Always and Forever: a new life.

Shadows.

Hope stepped out of the car, her boots crunching against the gravel as she trailed Caroline up the winding path toward the grand entrance of the Historic Society’s event. The crisp autumn air was tinged with the scent of fallen leaves and old wood, a reminder of a town stubbornly clinging to its past.

Hope couldn’t decide which was worse tonight: the exhausting work of steering history back on track, faking small talk with suspicious locals, or the gnawing anxiety that Matt might expose them all. Somewhere out there, he was edging too close to the truth, oblivious to the danger he was in if Damon—or anyone else with a grudge—decided he’d said too much. Just another Tuesday.

Beside her, Caroline fumbled with her keys, her fingers twitching as she locked the car. “I just… need to fix this,” she muttered under her breath.

“Fix things with Matt before he… you know.”

Hope nodded. If Matt’s curiosity brought this timeline crashing down, it would mean the end for all of them. Hope was working with completely different stakes then the rest.

All she had to do was ensure the timeline stayed intact. Simple right?

Funny how that always seemed easier in theory.

She gave Caroline a quick nod. “You talk to Lockwood. I’ll do the spell. Somewhere out of sight.”

Caroline paused, glancing over her shoulder. “Right.” She hesitated, then dashed back to the car, rifling through the back before pulling out a well-worn letterman jacket.

“Matt’s,” Caroline explained, pressing it into her hands. "You'll need it.”

Hope took the jacket, The weight of it made Hope’s stomach twist. She’d thought this would be just another intervention, just another quick spell to nudge history back into place. But now, holding the jacket, the stakes felt more real than ever. If Matt talked—or worse, if Damon believed he had—Matt wouldn’t make it to tomorrow.

If the timeline unraveled, she wouldn’t make it either.

Pushing the thought away, she slipped toward the rear of the estate, stepping out of sight beneath the cover trees. The sounds of laughter and clinking glasses faded, replaced by the rustling of leaves as she knelt down, pulling out a faded map and a small vial of sand from her bag.

The spell was second nature by now. She held the jacket to her chest, hands steady as she poured the sand in precise circles. Her words were soft, barely a whisper, but the air around her thickened, the leaves stilling as if in anticipation.

Slowly, the sand began to move, tracing its own path across the map. Lines formed, curved, then sharpened into a pinpoint—Matt was already on his way.

She let out a breath, rolling up the map. She was getting in deeper with every minute, entangling herself more and more in a time she didn’t belong to, every step a little further from the future she was supposed to protect. She brushed off her knees, trying to shake off the feeling of unease, and headed toward the side entrance, ready to warn Caroline.

Atleast she was going to.

Just as she reached the side door, a ripple of commotion erupted from inside. Voices rose in alarm, and she caught the flash of headlights as cars sped away. She barely had time to process it before something hard collided with the back of her skull.

Her vision blurred, the world spinning into a kaleidoscope of shadows and fragments.

Her world spun.

And then everything went black.

***

It was a few seconds before the advanced healing kicked in fully, Hope’s eyes fluttered open to the rhythmic hum of a car engine, her head pounding for a few brief seconds before her healing stiched her up, knitting the damage back together.