Vampire Diaries Imagines

Where the Heart Breaks - Elijah Mikaelson

The Mikaelson estate had been unusually quiet that morning, the usual hum of activity replaced by an eerie stillness. YN was nowhere to be found. Elijah noticed first, his senses always attuned to her presence, and when she didn't respond to his calls, the knot of concern in his chest tightened.

The others searched the house, the grounds, and the surrounding streets, but Elijah had a sinking feeling he knew exactly where she had gone. He didn't waste time explaining to the others. He simply left, his footsteps brisk as he made his way to the car heading toward the one place that felt inevitable.

The cemetery.

When he arrived the air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and the faint sweetness of nearby flowers. Elijah walked purposefully through the maze of mausoleums, his eyes scanning for the familiar silhouette of the woman he loved. It didn't take long.

She was sitting on the steps of her family's tomb, her arms wrapped around her knees, staring into the distance. The world around her was eerily still, as if holding its breath for her. She looked small and fragile against the stone backdrop, a stark contrast to the vibrant, strong woman he knew.

Elijah's chest tightened as he approached. She didn't turn to look at him, but he knew she was aware of his presence. He moved quietly, taking a seat on the step beside her without saying a word. She needed grounding, but at this moment the Mikaelson man knew words wouldn't do. Not until she wanted them.

For a while, the only sound was the faint rustle of leaves in the wind. Then, finally, she spoke, her voice soft and raw. "I wasn't ready to say goodbye."

Elijah turned his gaze to her, his expression gentle. "I know."

She swallowed hard, her fingers gripping the fabric of her jeans. "I've lost everyone, Elijah. My parents, my brother... Everyone I ever really knew and knew me. They're all gone."

"That's not true," he said softly, his voice steady and grounding. "You have me. You have us."

Her eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head. "It's not the same. He was my last connection to them. To the familyI knew so little about. He was all I have left of that. And now... now it's just me."

Elijah's heart ached for her. He wanted to argue, to remind her that she wasn't alone, but he knew better. This wasn't about logic. This was about grief-a pain so consuming it made the world feel empty and cruel.

"I know what it's like to lose family," he said quietly, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of pain. "To feel as though a part of your soul has been ripped away. It's a wound that never truly heals."

YN looked at him then, her YEC-eyes brimming with unshed tears. "How do you do it? How do you keep going when it feels like there's nothing left?"

He reached out, gently taking her hand in his. "Because I know that those we've lost would want us to. They wouldn't want us to drown in our sorrow. They'd want us to live, to find moments of joy even in the darkness."

She let out a shaky breath, her fingers tightening around his. "It just feels so unfair. He was too young. He didn't deserve this."

"No one does," Elijah said, his voice tinged with sadness. "But life isn't fair, as much as we wish it were. What we can do is honor their memory by living the life they can't."

YN wiped at her tears with the back of her hand, a faint, bitter laugh escaping her lips. "You make it sound so easy."

"It's not," he admitted. "But you don't have to face it alone. I'm here, YN. Always."

Her gaze softened, and for the first time since he'd found her, she leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder. Elijah wrapped an arm around her, holding her close as if shielding her from the weight of her grief.