𝐀𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘 ⚜️ ELIJAH MIKAELSON

[ The Ring ]

CHAPTER 35
[ New Orleans, 2013 ]

Georgia sat cross-legged on the floor of her room, the warm glow of candlelight spilling across the pages of an ancient grimoire. Her fingers skimmed the text before her, her movements careful yet eager. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, hope stirred in her chest, a lightness replacing the suffocating grief she had been carrying since Davina's death.

The Strix estate had been a treasure trove of information, far beyond what she had dared to hope. Shelves lined with tomes and grimoires, enchanted relics, and forgotten spells had been waiting for her like they had been left there with purpose. It had felt strange walking through the estate, knowing the organization that had once dwelled there sought to control Davina, to manipulate Georgia—but now, it felt like the pieces they left behind were their inheritance. She had spent hours sifting through old spells, gathering fragments of knowledge that, when pieced together, could be the key to bringing her sister back.

And now, as she poured over the grimoires spread out before her, that flicker of hope burned brighter.

Georgia leaned forward, her brows furrowed in concentration as she read aloud to herself, her voice barely above a whisper. "A soul tethered by power, anchored to the living plane... energy from the earth, a celestial alignment..." She paused, her eyes darting across the page, her mind racing. The pieces were starting to connect, the fragments of spells aligning like stars in the sky.

She couldn't help but smile, the corners of her lips lifting despite the weight that still lingered in her heart. Hours ago, she had felt powerless, drowning in grief and anger. Now, she was beginning to see the path forward, and that alone was enough to breathe life back into her soul.

As she flipped to the next page, her fingers brushed over a faint etching in the margin. A symbol—one she hadn't noticed before—shimmered faintly in the candlelight. Her breath caught in her throat as she traced the design with her fingertips. "This has to mean something," she murmured, her voice tinged with excitement. "This has to be it."

She glanced at the growing pile of notes she had scribbled beside her, pages filled with fragmented spells and translations. It wasn't perfect yet—far from it—but she could feel the pieces falling into place. There was still so much to do, but Georgia could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

"I figured it out," she said aloud, not bothering to glance up as she heard the soft creak of the door behind her. The faint scent of cedarwood and old books wafted into the room, a signature she'd grown so familiar with that she didn't even need to confirm who had entered. Elijah. "I mean, I'll need a hell of a lot of energy. Davina needed a nexus vorti to bring Kol back, but I'm pretty sure a celestial event will do the trick. She's not an Original, it shouldn't be too complicated."

Her voice was steady, but her words carried a hint of excitement, as if saying them aloud would make them real. She flipped to another page, scanning its contents as her mind raced with possibilities. "It'll have to be something big. Maybe an eclipse? Or a planetary alignment. Those are rare but powerful—"

Her voice trailed off as she absently twisted the silver ring on her finger, the one Elijah had given her—a delicate piece that had come to symbolize the bond between them. It was almost second nature now, the way she played with it when she was deep in thought or on the verge of some new discovery. She was so focused on the grimoire in front of her, so lost in her thoughts, that she barely registered the heavy silence filling the room.

Elijah's presence lingered just behind her, his footsteps hesitant. It was unlike him—usually, his presence carried an aura of quiet strength, a steadiness that grounded her even in her most frantic moments. But this time, something was different.