Freya remained seated in the open coffin, breathing slowly, as if every second was necessary to comprehend what was happening.
Her eyes, still a little unfocused from the long magic of sleep, roamed over every detail of Klaus, his confident posture, his purposeful gaze, the slight irony at the corners of his lips.
"Then…"
She began, her voice deep but soft.
"My little brother appears out of nowhere, in a place he shouldn't be able to enter, and wakes me up…?"
Her lips curved slightly, but without real sarcasm, more with a mixture of curiosity and satisfaction.
"I don't know whether to be shocked… or happy."
Klaus arched an eyebrow, taking a step forward.
"I hope it's a little of both, at least."
Freya sighed, looking at him as if weighing all the possibilities. She didn't feel threatened; on the contrary, there was an unexpected warmth in his presence. Still, her instincts demanded answers.
"How did you know about me? About where I was? And… do you know about Dahlia?"
Klaus tilted his head, a smile barely visible.
"I know everything, Freya. About Dahlia, about the pact Esther made, about your captivity disguised as eternal sleep."
He paused, his voice growing lower, more intense.
"I was… blessed with knowledge I shouldn't have. Let's call it… a gift of fate."
She narrowed her eyes, intrigued.
"That doesn't explain how you got into Dowager Fauline Cottage… or how you woke me."
Klaus took a deep breath, as if savoring the pride of his answer.
"I used a few unique spells. One to bypass the magical barrier and make myself invisible to any witches inside."
He showed the bracelet on his wrist.
"And for your awakening… an ancient spell, from a lost druidic civilization, capable of breaking magical sleep enchantments."
Then he catch the silver necklace.
"And this one, I enchanted to keep its magic undetectable to Dahlia… even before waking her. Extra precaution."
Freya looked at the pendant in his hands, touched in a way she rarely allowed herself to show.
"I didn't imagine that… even knowing about my existence, you would go this far."
Klaus placed his firm hands on her shoulders.
"You're my older sister. And even though we never met… when I found out you were alive, I knew I would do anything for you."
Freya's breath hitched. Her eyes welled up, but she kept her expression strong. Still, when Klaus pulled her into a hug, she didn't hesitate to return it. It was a silent touch, but one charged with a connection that transcended time and distance, the bond of family.
As they walked away, Klaus took another bracelet identical to his from his pocket and handed it to her.
"It will make our exit easier."
She clasped it to her wrist without question, and in an instant, Klaus had her around the waist and, using his superhuman speed, carried her through the asylum's corridors. The demented witches didn't even notice the figure passing by. Within seconds, they were outside.
The drive to the Mikaelson Mansion was quick, and Klaus took the opportunity to summarize the past few centuries in a few sentences: deaths, wars, Mikael, Finn, Kol… and now the unborn baby. Freya went through a rollercoaster of emotions: shock, grief, anger, compassion.
Hearing about Mikael, her face softened, she now understood the pain Klaus had carried.
When he mentioned the child, her eyes narrowed.
"Dahlia will come for him."
"I know."
Klaus answered without hesitation.
"And when it comes, we will be ready."
They arrived at the mansion. Freya looked around expectantly; she would finally meet her other brother. Klaus led her inside and called out:
"Elijah!"
The brother appeared almost immediately, followed by Hayley.
"Then…"
Elijah began, looking at the woman beside Klaus.
"Is this the mysterious relative you went to get?"
Klaus nodded.
"Elijah, Hayley… this is Freya Mikaelson, our older sister. The one our mother said died of the plague."
The shock hit Elijah like a punch.
"This… isn't possible…"
Hayley, less shaken but equally surprised, raised her eyebrows.
Hesitantly, Elijah walked over and hugged Freya.
"Sister…"
He murmured, almost as if testing the word.
"How…?"
Freya and Klaus stared at each other, and together they told the story: Dahlia, the pact, the Immortality Slumber Spell, the connection. Elijah listened in silence, disappointment in Esther written all over his face.
