To Be Or Not To Be » Stefan Salvatore

Chapter 1 - My Little Bird

The room was heavy with dust, steeped in the weight of decades. Against the rotting grandeur of old chandeliers and moth-eaten curtains stood four coffins, their dark wooden exteriors blending seamlessly into the forgotten decay of the space.

All except one.

This one gleamed like untouched snow, stark against the dim candlelight. The scent of withered roses seeped through its cracks, mingling with the ancient air. Gold adorned its surface, delicate but unyielding, and a thick iron lock barred it shut, a silent guardian against unwelcome hands.

It could have been broken open with brute force—if not for the spell woven into its very existence. A ward against destruction. A safeguard, as though the one inside was more precious than the rest.

Everyone had questions. Everyone wondered.

Why did Niklaus Mikaelson guard this coffin like a dragon hoarding treasure?

They knew the others: Finn, Kol, and Rebekah Mikaelson—siblings daggered and left to slumber for centuries. Their names were spoken, their stories known. But no one had ever mentioned another.

No other living sibling. No lost brother. No lost sister.

And yet, here it was. A mystery carved in ivory and gold.

The truth had been locked away long enough.

⋯

Damon Salvatore's voice shattered the silence.

"Alright, so who's in the fancy coffin?"

He had been holding back the question since the second his eyes landed on it, but patience had never been his virtue.

Elijah Mikaelson exhaled sharply, a flicker of irritation crossing his otherwise composed face.

"A person Niklaus would never have thrown into the ocean," he answered simply.

Damon's brows rose. "That's vague. Family? Friend? His long-lost love?"

Elijah's expression remained unreadable, but beneath his silence lay a truth far older than any of them.

Niklaus had always been possessive, always been fierce in his protectiveness. But this? This was something else.

She had never stood against him, never betrayed him. She was, perhaps, the only soul he had ever trusted completely.

And that was exactly why she had been daggered.

Not out of malice. Not out of vengeance.

But to protect her.

Elijah didn't owe Damon an answer. But time was slipping, and hesitation only bred suspicion.

"She is someone very dear to us," he finally admitted, voice quieter now. "A sister, actually."

Damon blinked. "Seriously? I thought Barbie was the only one."

Elijah pressed his lips into a thin line. "Niklaus has kept her hidden for centuries. Shortly after he daggered Finn, he did the same to her. He didn't want anyone to know she existed."

Damon let out a low whistle. "Well, that's dramatic, even for him."

Elijah ignored him. His hands closed around the iron lock. It resisted, holding for only a moment before shattering under his strength. The pieces clattered onto the floor with a dull thud.

How fitting. The lock would open only for family.

Taking a steadying breath, Elijah gripped the edges of the casket and lifted the lid.