Jasper Hale

Jasper was still adjusting to the "vegetarian" life. Although the term seemed almost ironic to him, it was the closest thing to what the Cullens were trying to be: vampires who refused to succumb to their darker nature. Human blood still called to him, like a persistent echo in his mind, but he held back. He tried hard. Not for himself, but for them. For Alice. For Carlisle. For Esme. For the family that had taken him in with a kindness he still struggled to comprehend. He didn't want to disappoint them.

That day seemed like any other. Jasper sat on the sofa, in the relaxed posture he had perfected over decades, listening to Alice speak in that light voice that always seemed to know more than it let on. But his attention was drawn away when Carlisle and Esme entered the room, accompanied by a girl he had never seen before.

And then, he felt it.

Confusion. Nostalgia. A sadness that didn't show on her face, but vibrated in the air like a dissonant note. Jasper perceived it instantly, as if his gift were activated by reflex. Her emotions were complex, intertwined, as if she were trapped between two worlds. Something about her unsettled him. Not because of danger, but because of the intensity with which she felt.

She felt curious. Not about what it was, but about what it was hiding.

But he didn't move. He remained in his place, observing with that characteristic restrained calm. As always. As if nothing could touch him. Although, deep down, something had already touched him.