"I am really sorry…"
He said, genuinely touched.
"For what happened."
"I survived."
Freya replied, simply but firmly.
"And now I'm here."
Hayley, restless, couldn't contain herself:
"What about my baby? If Dahlia really comes…"
"She will come."
Freya confirmed.
"But we won't let her take anything from us."
Klaus gave the wolf a confident look, reinforcing his sister's words.
The mood began to soften, and soon the three siblings were chatting, exchanging stories and observations, with Hayley listening intently. For the first time in a long time, there was a genuine sense of rebuilding within the Mikaelson family.
----
A few days had passed since Freya arrived at the Mikaelson Mansion, and her adjustment to her new life in New Orleans was going better than anyone could have predicted.
Klaus made a point of accompanying his sister around the city, showing her both the chaotic beauty of the French Quarter's streets and the dangerous behind-the-scenes that sustained it.
They passed through alleys, markets, and jazz clubs; Klaus showed her every detail with an almost childlike pride, and Freya absorbed it all with curiosity.
There was even the moment Klaus introduced her to Marcel. His expression upon discovering there was another Mikaelson alive was so hilarious that Klaus would forever remember it. "An open mouth is not a king's posture, Marcellus." he teased, as his former pupil tried to process the revelation.
Freya also grew closer to Elijah and Hayley, with whom she spent time in the kitchen or garden, exchanging stories and learning more about the modern world.
In one such moment, Hayley agreed to have Freya perform a gender reveal spell to discover the baby's gender. A golden glow filled the room, and the answer was clear: a girl. Klaus, though he already knew, couldn't hide his genuine smile, wrapping Hayley in a warm hug and kissing her cheek. Hayley was visibly nervous, but there was a gleam of happiness in her eyes.
Meanwhile, Elijah took the opportunity to resolve a pending issue: Hayley's magical connection to Sophie Deveraux. Now broken, Sophie would certainly have felt it.
Elijah approached her and, with all his razor-sharp politeness, made it clear that any attempt to interfere would have consequences. To cement the temporary truce, he brought with him the body of Jane-Anne Deveraux, obtained with Marcel's help.
That morning, Klaus called Freya, Elijah, and Hayley into the living room. On the table lay the colossal book of magic, the one Jack had given him, open to a specific page.
"Resurrection spell."
Klaus said with that tone of someone about to change the game. Everyone's looks of surprise were evident; the possibility of bringing Kol, Finn, and even Henrik back made the air in the room thick with emotion. Elijah and Klaus exchanged a silent look, both feeling the power of the idea.
"How did you acquire such a book, Nik? I've never seen anything like it before."
Freya asked with great doubt. Elijah wondered the same thing, noticing how the mystery surrounding his brother grew with each passing day.
"Let's just say I had the pleasure of gaining it from an existence so powerful it is beyond all comprehension. And, as a touch of fate's generosity, I was blessed with knowledge… vast enough to reshape empires. More than that… I won't say. You'll have to take my word for it."
Though skeptical and exasperated by Klaus's dramatic tone, everyone accepted his explanation and turned their attention to the spell.
Freya carefully examined the list of ingredients: black lotus ash, polished obsidian crystal... nothing impossible. But then her expression turned serious.
"Blood of three mirrored shadows…?"
She asked.
Klaus smirked.
"Doppelgangers."
Elijah's resigned sigh was immediate.
"That's unfeasible. We only have Katerina and Elena."
Klaus shook his head, amused.
"Ah, brother… you have no idea."
And then he began the narrative: Silas, Qetsiyah, and Amara; the creation of the immortality spell; nature's response creating the Doppelgangers as mortal copies.
He revealed that Stefan Salvatore was a Doppelganger of Silas, that there was another named Tom Avery, in Atlanta, and that Amara herself was still alive, kept by the Travelers, being an anchor to the Other Side.
