Chapter 34: Chapter 1.33
The day before, the sacrifice was almost here, and Orion had some essential things to check off his list. First, he had to sneak a hidden camera into Damon Salvatore's room and the rest of the Salvatore's house. Elena and Damon would kiss behind Stefan's back, and he needed some leverage over them.
He'd cloaked those hidden cameras with his magic, and he figured the Salvatore brothers wouldn't pay much attention to the nitty-gritty details, especially with all the craziness going on. The show was all about vampires, witches, and other supernatural stuff, hardly touching on technology, which worked perfectly in Orion's favor.
He couldn't help but grin at the thought of them being oblivious. While everyone was caught up in the supernatural drama, he planned to exploit their oversight. The stage was set, the cameras were concealed, and Orion was gearing up to play his part.
It was time for task number two: finding Elijah, who'd gone AWOL without handing over Esther's grimoire as promised. Orion wasn't one to let a deal slide, so he thought, why not call Klaus? He'd probably know where his brother had vanished to.
Orion pulled out his phone, and after a few rings, Klaus finally picked up. "Hello, Orion. What do I owe the pleasure?" Klaus greeted him, his voice dripping with that unmistakable Original Hybrid charm.
Orion didn't waste any time and got straight to the point. "Where's Elijah? He's gone completely off the radar and made a deal with me. I need him to hold up his end of the bargain," Orion explained.
Klaus chuckled, his voice taking on an outrageous tone. "Sorry to tell you, he's indisposed at the moment. Can you believe it? He planned to kill me," Klaus exclaimed.
Orion couldn't resist a sarcastic chuckle. "Well, isn't that a surprise," he quipped with sarcasm.
But his frustration had reached its peak. In anger, Orion slammed his phone shut, and a string of curses slipped from under his breath. "Damn it," he muttered. His magic reacted as if in response to his mounting anger, and the clouds overhead darkened.
Lightning cracked across the sky as if the universe agreed with his frustration. It was like the world was having a tantrum right alongside him.
After a few moments of stormy weather, Orion realized he needed to regain control of his emotions. The last thing he wanted was to draw too much attention with his magic. He took a few deep breaths and calmed down, returning the weather to its original state.
With a more level head, Orion shook off his frustration. He knew he had to stay composed and collected.
The third item on Orion's to-do list was carefully reviewing how the ritual would unfold. He had witnessed a similar scene in the show, but this time, it was different. He wasn't just a spectator; he had to perform the ritual himself. With Klaus's spell in hand, he sat down to analyze every detail, making sure everything was in place for it to go off without a hitch.
Orion's future depended on this ritual. If it went as planned, he'd have one of the most powerful supernaturals in the world as an ally, at least for the time being.
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A couple of hours before the ritual, Orion was deep into preparations when Bonnie confronted him.
"Don't tell me you're helping Klaus with the ritual. He'll kill Elena," Bonnie said, her voice filled with concern.
Orion paused, looking at Bonnie with a mixture of determination and understanding. "I've got to do what I've got to do, Bonnie, not just for myself but for you too. Have you ever wondered why Klaus hasn't killed you, even though you've been messing with his plans all this time? It's because I've been looking out for you."
Bonnie's eyes flared with frustration. "I never asked for you to look after me, Orion. I never did. But I can't stand by and let Klaus kill Elena."
Orion's tone turned more pointed. "And what exactly has Elena Gilbert done for you, Bonnie? Other than using you as a doormat and stomping all over your boundaries time and time again. Remember when she needed to know more about the sacrifice and asked you to channel Luka Martin, leading to his death? And let's not forget who got rid of Jonas Martin to make sure he wouldn't harm you."
Bonnie's eyes bore into Orion's as she countered, "Orion, you can't justify everything by saying you're looking out for me. Elena may have her flaws, but she's my friend. And I won't stand by and let her die."
Orion sighed, understanding Bonnie's loyalty to her friends. "I get it, Bonnie. I do. But you have to understand this is bigger than just Elena. Klaus is a threat to everyone, including you. By going through this ritual, I might be able to keep him in check, at least for a while."
Bonnie's frustration seemed to intensify. "And what if it goes wrong, Orion? What if you can't control him? What then?"
"I'll find a way, as I always do," Orion said with determination.
As Orion walked away, Bonnie knew that she had to find a way to save Elena, even if it meant going against Orion's plans.
