"Ron, can you spare Damon one more time? Let him take Katherine and leave Mystic Falls for good," Stefan asked, his tone laced with a rare hint of pleading.
"We'll talk about that if I see Damon again," Ron replied flatly. He clearly had no intention of letting Damon go so easily. Out of everyone in this world, Damon was the one he despised the most. There was no way a few words from Stefan could change that.
"Ron, we all know you're the one who took Damon. Please… just let him go," Elena added softly.
"You're all so sure I took him? Damon's been missing for days. What makes you think he's still alive?" Ron shot a look at Bonnie and Anna. Both of them knew Damon was with him — but only Bonnie knew about Ron's plan to desiccate him permanently. Even if Ron didn't want to admit it, Bonnie was the most likely person who had slipped up.
Anna subtly shook her head, while Bonnie pressed her lips together, saying nothing. Ron could tell — Bonnie must've been the one who revealed it, whether out of guilt or pity.
"When we were looking for Damon, people said you took him," Elena continued cautiously. "And the reason we think he's alive is simple — if you'd killed him, you wouldn't bother hiding it." She glanced briefly at Bonnie, revealing just enough doubt to stir tension.
"So what are you implying, Elena?" Ron sneered. "You're talking to me as who exactly? Sarah's friend? Tanner's student? Vicki's ex-boyfriend's sister's friend? Oh, wait— maybe as Damon's sister-in-law." His tone dripped with mockery, eyes gleaming with disdain as the realization 'dawned' on him.
"Hey! Ron, that's enough! You can't talk to Elena like that," Caroline interjected angrily.
"Did I say anything untrue?" Ron shot back. He now understood why Elena and Stefan had brought Caroline along — they thought she could soften him up. Unfortunately, that plan was doomed from the start.
If this had been before, maybe he would've held back for Caroline's sake. But ever since she had moved on so quickly, Ron had decided to sever all emotional ties. Now, he was determined to play the villain. Whatever feelings he had left weren't strong enough to make him yield.
"Ron, you—" Caroline stammered, unable to find the words.
"What? Caroline, do you know how many times Damon used you to threaten me? And every single time, Stefan stood by and did nothing. When I tried to kill Damon, you risked your life to protect him—just so he could run free again. If I hadn't been cautious, he'd have come for revenge long ago. So don't act righteous with me — you're lucky I haven't taken half the blame for Damon's victims out on you!" Ron's anger burst forth, his voice cold and sharp.
He then turned to Bonnie. "And you—don't think desiccating Damon was cruel. Even his own brother has done it before. The only difference is Stefan couldn't bring himself to finish it… while I believe Damon doesn't deserve an easy death."
No one said a word. The air was thick with tension.
"Alright," Ron continued, his voice dropping back to calm. "If no one else has objections, that's settled. Once you find Emily's spellbook and decide the date, call me. I'm done here."
He exchanged a look with Bonnie, signaling her to follow.
"Ron, walk me part of the way? I need to visit my grandmother to ask her about some witchcraft," Bonnie said, catching his cue.
"Sure. Let's go," Ron nodded, leading the way out.
Once they got into the car, Ron glanced at her and said, "Actually, Bonnie, I was thinking of having a backup plan."
"A backup plan?" Bonnie frowned slightly.
"I want to ask your grandmother if there's a way to half-break the seal," Ron explained. "Something that lets us enter the tomb but not leave it. If that's possible, I'll go in with Anna. If she stays true to her word, I'll help her free her mother. But if she betrays me, I'll kill every vampire inside. I'm not afraid of a fight — I just don't want them escaping."
He continued, "And honestly, that tomb would make a perfect prison. Once Damon's fully desiccated, I could just throw him in there. Same for any vampire that needs punishment."
Bonnie looked at him curiously. "Ron, aren't you angry that I told Elena about Damon?"
Ron smiled faintly. "It's normal. She's your best friend. Whether you told her or she figured it out, it doesn't matter. You didn't reveal where I'm keeping Damon — that's what counts. Otherwise, they'd be raiding my cabin right now instead of meeting to talk."
"Thank you, Ron," Bonnie said quietly. She had expected him to be furious — after all, he had trusted her completely.
"It's fine," Ron replied with an easy smile.
A few minutes later, Bonnie frowned. "Wait, Ron… this isn't the road to my grandmother's. This way leads to my house."
Ron blinked. "Oh, right— I forgot to ask for directions. Guess my brain's fried." He tapped his head sheepishly.
Bonnie laughed. "I'll guide you then. First, turn around."
Soon, they arrived at Bonnie's grandmother's home, which wasn't far away. They got out and walked inside together.
"Grandma, do you think there's a way to do it like this?" Bonnie explained everything Ron had proposed.
Her grandmother thought for a long moment before replying. "It's hard to say. Without Emily's grimoire, I can't be sure. When she cast that spell, she channeled power from a comet — and with the crystal destroyed, even breaking the seal will be difficult, let alone resealing it. But if all you want is to let someone enter and not leave, that might be doable."
"That works," Ron said. "Once we recover the spellbook, please see if it's possible. If it's too dangerous to fully unseal, then just open it enough for me and Anna to go inside. If she keeps her word, I'll spare her and her mother. If she betrays me… I'll clear the tomb myself. That way, we won't even need to reseal it."
Bonnie's grandmother nodded approvingly. "That's wise, Ron. At least this way, you keep the humans safe."
Ron smiled slightly. "That's the plan."
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