Prophecy

Prologue

Prologue

"Blaire, you'd better be up there packing."

I turn off the radio and drag myself to the stairs, feeling each step weigh heavily. "I don't wanna move," I murmur as I step into the living room, where Chris stands, his arms folded and his face etched with worry.

Just two days ago, I learned that I'm being sent off to Mystic Falls, Virginia, to live with a family I didn't even know I had. It's all happening too fast.

Chris follows me back up to my room, cluttered with half-packed boxes. He lets out a long sigh. "Your father just passed, Blaire. You're not the only one dealing with this. And now, with Dana gone, I've got my hands full with Toni. It's all just... a lot."

Siblings. The word feels foreign, especially knowing I'm just a result of some long-buried affair. Mom barely told me anything before she died, leaving me with more questions than answers.

I look around my room, taking in the remnants of a life now slipping away. With a sigh, I turn to my vanity and retrieve a small wooden box from the bottom drawer. Inside, nestled among a few trinkets, is a child's bracelet—a delicate piece with a single stone at its center. It looks just like the one Hope Mikaelson wore in the stories Mom told me, stories of ancient magic and family legacies.

I pick up the bracelet and hold it close, feeling the pull of magic within me. Toni may be young, but she's part of this too. Closing my eyes, I concentrate, letting some of the magic from my pendant flow into the bracelet. I imagine my power and Toni's mingling together, anchoring our birthright within the stone. As the magic settles, the stone glows faintly before returning to its ordinary appearance.

With the bracelet, I place an old grimoire I'd found among Mom's things. It's filled with spells and incantations from our lineage, passed down through the women of our family. Toni may not understand it now, but one day she will. This is her legacy as much as mine.

I slip both the bracelet and the grimoire into an empty drawer, knowing they'll be here when she's ready. Tomorrow, I'll leave for Mystic Falls and step into a world I was warned against. But at least I can leave behind something of myself, something that ties Toni to the magic we both carry.

The clock ticks past midnight as I slide into bed, pulling the covers up. With one last glance at the drawer where the bracelet and grimoire are hidden, I close my eyes, preparing for the unknown waiting for me in Mystic Falls.

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