POV: Nero
"Alright," I said calmly, dusting off my coat, "now that we can all—"
Before I could finish, a door suddenly slammed open.
Everyone turned.
An old man stepped into the room, and in front of him was Monna. His arm was wrapped around her neck and a knife was pressed tightly against her throat.
The room went silent.
My expression immediately hardened.
"Put the knife down, old man," I said slowly.
"Shut up!" he snapped. "You monster! I know what you are."
I raised an eyebrow and glanced at Monna.
She avoided my gaze for a moment.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "He went through my memories."
"Yes," the old man said proudly. "I searched her mind. I saw everything. I know exactly what you are."
His voice shook with disgust.
"You're an abomination. A monster. A—"
"A hybrid," I finished for him calmly.
The word echoed in the room.
"I am a hybrid, old man," I continued. "Half werewolf, half vampire. Though if you prefer the word monster, I suppose that works just as well."
Every person in the room stared at me in shock.
Before anyone could react—
I moved.
In the blink of an eye, I grabbed the old man's wife and pulled her in front of me, gripping her throat.
Her eyes widened in fear.
"Now listen carefully," I said coldly, looking directly at the man. "If you don't let her go right now, I will snap her neck… and then I will kill the rest of your little family. Your sons. Your daughters. Your entire coven."
I leaned closer.
"And trust me… you already know I can."
He hesitated.
Just for a second.
That was all I needed.
I blurred forward and slammed into him, knocking him away from Monna. The knife clattered across the floor.
I caught Monna before she hit the ground and pulled her close.
"Easy," I said quietly. "You're alright."
She grabbed onto my coat tightly.
"Don't worry," I said softly. "I'm here."
At that moment the front door opened and Axel stepped inside.
"Let him in," I told Adeline.
She looked like she was about to refuse.
So I casually picked up a wooden stake and aimed it at one of her sons.
Her expression changed instantly.
"…Fine," she said bitterly. "Come in."
Axel rushed over and carefully took Monna from my arms.
"I'll take care of her," he said.
I nodded.
He quickly left the room.
Then I turned back toward the Moreau family.
"Alright," I said calmly. "Let's get down to business."
I gestured toward the twins.
"So here's what's going to happen. I'm going to take those two…"
I pointed directly at them.
"…and then I'm going to be on my merry way."
The old man—George—slowly stood up again.
"George, stay down," his wife pleaded.
I chuckled slightly.
"Yes, George," I said. "You should really listen to your wife."
But he ignored her and continued standing.
His eyes burned with hatred.
"And who exactly do you think you are?" he demanded.
I smiled slowly.
"I believe I already told you."
My eyes shifted to gold as black veins spread beneath them.
"A monster."
What followed was chaos.
The only sound filling the house was screaming.
A few hours later.
We returned to camp with the twins.
Their names were Elsa and Bella.
Both of them had fainted after watching their family die.
Which, admittedly, was understandable.
I sat quietly for a moment as we rode away from the town.
Was I a bad person now?
I didn't know.
But I didn't kill without reason.
If the Moreau family had lived, my secret would have spread.
And I couldn't allow that.
When we arrived back at camp, Monna was already recovering.
She immediately placed the twins under a sleeping spell.
"They won't wake up until I release it," she explained.
"Good," I said.
Now the next step of my plan could begin.
Some time later.
Columbia.
I sat inside my study in a large mansion overlooking the coast. Books were spread across my desk as I read through ancient records about the Nine Original Witch Covens.
There was still so much to learn.
The door behind me opened.
I didn't look up.
"You took your time," I said.
Monna walked into the room and sat down across from me.
She studied me for a moment.
"You never told me the whole truth," she said quietly.
I closed the book in front of me.
"No," I admitted. "I didn't."
She folded her arms.
"So tell me now," she said. "What exactly are you planning?"
I leaned back in my chair.
"My goal is actually quite simple."
She waited.
"I want to become something that no one in this world can kill."
Her eyes narrowed.
"And how exactly do you plan to do that?"
"Unlimited power," I said calmly. "Complete immortality. No weaknesses."
"That sounds impossible," she replied.