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Jenna's head throbbed with a disorienting pain as she sat on the cold, unforgiving ground. She clutched at her temples, trying to piece together the fragments of her shattered memory.
"Ugh, my head. What's happening to me?" Jenna's voice quivered with fear and confusion, her words escaping her lips like fragile whispers.
Elena, her face etched with concern, leaned in closer. "Can you remember anything?"
Jenna's eyes darted around, hoping for clues in the unfamiliar surroundings. She recounted the last moments of clarity, her voice still shaky. "You called me. You sounded terrified. I should've known something was off. The moment I stepped out of the house, someone grabbed me. A vampire."
The name "Klaus" hung in the air, casting an ominous shadow. Jenna felt a shiver crawl down her spine. "He made me drink his blood. And after that...I don't remember a thing."
Elena gently reached out, taking Jenna's trembling hands into her own, a comforting gesture amid the chaos. "We're at the quarry. He brought us here," Elena explained.
Jenna's brows furrowed as she grappled with the terrifying gaps in her memory. "Why don't I remember anything?"
Elena hesitated before broaching a difficult subject, her voice laced with empathy. "Jenna, do you remember... When I told you how someone becomes a vampire?"
Jenna's eyes widened in sudden realization. "Yeah, if you die with vampire blood in your system, it's..." She trailed off, the horror of her situation dawning upon her. "Oh, god. He killed me."
Elena's voice carried a soothing promise, even amid such nightmarish circumstances. "Jenna, listen to me. Listen to me; everything's going to be okay. I'm going to get you out of here."
The weight of Jenna's newfound identity bore down on her, and she whispered in disbelief, her voice trembling, "I'm a vampire?"
Their conversation was abruptly interrupted as a figure approached them. It was Orion. Jenna and Elena looked up, their eyes filled with trepidation as they tried to make sense of the situation.
Elena noticed a sharp rock nearby and moved to grab it, a glimmer of hope in the face of danger. But before she could act, Orion used his magic.
With a wave of his hand, Orion sent Elena hurtling backward, her body crashing painfully into the unforgiving dirt. He wasn't done yet; another wave of his hand summoned a ring of fire that encircled Elena. She scrambled to her feet, desperation in her eyes, and rushed toward the flames, but they seemed impervious to her efforts.
"Don't bother trying to get through. I spelled the circle. You're trapped. No matter what you do," Orion declared, his voice devoid of compassion.
Elena, her voice fraught with desperation, implored Orion, her eyes pleading. "Orion... Please, just- just let her go."
Unwavering, Orion took a sharp rock and sliced his wrist open, allowing a stream of blood to drip from the wound. Jenna's gaze fixated on the macabre spectacle, her hunger undeniable.
Orion's voice took on a sinister edge, his words dripping with malevolence as he explained, "Klaus chose her," his eyes gleamed cruelly.
He continued, a hint of mockery in his tone, "If you had just given in and done as you were asked, none of this would have happened."
Orion extended his bloody wrist toward Jenna, offering her a grotesque choice. "Drink it."
Torn between desperation and concern for Jenna, Elena cried, "Jenna, don't!"
Jenna's inner struggle was palpable, but in the end, her hunger overcame her resistance, and she sank her teeth into Orion's wrist. Elena's anguished cries filled the air as she watched Jenna consume the warm, crimson fluid. After what felt like an eternity, Orion withdrew his wrist, and Jenna fell to the ground.
Orion's declaration cut through the tense atmosphere like a knife, his tone void of empathy as he stood up.
Grappling with their situation's despair, Elena turned to Jenna with a reassuring look. "Jenna, it's going to be okay."
But Orion wasn't finished yet. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured another ring of fire around Jenna, trapping her within its fiery circle. Jenna retreated from the flames, terror etched across her face as she knelt in her circle, trying to face the profound changes coursing through her.
"I feel like myself... Only not," Jenna admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Everything is brighter. The fire's hotter. Part of me is terrified, but there's another part of me that doesn't want to feel anything."
Elena, the seasoned vampire, offered a sad explanation. "Vampires can turn off the human part. That's the part that hurts."
Jenna's eyes glistened with tears as a haunting realization took hold. "I'm gonna die, aren't I?"
Determined and resolute, Elena refused to accept such a fate for her friend. "No! Jenna, I'm not going to let that happen. I don't care what I have to do."
