The Causes Of Destiny - Elijah Mikaelson

Chapter Five: The Truth Unveiled

The night air was still heavy with the tension from the chaotic party as James and Lily returned home. Their footsteps echoed through the empty streets of New Orleans, the city's usual liveliness muted after the violence they had just witnessed. The dim glow of streetlights did little to ease the turmoil swirling in Lily's mind.

By the time they reached the old, grand house that Ross had chosen when they first arrived in New Orleans, Lily felt drained, emotionally and physically. Her legs wobbled beneath her, and her heart hadn't stopped racing since the fight. The questions crowding her thoughts left her feeling lost, overwhelmed by everything she didn't understand.

James opened the door for her, ushering her inside. "Ross will want to know what happened tonight," he muttered, avoiding her gaze.

Lily stepped into the living room, her eyes scanning the familiar space. The warm lighting and comforting scent of home usually made her feel safe, but tonight, it all felt... different. Like a false sense of security, especially after what she had seen.

And Ross was already there, sitting in one of the armchairs, waiting for them. His expression was serious—he knew something had gone wrong.

"James," Ross said in his usual calm but commanding tone, his eyes briefly flickering to Lily, "I take it the party didn't go as planned?"

Lily remained silent, her thoughts a whirlwind. She wanted to speak up, to ask the million questions racing through her mind, but she wasn't even sure where to begin. Everything she had seen tonight felt like it came straight out of a nightmare, and yet, it had been real. The fight, the supernatural strength, the speed—things that no human could explain.

James sighed and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "Things got messy. There was a fight—vampires, I think. Maybe more." He paused, casting a quick glance at Lily. "It wasn't safe to stay."

Ross's expression didn't change much, but Lily noticed a flicker of something in his eyes—something like regret or worry. He wasn't surprised, not the way he should have been.

"Lily," Ross finally said, his voice softer now, "you must have seen things tonight that didn't make sense. And I know you have questions."

Lily looked at him, her confusion bubbling over into frustration. "That's an understatement. What was that? Who were those people? And how—" She stopped herself, the memories of Elijah's unnatural strength, the glowing eyes of the man who had attacked them, flashing in her mind. "How was any of that possible?"

Ross stood up slowly, crossing the room to stand in front of her. He hesitated, as if choosing his words carefully. "What you saw tonight, Lily, is the world you've been living in without knowing it. New Orleans is filled with things—creatures—that most people can't even imagine. Vampires, werewolves, witches... they're all real."

Lily blinked, the weight of his words hitting her like a truck. Vampires. Werewolves. Witches. Her mind raced, trying to comprehend the enormity of what he was saying.

"You're joking, right?" she said, a slight laugh escaping her as she searched their faces for some hint that this was all just a bad dream. But neither James nor Ross cracked a smile. Their silence told her everything.

"You're serious," Lily whispered, her chest tightening. "Vampires? Like in the stories?"

"Yes," Ross confirmed, his voice steady. "And werewolves. And witches."

Lily backed up slightly, shaking her head. "That doesn't make any sense. How—how do you know all this? How can it be real?" She looked to James for some kind of denial, but his face was unreadable. He wasn't surprised by any of this either. He knew.

Ross took a deep breath before continuing. "James and I... we've been keeping secrets from you, Lily. We didn't want to involve you in this world unless we had no choice."

James stepped forward, his tone more regretful. "I'm sorry, Lily. We've been protecting you from the truth, but after what happened tonight, you deserve to know." He paused, his expression growing more serious. "Ross and I... we're vampires."

Lily felt the air leave her lungs as if the wind had been knocked out of her. "What?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. The room seemed to tilt, and she steadied herself against the back of the couch.

"Vampires," James repeated softly. "We've been alive for centuries. We've seen and lived through things you can't imagine. We didn't want this life for you, Lily. But we had to protect you."

Lily's mind raced as she tried to process the confession. Vampires? The people who had raised her—her family—were vampires? She took a shaky breath, feeling her heart pound wildly in her chest.

Ross stepped closer, his tone gentle but firm. "I know this is hard to accept, but it's the truth. We've always had your best interests at heart, Lily. You've been kept in the dark for a reason. But now... you're involved, whether we like it or not."

Lily's hands trembled as she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to make sense of everything. "So, all these years... all this time, you've been—what? Drinking blood? Immortal?"

Ross nodded slowly. "Yes."

"And you kept this from me?" Lily's voice wavered, her emotions rising. "You lied to me my entire life."

"We didn't lie," James said quickly. "We just... didn't tell you everything. We didn't want you to be afraid of us."

Lily's head spun as more pieces of the puzzle fell into place. "And what about me? Am I... like you?"

Ross hesitated, and for a moment, his eyes clouded with something unreadable. He and James exchanged a quick glance before Ross shook his head. "No. You're not a vampire, Lily."

James shifted uncomfortably, and Lily caught the movement. Something in his expression told her that they weren't telling her everything. But before she could press the issue, Ross continued.

"There's more to this world than vampires. You saw that tonight. Werewolves—like the one who fought at the party—and witches... they're just as real as we are. New Orleans is their home, and the city has its own power struggles between these factions."

Lily swallowed hard, the weight of all these revelations pressing down on her. She felt like she was drowning in secrets. "So... everything about this city... everything is dangerous?"

Ross nodded. "Yes. And now that you know the truth, you need to be careful, Lily. You're not like the others in this city, but that doesn't mean you're safe."

Lily's eyes narrowed at his words. "Not like the others? What does that even mean?"

James interrupted, stepping forward. "It means you need to trust us, Lily. We've protected you all your life, and we'll continue to do so. But things are changing in New Orleans. The fight you saw tonight—it's just the beginning. There are powers at play here that you can't even imagine."

Lily stared at them, trying to process it all. The weight of everything they hadn't told her—everything they had kept hidden—pressed down on her like a lead blanket. "Why now? Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because we have no choice," Ross said quietly. "Tonight was just the first sign. There's a war brewing in New Orleans, between the vampires, the witches, and the werewolves. And now, you're a part of it."

Lily looked at them, her heart aching with confusion and betrayal. She was thrust into a world she had never wanted, a world that felt both terrifying and impossibly distant from the life she had known. And despite all the truths revealed tonight, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was still more they weren't telling her—about her own place in this dangerous world.