"Not impossible," I said.
"Just… complicated."
She leaned forward slightly.
"What do you need?"
I began counting on my fingers.
"First… the venom of the seven original werewolf bloodlines."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"That alone would take decades to gather."
I nodded.
"Second… siphoner twins from the Gemini Coven."
She glanced toward the room where Elsa and Bella were sleeping.
"I figured that part out already."
"Third," I continued, "the blood of a doppelgänger."
Monna frowned.
"Why?"
"Because doppelgänger blood carries powerful magical balance," I explained.
"Fourth… a piece of the White Oak Tree."
Her expression turned serious.
"The one that can kill Originals?"
"The very same."
"Fifth," I continued, "The Cure."
Her eyes widened again.
"You're talking about the Cure for immortality?"
"Yes."
She shook her head.
"But aren't you gonna kill Sails"
I smiled slightly.
I decided not to, I said while shrugging my shoulders
"And the last ingredients?" she asked.
I paused.
"The blood of Freya Mikaelson."
She blinked.
"…Who?"
"You'll learn eventually," I said.
"And all of this… what is it for exactly?" she asked.
I stood up and walked toward the window.
"There is one place where this ritual must be performed."
She waited.
"The place the originals where made "
She frowned.
"Why there?"
"Because it sits on one of the oldest concentrations of supernatural magic in the world."
I turned back toward her.
"When the time comes," I said calmly, "everything will happen there."
Monna stared at me for several seconds.
"You're talking about changing the balance of the supernatural world," she said quietly.
I smiled slightly.
"No."
I shook my head.
"I'm talking about breaking it completely."
The room fell silent.
–
POV Nero
We had made it to the island where Silas was being kept. We brought a human with us to feed Silas because I needed him awake for only a few seconds. I was sure Monna could hold him off for that long. I needed his blood so I could recreate his mind control ability.
Silas could make people see whatever he wanted—illusions so real they could break a person's mind. He could even control people. He had done it to Klaus once.
If I could have that power along with everything else…
I felt goosebumps crawl up my arms just thinking about it.
The rowboat scraped softly against the sand as I stepped onto the beach.
I brought twenty vampires with me. I wasn't taking any chances.
"Axel," I said.
"Yes, boss. What's up?"
"You and Lexa take everyone and scout the island. I want eyes everywhere. If you find anyone—anyone at all—you report back to me immediately."
Axel nodded. "Got it, boss."
He walked off, already shouting orders to the others.
Monna stepped up beside me, her boots crunching softly on the sand.
"So," she said, folding her arms, "apparently Qetsiyah placed a spell on the entrance to his tomb. But she weakened it from the other side to help us."
I raised an eyebrow.
"She did that… while dead."
Monna gave a small shrug. "She was one of the most powerful witches to ever live."
"One of?" I chuckled. "Being able to influence the living world from the afterlife sounds like the top spot to me."
She smiled faintly.
"Well," I said, slipping my arm loosely around her shoulders, "pretty lady… let's go find ourselves a tomb."
By nightfall, we had made camp.
My vampires reported back.
"No one on the island," Axel said.
"That's what I expected," I replied. "This place isn't exactly on the tourist map."
When it was time, I took ten vampires with me to the cave.
And the human.
He walked calmly beside us.
He had sacrificed himself for his family. He was already dying from an illness that no doctor could cure. So he chose to die for a reason.
I respected that.
Once inside the cave, Monna stepped forward.
"Give me a few minutes," she said.
Her hands began moving through the air, tracing symbols.
The cave trembled.
Rocks cracked.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
The sealed entrance slowly began collapsing inward.
Minutes passed.
Finally—
A hole opened in the stone.
I smiled.
"Well," I said quietly, "into the darkness we go."
I stepped inside first.
Monna eventually moved ahead of us, guiding us deeper through the winding tunnels.
The air grew colder.
Older.
Eventually we reached the chamber.
And there he was.
Silas.
His body was twisted in stone and vines, like the earth itself had tried to swallow him.
I looked at the human.
"Thank you for your help," I told him. "Your family will be taken care of. Not just them—your descendants as well."
