Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•
Aurora woke with a deep, aching groan, the throbbing pain in her head signaling that something had gone terribly wrong. The last thing she remembered was trying—and failing—to take down Katherine. She'd left the ball with Elena, ready to go home, only to be ambushed before they even reached their car.
She sat up quickly, instantly regretting it as the pounding in her skull intensified. Wincing, she rubbed her neck, willing the pain to fade. Gradually, she became aware of voices around her, one of which she recognized immediately. Elena.
"Careful, love. Don't hurt yourself now." Kol's voice was laced with a hint of concern as he looked down at her in his ghostly form. Beside him, Finn wore a somber expression. "It pains me to see her like this," he muttered.
But, as always, Aurora remained oblivious to their presence. Nearly two years had passed since Kol and Finn had begun appearing by her side, watching over her like silent sentinels. They knew why they'd been drawn to her, but it didn't make the frustration of their unreachability any easier.
Drawn by the sounds nearby, Aurora glanced to where Elena was struggling against a man. "Just a taste," the stranger murmured, eyeing her sister hungrily. Instinctively, Aurora sprang up, pushing past her pain to protect Elena.
"Wait, stop! What are you doing?" She positioned herself between her sister and the man, ignoring the sharp ache still pulsing through her head.
"Selfless as ever," Kol observed, a touch of admiration in his voice. It was one of the traits her two silent guardians adored about her, though they often wished she'd place more value on her own safety.
"Trevor! Control yourself!" A sharp female voice cut through the tension, pulling the man's attention away from the sisters.
Aurora glanced over Trevor's shoulder to see a striking woman with short, dark hair standing nearby. Trevor rolled his eyes and backed off with a disgruntled, "Buzzkill," before disappearing into the shadows.
Relieved, Aurora exhaled and wrapped an arm protectively around Elena, pulling her close.
"What do you want with us?" Elena demanded, her voice trembling as she addressed the woman before them.
The woman ignored the question, her gaze fixed on Elena with an intensity that made Aurora tense. "My God, you look just like her."
"But I'm not her. Please, whatever you—"
"Be quiet!" the woman snapped, her patience clearly fraying.
"I'm not Katherine. My name is Elena Gilbert. You don't have to do this," Elena pleaded, pushing herself to her feet, her voice laced with desperation. Aurora reached out to stop her, sensing that now was not the time for negotiations.
