Shades Of Eternity

The Things We do for Love

Dread seeped into Elena's chest as nightfall approached.

She was to die that night.

Stefan had desperately tried to take her mind off the sacrifice, with a romantic night trail in the forest under the stars. He wanted to make their last moments together special.

His intentions were pure, sure.

But she was a lamb drawn to the slaughter, and no twinkling lights could change that. Death is often not kind enough for goodbyes, and they were fortunate to receive one. But, farewells were inherently painful, and so was death.

Something, they would all have to learn to accept.

Yet, the fact remained that she was just a child. Her tale was far too short to have such a tragic end and their hearts too bruised to process such grief.

Panic and terror struck her as Klaus appeared at the edge of the clearing. With faux concern, he asked her if she was ready. Elena suppressed the urge to scoff, "Ready to die? Is that what he wished to ask of her." Nonetheless, she didn't dare to provoke him further in fear of the repercussions, and only gave him an affirmative nod.

Stefan tried to step forward and shield her, but she stopped him, with a barely convincing smile, unwilling to watch bloodshed occur or lose him to Klaus's tyranny.

Klaus soon flashed away with her.

***

Resting atop the corners of a pentagram, drawn in blood, laid the keys to breaking a curse that had outlived them all- a witch, a vampire, a werewolf and the doppelganger.

And in the center, rested their doom, the devil incarnate, Klaus Mikaelson.

"The moon is at its apex. We must conduct the ritual now." Greta, the witch added ominously, sealing all their futures.

Klaus looked up at the moon, smirked and flashed to Elena's aunt, Jenna. The pitiful human, now vampire, unfortunate enough to be entangled in supernatural schemes, died. Confused and alone, with only a traitorous niece by her side and a stake in her heart.

Another one, lost in the battle against the dark.

Her niece screamed and begged for mercy but was only met with the cold, taunting eyes of the monster, void of all but nothingness. And all she could think was, "How many more?"as her resolve loosened, and she grieved yet another one who made the mistake of loving her. Protecting her.

The werewolf beside her groaned with pain, before falling completely silent. Forever.

And then, there were two.

It was time. To drain the doppelganger of every drop of her blood.

Her time, to join them all.

"Rot in hell."

Elena spat at him, the last blow of a sputtering flame, a final eulogy to the girl she would never be again, as he plunged his fangs in her neck with a smirk.

And Elena Gilbert died with a smile on her face.

***

Elijah tackled his weakened brother down and shoved his hand inside his chest, gripping his heart tightly.

"For our family, Niklaus." He declared, about to forever superimpose upon all of their memories, this forceful ending.

Enraged, Avra revealed her position, forced to come out from the shadows, where she had casually rested, spectating the chaos.

While the situation might sort itself out, it was a risk she was unwilling to take.

Had it been someone else, she would have made them suffer for all eternity but she was not going to watch as the last shred of their family left on this Earth was ripped away, by Elijah himself. They deserved family and she wasn't going to lose that for his vengeful spirit. He had no right to do that either to her or to himself.

Were he to actually carry out the plan, the guilt of it that only currently rippled in his heart would overwhelm him, push him to brink of his sanity, never to return again.

When he had to walk this road alone, he would not be able to justify his justice.

A mistake of his warm-blooded, impulsive, revenge and his shades of eternity would dull to that of forsaken black.

Elijah would not cause his own ruin, not while Avra Mikaelson lived and breathed.

She tore him off Klaus and slammed him against the ground.

His eyes read betrayal.

"Let him be," She thought, "rather betrayed than dead or insane."

An audible gasp was heard from a distance. Shock lined the features of the Mystic Falls gang.

She couldn't care less for their reactions.

"I didn't drop their bodies in the sea," Klaus interjected hurriedly, trying to regain his breath.

Avra swiveled around to look at him. While she did not think him capable of such a deed, to subject Elijah to that grief, was incredibly cruel. Her grip on him loosened.

Shocked, Elijah looked at this brother, the slighest spark of hope igniting in him.

"If you kill me, you'll never find them." He added.

Of course, Klaus, the master manipulator even at Death's door, trying to negotiate for his life. He should thank his lucky stars that Elijah was a man with nothing to lose, and this, a risk he was willing to take.

He considered the situation.

"Do it, And I'll take you all out." Bonnie threatened them arrogantly, without the power to back her up. Klaus may have been weakened but there was not quite a lot in the world that could take out such powerful supernatural creatures, pseudo-immortals, much less a novice witch.

With a final glance at Avra and Klaus, he grabbed Klaus and sped off into the forest, leaving her to follow behind them.

***

Hey everyone! This chapter was more poetic, in a sense and explored the perspective of other characters than Avra, and how Elena might have processed the death and all that came with being a supernatural.

Tell me if you liked this better and if you like Elena!