Hospital Room – Late Night
The sterile white room hums with a low beep from the monitor. Bella's mother lies restrained to the hospital bed, pale and furious. Her wrists are cuffed to the sides, and two armed guards stand outside the door.
She's been arrested for arson and attempted murder. The world believes she is the devil now.
The door creaks open.
Her husband steps in, dressed in black, calm as always. He walks past the guards without a word. They nod — they've been told he's family.
---
Mother (hoarse, cold):
"You're really going to let them believe this? That I did it? You covered for her — that little witch."
Father (softly, almost kindly):
"She's not a witch, love. She's… my daughter."
Mother (bitter):
"Your creation. You and your secrets. What kind of father lets this happen?"
---
He pulls the visitor's chair closer to her bedside. There's a small metal case in his hand.
Father (calmly):
"You never asked who I was before we married."
Mother (scoffs):
"You were rich. Charming. I didn't care."
He chuckles softly.
Father:
"Exactly. You never cared… so you never knew."
He opens the case. Inside, a single syringe. Clear liquid. A needle thin as air.
---
Mother (alarmed):
"What… is that?"
Father (still calm):
"A gift. A release. But before that… let me tell you a story."
He leans forward, voice lowering.
---
Father:
"Years ago, long before you, I was part of something darker. I was raised in a family that believed in one thing: silence through elimination. Your brother? The one who 'disappeared' when you were seventeen? I was sent to deal with him. Your parents knew. They begged. But orders were orders."
Her eyes widen. She tries to pull back, but the cuffs hold her.
Mother:
"You're lying…"
Father:
"No. I'm setting you free."
He lifts the syringe. Gently takes her finger.
---
Mother (panicking):
"What are you doing?!"
Father (gently):
"Giving you peace. The same kind I gave them."
He presses the needle into her fingertip—quick, precise. Not violent. Just… final.
Her breathing slows. Her eyes lock onto his—shock, horror, and the creeping cold of truth.
---
Mother (final whisper):
"She's… the devil."
Father (softly, lovingly):
"No, my dear. We are."
She exhales. Flatline.
He kisses her forehead.
---
Hospital Corridor – Moments Later
He walks out calmly. The guards nod again. No one suspects a thing.
Across the hospital, in another room, Bella lies with her eyes closed, one hand over her stomach.
Her eyes flutter open. A strange calm washes over her.
She doesn't know what happened yet — but something in her blood recognizes it.
Bella (whispering):
"It's done."
---