[ BOOK THREE ]
Ryan Mikaelson has spent his entire life hearing stories about his family and their past. The infamous Original family. The villains of the supernatural world. His world. But now, it's his turn to make his own mark.
Now a student at...
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
I'll Never Give Up Hope
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LEAVES RUSTLED as a cool breeze swept through the trees that dotted the landscape. Grey clouds covered the sky overhead, blocking out the yellow glow of the sun. Not that Ryan Mikaelson minded. He enjoyed the dreary weather more than he did any blistering, summer day. One of the main reasons why he liked Scotland more than Virginia.
Another being much worse, but Ryan did not think of it often. At least, he tried not to.
Ryan stood deep within the forest that lined his family's property. The Mikaelson Castle far from view. His parents were inside, most likely oblivious to their son's whereabouts. He spent little time around them since he came back for summer break. It hurt every time he looked at them. It hurt to even step inside his home.
The leather glove on Ryan's right hand constricted his fingers as he pulled back on the bowstring. His other hand held his bow up, aiming at the target tacked onto the tree across from him. With a deep breath, he released the arrow and watched the tip pierce the center of the manufactured circle. Ryan grabbed another from the quiver on his back, letting it go in the same fashion as the first. He repeated the action several times, each one stabbing the target with a thunk.
Ten arrows stuck out of the tree when Ryan lowered the bow in his hands, all of them in the same compact area. He lost count of how many times he took to that exact spot and shot the exact arrows and hit that exact tree. At first, he thought it might make him feel a little bit better. Something needed to. After the last few months, he failed to think he would ever feel whole again.
How could he when his sister was literally ripped from existence?
Ryan tried to find a way to bring Hope Mikaelson back from her sacrificial dive into Malivore. He searched every book, journal, or text inside the Salvatore School. Anything that might have been overlooked when they were busy fighting against monsters. When he found nothing, he searched every library in and around Mystic Falls and Dumbarton. As a last resort, Ryan surfed the internet for the tiniest sliver of information. To his heartbreak, he never came across a mention of Malivore, or even Triad Industries.
So, Ryan decided to channel his frustration in other ways. He took to mastering all the weapons he and his mother owned, and practiced with his magic, discovering new ways to manifest its strange form. Neither of the activities did much to lessen the loss he felt, but he distracted him enough to not want to break everything in his vicinity.
