𝐀𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐮𝐦｜ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀᴇ ᴅɪᴀʀɪᴇꜱ

𝟚.𝟙

(Emilia POV)

I heard the man's voice bellowing through the trees, "Get her!" The urgency in his tone sent shivers down my spine as I darted through the woods, my feet pounding against the soft, forest floor. Branches whipped past my face, and roots threatened to trip me with every step.

One of the men caught up to me, his grip iron-tight. I struggled against him, but he was much stronger. In a swift, terrifying moment, he brandished a knife and stabbed me in the stomach. Pain exploded within me, but it also ignited a surge of desperate, raw energy. With a final burst of strength, I unleashed my magic, throwing him off with a forceful blast. He was flung back, crashing against a tree. Seizing the moment, I staggered to my feet and ran, driven by adrenaline and the will to survive. I didn't stop until I found a cave.

Once I was certain they weren't following, I let the tears fall. My family, my entire coven, had risked everything to save me from the witch hunters who had discovered us. My father had made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure my escape. Overwhelmed with emotion yet determined to stay strong, I turned my attention to my wound. Noticing the bleeding had lessened slightly, I hastily gathered some moss from the cave wall and pressed it against the stab wound, allowing it to absorb the blood. With that makeshift bandage in place, I ventured deeper into the cave's shadowy recesses until my legs could no longer support me, and I collapsed, succumbing to exhaustion and pain.

As I lay there, collapsed on the cold, hard ground, the gravity of my situation weighed heavily on me. I was alone, injured, and hunted. Memories of my family's last stand flickered through my mind—their faces etched with both love and determination. They had done everything to protect me, to give me a chance at survival.

In the eerie silence of the cave, I could almost hear my father's last words urging me to live, to continue our legacy.

As I stood there, suddenly, a voice pierced the silence, a clear, distinct call in my mind, "Free me." It was a man's voice, insistent and resonant, not heard through my ears but echoing directly in my thoughts. A surge of disbelief washed over me. "Am I going mad?"

"Free me, and I can save your family, your coven. I can grant you the vengeance you seek." Skepticism mingled with my pain. How could I trust this unseen stranger, or was it merely a hallucination, a trick of my wounded mind?

"How can I trust you?" I questioned aloud, my voice echoing faintly in the cave. "How do I know you're not just a figment of my imagination?" The voice responded, calm and steady, "Just stand and walk further into the cave, young one." Despite my uncertainty, something in the tone, a hint of power or perhaps desperation, compelled me. With a deep, steadying breath, I prepared to rise, curiosity and a sliver of hope nudging me forward into the unknown.

As I ventured deeper into the cave, my path was halted by an invisible force—a boundary spell. The mysterious voice spoke again, "Listen, child. I know you are weakened, but concentrate. Focus your magic and repeat after me." He recited a chant, Hesitantly, I channeled my dwindling magic and repeated the incantation. "Merabas hic libatal, confremun signas. Omus quisa tentum exalis." As I spoke, I felt the spell's grip loosening until it shattered, allowing me to move forward.

I continued, the cave's oppressive darkness surrounding me, until I tripped over an unseen object. Quickly, I cast "Incedia," and firelight illuminated the cavern. Before me lay a desiccated body, its skin grey and stretched over prominent veins, a wooden stake jutting out from its back.

"Remove the stake," the voice commanded urgently. "It's the key to my freedom—and your Family" With trembling hands, I approached the body. "And if I free you? What then? Will you truly help me?" I asked, my voice echoing slightly in the cavernous space.

"Your enemies are mine, child. Trust in our mutual need for retribution," the voice replied, a hint of desperation lacing his words. I grasped cthe stake, hesitated for a moment, then pulled it free. At first, nothing happened, and I leaned closer, inadvertently brushing blood from my wound onto his lips.

Suddenly, the body convulsed, color blooming in the once-grey skin. The man's eyes snapped open within moments, glowing in a vibrant red .

"What have I done?" I whispered, stepping back as he began to transform. His body twisted grotesquely, bones snapping and reshaping. Before my eyes, he morphed into a large, imposing wolf, its fur a deep, shadowy hue. The creature fixed its vibrant red eyes on me, and in a deep, resonant voice that was both the man's and not, it spoke, "Now, we begin."

The wolf stood before me, its red eyes glowing fiercely in the dim cave light. Its breaths were heavy and deliberate, each with a soft growl reverberating through the still air. I could feel the power radiating off it, a wild and ancient energy that was terrifying and awe-inspiring.

As I watched in amazement, the formidable wolf began to transform. Its outline shimmered and contorted until, standing before me, it was not a beast but a man. He was tall, his stature commanding even in the dim light of the cave. His hair was a rich brown, tousled as if windswept, and his eyes were a piercing green that held the same intensity as the wolf's. His build was muscular, a testament to the power that had just been displayed.

Tentatively, I asked the burning question, "Who are you?" My voice was a soft murmur, a mix of apprehension and awe.

The man regarded me with those intense eyes, a hint of something unreadable passing through them before he responded. "Elias... Elias Bennett," he said with a horse voice.

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Where do Damon, Alaric, and Stefan go looking for answers from the Gemini Coven?

- Controversial TVD rant: Bonnie lets herself get walked over all the time; she sacrifices herself repeatedly, knowing she will endanger herself. Is she stupid because she knows what she is getting herself into? Her Grams warned her, and Lucy Bennett and Jonas Martin warned her. Yet she still did all those dumb things. I know it's a TV show, but she was the only one suffering the consequences of everyone's actions. For example, when Bonnie won prom queen, Elena attacked her and said some vicious stuff to her, and she still didn't do anything. As much as I love Bonnie, she's the one getting herself involved with shit she shouldn't be.