The avalanche of information left Freya, Elijah, and Hayley stunned. They looked at each other, clearly wondering how Klaus knew all of this. The hybrid simply shrugged.
"You'll have to get used to it. I'm always prepared."
Deep down, everyone understood that this was connected to the "powerful existence" Klaus mentioned earlier, but no one pressed for details, at least not yet.
Turning the pages of the book, Klaus revealed another spell, this time from an ancient tribe called the Azel'thar: a ritual capable of locating and teleporting to itself anyone with some kind of blood, magical, or spiritual connection to the donor of the blood used in the spell.
The plan was simple: capture Katerina and use her blood to bring back all the necessary Doppelgangers.
"Anyway."
Klaus said, adjusting his jacket.
"I need to go to Mystic Falls now. There's a certain graduation I have to attend. I'll take care of two things at once."
Elijah and Freya agreed, committing to gathering the other ingredients while Klaus took care of the more… practical part.
Before leaving, Klaus had a moment alone with Hayley on the balcony. Their conversation was light, almost relaxed, but charged with the unspoken tension that always existed between them. When he left, the air in the mansion seemed to shift, as if everyone knew the Mikaelson family's next move would echo far beyond New Orleans.
----
Mystic Falls is a small, picturesque town in Virginia, surrounded by dense forests and rivers, and a climate that alternates between the tranquility of a rural community and the mystery of centuries of supernatural history. Its cobblestone streets, old mansions, and colonial-style buildings exude charm and tradition, while spots like Wickery Bridge, Town Square, and Mystic Grill are popular meeting spots.
Despite its peaceful appearance, the place is marked by a long lineage of witches, vampires, werewolves, and other creatures, making Mystic Falls a constant epicenter of conflict and hidden secrets. It's the kind of town where every corner holds a story, and many of them don't end well.
That day, Mystic Falls High School's graduation ceremony was taking place. Before the ceremony began, Caroline called Klaus and told him via voicemail that she would call him every ten minutes until he arrived in Mystic Falls to save Damon.
She joins Bonnie and Matt, then Elena and Stefan. Despite the gravity of the situation, Caroline is moved to learn that everyone is there to graduate. Bonnie, who knows this is one of the last moments she will have with her friends, cries and manages to quietly say goodbye to her friends when she mentions her college plans.
Elena reveals that she won't go to college because she missed the deadline during her psychotic phase. However, Caroline says that her vampire abilities can make them do anything and go anywhere they want.
As the joy of the moment overwhelms them, Caroline proposes a group hug. Stefan starts to refuse, but Matt and Elena force him to.
Shortly after the ceremony begins and the graduates are introduced, Elena and Stefan are worried about Damon, who is dying from werewolf venom and has refused to take the cure.
Stefan was talking to Alaric on the phone, who was arguing with Stefan about the situation, saying that they couldn't wait for Klaus anymore.
Caroline still hadn't gotten around to calling him, and Alaric was pressing, asking Stefan if he should let Damon die or force-feed him the cure.
However, before Stefan can respond, the witches from Aja's coven arrive and use their magic to attack Stefan, Caroline, and Elena. However, before the witches can kill them, Klaus arrives and throws a hat at Aja, decapitating her and breaking the spell.
"There are plenty more of these to go around."
The attack was sudden, everyone looked stunned for a moment, while Klaus held another graduation hat in his hand.
"Who's Next? I can do this all day."
Klaus says with an imposing, mocking calm.
Caroline's eyes met his as if the world had gone silent for a moment. The shock came first, that presence, that unmistakable posture, the gaze that seemed to pierce any facade she tried to erect. It was Klaus. And just the name, spoken in her mind, was enough to ignite an uncomfortable mix of heat and pent-up anger.
She felt her body react before her mind even organized its thoughts. Her heart raced, not from fear, but from something she preferred not to analyze.
Why did he always have to appear like this? Why did the mere sight of him remind her of the whispered promises, the way he looked at her as if he saw something no one else could?
