They had all been enslaved. From proud hunters they had turned into scared preys.
That was where Elena came in. She was part of a secret society called Jäger created by Alaric Saltzman, a five hundred years old German vampire, that had the sole purpose of removing Klaus from his self appointed throne.
Alaric had reunited every supernatural creature that wanted to be free of deciding their own future under the same cause. He had even been capable of bringing the witches on their side.
It couldn't be a coincidence that Klaus had risen to power just six years after the loss of magic. Even the powers he displayed couldn't be normal.
Somehow he had found a way to steal their magic and use it for his own purposes.
Elena's mission was simple: she had to become a part of Klaus's guard corps, find out what his secret weapon was and, if possible, destroy it.
Why was she the one chosen for this particular mission? Well, let's say that she was the only one with even the slightest chance of success.
She was determined, brave to the point of stupidity as the members of Jäger liked to say, quick of thoughts and simply put incredible at adapting to the situation.
She would have to be bold if she wanted Klaus to notice her, but she also had to be careful if she wanted him to trust her. It was a fine line to walk but Alaric was sure she could manage it.
She wasn't his right arm for nothing, despite her young age.
Elena was brought out of her grim thoughts by the sight in front of her. She was facing of the most majestic mansion she had ever seen: the white Mansion only had two stories, but what it lacked in height it made up in extension.
From what she could see it had the form of a giant X with two small wings on the front, likely the old wings were the servants used to reside, and two bigger ones in the back.
The pathway that lead to the front door was flanked by imposing trees only God knew how old. She could only imagine what the inside looked like.
The guards at the gate looked her up and down but let her pass when she showed them the little badge she had received when Klaus had decided to call her for a job interview.
She slowly advanced toward the front door where she could see a woman waiting for her.
Elena looked around in awe. She wasn't used to this kind of luxury. Her family hadn't been poor, but they certainly hadn't been this rich.
She had lived half her life in her medium sized two stories house with her family, and the other half in underground facilities Alaric had built for Jäger.
Once she had reached the front door, the woman waiting there silently motioned for her to follow her inside the Mansion.
Once again Elena could do nothing more than gape at the sight in front of her: a white double staircase starting from the two sides of the hall led to the second floor, the marble floors where so clean you could actually see your reflection on them, above her was a splendid dome from which the bright morning light came streaming in.
The woman quietly cleared her throat, shaking Elena out of her reverence.
They went through a door on the right which led into an enormous ballroom she could already imagine filled with people in elegant clothes, just waiting for the music to resound in it.
They continued toward the opposite side of the ballroom, stepping out into the gardens of the Mansion.
Elena immediately knew that, if she got the job, this would surely become her favorite place in no time. It was paradise.
There was no other way to describe it.
Elena didn't know if God really existed or if there was an afterlife for people like her, but she was absolutely certain that if it did exist it would look exactly like this place.
"Mr Mikaelson will be with you in a minute. Please remain here." Said the woman, formally.
Elena nodded to let her know she had been listening even if she was still intent on looking around. Once the catlike footsteps of the woman finally disappeared, Elena released a sigh of relief.
The first step had been accomplished: she was inside the Mansion and apparently no one knew that she was a member of Jäger.
All the members were always extremely cautious when it came to their identity, but one could never be too careful.
Suddenly she heard something she had not being expecting: a heartbeat. Elena furrowed her brows in confusion. Could it be that a human had manage to enter the Mansion without anyone noticing?
The chances of that were so small she immediately dismissed the idea. Still, Klaus wasn't very fond of humans, he considered them bland.
He didn't exactly think them inferior for to think that one had to have some kind of interest in them. He was simply indifferent to them.
He only regarded them as a food source, nothing more nothing less. And yet what she was hearing was definitely a human's heartbeat.
When she turned in the direction of the sound, she paused, baffled. Thirty feet from her, sitting on a stone bench, there was a man.
She could not see him clearly, since he was partly turned away from her, but he was clearly human. Elena didn't know how to explain it, but humans were always so easy to spot.
It was like they radiated life from every pore while vampires always emanated this feeling of immobility. She kept observing him, his mere presence there puzzling.
He was young, of that she had no doubt, probably in his early twenties and no older than twenty-eight. He had an healthy pale complexion, almost white, something that made the mop of black hair on his head stand particularly out.
They were so black they reminded her of the wings of a crow.
