After 145 years, the virtuous vampire Stefan Salvatore returns to his hometown of Mystic Falls, Virginia and falls for the beautiful Elena Gilbert, a girl with a tragic past and an uncanny resemblance to his lost love Katherine. Always close on Stefan's heels is his vampire brother Damon, a ruthless killer who also loved Katherine and is determined to make Stefan's after-life a living hell in any way he can. As Stefan fights for his humanity and only thrives on animal blood, Damon constantly pressures his brother to remember who he is, an evil and vengeful killer, and feed on the open vein. Damon, still heartbroken over Katherine's betrayal and her choosing of Stefan, finds himself drawn to human Elena and tries any way he can to get her to himself as she brings out his humanity and everything good in him. There was a time when this small, tight knitted town was well aware of vampires. They burned them all to the ground. But how will they begin to react when the supernatural creatures of the dark return as more and more animal attacks begin? But underneath the surface of the sleepy town is mystery, magic, and intrigue. Where no one is safe and everyone is hiding a secret...