Laura's POV
The Mikaelsons' departure left a lingering chill in the autumn air, but the feeling wasn't one of dread. No, it was a surge of exhilaration. My siblings. My original family. After centuries of quiet rebellion, of meticulously crafting an existence separate from their chaotic orbit, they had arrived. And with them, the promise of inevitable, glorious pandemonium. It was almost… nostalgic.
I walked the rest of the way to the modest rental house I'd acquired, my mind racing. Klaus, with his insatiable desire for power. Rebekah, with her eternal yearning for love and normalcy, always thwarted by our cursed lives. And Elijah, the honorable one, always seeking redemption, always trying to fix what was irrevocably broken within us. They would all want a piece of Elena, for different reasons. But I wanted her in a way they couldn't possibly comprehend – not just for the hybrid curse, not just for a human life, but for the deeper, primordial magic that pulsed within her blood, the very essence of the doppelgänger lineage that had fascinated me since before our transformation.
I reached the house, a quaint, two-story affair that perfectly suited my "transfer student" persona. Inside, it was tastefully furnished but impersonal. Just the way I liked it. No lingering ghosts, no sentimental ties. I poured myself a glass of O negative, from a blood bank supply I kept carefully stocked. It was a poor substitute for the real thing, but a necessary evil to maintain my facade.
My phone buzzed. It was a text from Caroline: "OMG! Guess who just enrolled?! Elena's new neighbors, the mysterious new family! The Mikaelsons! They're literally gorgeous!!!"
I smirked, a genuine, unforced smile. Excellent. The play was already in motion.
Stefan's POV
The bonfire attack had left me on edge. Damon swore it was Laura, and given my limited but unsettling interactions with her, I couldn't entirely dismiss the possibility. An Original in Mystic Falls, actively trying to draw attention away from herself by creating a distraction, all while having an undeniable interest in Elena. It was a dangerous combination.
My unease intensified when I saw the new faces at school the next day. The Mikaelsons. I'd read about them in ancient journals, heard whispers in the darkest corners of the supernatural world. Legends. They were the Original family, the first vampires. And they were here.
I saw them in the hallway, an imposing trio that made even Damon seem… less intimidating. Klaus, radiating a predatory charm. Rebekah, beautiful and imperious. And Elijah, the one who always seemed to carry the weight of centuries with solemn grace.
My eyes found Elena, and she looked as unnerved as I felt. This was going to be a nightmare.
"Stefan," Elena said, walking up to me after class, her voice laced with concern. "Did you see the new students? They're… intense. Damon said they're staying at the Lockwood mansion."
"I did, Elena," I replied, forcing a reassuring smile, though my stomach churned. "Just another rich family moving to town." It was a pathetic lie, and we both knew it.
"Damon seems to know them," she added, her brow furrowed. "He was acting really strange after he saw them."
"Damon always acts strange," I said, trying to inject some levity. But inside, a cold dread settled. Damon knowing the Originals was a problem. A very big problem.
Damon's POV
"Well, well, well," I drawled, leaning against the archway of the school entrance, watching the Mikaelsons make their grand exit. Klaus, with that infuriating smirk. Rebekah, already eyeing the human boys. And Elijah, ever the stoic, with a hint of concern in his usually calm eyes.
My phone vibrated. Stefan. "They're here, Damon. The Originals. You knew this, didn't you?" His voice was a tight whisper.
"Relax, baby brother. Just expanding our social circle. They're Elena's new neighbors, apparently. How convenient." I grinned, a purely sarcastic gesture.
"This isn't funny, Damon! They're dangerous. And Laura… she's an Original too. What do we do?"
"We observe. We adapt. We protect Elena. And we figure out what the hell they all want with her," I said, my voice hardening. "This isn't just about a hybrid curse anymore. It's something bigger. Laura practically confirmed it. Some ancient vampire attraction to doppelgängers. Like catnip to us, apparently."
