Bound in the Shadows / TVD N.M

🦋~°36°~🦋

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Liora

I barely remember the drive home. My hands shook on the wheel, my knuckles white from gripping it so hard, trying to keep my mind focused on the task I had finished rather than the endless list of things that could go wrong in the next few hours. The bridge was gone; I had burned it down to a smoldering heap of charred beams and ash. But even as I watched it burn, a piece of me felt like it was burning too.

What if I'd been too late? What if the others hadn't reached Nik and the rest of the family in time? My thoughts spiraled, every grim possibility flaring in my mind until it felt like I was suffocating under the weight of it. The white oak stake was real, its deadly threat unmistakable. That single weapon could undo everything—Nik, his siblings, this strange, fierce family we'd all built together.

Back at the house, the silence was deafening. Each second felt like an eternity. I went to the living room, my legs shaky and weak, and sank into one of the armchairs by the window. Through the thin pane of glass, I kept watch on the road, hoping desperately for any sign of headlights in the distance, any sound of a car pulling up to the drive. The ticking of the clock filled the quiet house, and each second it marked felt like it was slicing through my composure, making it harder to breathe.

I leaned back in the chair, trying to calm myself, but my mind wouldn't stop racing. I imagined Nik fighting Damon—fierce, unyielding, doing whatever it took to protect his siblings. But even Nik, with all his power, wasn't invincible. What if he was the one who fell tonight? What if, in one swift strike, that single, cursed piece of wood did what nothing else had managed to do?

A surge of dizziness washed over me, and I closed my eyes, willing myself to calm down. I clenched my hands in my lap, taking deep, steady breaths. He'll be fine, I told myself, trying to believe it. They'll all be fine. Finn and Stefan know the stakes, they'll do everything they can.

Minutes passed, and then what felt like hours. I could feel the weight of each breath in my chest, the rise and fall of my heart pounding in my ears. The emptiness of the house around me made every worry louder, every fear more real.

And then, as the moonlight cast shadows across the floor, I heard the distant hum of an engine. I bolted upright, pressing my hands against the window and scanning the road. Headlights broke through the darkness, coming toward the house, and I held my breath, my heart thundering.

I felt my heart sink as the car door opened, revealing not Nik, Finn, or any of the siblings but Daisy and Molly stepping out into the dim moonlight. Relief mixed with disappointment as I rushed outside to meet them, trying to keep my face steady, though I could feel the panic in my veins.

"Daisy? Molly?" I called out, my voice laced with worry.

They looked up, their faces solemn but resolute, and as they came closer, I could see the strain of what they'd likely been dealing with all night.

"Liora," Molly greeted, giving a small nod as she pulled me into a brief, reassuring hug. "We came as soon as we heard, you are alone right now."

"We couldn't leave things up to chance, not with Damonand more on a rampage like this," Daisy added, her eyes scanning the quiet house behind me. "The pack is out there, protecting the Originals. We know what's at stake, and we won't let them face it alone."

Hearing this brought a sliver of relief, but worry still gnawed at me. Damon had always been unpredictable, but knowing he had a white oak stake—and now allies from two witch covens—was enough to send chills down my spine.

"So...what exactly are we dealing with?" I asked, hoping they could give me some sense of control back. "Damon's got a white oak stake; that much I know. But the witches...two covens?"