ℍ𝔸𝕌ℕ𝕋𝔼𝔻 - ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪᴋᴀᴇʟꜱᴏɴꜱ

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖜𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖞 𝖔𝖓𝖊

❧ forehead kisses & visions ❧

≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫

Elena paced anxiously, her arms crossed tightly over her chest as she stared at Elijah's still form on the floor. He hadn't moved since she'd removed the dagger, his body unnaturally still, like a statue carved in perfect detail. The silence in the room pressed down on her, making her heartbeat seem impossibly loud. She hadn't told anyone she'd done this—woken him up. Stefan and Damon wouldn't have approved, not after everything. But Elena wasn't about to leave Elijah trapped in the cellar forever, not when she needed answers.

Her breath hitched when his eyes suddenly flew open. She froze, her pulse racing as he gasped sharply, his head jerking to the side to take in his surroundings.

"Elijah," she said softly, relief spilling into her voice. She stepped toward him. "You're awake."

His gaze snapped to her, and for a moment, his face twisted in shock, his lips forming a name she hadn't expected to hear. "Katerina!"

"No, no, it's me. Elijah, it's Elena," she said quickly, her voice urgent as she crouched down beside him.

Confusion flickered across his face as he blinked, and then he closed his eyes tightly, as if he were fighting to ground himself. "Oh, my God," he whispered.

Elena reached out hesitantly, her hand brushing his arm, but the moment her fingers touched him, his body convulsed violently. She pulled back in alarm as he suddenly scrambled to his feet, gasping for air.

"I can't—I can't breathe!" Elijah choked, his voice raw and panicked. "What's happening to me?"

"Elijah, wait!" Elena called, following as he staggered toward the doorway, his movements frantic and unsteady. He was slammed into the metal frame with a loud clutch thud, his handing at his chest like he was suffocating.

"I can't...I can't be in this house," he gasped, his eyes wild and desperate.

And then it hit her. Of course. "You're not invited in," she said, her voice low with realization.

Elijah turned to her, his expression flickering between confusion and frustration. "Then get me out of here," he rasped.

Before she could say anything, he stumbled into another wall, his movements disoriented and erratic. Then, with a blur of supernatural speed, he vanished.

"Elijah!" Elena ran to the front door, yanking it open just in time to see him crouched on the porch, his body heaving as he tried to catch his breath. His dark hair fell into his face.

He stood slowly, his sharp features hardening as he lifted his head to meet her gaze. Then, in a flash, he rushed toward her, stopping abruptly at the threshold as if slammed into an invisible wall. He flinched, his body jerking back as if repelled by the barrier.

He let out a low growl of frustration, his hand pressing to the invisible force holding him back. "What happened?"

Elena glanced back into the house, her heart skipping a beat as her ears picked up the faint sounds of movement upstairs. Stefan and Damon. They'd hear them if this conversation got any louder.