Bound in the Shadows / TVD N.M

🦋~° 6 °~🦋

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Liora

The preparations for the sacrifice were in full swing. We were holed up in Alaric's apartment, the tension thick in the air. Katherine lay sprawled on the sofa, pointedly ignoring Klaus's presence at the kitchen counter. She looked as bored as ever, though I could tell she was hyper-aware of everything happening in the room. Klaus, on the other hand, was calm, seated on a barstool with his laptop open in front of him. He was reviewing security camera footage, his eyes fixed on the screen.

Curiosity piqued, I drifted closer, peering over Nik's shoulder. The footage revealed a dark, dingy room—only a faint sliver of light filtering through a crack in the corner. Daylight still lingered outside, but inside, the space was cast in shadows. Suddenly, a door opened on the screen, and someone was thrown inside with a brutal shove. The woman hit the floor hard, her cries for help echoing off the cold, concrete walls. She was terrified, pleading with her unseen captors.

From the iron bars that framed the cage she'd been tossed into, it wasn't hard to guess her fate. This was the werewolf Nik planned to sacrifice during the next full moon.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from the screen, a knot forming in my stomach. The screams, the desperation—it was haunting. But Nik remained unfazed, his focus sharp, methodical. Every detail of his plan had been meticulously laid out, and this was just another piece of the puzzle. Another necessary casualty for him to break the curse and finally be free.

I glanced at him, feeling that familiar pull, that mix of admiration and unease. He was ruthless, yes, but there was something else—something deeper, something I couldn't ignore. That thought was cut short by the sound of the door creaking open, and in walked Greta, Klaus's loyal witch who would be performing the ritual. She carried herself with confidence, her eyes locking onto him immediately, a hint of longing in her gaze.

"If it isn't my favorite witch," Nik said, a smirk playing on his lips as he stood, approaching her with his usual air of charm. His hand grazed her face lightly, and I saw the way she leaned into his touch, like she'd been waiting for it. Greta had a soft spot for bad boys; she'd abandoned her brother and father just to spite them and chase the thrill of danger. I could practically see the adrenaline surging through her veins, and it made me want to tear her apart.

If I could just scratch her eyes out, get her greasy fingers off my hybrid...

"Are you ready for the ritual?" Klaus asked, his tone calm, calculated, but carrying the weight of what was about to happen.

Greta's eyes gleamed as she nodded, her voice dripping with a mix of devotion and flirtation. "As ready as I can be. The spell was tricky to learn, but for you, I'm willing to do anything, Klaus—"

Lucky for Greta, Klaus pulled back, the distance between them widening as her words seemed to snap him back to business. His attention shifted to Maddox, the second witch who had just entered the room. Maddox was striking—handsome, with a quiet intensity—but as lethal as anyone else here. Klaus's focus sharpened, locking onto Maddox's with a blunt command.

"This body has outlived its use," Klaus stated, gesturing at Alaric's form as if it were nothing more than a temporary vessel. "Get my body here. It's finally time for the Scooby-Doo gang to see the real face of their enemy."

There was a chilling certainty in his voice. This was the moment he had been building toward, every piece of his plan falling into place. Soon, they would face the true Klaus—no masks, no vessels. Just the raw, ancient power he'd been keeping in reserve. And I would be right there beside him, swooning over his handsome face, even if I still couldn't be noticed by anyone.