed with a deep, aching pain, and my mind felt like it was collapsing. It was as if a light switch had been flipped off. I was oblivious to the world around me, the sight of her lifeless body was overwhelming, rendering me numb.

"I won't kill you," Jake's voice cut through the chaos, raw with anguish. "That would be too easy. You deserve to live with this," he spat, his anger and devastation palpable.

Jacob exited through the side door, and I watched him leave in silence. Slowly, I lowered my hand from my mouth, but the tears continued to stream down my face.

"You're not dead. You're not dead," Edward repeated, his voice trembling with denial as he struggled to accept the reality of her death as he kept doing the chest compressions. "Come on!" he screamed at her lifeless body, pressing harder on her chest, desperately trying to bring her back. But it was too late.

I tried to speak, but my words caught in my throat. My mind was numb, and grief started to take hold. Edward began to mumble to himself, clinging to the hope that it would work. Desperation drove him to bite Bella's neck, arms, legs, and any other exposed skin, pouring as much venom into her as he could. I could only watch, heartbroken, as a devoted man, deeply in love with his wife, did everything he could to save her.

After he had finished biting her, Edward moved back up to face her directly, but there was still no sign of change. I moved to the nearby wall and slid down it until I was sitting. I pulled my knees up to my chest for comfort.

The pain within me was overwhelming, breaking me apart. I could no longer contain the sobs; a deep, harrowing cry of anguish escaped freely. In that cry of anguish, everything came pouring out, and I was powerless to stop it.

Suddenly, a voice whispered through my mind, faint and distant, like a breeze carrying words from afar. But the tears continued to flow, and my cries persisted as I stared at Bella's lifeless form. Her eyes remained open, reflecting only the emptiness of death.

"Use it," the indistinguishable voice whispered, clearer this time, though still faint. My brows furrowed in confusion, as I raised my head from my knees. "Call for it," the voice urged. Call for what? "The book," the voice echoed in my mind. It couldn't be referring to the family grimoire, could it?

How would I even start to summon it? I had no idea what it looked like or where it was hiding. But I was willing to try if it meant I might find something to help Bella. Clutching my knees, I fought to stifle my sobs and closed my eyes, turning inward as I searched my mind for any hint of what to do.

Flashes of images pierced my mind: a large, bound book with a pentagram at its centre, surrounded by a swirling border. The fleeting images solidified, and I saw the Grimoire enveloped in a vivid red, swirling energy, unlike anything I had encountered before. The vision was so intense that, in a moment of shock, I opened my eyes.

To my astonishment, swirling wisps of energy began to materialize on the floor to my right. They danced and wove through the air, gradually shaping themselves into the form of the Grimoire—its size matching the description my grandmother had given me. As the energy coalesced and filled out the form, it shimmered and then vanished, leaving behind only the Grimoire itself. There it lay before me, exactly as I had seen it.

Could this truly be the family Grimoire?

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