Regardless, she couldn't contain the genuine smile that formed on her face.
Klaus, for his part, kept his smile contained, almost imperceptible, but deep inside he felt the direct impact of her presence. No matter how much time passed, Caroline Forbes would always have the power to awaken in him that rare restlessness, a mixture of desire, pride, and a strange hope. It was like rediscovering a masterpiece whose every feature he already knew, yet which still managed to surprise him.
He watched her silently for a moment, taking in every detail, the stubborn glint in her eyes, the lifted chin, the slightly accelerated breathing. There was a particular pride in knowing that, despite everything, she still responded to him.
And Caroline, even aware of every second of that gaze, held her ground, even though something inside her wanted to give in to the uncomfortable magnetism he exuded. It was irritating. It was intense. It was Klaus.
----
Night had fallen, all the troublesome problems had been resolved. Damon Salvatore was saved, and everyone was at peace.
Obviously, Klaus knew the trouble that would come next, like Silas locking Stefan in a safe and throwing him underwater.
Besides Elena forcing Katherine to take the cure, making her human again, but the simple truth was that all of this benefited Klaus in some way.
Katherine would become more susceptible as a human, and Klaus could tempt her in some ways, being able to turn her into a vampire with her mother's immortality spell.
Now, would he really do that? Well, that was a question for another time.
Furthermore, Stefan could easily be saved with the spell they would use to reunite the Doppelgangers.
Thus, Klaus would inevitably become the young Salvatore's benefactor, gaining a great ally. He doubted that after this, Stefan would refuse to give his blood for the resurrection spell.
Even more so, considering the temptation to revive his beloved friend Lexi. In the end, everything would work out in Klaus's favor.
The wind was gentle and comfortable, a harbinger of a memorable night for many. Klaus was on the field where the graduation ceremony took place.
Caroline had just finished gathering the graduation clothes when she felt the hybrid approaching, and turned around with a slight smile.
"How'd you get here so fast?"
"I was already on my way."
She raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"I received your graduation announcement. It's very subtle."
He said with some irony, as he took the letter out of his suit. Caroline closed her eyes, smiling in amusement.
"I assume you're expecting cash."
Klaus smiled teasingly.
"That or a mini fridge."
Caroline teased him back with a soft smile.
"I had considered offering you a first-class ticket to join me in New Orleans."
The blonde was saddened, looking slightly to the right.
"But I knew what your answer would be, so I opted for something I knew you would accept."
Klaus looked at Caroline with all seriousness. He knew he needed to do this, he needed to do this for her.
There was a silence in the air, and Caroline was curious to know what his gift was. Jewelry, clothing, art?
She was not prepared for what he was about to say, because she never expected it.
"Tyler is now free to return to Mystic Falls."
Caroline's heart stopped, she felt a wave of excitement consume her, but then she realized the huge sacrifice Klaus was making for her, and she couldn't help but ache for him, and maybe even for herself. He let Tyler come back. For her.
"What?"
Caroline let the words slip. Did she hear him correctly?
"He is your first love."
Klaus said, not letting his eyes meet hers, his face positioned towards the sky.
Caroline was stunned, not quite understanding what he meant.
"I intend to be your last…"
He looked at her now. The utter shock sweeping across Caroline's face made him feel triumphant, because he knew he still had an effect on her, and when she didn't say anything in protest, it almost felt like she knew, in the back of her mind, that she was going to end up with him.
"However long it takes."
He leaned in almost instantly and kissed her cheek. He knew it was now or never, and that his true feelings could not be suppressed any longer.
The kiss on her soft cheek, gave him hope. Hope that one day, she will show up at his door, and let him show her what life has to offer.
He pulled back away from her face, and she gave him a smile that could kill.
"Congratulations, Caroline."
Klaus said.
Caroline was at loss for words. When he said congratulations, her heart fluttered, and not because of Tyler.