When he changed position, crossing his legs, she saw that he had a drawing-block in hand. Sometimes he would raise his head to look at something somewhere on his left.
He would then lower it again and his hand would lightly move over the white page, leaving black marks made with absolute precision.
He was so focused on his drawing that he hadn't noticed her staring at him for the past five minutes.
When she moved slightly to the side, she finally saw what he was sneaking glances at: perched on the branch of a nearby tree was a beautiful crow.
Elena continued to stare at that strange man. What was he doing there? Obviously he was drawing, but what was he doing at Mikaelson Mansion? Why would Klaus let a human live there?
Was he the son of some important political figure that Klaus wanted to blackmail? Somehow Elena didn't think that was the case.
He seemed relaxed, at home. He was clearly at ease where he was, like it was a normal thing for a human to live in a house full of vampires and werewolves.
Elena had the feeling he really didn't feel threatened by the presence of so many different supernatural creatures mere feet away from him. It was like he was used to it.
Just when she was starting to move toward him to make his acquaintance a voice made her jump.
"You must be Ms Gilbert."
The man who had just spoken had a clear British accent, which gave him a sophisticated air.
He had spoken in a casual way, nonetheless Elena could feel a shiver running up her spine. She knew exactly to whom that voice belonged: Klaus.
She swallowed heavily then, steeling her nerves, she turned toward him.
As always she remained surprised by his appearance. He did not look like a threatening man.
He was tall, but not so tall that you'd feel like he was towering over you. He wasn't particularly muscular though one could see the strength in his body by the way he moved with total confidence.
His green eyes were serene, though she could see a glint of mischief in them. Last but not least, his curly short dirty-blond hair gave him a boyish look.
No matter how many times she had seen him from afar, or in photos, Elena could never understand how someone who looked so charming and nice could be so cruel instead.
Since he was clearly waiting for an answer from her, she quickly replied, "Yes, Mr Mikaelson. I'm Elena Gilbert here for the job of security agent." She would have to start from there and then work her way up into his trusted group of minions.
He slightly nodded at her, then he looked behind her and raising his voice he said, "You should go inside. Elijah is waiting for you."The man raised his head to look at Klaus.
Though he seemed a little disappointed in having to stop his drawing, he quickly gathered his things and headed back inside.
Everything had happened so quickly that Elena hadn't been able to catch a glimpse of his face. Why was she so disappointed? She shook her head and turned toward Klaus. He was regarding her intently.
"So you want to become one of my security agent." He said in an amused tone, clearly underestimating her because of her small body.
Her long straight brown hair, brown doe eyes and lithe form, even if with all the curves in the right places, had always made others underestimate her.
Elena had grown used to it.
Of people thought she was weak then so be it, she would take advantage of it. She didn't care what others thought of her, she knew what she was capable of and that was all that mattered.
Ready to show him what she was made of she answered without a trace of fear.
"Yes. I believe I am the right person for this job." She said, confident. "I'm stronger than others think and I certainly don't scare easily. I bet I could stand out even in your Guard Corps." She knew she had to be bold if she wanted to make an impression on him.
Klaus softly laughed, shaking his head. "You are a feisty one. I like it." He said shaking his index finger in her direction. "We'll see how you'll do, Ms Gilbert."
Elena smiled, relieved that he seemed persuaded by her bravery. However, his voice suddenly dropped to a menacing rumble.
"You'll soon be aware of the fact that I don't like disappointments, so be sure not to let me down. I can easily find someone else to take your place." He looked her dead in the eyes, letting her know that he wasn't joking. "Although I have the feeling that won't be a problem for you." He finished in a lighter tone.
He gestured to someone inside the house to come out. The same woman who had greeted her at the front door appeared at his side as if coming out of thin air. Klaus regarded her with an amused stare, his eyes laughing at the speed with which she had come to cater to his needs.
"Show Ms Gilbert to her room." He ordered and then he went on his way, completely forgetting about their existence.
Elena followed the woman to her room on the second floor at the end of a long hallway. Once alone inside she let herself slowly slide to the floor, her back resting against the door.
She ran her hands through her hair, setting her elbows on her knees. She had done it, she had gotten the job inside Klaus's Mansion. She had taken the first step toward her goal.
Now was where things were going to get complicated, but she had to succeed. She had no choice.
If she wanted the rest of their world to survive, to be free again, then she had to do this. For all their sake.