The soft glow of morning filtered through the curtains of Caroline's house, painting the floor in golden hues as I said goodbye, the weight of the night still dancing through me like a melody I couldn't forget. "I'll be leaving in the morning, Caroline," I said, my voice thick with a determination that came from my love for Tory, my heart pounding as I thought of her. "I made a promise to a girl… I have to keep it, or she'll probably never forgive me…"
"It's okay, Clark," Caroline replied, her brown eyes softening with a gentle smile, but tinged with a melancholy that I could feel like an echo. "I'm going to sleep now… Good night."
"Good night…" I murmured, the sound low as I stared at her, the warmth of friendship between us glowing like a flame that never went out. She walked up the stairs, her light footsteps echoing in the silent house, but there was a sadness on her shoulders that I knew all too well. She's a little sad… Probably because she thinks she'll never have a baby… I thought, my heart tightening with a compassion I couldn't express. But she doesn't know what the future holds for her…
Minutes later, I lay down on the couch, the weight of the day pulling me to sleep like a gentle wave, dreams dancing between memories of Mystic Falls and promises I carried like an oath. I woke to Caroline's voice cutting through the morning fog, a call that brought me back to the present.
"Clark, wake up! I have to get back to school…" she said, her tone firm but filled with gentle urgency as she shook me, her blonde hair falling over her face like a golden curtain.
"I'm awake…" I said, my voice hoarse as I stood up, the warmth of sleep escaping me like steam. I followed her out into the backyard, where Elena waited, the morning sun reflecting in her brown eyes like a beacon I knew well.
"So, did you sleep well, Clark?" Elena asked, her tone light as she stared at me, curiosity dancing there like a soft melody.
"Yes, I slept well," I said, a faint smile curving my lips as I stared at her, the weight of the transformation still dancing through me. "I wasn't tormented by the dark wolf part of me, the one that told me to sleep with every woman I met and found attractive…"
"!!!! What?" she exclaimed, her eyes wide, shock flashing across her face like lightning. "You've been living with this all along?"
"Yeah, it started a few months ago…" I explained, my voice thick with a weariness I couldn't hide. "That guy was a pain. Always talking about being an alpha, how weak I was, all that… I hope he's gone away…"
"You didn't tell me any of this, Clark…" Caroline said, her brown eyes shining with a mixture of surprise and concern as she stared at me, the weight of friendship between us pulsing like a soft flame.
"Sorry, Caroline, I forgot…" I murmured, my tone softening as I stared at her, the wolf—or what was left of it—growling softly in silence. As I spoke, I saw Bonnie in the distance, laughing at all of this, her eyes dancing with an amusement I hadn't expected, her ethereal glow cutting through the air like a beam of light.
"Get in the car, I'll take you to the airport…" Caroline said, her tone firm as she opened the door, her love for me dancing in every gesture.
"Don't worry, Caroline," I replied, my voice filled with a certainty that came from deep in my chest. "I'll go there with a friend…"
"Are you sure about this?" she asked, her eyes narrowed as she stared at me, concern softening her features like a gentle shadow.
"Yes," I confirmed, a slight smile curving my lips as I stared at her, the love for her burning in me like a flame I didn't want to extinguish. "If you need me or want to talk, you know who to call…"
She smiled, the glow returning to her face like the sun breaking through the clouds, and nodded, goodbye dancing in her eyes as she climbed into the car with Elena, who waved at me with a shy smile. "Bye, Clark…" Elena said, her tone filled with soft longing as the car pulled away.
Bonnie stood there, watching me with a smile that hid a heaviness I could feel, her eyes shining with an ethereal light that cut through the morning like a promise I couldn't name.
"Now that we're alone…" I began, my voice steady as I approached, my heart pounding with a mixture of love and determination. "What happened?"
"!!!?" She stared at me, eyes wide, confusion crossing her face like a gentle wave as she took a step back.
"I'm talking to you, Bonnie," he said, his tone thick with an urgency that came from deep in his chest. "What happened to you? Why did you turn into a ghost?"
"CLARK, CAN YOU SEE ME?" she exclaimed, shock echoing in her voice as she stared at me, tears shining in her eyes like stars falling from the sky.
"Yes, I can," I replied, my voice softening as I stared at her, the love for her—as a friend, as a precious soul—burning inside me like a flame I couldn't extinguish. "So?"