"Let's get out of here before 12 angry hybrids decide to pick a fight."
The two began to walk, their feelings united in that moment.
The stars tinged the sky with their splendor as Caroline and Klaus walked side by side down a secluded street in Mystic Falls. The sounds of the prom's past seemed almost otherworldly.
Caroline broke the silence with a casual but curious question:
"So… how are things in your precious New Orleans?"
Klaus let out a short laugh through his nose, looking straight ahead.
"Chaotic, as always. But… interesting. I recently discovered I have an older sister. Freya."
She paused for a moment, blinking several times.
"Wait… another Original? And you're just saying this now?"
The surprise in her voice was mixed with an involuntary fascination.
"Yes."
He replied, almost amused by her reaction.
"A powerful witch, kept away from the family for centuries. Someone who, strangely, I already feel as if she has always been with us."
It took Caroline a few seconds to process that, but the conversation took an even more unexpected turn when Klaus hesitated… and decided to continue.
"And… there's other news. Hayley… is pregnant."
Caroline's step almost faltered.
"What?"
Her disbelief was instantaneous.
"How… how is that even possible?"
"I was born a werewolf, Caroline. I'm not subject to the same rules as other vampires."
She stared at him, feeling discomfort rise like a tide that was difficult to stem.
"But… with Hayley? Really?"
Klaus read more than just disbelief in her voice. There was a flicker of jealousy, of disgust. He knew why, knew the complicated history between them.
"Hayley isn't what you think. She was… lost. Without a family. Her adoptive parents kicked her out of the house the first time she transformed. She spent her life trying to figure out who she was."
"That doesn't change the fact that…"
Caroline started, but stopped herself. She took a deep breath.
"Look, I get it. I mean… I think I get it. It's just… it's weird. Really weird."
She walked a few steps in silence before turning to him, her voice carrying a weight she rarely let out.
"How can you… say so many things to me? How can you promise to wait for me, talk about showing me the world… about being my last love… and, at the same time, get another woman pregnant?"
As soon as the words were out, Caroline regretted them. It wasn't the kind of vulnerability she liked to show to him, or anyone. But Klaus didn't look away.
He sighed.
"Caroline… for a thousand years, my life has been a road paved with blood and fear. Blessed and cursed by my family. Raised by a father who wasn't my father and a mother who feared me. Love, for me, has always been a weakness. Something to be avoided."
He paused, and the tone of his voice lowered, becoming almost a confession.
"The only true love I've ever known was that of my brothers. And even that… I destroyed. I stabbed them. I locked them in coffins. All out of fear… fear of being alone in the world."
Caroline didn't know what to say. Klaus continued, his gaze fixed on her as if she were the only solid thing in that moment.
"And then… you. An impossible light. A golden spark piercing through a thousand years of darkness. You saw more than the monster. More than the hybrid. You saw… the man."
He took a step closer.
"I've always needed control, Caroline. Over my battles. Over my victories. Even over my art. Painting was my metaphor for world domination… but you…"
A small smile, almost nostalgic.
"You were the anomaly. A young vampire who made the Original lose control."
His voice lowered, almost a whisper, but each word seemed carved in stone.
"For you, I spared lives I would have taken. For you, I showed mercy, understanding… even forgiveness. You changed the course of my very being, and that… no one else has."
Caroline felt her heart sink, but she kept her gaze steady. Klaus gave a sad half-smile.
"When I said you weren't born for a small life, I meant the world… the whole world… is worthy of you. And I want to be the one who puts it before your eyes."
He took a deep breath, looking away for a moment before turning back to face her.
"I won't lie. I feel more than just responsability for Hayley. Maybe there's an injustice to all this. But nothing, Caroline… nothing changes the fact that you're the greatest rarity I've ever encountered. And if fate allows me, I will wait. For all eternity, if necessary. Time… means nothing compared to you."
The silence between them was almost palpable. Caroline felt her throat tighten, the weight of his words seeping into every part of her.