Amid their conversation, distant sounds of twigs snapping and Jules's agonized groans reached their ears. Jenna's head snapped towards the source of the commotion, her heightened senses attuned to the approaching presence.
"Who's that?" Jenna inquired, her voice trembling.
Elena pieced together the puzzle. "That must be the werewolf."
Their attention was soon diverted as Orion forcefully pushed Jules to the ground. Jules clutched at her stomach, writhing in pain as her transformation into a werewolf loomed.
"What's happening to me?" Jules groaned, her voice filled with anguish.
Orion, the formidable witch with power over the supernatural, explained, his voice devoid of empathy, "I cast a spell to slow down your transformation. Your insides are trying to tear themselves free."
With a flick of his wrist, Orion conjured a third ring of fire, trapping Jules within its fiery confines.
Elena, deeply aware of the delicate balance of the supernatural world, appealed to Orion's sense of duty. "Orion, witches are supposed to maintain the balance in nature. It's your duty to them to keep this curse sealed."
"Nature can handle itself," he asserted, his eyes locking onto Elena's with unwavering determination. "If it didn't want vampires to exist, they wouldn't. If nature didn't want Klaus to become a hybrid, it would have struck him down during his transition. And if nature didn't intend for this curse to break, it would have never woven a loophole for him to exploit. Don't presume to know or speak for nature."
With an air of calculated deception, Orion reached into his pocket and pulled out the genuine moonstone. He cast a knowing glance at Klaus, a sly smile playing on his lips as he began to perform the spell.
He leaned in, his voice dripping with false sincerity. "You know, Klaus, that moonstone you had? It was a fake."
Klaus's fury burned in his eyes as he demanded, "What do you mean, fake?"
Orion, seemingly unfazed by Klaus's anger, met his gaze squarely. "I mean, Klaus, that moonstone you've been holding onto for dear life? It's a fake."
Klaus's expression shifted from anger to disbelief. "You're lying!"
Orion's nonchalant demeanor remained steady as he explained, "No, Klaus. I swapped out the real moonstone with a fake one a while ago. So, the one you've been clinging to is nothing more than a clever imitation, a dud."
Klaus's anger simmered, his frustration palpable. But as he contemplated Orion's words, a reluctant understanding seemed to settle in. He grudgingly acknowledged the truth of the situation.
"Don't be mad, darling," Orion said with a sly smile, "you had to play the game, and this is me playing my part. Besides, me performing this spell for you essentially cancels out whatever you're thinking. After all, without me, that moonstone wouldn't even be here."
Klaus, still displeased but realizing he had no other choice, finally relented. He looked at Orion and uttered, "Go on."
Orion dropped the moonstone into a stone bowl filled with flames. Sparks flew as the moonstone was destroyed. He began chanting a spell in Latin. Klaus approached the rings of fire, while Jules still lay on the ground, moaning in pain, and looked up at Elena.
Everything I did," she began, her breaths labored, "I was just trying to help Tyler."
Elena, her eyes filled with empathy, questioned cautiously.
"Are you Jules?" she inquired, her voice soft with understanding.
Jules's gaze bore into Elena's, her desperation apparent.
"I didn't want him to be alone," Jules confessed her words a desperate plea.
Klaus, his face a portrait of stoic determination, regarded Jules with a chilling detachment.
"Shall we?" he asked, his tone devoid of remorse.
The ring of fire around Jules dispersed. Jules's eyes turned yellow, and she used her werewolf speed to rush at Klaus. However, Klaus got the upper hand and pinned Jules to the ground, plunging his hand into her chest and ripping out her heart. Jules took a final breath, tears streaming down her face, and died. Klaus breathed heavily as he held the bloody heart in his hands. Elena and Jenna looked on, horrified.
As Orion continued his incantation, the atmosphere grew thick with tension, Resolute and unwavering, Klaus held Jules' still-beating heart over the ceremonial bowl, allowing her blood to trickle into the flames that danced with an unnatural and sinister vigor.
Does that mean it's working?" Klaus inquired, his voice tinged with a chilling anticipation.
Orion's response carried an unshakable conviction. "It's working."
Elena, who was watching all this from within the rings of fire at a distance, had that heavy-heart look on her face. And Jenna, well, she looked like she was about to break down into tears any second. They were in this together, facing an uncertain future and all that.
