On My Own (TVD Series)

Hostage Exchange

THE NEXT DAY

"I want to talk about death, specifically, I want to talk about what happens after. Now, I'm not going to pretend like my good looks are the reason this class is so full. I've heard the same stories you have about Mystic Falls...ghost sighting, poltergeists...zombies. Now let's talk about it. What's behind these stories?" Alaric yelled out at the dozens of students who filled the seats, aisles, and back row of windows as I stood behind the entrace at the top of the stairs.

"Now, almost every single culture has the lore of a creature or being that cheats death. Why do our brains insist on inventing the most unbelievable things? It's because the reality of death is actually the most unbelievable thing of all. Now, the most terrifying thing that you're going to encounter in Mystic Falls is a trespassing ticket, so stay out of there, please."

Glancing across the room as this soft rumbling sound echoed against the floor, everyone had collected their things, bags, and bottles as they reunited with their friends down the short pathway out of the class and into the hall. But while the crowd mummered and whispered to each other, I hid along behind them until Alaric and I were the only few left.

"...that was quite the speech." I sighed, resting my hand on the back of the first chair.

Noticing his chest rise, Ric looked at me with a sincere gaze as I walked over to his desk before the both of us were the only two in the room.

"When Damon told me you had returned I thought he was just having his drunk rants over the phone...how have you been?"

"...I think the real question is how have you been?" I mumbled.

"I'm hanging in there...as best as I can. So, what has Damon told you?"

"Well, apart from Mystic Falls being a ghost town and the 10 people sitting in the coroners office...nothing much after that."

Quietly stacking up his books into his bag, Ric stayed quiet for the next few seconds before he stood there for a brief second staring at the skeleton of joint twins on his desk.

"Why do I feel like there's more you want to say?"

"...Did Damon ever tell what I was up to in Europe?"

"Europe can be a very sketchy place...lots of con artists." I added.

"Heh, yeah...it's amazing the lengths people would go just to contact the dead, not to mention their dead fiance."

"...Well, I'm not one to judge. But I am offended you didn't ask me first."

Pushing away from his desk, I headed towards one of the exit doors behind him before the creaking floodboard caught my attention only seconds away from Ric's voice.

"Hey, Lauren...did your mother ever mention a phoenix stone?"

Letting my head lead the way back to face him, Ric had rummaged through his journals again, pulling out a pencil sketch of this red stone with a dark marbleling effect.

"...no, not entirely. Why are you researching it?"

"The stone is said to be able to ressurect the dead...at first it was just a myth but then I found this in one of your mother's old grimoires in the attic."

"The pheonix stone has always been a myth to my family...my mother said it was used to enhance a witch's magic like an amplifyer. It's useless to us since we don't have to obey the balance of nature."

"Do you think it still exist?" He asked me turning the sketch to his view.

"...if there were people able to scam you for it, then maybe. Where was the last place you think was?"