She took a deep breath, as if rearranging her words before speaking, and when she spoke, she came from a concrete place, full of plans that didn't fit into drama or grandiose promises.
"I want to go to college, Klaus."
Caroline said, her voice shaking just a little.
"I want to study, have a career. I want to stay up late studying for tests, hate and love teachers, pay my bills, decorate my own house, maybe get married one day, if I want. I want friends who know me for the mess I make at home, I want a job that fulfills me. I have dreams, big and small, and I don't know if... if this world of yours, this chaos and this eternity, fit into what I want to be."
The silence that followed her confessions wasn't the emptiness of separation, it was the space where each word echoed and demanded an honest response.
Caroline looked at the floor, then at him; her eyes carried the weight of honesty that had always characterized her.
"I don't know… if what you, what we had, could be part of that. I don't know if I want my life to depend on what you are. And, yes, maybe you can tell: it scares me. And it hurts me too, because it made me believe I was… special to you. But now there's another life in between, and I don't know how to reconcile that in my head."
Klaus listened to her without interrupting. There was no flirting, no calculation, just attention so intense it felt like a promise waiting to be fulfilled. When she finished, he took a step closer, his face illuminated by the last soft light of dusk.
"Love."
He called, simply, and the word came without theatricality, pure affection.
"I'm not asking you to give up on your dreams. Never. Nothing I said, neither what I said foolishly nor what I said truthfully, was meant to erase who you are when no one else is looking."
He placed his hand over hers, firm but not imprisoning.
"If your life demands college, I'll be the first to applaud from the front row. If you want to live in a small house with creaky windows, I'll help paint the walls. If you want nights of studying, I'll wash the dishes; if you want to be far away, I'll give you distance. I'll never be a wall separating you from your horizons."
There was something there, in his voice, beyond the usual vanity, a promise shaped by centuries of experience: to know the difference between possession and reverence.
"And as for waiting…"
He looked up, and there opened a kind of sentence that was not just rhetorical:
"I will wait for you with the patience of one who knows time. Not because I think you are an object to be conquered, but because you are a door I would never tire of guarding. I will wait as the lighthouse waits for the boat, without ever forcing the boat to turn back. I will wait as if eternity were a sheet where you rest one day, and I, without haste, let the night pass until you wake."
He smiled, and the smile brought tenderness.
"When you need to talk, cry, run away, celebrate, or just be silent with someone who doesn't ask for explanations, I will be here. Always and forever. It's not an oath made to imprison; it's an altar where I place choice: your choices will always be free."
Caroline felt something break and stick inside her at the same time. It was discomfort turning into recognition; she recognized, in that man, a rare offering: not dominance, but a faithful presence.
She let out a small laugh, half broken, half relieved. She lifted her hand and placed it on his chest, feeling the rhythm there, concrete.
"That sounds…"
She tried, choosing the word gently.
"Amazing. And ridiculously good."
She looked him in the eyes.
"I still… don't promise anything. But thank you for not asking me to erase who I am."
Klaus leaned down and placed, with a gentleness that burned brighter than any ancient fire, a kiss on her forehead, a seal of waiting and reverence.
"Then keep your world, Caroline. And if you ever want me to be a part of it, in whatever small portion seems fair to you, knock on my door. I will open it. Even if the door remains closed for a thousand years, I will open it. Because loving you is, for me, learning to care for your freedom as much as my thirst for you."
She smiled, tears in her eyes, and for a moment they both stood there, two worlds touching without crushing each other, a promise thrown into the distance that didn't require immediate return.
----
The night was still, the cool air carrying an almost complicit silence. Klaus walked beside Caroline down the familiar sidewalk, each step measured, as if time had decided to slow down just for them.
The street, bathed in the soft yellow light of the streetlights, had that small-town smell after a long day: dry leaves, damp earth, and a hint of spring in the air.
