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The timer only has a minute left and Mia's heart pounds against her chest. Elena's fearful eyes gaze over at Stefan and she gulps.
"Elena, you need to run. Now!" Stefan's voice echoes throughout the empty gym and Elena shakes her head rapidly.
"No, I know you can control yourself...for me. Please, Stefan," Elena begs Stefan and his eyes fill with hunger. Elena's lips tremble for a slight moment, knowing that even Stefan's love for her won't stop him.
"Elena, you need to run. Now!" Mia demands through gritted teeth and Stefan's veins start to pop out from underneath his eyes. Elena's eyes widen and she sprints out of the gym just as the timer buzzes loudly.
Mia's stomach twists into uneasy knots and sweat runs down Stefan's forehead, clenching his fists, trying to fight off his urges.
"Mia," Stefan calls out desperately and she nods her head reassuringly.
"I know what I have to do," she reassures him. Stefan slams himself straight into a wall, trying to stop himself. He yells out in anger and whooshes out of the gym. Mia follows after him and grabs onto his shoulders, shoving him into the cafeteria.
Mia bares her sharp fangs and Stefan groans out, colliding onto his knees. Mia glances over at the mop standing up in the corner and she grabs onto it. She snaps the mop in half with her knee and lets out a shaky breath, glancing down at her brother.
"I'm sorry," Mia mumbles out, driving the wooden mop through Stefan's stomach. He screams out in anguish, face twisting with pain and he pants heavily, trying to regain himself.
Mia's eardrums fill with the sound of footsteps coming closer and closer. Mia snaps her head towards the sound and her eyes widen. Klaus drags Elena into the room and her eyes are full of fear.
Mia steps in front of her brother and glares at the hybrid.
"Now, this is fascinating. I've never seen this before. The only thing stronger than your craving for blood is your love for this one girl. Why don't you turn it off?" Klaus asks, cocking his head to the side.
"No!" Stefan retorts harshly.
"Come on. Your humanity is killing you. All the guilt must be exhausting. Turn it off," Klaus demands and Stefan clenches his jaw.
"No!" Stefan snaps back, his voice growing louder.
"You're strong, but you're not that strong. Turn it off," Klaus speaks harshly, marching up to Mia and grabbing onto her shoulders. She starts to squirm away from him, when a sudden, sharp pain shoots through her gut.
Mia yelps out in agony, glancing down at the stake sticking out of her gut.
"No!" Stefan roars out, standing up onto his feet and shoving back Klaus. The hybrid stumbles back slightly and his eyes flash with anger. Klaus grabs onto Stefan's shoulders and rams him into the wall.
Mia clenches her jaw and groans out in pain, her chest pounding.
"Turn it off!" Klaus yells loudly, his voice piercing Mia's eardrums. Klaus gazes into Stefan's eyes and they flash with a certain darkness. Stefan stops fighting back Klaus and Mia's mouth gapes open.
Every single emotion that Stefan had inside him is now gone, his humanity is gone.
"Stefan, no!" Mia calls out, but it's too late. Her throat tightens and burns.
"What did you do?" Elena's voice aches painfully, shaking her head with denial.
"I fixed him, but I think a test is in order, don't you? Ripper, perhaps you'd like a drink...from the doppelgänger's neck?" Klaus offers, walking behind Elena and pulling back her long hair to reveal her admiring neck.
Mia grunts as she slowly rips the stake out from her body, tossing it aside. She leaps up onto her feet and growls loudly, baring her fangs at Klaus. Klaus wraps his arm around Mia's throat and pulls her body against his.
Mia thrashes and squirms against Klaus' grip, but there's no use. She can fight him back all she wants, but he's too strong.
Unstable breathes and sobs escape Elena's mouth as Stefan gazes at her with hunger. Her eyes filling with fear, knowing that she nor Stefan nor Mia can stop what will happen next.
"It'll all be over soon, love," Klaus assures Mia with a voice that sends chills down Mia's spine. He slowly raises the stake into the air, above her head and her lips tremble.
A single tear slides down Mia's cheek as she squeezes her eyes shut.
