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Nyx sat at a crowded table in Mystic Falls High School cafeteria. The table was full of two-faced people who claimed the title of Dana's friend. Honestly, Nyx was positive they didn't even know the true definition of the word friend. She did her best to look unbothered and even give her best Mikaelson smile, which seemed to daze many girls before they could even speak to her. On the inside, though, something dark whispered in her ear like a devil on her shoulder. Its sweet images of blood-stained tiles, ripped flesh, and satisfaction began to drown everything else out. Nyx rubs her temple, trying to block such thoughts from her mind, but the pangs of hunger are no longer mere whispers; they are screams echoing through her entire body. Each gnawing ache was a plea for mercy, a desperate cry for sustenance. Thoughts grew darker and revolved around what the people around her would taste like..... perhaps sweet like candied fruit. Nyx's teeth ached, a constant reminder of her true nature gnawing at her insides like a thousand tiny teeth. The students around her laughed and whispered secrets to each other, unaware of the danger they were in. The scent of sweet, metallic blood and warm flesh wafted from the girl in front of Nyx. The girl's pulse danced like a siren's call. Nyx clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms. The hunger seems to heighten her senses even more, causing her ears to pick up the sounds of lockers slamming shut in the hallways. A door opening stands out amongst the sound. A familiar heartbeat catches Nyx's attention, but the sound of it escalating causes her to stand abruptly and rush out of the cafeteria.
In the men's restroom, Landon backs up from the sinks, and Connor stalks forward with an emotionless expression. Landon tries to put on a brave face even though he is sure his heart will give out at any moment from beating erratically. "What?" he asks while straightening his back to look taller. Connor doesn't answer; instead, he continues to herd Landon into a corner. "All right, come on! Let's get this over with. What's it going to be? Toilet bowl? Trash can? Bloody nose? Say something, you dick!" Kirby yelled in frustration as his back collided with the cold tile wall. His breaths became shallow gasps, and he could feel the smooth texture of the tiled wall against his trembling palms. Connor stepped closer, his eyes unnaturally wide and black. His skin was pale, almost translucent, as he opened his mouth as if about to speak, revealing rows of jagged teeth. Landon's eyes widened in horror as he realized that Connor's tongue was not a tongue at all—it was a hairy, segmented appendage writhing like a snake. And then he saw the unmistakable glint of multiple eyes deep within Connor's throat. It lets out a guttural hiss, like the scraping of metal against metal that fills the bathroom. At that moment, Nyx barged in just as the beast was about to claim another victim. Landon's terrified eyes meet hers, and something shifts between them. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palm as her breath hitched. The ground trembled beneath her feet as her pupils turned into slits, and her irises shone a bright green. Landon throws his hands over his ears as a powerful scream escapes her lips. The sound reverberated through the air, shattering the silence. The monster in Connor's body turned toward her, its form twisting in agony. The scream caused the lights above them to burst, the mirrors to shatter, and the walls to tremble, cracking under the force. The monster wailed; their faces contorted in pain.
Throughout the school, windows shattered as students collapsed with blood spilling from their ears. Hope stumbled out of the cafeteria, clutching her ears as fear filled her eyes. 'Nyx! Where was her Siren?' she thought as fear and panic filled her. Hope pushed through the pain and sprinted through the hallways, her breath ragged. Fear clawed at her chest, threatening to suffocate her. Mg and Enzo's strength faltered as they clung to Lizzie, shielding her ears from the scream. Nyx's scream intensified, reaching a crescendo. The creature within Connor forced its disguise to leap across the room, breaking through a small bathroom window and leaving pieces of flesh behind. Nyx collapsed to her knees, gasping for air. Her throat burned; her body drained. But Landon was safe. He rushes over to her, about to thank her, but she shakes her head, unable to speak. The siren's call was a curse that weighed heavy on her shoulders. It may have saved Landon, but the smell of blood told her it had hurt many. The bathroom door flings open, revealing a frantic Hope, but as her eyes find Nyx's, they fill with utter relief. She rushes forward and drops to her knees, pulling Nyx into a warm embrace, shocking the siren. "You're safe... You're safe," Hope whispered to herself. Her voice was trembling as she clung to Nyx. The siren could feel Hope's body shaking against hers. "I thought—I thought I'd never see you again," Hope murmured, her voice barely audible. Nyx's heart shattered at the pain in the tribrid's voice. She pulled away and brushed a strand of hair from Hope's face.
"I'm not going anywhere....I promised always and forever, remember?" she recounted as her lips curved into a soft smile.