Jenna decided to break the silence, and it was clear she was wrestling with her thoughts. "You know, the day the lawyers called to tell me I was going to be your guardian, you wanna know what I thought first? Like, isn't there someone else better for this job?"
Elena, who got the weight of Jenna's sacrifice, shook her head like she told a friend it was all good. "Jenna, no one else could've done what you did. You held us together when everything was falling apart."
Jenna looked like she had some heavy guilt on her chest. "I just can't shake the feeling that I almost walked away from caring for you."
Elena knelt beside Jenna, and this was a real heart-to-heart moment. "But you didn't, Jenna. You put your life on hold to protect us, and we're grateful for that."
With the world crashing down around them, Jenna couldn't help but voice her self-doubt. "Look at us now, Elena. I feel like I've failed you."
Elena, though, she wasn't having any of that. She was all about lifting Jenna up. "No, Jenna. You didn't fail us. If anyone failed, it was me. I'm so sorry."
Elena leaned in closer, her words a quiet promise amidst the chaos surrounding them. "Listen. Being a vampire intensifies your guilt. But it also makes you stronger and faster. You can fight back. I'm gonna get through this. I'll be okay. I need you to believe that. Promise me when you get the chance..." Elena placed a finger to her lips, their secret pact sealed in that intimate moment, "Run."
Jenna nodded in understanding, her response equally quiet. "Okay."
As Klaus made his way toward the ring of fire with Jenna inside, you could cut the tension with a knife. Jenna and Elena stood side by side, with a mix of fear and determination on their faces.
Elena's voice trembled with desperation as she pleaded with Klaus, her eyes locked onto him. "Let her go. I get it, I'm on the chopping block, but she doesn't have to be."
Elena took a step closer to the flames, and for a moment, they flared up, but she quickly backed off, her defiance clear.
Klaus, with that strange mix of amusement and danger he always had, offered a word of caution, "Easy now."
Jenna's voice, filled with anguish, implored Elena, "Elena, don't."
But Elena wasn't backing down, her love for her family driving her. "No, Jenna! We can't leave Jeremy without a family. I played by your rules; I did everything you wanted. I didn't run. Please."
Klaus's gaze shifted upwards, and when Jenna and Elena followed his line of sight, they both gasped as Stefan appeared, standing at the top of the quarry. It was definitely a surprise guest.
Klaus remarked with a hint of curiosity, "I don't remember inviting you."
Jenna and Elena exchanged surprised glances. But before anything else could happen, Orion muttered an incantation, "Ad sonum," and collapsed. He also made sure he'd feel some pain if he woke up.
Orion's voice interrupted the tense scene, and he didn't sound like he had any patience left. "I don't have time for this," he said firmly, his gaze locked onto Klaus.
As Orion continued chanting, Jenna watched with fear in her eyes, and Elena felt helpless, her tears starting to flow.
"No," Elena whispered, her voice filled with despair.
Klaus, still determined as ever, pushed Elena to accept her fate. "Your turn."
Elena's plea grew more desperate, and she tried to get to Jenna, but the fire around her flared up, keeping her at bay. With a determined look, Jenna spoke to Elena with a heavy heart.
"It's okay, Elena. I know what I have to do."
In a moment of shared silence, Jenna made her choice. With vampiric speed, she darted toward Orion. But Orion was quick, too. He put Jenna on the ground and inflicted an agonizing aneurysm upon her.
Jenna's screams echoed through the quarry.
Orion's tone took a menacing turn, but he kept it casual as he spoke to Jenna and Elena. "Don't even think about it, ladies," he said, a cynical smirk on his lips as he looked at them both.
With a burst of supernatural speed, Klaus reached Jenna and staked her in the back, pulling her away from Orion. Jenna gasped, and Klaus released her, letting her fall to the ground. Elena, overwhelmed with grief, began to cry.
"Jenna, damn it!" Elena cried out, her voice filled with anguish.
Orion resumed his chanting, his voice carrying an eerie resonance. Klaus stayed by Jenna's side as Orion continued the ritual. Meanwhile, Stefan, who had regained consciousness, struggled to get up. He felt the piece of wood in his back but couldn't quite reach it. Stefan looked up at Elena, his heart heavy with sorrow, and his gaze drifted toward Jenna's lifeless body with the stake in her chest.
"No," Stefan whispered, his voice filled with regret.
