Force of Gravity • NM

•14•

At the werewolf camp, Klaus had expected the night to bring him an army of new hybrids, the powerful kin he'd been striving to create. But one by one, his newly turned hybrids began collapsing, writhing in pain, losing control until there was nothing but carnage around them. 

Klaus stood in the middle of it, surrounded by lifeless bodies and the sting of failure in his eyes. Furious, he paced before Stefan, demanding answers.

"I'm missing something, Stefan. Something's wrong with the ritual."

Stefan, knowing what Klaus didn't, kept his expression stoic, unwilling to reveal the secret they'd all been keeping. Klaus glared at him, frustrated yet determined, and announced that they'd visit Gloria's bar for answers. Stefan followed reluctantly, his mind turning over every possible outcome if the truth were discovered.

Inside Gloria's dimly lit bar, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Gloria, her gaze piercing, had barely looked at Klaus before she could sense something amiss.

"Your ritual, Klaus," Gloria said as she prepared a mixture of herbs and lit incense. "You've done most of it right, but... there's something missing. Something... vital."

"Vital?" Klaus demanded, his frustration spilling over. "I sacrificed the doppelgänger! Everything was done according to plan." Gloria raised an eyebrow, her voice steady. "Perhaps you sacrificed someone, but that doppelgänger isn't dead."

The words hung in the air like a curse, and Klaus turned sharply to look at Stefan, anger flashing across his face. "You knew?" he accused, his voice cold and sharp.

Stefan didn't flinch, knowing denial was pointless. "Yes. She's alive."

Fury blazed in Klaus's eyes, his fists clenched. "So, all this time—"

But before he could press further, Gloria placed a hand on his shoulder, drawing him back into her space as she channeled more magic. Her eyes widened slightly, the vision becoming clearer. "There's more," she said, her voice growing softer. "You don't just need her life... you need her blood. Her blood alone can complete what you're trying to do."

Klaus's anger shifted to resolve, his mind already calculating. "Then, the doppelgänger lives because I need her blood. So be it," he muttered, realizing this was his solution.

When they arrived back at the mansion later that night, Klaus and Stefan paused in the foyer. Soft music drifted from the living room, along with the faint glow of the TV screen. There, curled up on the couch beneath a throw, Rebekah and Naira were nestled together, both looking peaceful and cozy. They were engrossed in the scene playing on the screen—Beauty and the Beast—the familiar tale of a girl falling in love with a misunderstood soul.

Klaus paused, surprised by the warm scene. The anger he'd carried in his chest softened, replaced by a sensation he rarely acknowledged. He stood there, watching as Rebekah, his often combative sister, had let down her walls for once, a small smile on her face as she shared the moment with Naira.

Stefan cleared his throat quietly, and Naira blinked, stirring at the sound. Her eyes opened, and she glanced up at them, rubbing her eyes.

"You're back!" she whispered, her gaze flicking to Klaus, and then to Stefan.

Stefan approached with a soft smile, gesturing towards her. "It's late, Naira. You should get some sleep." Naira shook her head, her expression brightening as she looked at the screen. "I just want to finish this part," she whispered back, trying not to disturb Rebekah. "It's my favorite part—when Belle tells the Beast that she loves him."

Klaus's expression softened further as he watched her. There was a longing in her eyes, a deep appreciation for this story and its beauty. He found himself almost entranced by the innocence of it—by the way this girl, so loyal and caring, found magic in the simplest things.

Rebekah stirred and looked up, her sleepy eyes landing on Klaus. "Back so soon?" she muttered, still groggy. Klaus gave her a slight smile, glancing back toward the TV. "Not soon enough, it seems," he said, watching as the scene unfolded. Belle's confession came, and as if caught by some spell of her own, Naira watched with wide, hopeful eyes. She mouthed the words along with Belle: "I love you."

A silence lingered, a quiet moment, the innocence and magic of the scene reaching everyone.

"Well, then," Stefan finally said, though his tone was soft, a hint of something tender in it. "Now that the scene's over, what do you say, Naira?"

Naira turned to him with a gentle sad smile. "Fine, fine," she whispered, pulling the throw away gently as she got up, giving Rebekah a soft hug goodnight before turning to Klaus. "Goodnight, Nik" she said warmly, something about the softness in her voice lingering as she left.

Klaus watched her disappear down the hallway, feeling a strange peace settle within him, even as his thoughts wandered back to the realization Gloria had given him. The need for a doppelgänger's blood. Yet here, in the quiet calm of the mansion, he felt something different—a flicker of doubt, a hint of humanity he thought he had buried.