"…" She was silent for a moment, her eyes downcast as tears escaped, tracing bright lines across her ethereal face. Then she began to speak, her voice trembling like a broken melody as she explained, the weight of death and sacrifice dancing in every word, every breath.
"What magic did you use to resurrect Jeremy?" I asked, my voice firm but filled with a determination I knew she would feel, the desire to ease her pain pulsing through me like a drum.
"Why do you want to know, Clark?" she retorted, her eyes wide as she stared at me, confusion mixed with fear dancing there like a shadow.
"Just tell me the spell, Bonnie," I insisted, my tone softening as I stepped closer, my love for her glowing in me like a flame that I wanted to use to erase her sadness. "Unlike you, I am one of the most powerful beings on the planet. Tell me the spell, and all this crying of yours will end…"
"!!!" Her eyes widened, shock crossing her face like lightning as the tears fell faster, the weight of hope dancing there like a melody she didn't dare believe. "You want to use magic on me? Of course I won't tell you, it'll kill you, Clark! I won't tell you…" The tears flowed like rivers, the love for me mixed with the fear of losing me shining in every drop.
"Bonnie…" I whispered, moving closer to her, my hand coming up to her face, my fingers tracing the soft curve as I tried to anchor that sea of despair. "Don't cry… You're too precious, Bonnie. You've only suffered with everything bad that's happened in this world. You lost your grandmother, your mother, and now your father… And you were killed saving your friends in the process. You put the lives of others above your own. You have a place reserved in heaven, Bonnie. Your kindness is not of this world, that's why you deserve it. Don't worry, I won't die. I promise…" I pulled her into a hug, the warmth of my body against hers—even ethereal—like a refuge I wanted to offer, the love for her burning inside me like a flame I couldn't extinguish.
"Clark…" she whispered, her sobs echoing against my chest as she clung to me, her tears falling like rain that I wanted to wipe away. After a while, she quieted, her voice shaking as she told me how she had resurrected Jeremy—the three types of magic: spiritual, expression, and dark, a dark trinity I knew I could master.
I touched her ethereal body, my fingers tracing its outline as I called forth my magic at the same time, power surging through me like a river I couldn't contain. About twenty-five percent of my magic was gone, a price I paid with a smile as the air around her trembled, her body coming to life again, flesh forming where there had been only light.
"ARRRRRRF, ARF, ARF!" She began to breathe, coughing as air filled her lungs, her eyes wide as she stared at me, shock dancing there like a melody she couldn't believe. "CLARK… I CAN FEEL YOUR ARMS… I CAN FEEL THE AIR AGAIN… YOU DID IT!" she cried, jumping for joy as she hugged me tightly, her warmth against me like a promise I had kept, my love for her burning in me like a flame that would never go out.
"Hahaha, didn't I?" I replied, laughing as I stared at her, the smile dancing on my lips as a reflection of her happiness. "Now, you need to show yourself to your friends… I'm leaving…"
"But already?" she asked, her eyes wide, sadness crossing her face like a soft shadow. "Why?"
"I have a promise to keep, Bonnie…" he said, his tone heavy with love as he stared at her, the weight of the promise to Tory dancing through me like a melody I couldn't ignore. "Go, tell all your friends…"
"I see…" she murmured, her eyes lowered for a moment before rising to mine, shining with a mixture of gratitude and longing. "But I'll see you later?"
"Of course…" I replied, my smile softening as I stared at her, my love for her like a flame that I would carry with me. "Now, you will be happy with your friends…"
"Yes!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up as she hugged me once more, the warmth of her against me like a goodbye that I knew wasn't the end. "Thank you, Clark!" she cried, running away, her footsteps echoing like a melody of joy that I wanted to cherish forever.
"Hahaha, now…" I muttered, the weight of the mission falling from me like a curtain I could finally push aside. "Let's go home…" I started to run, the tribrid power pulsing through me like a wild river, four or five times the speed of sound, the world slowing down around me like a slow-motion painting as I covered the distance in minutes, the wind slicing across my face like a caress that carried me back to Tory.
I arrived at the airport, the glow of the artificial lights contrasting with the sky that was beginning to lighten, and I bought the ticket to Los Angeles, the weight of the promise to Tory burning inside me like a flame that I didn't want to extinguish. "You won't escape my hands this time, Tory..." I whispered, the love for her dancing in me like a melody that I knew would never leave me, the sound of the plane taking off echoing like a hymn that took me back home.