Orion poured Jenna's blood into the ceremonial bowl, his incantations continuing. Still unable to move, Stefan felt a deep guilt for the events that had transpired.
"I'm so sorry," Stefan muttered, his voice filled with anguish.
Elena, her tear-streaked cheeks glistening, placed a finger to her lips and hushed Stefan as she whispered to him.
"Are they gonna kill him?" Elena asked quietly, her voice trembling.
Stefan whispered back, his tone heavy with resignation, "Yeah."
Klaus approached Elena, and the circle of fire vanished from around her. Elena looked up at him, her expression a mix of defiance and grief. Klaus extended his hand toward her, but Elena ignored him, her eyes fixed on Jenna's lifeless form on the altar. Klaus followed her up to the altar and forcibly grabbed Elena's face, turning it so that she was looking at him.
"Thank you, Elena," Klaus said with a twisted sense of gratitude.
Elena's response was laced with defiance. "Go to hell."
Stefan continued to struggle to get up from the ground but ultimately fell back, too weak to move. Elena stared out blankly as Klaus sank his fangs into her neck, starting to drain her of her blood. Stefan watched helplessly as Klaus held Elena tightly, his eyes beginning to sprout more veins. Elena's eyelids fluttered, and her eyes rolled back into her head as she succumbed to her fate, life slipping away. Klaus released her, and Elena fell to the ground, lifeless. Blood dripped from Klaus's mouth, and the flame in the bowl was extinguished. Elena's body lay lifeless, and Stefan stared at her, his sadness palpable as he lowered his head to the ground.
Klaus, breathing heavily, walked down the stone steps, a sense of transformation and triumph coursing through him.
"I can feel it. It's happening," Klaus muttered to himself as he looked up at the full moon. Suddenly, his bones began to crack, and he started to transform. His eyes turned yellow like a werewolf's, but he still retained the veins under them, like a vampire.
Suddenly, Klaus was thrown through the air. The flames in the bowl reignited, startling Orion. He heard and saw Bonnie coming down the hillside, chanting a spell.
Bonnie continued her incantation, her voice powerful and determined:
"Phasmatos Infero Eseri Gratas, Disasustos Vom, Mas Pro Je Ta Sue Te. Victamas Veras. Phasmatos Tribum, Niha Sue Exilum, Disasustos Vom, Mas Pro Je Ta Sue Te. Levam, Mina Sue Te, Disasustos Vom, Mas Pro Je Ta Sue Te. Phasmatos Veras. Fes Matos Tribum, Mas Pro Tes Unum. Victas Ex Melam, Phasmatos Vanem. Mas Pro Je Ta Sue Te."
Orion shot a quick glance at Bonnie, urging her to stop. He knew that there was nothing more she could do, and he didn't want her risking her life for someone who was already gone. So, he took matters into his own hands, literally.
With a swift move, he snapped Damon's and Stefan's necks. He then turned to Bonnie, who was still chanting away, her determination unwavering.
Orion, his expression pained, said, "Bonnie, stop. It's over."
But Bonnie was too absorbed in her spell, her voice echoing with power. She didn't hear Orion's words, and he couldn't bear to see her put herself in harm's way.
With a resigned sigh, he muttered, "Sorry, Bonnie," and cast the "Silencio" spell. Instantly, her voice was silenced, and her chanting ceased. She looked at Orion with a mix of confusion and hurt, unable to comprehend his actions in that critical moment.
Orion looked at Bonnie, his expression firm. He knew that there was no sorrow left, only a grim reality.
"Bonnie," he said firmly, "it's over. There's nothing more we can do here."
But Bonnie remained lost in her determination. Having no choice, Orion used his magic to force her into a deep sleep, casting the incantation "Ad sonum." Her body went limp and fell to the ground, finally at rest.
With Bonnie asleep, Orion turned his attention to Klaus, who was still and watching. He ordered Klaus to leave, and without a word, Klaus complied, making his exit.
Orion then proceeded to set fire to Jules' body, leaving Jenna's and Elena's on the ground. He went over and retrieved the stones he had buried earlier, placing them in his pocket. With Bonnie in his arms, he left the quarry behind the ritual.
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- 4000 Words, the Longest chapter I have ever done I think.
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Would you rather be in the 2009 "The Vampire Diaries" era or in the era of "Legacies"?
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