His eyes softened.
"Thank you… sir."
I compelled him.
"You will not feel pain," I said gently. "And you will not make a sound."
He nodded.
I guided him forward.
Silas' mouth opened the moment the blood touched his lips.
His hand shot forward.
He grabbed the man. And started feeding
While Silas fed, I grabbed the small stone box that was in his hand.
The Cure.
I placed it inside my infinite storage space.
I glanced at Monna.
She nodded.
"Showtime," I said.
The moment Silas finished feeding, I moved.
I slammed him against the stone and pinned him down.
"Now!" I shouted.
Monna began chanting immediately.
The same spell Qetsiyah had used.
Not as powerful—but Silas was still weakened .
Very weakened
Before she finished sealing him back inside the stone prison—
I sank my fangs into his skin.
Stone cracked under the pressure.
Dark blood filled my mouth.
I collected some of it and placed it into my storage.
Seconds later Monna finished the spell.
The stone closed.
The vines sealed him in again.
Just like before.
Like we had never been there.
Except now—
We had the Cure.
When we returned to camp, the vampires began preparing the boats.
Monna sat near the fire, staring at the Cure resting in my hand.
"You actually did it," she said quietly.
I turned the small vial between my fingers.
"Yeah," I replied.
"But we're not done."
She frowned.
"What do you mean we're not done? You have the Cure."
"I have a Cure."
Her eyes narrowed.
"And that's a problem… how?"
"You know how I've told you I've had a vision of the future, " I said.
She looked confused. Yeah but. I cut her off
"In the future," I continued, "a group of people in a place called Mystic Falls will find this Cure. That event leads to… a lot of things happening the way they're supposed to."
"So?"
"So if the Cure disappears now," I said calmly, "the timeline changes."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"You're telling me… you're planning to steal the Cure… and then put it back later so history stays the same?"
"Exactly."
She stared at me for a long moment.
"That might be the most insane thing you've ever said."
I grinned.
"Probably."
She sighed.
"So what's the plan?"
"We get another Cure."
She blinked.
"…another one."
"Yes."
"That's impossible."
"No," I said. "It isn't."
She leaned forward.
"Explain."
" You know what prison worlds are right," I said.
Her expression changed immediately.
"A prison world?"
"Yes."
"Those are extremely rare," she said slowly. "They're entire pocket dimensions."
She looked at me for a moment
"And you think there's a cure inside one?"
"There is, I said, every prison world is just a remake of the real one, so If I go to a prison world and go to this Island. Then you can find a cure at the same spot, she said
She stared at me.
Then slowly stood up.
"Give me a moment."
She disappeared into one of the tents.
A few minutes passed
Eventually she returned holding something.
A small object.
Metal.
Intricate.
An Ascendant.
"You're insane," she said.
"But you were right."
I leaned back in my chair.
"So this why you had me bring this"
I nodded slowly
" Well, she said, The prison world connected to this Ascendant is."
"What? I said"
Her voice grew serious.
" it only can let one person eneter."
"That's fine"
"But Nero…"
She hesitated.
"There are over one hundred vampires imprisoned inside that world."
I smiled.
"That's even better."
She groaned.
"You're impossible."
The next night we began the spell.
The Ascendant rested on a stone circle carved into the ground.
My vampires stood around the clearing.
Monna stood in front of me.
"You're sure about this?" she asked.
"Completely."
"If something goes wrong—"
"It won't."
She rolled her eyes.
"That confidence is going to get you killed one day."
"Maybe."
Her voice grew quiet.
"Good luck."
The spell began.
Wind rose around us.
The Ascendant began glowing.
Monna's chanting grew louder.
Magic surged through the air like electricity.
The world twisted.
Light exploded around me—
And suddenly—
Silence.
I stood alone.
On a beach.
The same island.
But different.
No camp.
No vampires.
No Monna.
No boats.
Just empty ocean and still air.
I closed my eyes.
And listened.
For a moment—
Nothing.
Then slowly…
I heard them.
Heartbeats.
Dozens.
Then more.
Then more.
One hundred.
One hundred beating hearts.