"Caroline!"
Rebekah Mikaelson stopped in front of Nik's house, with Hayley walking beside her.
"And Amara too."
"Oh, Rebekah and Little Wolf." Caroline laughed as she walked toward them. "Here to see Nik?"
"Of course. My nephew promised me a family day."
"I was taking care of Hope, so I decided to catch a ride back home," Hayley said with a sigh.
"We bought enough junk food to feed an army," Amara added shyly as she reached for the door.
The moment she opened it, every bag slipped from her hands.
Plastic containers crashed onto the floor.
"Oh no..."
"What's wrong?" Caroline asked as she stepped inside.
Then she froze.
"...Ah."
Hayley frowned.
"What?"
Rebekah crossed her arms.
"Why are both of you making that face?"
The two women walked inside.
And immediately stopped.
"NIK!"
Hayley nearly screamed.
"The hell?!"
Rebekah took an aggressive step forward.
Nik was hanging upside down on the wall.
Bound by glowing green magic.
Tears streamed down his face.
His expression looked like someone had just murdered his entire family.
"M-My saves..." he sobbed.
"She deleted everything..."
"NIK!"
Hayley rushed forward.
Rebekah right behind her.
"Let him go right now!"
Caroline immediately grabbed both women.
"No."
"What do you mean no?!" Hayley shouted.
"He's crying!"
"I can see that."
"Then help him!"
"No."
"WHY?!"
Caroline simply pointed toward the couch.
A woman sat there calmly.
Elegant.
Relaxed.
Completely unbothered.
Deleting save files one by one.
Delete.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Nik's scream sounded like it came directly from his soul.
Hayley put a hand over her mouth.
"My God..."
"That's horrifying." Rebekah agreed.
"I know."
"Then why are you so calm?!"
"Because I enjoy being alive."
Silence.
Hayley slowly turned toward her.
"...What?"
Amara was pale.
Deathly pale.
Her hands were shaking.
Her eyes were locked on the woman.
Like a rabbit staring at a wolf.
"Amara?"
No answer.
"Amara?"
"Hm?"
"Are you okay?"
"No."
"What?"
"I am very much not okay."
"Why?"
Amara swallowed.
"Because she's here."
The woman finally looked up.
"Hello, Amara."
Amara nearly fainted.
"L-Lady Qetsiyah..."
"You look healthy."
"T-Thank you."
"Nik is treating you well?"
"YES!"
The answer came entirely too fast.
Qetsiyah smiled.
"Good."
Amara looked seconds away from passing out.
Hayley glanced between them.
Completely confused.
"What is happening?"
"I'd also like an explanation." Rebekah said.
"Who is she?"
Qetsiyah looked back at the television.
"Nobody important."
"That's a lie." Caroline immediately answered.
"Caroline."
"What? It is."
Rebekah narrowed her eyes.
"Caroline."
"Yes?"
"Who is she?"
Caroline sighed.
"Honestly?"
"Yes."
"I was hoping Nik would explain this eventually."
"Explain what?"
Caroline pointed.
"She's his mother."
Silence.
Complete.
Absolute.
Hayley blinked.
Rebekah blinked.
Nik continued crying.
"My save file..."
"NIK!" Hayley shouted.
"THIS IS NOT THE IMPORTANT PART!"
"YES IT IS!"
"NO IT ISN'T!"
"YES IT IS!"
"I HAD FOUR HUNDRED HOURS IN THAT GAME!"
"NIK!"
Meanwhile Rebekah stared at Qetsiyah.
"Mother?"
"Yes."
"His mother?"
"Yes."
"His biological mother?"
"Yes."
"His actual mother?"
"How many mothers did you think he had?"
Nobody answered.
Honestly?
Nobody knew.
Nik barely talked about his personal life.
Everyone knew Sheila.
Everyone knew Bonnie.
Everyone knew Caroline.
Everyone knew Amara.
But his mother?
That topic never came up.
Ever.
Hayley slowly looked at Nik.
"Wait."
"What?"
"One time I asked about your mother."
"Yeah."
"And you said she was busy."
"Yeah."
"I thought that was an excuse."
"It wasn't."
Hayley looked at Qetsiyah.
Then at Nik.
Then back at Qetsiyah.
"...That explains so much."
"I hear that a lot."
Rebekah was still suspicious.
"Then why didn't anyone know?"
Nik sniffled.
"Because I don't talk about my private life."
"You talk about your girlfriends constantly."
"That's different."
"How?"
"They show up."
"YOUR MOTHER IS LITERALLY HERE!"
"And look what happened!"
Delete.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Rebekah physically flinched.
"That was cruel."
"I know."
"Then stop."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because he gave me a headache."
"You're deleting his games!"
"Yes."
"That's torture."
"Yes."
"You admitted it!"
"I never denied it."
Hayley looked at Caroline.
"How are you this calm?"
Caroline sighed.
"Because I know Nik."
"And?"
"If he's in this situation..."
She pointed at him.
"...he definitely deserved it."
"Fair enough."
Nik immediately gasped.
"Traitor."
"Accurate traitor."
Amara remained completely silent.
Which finally caught Rebekah's attention.
"You're unusually quiet."
Amara froze.
"I enjoy living."
"She's not going to kill you."
"You don't know her."
"Amara."
"What?"
"Why are you so scared?"
Amara looked at Qetsiyah.
Then at Nik.
Then at the ceiling.
As if asking heaven for help.
None came.
"Because I'm smart."
"That doesn't answer the question."
"It's the best answer you're getting."
Qetsiyah smiled.
"Still traumatized?"
Amara closed her eyes.
"Very."
Nik was still hanging upside down.
Still crying.
Still devastated.
"My saves..."
"NIK!"
"WHAT?!"
"FOCUS!"
"I AM GRIEVING!"
Qetsiyah finally laughed.
A real laugh.
And at that moment Hayley and Rebekah realized what Caroline had known for years.
It didn't matter how powerful Nik was.
It didn't matter how dangerous he was.
It didn't matter how many monsters he could defeat.
In front of that woman...
He became a giant crybaby.
And apparently nobody in existence had the power to stop it.
---
Qetsiyah eventually stood and walked toward Rebekah.
"Rebekah."
The Original frowned.
"You know my name?"
"Of course I do."
Qetsiyah sighed dramatically.
"Your brother is the father of my son."
"Unfortunately."
Rebekah blinked.
"...Excuse me?"
"What do you want?" she asked cautiously.
Qetsiyah stopped in front of her.
"Your mother is in town."
The room instantly went silent.
"And my son not only broke my rules..."
Her eyes narrowed.
"...he somehow managed to do it incorrectly."
Nik groaned.
"Can we not talk about that?"
"No."
Qetsiyah lightly tapped Rebekah's shoulder.
"Good luck."
Then she smiled.
"And be careful with your boyfriend."
Rebekah's eyes narrowed.
"What does that mean?"
But Qetsiyah had already moved on.
Straight toward Amara.
Amara immediately took a step backward.
Fear written all over her face.
Qetsiyah gently grabbed her chin.
Amara visibly trembled.
Then with a fingernail—
A tiny cut appeared.
A drop of immortal blood rolled down.
Collected inside a small glass vial.
"Perfect."
And then—
She vanished.
Gone.
Just like that.
Silence.
Several seconds passed.
Then Rebekah finally processed everything.
"...Did she just disappear?"
"YES!" Hayley shouted.
"WHO DOES THAT?!"
"Nik's mother." Caroline answered.
"Apparently."