The Forgotten Salvatore Book 5

Behind the Black Horizon

Woods

It is daytime, and Lucien is leading Freya and Daniel, whose wrists are bound, through the woods of Mystic Falls. Freya and Daniel are clearly not impressed with this situation and simply glare at him while they walk, and Vincent follows from a couple paces behind them. "After all that flirtation... this is your idea of a first date?" Freya asked. Lucien laughs in amusement. "Think of it as a date with destiny, love. Though, I admit, four is a crowd. Vincent is a necessary evil, I'm afraid-- here to keep you in check should you or Daniel misbehave." Lucien said.

"Yeah, you're leaving out the part where I ain't exactly here of my own volition, man. The Ancestors must have lost their damn minds!" Vincent said angrily. "Quite the opposite! I've never dealt with a saner bunch. See, when I arrived in New Orleans, I made them a deal. Upon my request, they would grant me access to the Regent--" Lucien said as he gestured to Vincent. "And, in exchange, I'd provide for them a world without the Originals." Lucien said, finishing off his sentence. Lucien sighs dramatically, and Vincent's eyes widen in alarm when he realizes the gravity of their current situation.

"Didn't take much convincing. They do despise your family." Lucien said. They walk a few more yards until Lucien finally stops just feet away from a familiar-looking basin sitting upon a rock-- right by where Esther both created the Originals and made Alaric an Enhanced Original. "Ah... We're here." Lucien said. Daniel recognised the location and sighed. "Oh, god." Daniel said. Vincent's tone is irritable as he looks around the clearing where they've stopped. "Yeah, but where the hell is "here," man?" Vincent asked. "Somewhere I despise." Daniel said.

Lucien gasps in shock and disappointment. "What...?" Lucien asked. Lucien sighs and gives them offended looks. "How disappointing! Two powerful witches who cannot sense when you're treading on hallowed ground? At least Daniel knows where we are and why this location is important." Lucien said. Vincent and Freya make eye contact and both sigh defeatedly when they realize what Lucien's talking about. Continuing his dramatic explanation, Lucien gestures around them with a satisfied smile. "Welcome... to Mystic Falls. The place where it all began." Lucien said. Daniel sighed annoyed. "Home, sweet home." Daniel said sarcastically.

Flashback ~ Mystic Falls ~ 1001 A.D.

Esther stands in front of the basin on the stone and a large bonfire, which burns between her and the large white oak that supplied the Originals' immortality. Lucien narrates in voiceover as Esther casts the spell on Tatia's doppelgänger blood in the basin.

"Where Esther Mikaelson created the vampire species." Lucien's voice said.

We see Rebekah, who vamp-speeds toward a village girl and feeds on her, just before cutting to Klaus doing the same. The flashback then shifts to the white oak tree, which Mikael, Elijah, Klaus, Rebekah, and the rest of the village watch as it's set ablaze to ensure it cannot be used to kill them.

"Under the shade of the infamous white oak tree, she crafted the spell that turned each of her children..." Lucien said.

Present ~ Mystic Falls

Lucien continues his explanation in the present day while Freya, Daniel and Vincent listen with horrified expressions. "...And I mean to replicate that spell. I have everything I need to become what I deserve to be." Lucien said. Lucien walks toward Vincent and stares him in the eyes, and Vincent laughs in defeat as he considers the implications of this plan. "You want to become an Original." Vincent said. Lucien scoffed. "Do I look like the sort who'd settle for some shoddy Original model? I intend to be an upgrade." Lucien said.

"You're insane to think I'd ever help you craft any spell." Freya said appalled. "Oh, no, no, no. You misunderstand. Vincent will handle the spell." Lucien said. Vincent rolls his eyes in annoyance as Lucien grabs Freya by the arm and yanks her toward the basin. "From you..." Lucien said. Lucien looks at her with feigned sympathy and brushes a lock of hair away from her face. "...I need something a bit more intimate." Lucien said. Lucien vamps out and bites into Freya's wrist as hard as he can, causing Freya to shriek in pain. "AHHHHHHH!" Freya shrieked in pain.