They arrived in front of her house, and for a moment they stood there, side by side, looking at the door as if it were more than wood and paint, as if it were an invisible border between what they had shared and what was to come.
Klaus turned to face her, and in that look there was everything: the unspoken desire, the anticipated longing.
"This is where I say goodbye, love."
The word "love" came carried for centuries, spoken as if it had crossed wars and deserts just to find her.
Caroline smiled, that small smile that tried to hide her pounding heart. She gripped the stair railing, as if she needed something firm to steady the turmoil inside her.
"Thank you… for listening to me today. For…"
She hesitated, her voice breaking before composing herself.
"For not trying to change who I am."
He took a step closer, his shadow covering hers in the streetlight. His gaze dropped to her lips, but there was no rush, only reverence.
"I would never dare."
Klaus said, his voice low, almost a conspiratorial whisper.
"Your essence, Caroline, is the most perfect work of art the world has ever known. I would be a fool to try to repaint it. All I want is to be close enough to see every line, and far enough away so you can breathe."
She felt the air catch in her chest, and when she tried to say something, she couldn't find the words to speak. So she just looked at him, and in that look were questions, fears, and a genuine affection that frightened her.
Klaus leaned in slightly, but instead of a stolen kiss, he placed the back of his hand against her face, a touch that was more confession than contact.
"One day…"
He murmured, his eyes fixed on hers.
"Perhaps your road and mine will become the same. But until then, may all your paths be illuminated, and may you know… that wherever you are, I will be wishing the world to treat you like the rare jewel that you are."
Caroline swallowed, her heart heavy and light at the same time. She took a step back, climbing the first step, still looking at him as if she didn't want to turn away.
"Good evening, Klaus."
He smiled, not that smile of calculated charm, but a small, intimate smile, as if it were only hers.
"Goodnight my love."
He answered, and the word hung in the air like a promise.
Klaus then turned and began to walk away. But before he disappeared down the street, he stopped, looked over his shoulder, and found her still there, watching.
They didn't say anything else. They didn't need to. The silence between them was filled with anticipation, longing, and something that, in any other life, would have been called destiny.
----
The school hallways still smelled of blood and dust, the atmosphere heavy after the confrontation. Elena was panting, her gaze fixed on Katherine's unconscious body, lying on the ground with her hair disheveled and her face etched with the tension of the fight.
Elena had just forced Katherine to drink the cure, wishing her a good human life.
She barely had time to breathe on the ground when a presence cut through the air. The barely perceptible sound of footsteps was drowned out by a sudden shift, like lightning striking the night.
In less than a blink of an eye, Klaus was already there, eyes cold, expression calculated, observing the scene like someone who had just found a rare piece of unexpected value.
Before Elena could say anything, he simply bent down, and with the delicacy of someone picking up a precious artifact, lifted Katherine into his arms.
"Klaus, what are you-"
Elena began, but the sentence died in her throat. He had already disappeared, his superhuman speed leaving only a puff of wind and a void where he had stood.
When Katherine wake up, she was lying on an antique sofa, covered by a light blanket. The room was different: dark wood walls, an unlit fireplace, heavy curtains blocking any hint of the outside world. The silence was so thick it could be cut.
She put her hand to her forehead, her breathing still rapid. The memory of the scene at school came like a blow: Elena, the vial, the intense pain searing every fiber of her being… and then, emptiness.
A shiver ran up her spine.
"No… it can't be…"
She murmured, her voice cracking. She knew exactly what had happened.
It was then that she heard slow footsteps behind, echoing like a countdown. The voice was laced with sharp sarcasm, but also with that almost theatrical tone Klaus used when he wanted to revel in other people's tragedies.
"Hello, Katerina…"
He approached, standing right behind her, so close that she could feel his presence like a living shadow.
"How does it feel… to be human again?"
The word "human" came out like a sentence, and the slight smile at the corner of his lips made it clear: Klaus not only knew what this meant to her, he was savoring every second of it.