Eternal

17

Meditation is a word that has come to be used loosely and inaccurately in the modern world, which is why there is so much confusion about how to practice it. Some people use the word meditate when they mean thinking or contemplating; others use it to refer to daydreaming or fantasizing. However, meditation, or dhyana, is not any of these. It's a precise technique for resting the mind and attaining a state of consciousness that is totally different from the normal waking state. It is the means for fathoming all the levels of ourselves and finally experiencing the center of consciousness within. In meditation, the mind is clear, relaxed, and inwardly focused. When you meditate, you are fully awake and alert, but your mind is not focused on the external world or on the events taking place around you, it requires an inner state that is still and one-pointed so that the mind becomes silent.

When the mind is silent and no longer distracts you, meditation deepens.

But for Morgan, this wasn't the case. A loud bang filled the air, her eyes snapped open, an irritated sigh emitting from her nose, causing the flames of the candles around her to shoot up as they followed her breathing, another bang filling the air, followed by a loud crash. She stood from her position on the floor, her hands slowly clenching into fists as she walked out of her room, the flames of the candles going out quickly after, making her way downstairs where the noise was coming from. A small gust of wind blew past her, Stefan pinning Damon against the wall, stabbing him with the leg of a chair, earning a small yell from the eldest brother, Morgan rotating her right fist, snapping right hand open with her palm facing the wall behind her, causing all of their movements to stop. She rotated her hand back, causing Stefan to be thrown against the wall opposite of Damon,

". . . I don't ask for much" Morgan said, her voice dangerously calm "you have given me a place to stay and I am grateful for that. I provide for myself even though you insist on doing so, and all I have ever asked was for silence when I'm meditating. I don't have heightened hearing like you two, but I've informed you that I will be meditating today. And all I've asked for is no fighting!"

The fire in the fireplace grew at the last two shouted words, Morgan letting out a calming breath, closing her eyes as she willed herself to calm down,

"This fight over Elena?" She continued "for her love? Get over it! You're acting like the way you did with Katherine. It tore you apart then, and it's tearing you apart now"

She relaxed her hands, which released her hold on both of them, giving Damon the opportunity to pull the wood from his stomach with a groan, Morgan clasping her hands together in front of her,

"My meditation has been disturbed" she said lightly "I'm going on a walk. Preferably before either one of you piss me off. 'Kay? Glad we're on the same page" giving them a sarcastic smile

•

Morgan didn't know where she was going, she was just walking through the woods of Mystic Falls, strangely feeling a sense of familiarity. The woods had always been a calming placed for her, especially when she was a child, laughing and running as her father chased after her with a happy smile on his lips and adoration in his eyes. But she couldn't really understand why these woods felt so familiar to her, almost as if she had been there before. She stopped in her tracks, turning her body as she looked around, her eyes trailing over every bark of every tree, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she noticed one tree with a small carving. Walking toward it, a light breeze flowed around her, a few leaves falling from the trees as she reached out, gently touching the carving of a pentagram, one that was very old.

Her gaze rose slightly, rotating her left hand, causing whoever was behind her to be thrown back, knowing it was a supernatural, a grunt filling her ears. She quickly turned around, her eyes widening as she saw Elijah pushing himself up,

"God" Morgan muttered, running over to him "I am so sorry"

Grabbing his arm, Morgan helped him to his feet, dusting off the leaves that decided to stick to him,

"It's fine, Morgan" Elijah assured "I know you didn't mean it" straightening his suit jacket

She looked at him for a moment, a small smile forming on her lips, reaching up and removing a leaf from his perfectly styled hair, dropping it to the floor where the other leaves resided,

"You really shouldn't sneak up on me" she scolded, whacking his arm, knowing it had no affect on him "if I didn't know it was you, the whole situation would have been much worse . . . What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same" he chuckled lightly "I was walking the Compound, then I heard footsteps close by - your footsteps. Now, what are you doing out here?"

"The children interrupted my meditation" stuffing her hands in her coat pockets "so I decided to take a walk in order to calm myself down before I snapped both of their necks" 

"Then shall we head to the Compound?" He offered "it's quiet there"

"I would love that" she smiled softly

Elijah looked at her for a moment, taking in the sight of her smile, seeing that it didn't quite reach her eyes. He reached up, gently moving a lock of hair away from her face, his finger trailing along her cheek, like he had done outside of Mystic Grill, causing Morgan's eyes to close, her head tilting slightly as she leaned into his touch, not knowing what compelled her to do so. It was as if all of the air escaped past her lips, her shoulders sagging as she relaxed against the simple touch, Elijah watching her reaction, a small smile forming on his lips. Morgan snapped out of it, her eyes opening as her breath caught in her throat, standing straight, shaking her head slightly as her eyebrows furrowed, confusion forming on her features. Raising her gaze, she looked at Elijah, who had the same expression she had, a small hum emitting from her.

Without another word, the two of them began to walk to the Mikaelson Compound, Morgan turning her head slightly, looking at the tree she had stood in front of, not seeing the pentagram that was once there, causing her eyebrows to furrow slightly once more.