Cassiopeia Forbes has spent years distancing herself from Mystic Falls-a town steeped in memories of her younger sister, Caroline, and the mother she never truly connected with. Leaving at just nine year old to live with her father, Cassie vowed nev...
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Everyone was shocked to see me standing at the front door, looking like Elena. I couldn’t help but enjoy the scene, watching their stunned expressions, but when Stefan approached me, something inside me couldn’t keep up the charade anymore. I let my guard down and gave him a glimpse—just a small, fleeting memory of us together. His eyes widened, and he breathed out my name in disbelief, “Cassie.”
The shock rippled through the room. Questions erupted, voices rising all at once, overlapping and clashing in a cacophony of confusion. I knew I couldn’t stay like this, not any longer.
“Excuse me, I need to change my form,” I said, my voice steady, despite the storm of emotions swirling inside me. I quickly moved to one of the rooms, shutting the door behind me. Taking a deep breath, I focused on shifting back to my original form. It wasn’t easy—it took concentration, effort, but soon enough, I felt the change sweep over me. When I opened my eyes and looked into the mirror, Cassie stared back at me.
I stepped out of the room, and once again, all eyes were on me. They were shocked, again, but this time they saw me as I truly was.
“How is that possible?” Damon’s voice broke the silence, his tone demanding answers.
“I figured this is one of the powers of the Starweaver,” I explained, trying to keep my voice calm and collected.
“Is it in the journal?” Damon pressed.
“No,” I replied simply.
“Then how did you find out?” His curiosity was tinged with frustration.
“When I went to meet Lyra in the vision, I first saw a little girl with green eyes. She ran when I told her I wanted to meet Lyra. Later, I saw Lyra again, and I started to wonder about that little girl. It didn’t take long for me to suspect that she and Lyra might be the same person.”
“Like shape-shifting,” Elijah interjected, his eyes narrowing as he began to piece it together.
“Yes,” I confirmed. “I searched her other journals, and she mentioned living her life in many forms. We had been interpreting it in only one way, but she meant it literally.”
“Other shapes,” Damon muttered, understanding dawning on him.
“That’s why no one ever found the second Starweaver,” I added, the truth settling over us like a heavy fog.
“Fascinating,” Elijah murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
Stefan’s voice cut through the moment, practical and focused. “So what do you think? Can you act as Elena during the ritual?”
Before I could respond, Elijah shook his head. “No, she can act as Elena, but only with doppelganger blood will the ritual be fulfilled.”
Elena turned to me, her eyes full of concern and hope. “So what do you suggest, Cassie?”
