Life with the Mikaelsons was hard long before the word "vampire" meant anything.The family grew—Kol with his boundless mischief, Rebekah with her fierce curiosity, and Hendrick, sweet and too trusting. Viktor avoided growing close to Hendrick. He knew what fate awaited him, and the thought alone made his stomach twist.Their days were a mix of chores, hunting lessons, and Mikael's harsh expectations.
Some days Mikael pushed them so hard the ache lingered into the night. Viktor played weak, flinching when Mikael struck, but inside… the blows were nothing. His wish had worked. His bones were denser, his muscles faster to adapt, his body resistant to harm in a way no one noticed.Except maybe Ayana.Sometimes he caught her watching him too closely.At age five, Esther crafted two matching necklaces for Niklaus and Viktor. Beautiful pieces of craftsmanship—silver chains with amber stones."These will protect you," she told them, fastening them gently around their necks.But Viktor felt the magic immediately—heavy, muffling, suppressing. Limiting.
And he knew exactly what they were really for.Niklaus didn't notice. He just held up his necklace and smiled. "Do you think it will keep wolves away?""Of course, little wolf," Esther said with a loving smile.Viktor swallowed hard. She's lying to him. And worse—he knew why.Still… he wore the necklace. He even acted impressed."It's beautiful," he told Esther. "Thank you."Her eyes softened in surprise at how polite he was—something few of her children bothered with.Despite keeping secrets, Viktor still lived a childhood.Rebekah adored him. She'd tug on his sleeve, demanding he help her build tiny forts of sticks and moss.Kol tried to wrestle him daily—"Come on, Viktor! Fight me!"—and Viktor always let Kol pin him, earning cheers and Mikael's disappointment.Elijah, the eldest brother, spoke quietly but watched everything. One afternoon, Elijah caught Viktor practicing footwork in the woods—moves no ten-year-old should know."You train in secret," Elijah observed. Not accusing. Just… noticing.Viktor shrugged, heart pounding. "Father wants us strong."Elijah gave him a long look, then nodded.
"If you ever want a partner, I won't tell anyone."That was the first time Viktor felt the warmth of true family—not the duty Mikael demanded, but something chosen.Even Niklaus, trouble magnet and daydreamer, stuck to him constantly. "Viktor, come with me!" he'd shout while racing into the village. "You always make things more fun."And Viktor would follow, because no matter what Klaus became in the future… right now, he was just a boy. A boy who laughed easily, protected Rebekah from teasing boys, and snuck bread for Hendrick when he thought no one was looking.It was getting harder to hate him for sins he hadn't yet committed.
Every night, when his siblings slept and the house quieted, Viktor slipped out into the woods. The moonlight filtered through the branches, cool and steady. Perfect for training.He practiced stances, punches, footwork—everything he'd learned from martial arts videos in his old life. His body responded fast, far faster than any human child's should. He'd do a hundred push-ups without shaking. He could run for miles without losing breath.Sometimes he felt the magic in the earth, calling to him like a living pulse. He wanted to siphon it so badly his fingertips tingled. But he never did.
Not yet.He couldn't risk being discovered.He needed to wait for the right moment—until after the turning, after he became an Original. Then, and only then, would he show the world who Viktor Mikaelson really was.