Disclaimer - I Own Nothing
This is today's chapter! I'll see you again on Tuesday—unless the weekly Powerstone goal of 100 stones is met.
I'll be focusing on my Harry Potter and Douluo Dalu fics today. You can read them if you're a member of my Pa_treon. I've made the HP fic a separate collection and will start stockpiling chapters before posting.
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Mystic Falls High - Morning
Alaric Saltzman sat alone at his desk, the white oak stake rolling between his fingers like a coin. It was light, deceptively so for something so lethal. He turned it over in his palm, letting his thumb trace the grain, the imperfections. It felt familiar—too familiar. His grip tightened.
Footsteps echoed from the hall, heels clicking against the linoleum in a steady rhythm. Someone was here. His lips curled slightly. He already knew who.
Hallway
Caroline's irritation was palpable as she stalked down the corridor, phone pressed to her ear. Her fingers drummed impatiently against her hip as she listened to the half-hearted excuses on the other end.
"What do you mean you're ditching my clean-up committee?" Her voice was sharp, bordering on exasperated.
Tyler's voice crackled through the speaker. "Klaus called. He's leaving town. Wants me to pack up his house."
She stopped walking. "Since when does a sire bond mean 'mover slave'?"
"Since he realized you're not gonna dump me for him."
Caroline groaned. Klaus was being petty—again. "Ugh. This is so typical."
"Look, it's fine," Tyler said, his tone placating. "I'll keep up the act a little longer. It'll all be over soon. I love you."
Her irritation softened, just a fraction. "Love you too."
She hung up with a sigh, rolling her shoulders before resuming her pace. But as she passed by the darkened classroom windows, a faint rustling made her pause. The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
She turned, scanning the empty hallway. "Hello?"
Silence.
Caroline shook her head. She was letting paranoia get the best of her.
Pushing the thought aside, she shoved open the cafeteria doors.
Cafeteria
Rebekah stood alone, methodically sweeping up the remnants of last night's dance. The air still carried the faint scent of spiked punch and stale confetti.
"Where's Matt?" Caroline asked, setting her bag down.
Rebekah didn't even look up. "Bailed. Got called into work."
Caroline scowled. "Seriously? So it's just us?"
"Yes, and you're late," Rebekah said primly, dumping a full trash bin into the bag at her feet. "Clean-up started at eight."
Caroline glanced at the clock. "It's, like, 8:02."
Rebekah leveled her with a look. "Exactly. If I can be on time despite missing the dance I organized, you have no excuse."
Caroline exhaled sharply, raking a hand through her curls. "Look, I'm sorry about your mom. I know you hated her and all, but still…"
Rebekah stilled for half a second before continuing her work. "I'm sorry about your teacher," she said flatly. "He seemed like a nice guy."
Caroline swallowed. "Yeah. He was."
Rebekah dusted off her hands. "I'm starting on the gym."
She turned to leave—but barely made it three steps before she froze.
Standing at the end of the hallway, where the morning sunlight didn't quite reach, was Alaric.
For a moment, all she could do was stare.
"You're supposed to be dead," she said, voice quiet but sharp.
Alaric gave her a slow, almost amused tilt of his head. "I am."
Rebekah lunged—but he was faster. His hand shot out, slamming her against the lockers with enough force to rattle them.
She barely had time to register the white oak stake in his other hand before Caroline flew out of the cafeteria, tackling him backward. The force sent them both crashing to the floor.
Rebekah didn't hesitate. She wrenched the stake from his grip and drove it into his shoulder.
Alaric barely flinched. He yanked it out with a grimace, but by the time he turned, they were already gone.
Parking Lot
Caroline's hands shook as she fumbled for her car keys, heart hammering. She wasn't sure if it was adrenaline or fear. Probably both.
She caught a flicker of movement in the reflection of her car window.
Her stomach dropped.
Before she could react, Alaric was behind her, his grip iron-tight. The keys slipped from her fingers, clattering to the pavement a second before he snapped her neck.
As she crumpled, he bent down, effortlessly lifting her unconscious body. Sunlight licked at his skin, burning it in thin, angry streaks, but he didn't stop. He dragged her limp form back inside, disappearing into the shadows.
Across the lot, hidden behind a row of parked cars, Rebekah watched. Her fingers clenched into fists.
Gilbert Residence
Elena draped a sheet over an armchair, the scent of fresh paint thick in the air. Jeremy stood nearby, pouring dark paint into a tray, the liquid swirling like ink.
Stefan lingered in the doorway. "Going darker, huh?"
Elena barely spared him a glance. "Only color we had."
Jeremy didn't look up as he rolled the paint. "That's what happens when you decide to paint your dead guardian's room in the middle of the night."
Stefan hesitated. "No one tried to talk you out of this?"
Elena shrugged. "We have to keep moving. Otherwise, we start thinking. And we don't want to think."
Jeremy sighed, setting the roller down. "If you're here to be the good guy again, do the right thing—give us one day. Just one day without vampires."
He left without another word.
Elena sighed, rubbing her forehead. "He didn't mean that."
Stefan exhaled. "Yeah. Yeah, he did."
The doorbell rang.
Stefan went to answer it—only to find Damon standing there, supporting a barely conscious Bonnie. Blood dripped down her neck.
Damon's expression was grim. "We have a problem."
Klaus' Mansion
Rebekah stormed inside, fury rolling off her in waves.
Klaus barely looked up from his packing. "Alaric Saltzman is supposed to be dead."
"Yeah, well, he's not," she snapped. "Thanks to mother's spell, he's a vampire. A supercharged one. And he has a white oak stake that won't kill him. We need to leave."
Klaus continued packing. "Fine. I'll collect Elena—"
"Forget Elena!" Rebekah's voice cracked. "We protect each other. Like we always have. Always and forever, Nik."
Klaus' jaw tightened. "I'm not leaving without her."
Rebekah's eyes burned with betrayal. "Then you're on your own."
She walked out.
And upstairs, miles away, Elena's phone rang.
She answered—and froze.
"Hello, Elena," Alaric's voice was calm, almost casual. "I have Caroline. If you want her alive, come to the school. Alone."
A pause.
"If you tell anyone, I'll kill her."
Click.
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Next chapter onwards, I'll be using Kol as the main POV and diving straight into the scenes. These chapters are taking too much time and becoming frustrating since I have to sift through and rewatch episodes—which were boring, by the way. So, yep, I'm jumping straight into the fights for the next three to four chapters. Continuous battles until all that's left is dust. And it will be unhinged.
Word Count - 1242
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