Surviving ∞ Kol Mikaelson [2]

[1]

Four months. That was how long Emma had passed since Emma left Mystic Falls. Since she arrived to New Orleans. And since she chose to stay there. Since she chose to come back. And so the small loft apartment in the French Quarter became her home.

At first it had been a surprise, finding out her mother had left it to her in her will. Not because she wasn't expecting her mother to leave everything to her; they had no one else. But because Emma didn't even know they still had any property in New Orleans in the first place.

Only once she explored a bit further did she find out it had been in her mother's name for decades. The home Marissa had stayed in before marrying Emma's father. Before changing her life. Before giving up magic. And that was why Emma loved staying in it. It connected her to her mother and allowed her to learn things about the woman that she never got a chance to know before.

Shelves were littered with grimoires, as well as books on witch histories from all over the world. Some had been there long before Emma's arrival, gathered by her mother while she lived in the space herself. Others were brought to Emma, either to keep them safe and out of the hands of those who'd abuse them or simply as gifts meant to help her learn and explore.

Because that's what Emma had been doing. It took her some time to decide what she wanted for her future, to decide which steps she'd take after the plan she believed in only days ago fell apart. And with it, so did her heart. Everything she'd been hoping for, ripped away.

For a long time, Emma struggled with finding ways to move on. And so she focused on other things. In the end, it paid off. Because now, Emma was stronger than she'd ever been before. Her magic becoming more powerful with every new day. And while her power grew, so did her weakness.

But Emma ignored it, knowing life would go its course independent of the stalling methods she used. Instead of worrying, fretting and panicking, she let it go on. She let it happen, doing her best to live a life that occasionally brought her joy she thought would never be there again only months ago.

The pain was still there, and whenever she remembered her heart felt like it was cracking, the seams and glue holding it together breaking apart again. And she'd do her best to fix it. Never fully, but at least a little.

Living in her old home helped with that. Because not only did she love her apartment, but Emma also loved the city of New Orleans itself. She had always remembered its lively streets and electric atmosphere, but she didn't realized how much the memories had dulled until she returned. The city was unlike she'd ever seen before, her eyes now fully open to all of its secrets. Or lack thereof.

Magic coursed through the streets like blood through veins, and vampires roamed the Quarter without a care in the world. Sounds of music echoed against the stones, a never ending cacophony of soft melodies and tunes. And living in its centre, Emma never felt alone or isolated.

Not that she ever feared that in the first place. Not after everything that happened after her arrival. Friends were surprisingly easy to make within the French Quarter. Allies who Emma knew would have her back, some who'd already been watching out for her even when she couldn't remember.

Three nights after her arrival, Emma finally made a plan and put it in motion. She cornered Marcel Gerard and demanded the answers she was in desperate need of. And he tried to run out on her. Not because he didn't want to give them, but simply because something had come up.

And Emma's decision not to listen to him when he told her to stay back was one of the smartest she'd ever made. She may have walked into a fight. But she used it to her advantage. Not only did it explain the power dynamics of the city she'd just walked into, but it made it clear who her allies would be.

And along with understanding, Emma also gained a friend that night. A witch no less. One that in the months since then Emma had not only grown fond of but also became protective over. Ever since she helped Marcel and his vampires save her from a foolish choice that landed her in trouble.

Thinking of the Claire witch as she sat on the small balcony of her apartment, reminded Emma of the promise she'd made to pay her a visit in the following days. However, before she did that, she had a few other things to tend to.

Watching the people roaming the streets below her as she sipped on her tea, Emma started to plan out her day and methods in which she would hunt down the vampire that had so clearly been avoiding her for an unknown reason. She planned on getting to the bottom of that too.

However, before she could fully develop her plans for the duration of the day, the sound of her doorbell ringing through the loft behind her had Emma snapping out of her thoughts. Brows furrowing, she made her way back inside, wondering who it might be since she wasn't expecting anyone.

Carefully looking through the spyhole, Emma easily spotted the delivery man uniform waiting for her on the other side. She didn't remember ordering anything or anyone sending her anything, but nonetheless, Emma opened the door. Accepting the small cardboard box from the courier and signed for it before closing the door again.

With her curiosity getting the best of her, Emma walked into the kitchen, grabbing a pair of scissors and starting to remove the tape which held the cardboard together.

If she lived in a world of government agents and spies, perhaps she would have been looking to check if there was some kind of bomb inside. But Emma lived in a world of witches and vampires, and bombs weren't their style.

And once she managed to open the box, only to find another one inside, she was sure it wasn't a bomb. It was made of black leather, small and sleek, with a single letter engraved into its lid. And when she opened it, Emma couldn't hold back the tears that started to pool in her eyes at the sight of the familiar item.

And with it came a note. A note which not only let her know who'd sent the courier in the package, but suddenly, some of the oddities that had been happening among the city's vampire population in the last couple of days started to make sense.

And as things fell into place, Emma couldn't help but smile happily.