I watched as Laura Thorne, my long-lost Mikaelson sister, walked out of the school, her dark hair gleaming in the sunlight. She glanced my way, a subtle nod, a flicker of that knowing mischief in her eyes. She knew I knew. She wanted me to know. She was playing us all.
This was going to be an epic mess. And for once, I wasn't entirely sure I was enjoying it. The stakes felt too high.
Rebekah's POV
"This town is a dump, Nik," I complained, as we drove away from that ghastly school. "And the students? So utterly pedestrian. Except for one, perhaps." My eyes had lingered on Matt Donovan, his earnestness a refreshing change from the hardened faces I usually encountered.
"Patience, Rebekah," Klaus purred, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Soon, we will have what we need. And then you can have whatever pretty little human takes your fancy."
"And the other Original?" Elijah interjected, his gaze fixed on the rearview mirror. "Laura. Our sister. She was rather… dismissive."
"Laura was always a contrarian," Klaus scoffed. "Always convinced she knew better than us. She'll fall in line once she realizes her place."
"Her place is far from ours, Nik," I muttered. "She abandoned us. Chose some ridiculous 'Thorne' surname. As if that changes anything."
"She carries our blood, Rebekah," Elijah reminded me, his voice calm but firm. "And she is powerful. Her presence here, drawn by the same unique energy that draws us, is significant. And her claim on the doppelgänger… it was very specific. Pre-dating your hybrid curse, Niklaus."
Klaus's knuckles tightened on the steering wheel. "She was always one for dramatic pronouncements. She's simply trying to stake her claim. But the doppelgänger belongs to me."
"Or perhaps," Elijah continued, his voice taking on a thoughtful quality, "she speaks of something more profound. Our parents' earliest experiments. The whispers of the doppelgänger's true power, beyond merely breaking a curse. A source of unparalleled magic."
I shivered, a prickle of unease. My mother's magic was a terrifying thing. "Don't be ridiculous, Elijah. Mother only cared about her rituals and her perfect family."
"Indeed," Elijah said, his eyes distant. "And Laura, it seems, remembers more of that past than we do."
Laura's POV (continued)
The Mikaelsons were here. The Salvatores were scrambling. And Elena was caught in the middle. The stage was perfectly set.
That evening, I decided to make an appearance at the Grill. It was a local hotspot, a place where people gathered, where rumors circulated, and where I could observe. I walked in, immediately feeling the subtle shifts in conversation, the glances. Everyone knew everyone in Mystic Falls, and a new face was always noticed.
I spotted Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline at a booth, and made my way towards the bar, deliberately choosing a seat where I could overhear them.
"Still can't believe the new family are staying at the Lockwood mansion," Caroline was saying, her voice a hushed excited whisper. "They're so rich! And hot!"
"They're also very… old-fashioned," Bonnie added, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "There's something about them. Something that feels… very powerful."
Elena sighed. "And Damon says they're related to Stefan. More family drama."
My lips twitched. They had no idea.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and the Mikaelsons walked in. Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah, moving with an innate grace that commanded attention. The entire room seemed to quiet, eyes drawn to them. Klaus's gaze swept the room, landing on me, then moving to Elena, a possessive gleam in his eyes. Rebekah immediately spotted Matt at the bar and smiled, a predatory glint in her own. Elijah, ever the diplomat, looked around with a subtle air of appraisal.
Our eyes, mine and theirs, met across the room. A silent acknowledgment. A declaration of war.
Klaus raised his glass in a mock salute, his eyes locked on mine, then on Elena. "To new beginnings," he called out, his voice carrying easily. "And new… acquaintances."
I met his gaze, my own filled with a cold, ancient amusement. The game was escalating. And I, Laura Mikaelson Thorne, was ready to play. The hunger for Elena, for her power, for the chaos that was about to erupt, filled me with a delicious, dark anticipation. Mystic Falls was about to become my personal playground.
The Mikaelsons are officially in town, and Laura's true identity is known to them. How will the Salvatores react to the full extent of the Mikaelson threat, and Laura's involvement? What will Laura's next mischievous move be?