Back at Salvatore's Boarding School, Rafael walks down an empty hallway and turns to go up some stairs when suddenly Jed appears, blocking his route. "Foster kid. I've been looking for you," he said, his voice holding an undertone of superiority. Rafael tries to turn around, but other werewolves block his path.
He looks at Jed, "I really need to get to class. Can't we catch up later?" Rafael asked. Jed folds his arms, making it clear that Rafael isn't going anywhere without his permission. Rafael sighed, "Look, uh, Jed, right? I don't want any problems," he explained. Jed slowly steps down until he's right in front of Rafael.
"Neither do we. We just want to initiate you into the pack," Jed says, looking down at him, but the tone in his voice makes it very clear. Either Rafael obeyed, or there would be problems. His old self would have just swung at Jed by now, but he honestly liked the school, and if he got into a fight, he might not see Stefan again.
"...Fine," Rafael said.
Jed smirks, "Okay. The process is simple. You triggered your werewolf curse this month, which means you killed somebody recently. Maybe on purpose, maybe not. All you have to do is tell us the story. That's our rite of passage," he explained as if such a horrible experience was easy to talk about with strangers.
Rafael becomes uneasy at the information, "Yeah, I'm not really a pack kinda guy," he divulged. Jed's Eyes narrowed at the answer as the muscles along their jaw clenched.
"You still don't get it, do you? You don't have a choice. You can submit or you can bleed and then submit. It's your call," he spat. Their voice was stern, and they had no vestige of sympathy in its hardness. Rafael looks down as if thinking, then tries to lunge past Jed, but he grabs him, causing the two teens to struggle at first. Jed gets a few hits in when the other two werewolves move forward to aid their alpha. Before they can, someone from behind slams their heads together, causing them to collapse. The sound of his lackey's groans caused Jed to halt, allowing Rafael to escape his grip and run off. Jed was about to chase after him, but a deep, ominous growl caused him to grow unnaturally still. At first, his body didn't want to listen to his command, but he managed to slowly turn towards the sound, revealing Stefan standing over the two teen werewolves. The Lycans glowing bright red eyes blazed murderously as his lips pulled back to expose clenched wolf-like canines. The tiny hairs across Jed's body stood on end as a primitive warning of danger. Stefan moves forward until he is standing right next to Jed, like just two students passing each other.
"Back off, or you will find out the difference between a real alpha and a fraud," he growled with the authority of someone who was not to be crossed. Stefan's very presence radiated a menacing aura, causing Jed's pulse to throb in his ears, and the relentless thought of worst-case scenarios filled his mind.
Seconds later, clouds began to darken as the wind blew heavily against the trees of the forest. The old mill stood like a forgotten relic, its wooden beams sagging under the weight of time. The air smelled of damp wood and decay. Rafael storms through its doorway as his face contorted into a mask of rage, brows furrowed, lips curled into a snarl. His breaths growled in his throat as Raf's eyes glowed bright yellow with the intensity of a savage fire. Rain pelted the roof, a symphony of fury that matched the turmoil within him. His rage surged, and he kicked an old crate, splintering it into shards. The sound echoed, swallowed by the vast emptiness. Raf's breaths came in ragged bursts as he picked up a rusted wrench, its weight comforting in his hand. The image of Jed filled his mind, igniting another burst of rage, causing him to hurl the wrench at a window, and the glass shattered. The storm invaded, rain and wind whipping through the broken window as the rain intensified, drumming on the roof, urging Rafael to release more of the tempest within. His chest tightened, and he screamed, a primal sound that merged with the wind. The old mill absorbed his fury. He overturned a wooden table, its legs snapping like brittle bones. The storm raged outside, mirroring the chaos within. Thunder boomed, and lightning illuminated the mill's hollow interior. Raf turned and swung at a wooden beam, the impact jarring his bones. The wood cracked, and splinters flew like sparks. He continued to pummel the beam as blood dripped to the floor below, staining it. But then, a presence behind him—a warmth that cut through the rage. Strong arms encircled Rafael's waist, pulling him back from the abyss. "Enough," Stefan whispered, his voice firm yet gentle. Raf's eyes dissolve to a beautiful ebony color, looking broken and spent as both boys sink to the floor. Anger melts into years of grief as sobs shake his body while Stefan holds him, grounding Rafael in reality. The destruction around them faded into insignificance. Stefan's touch was like a lifeline in a sea of rage and sorrow.
"Why?" Rafael choked out, "Why can't I let go?" he asked as his voice quivered, each word a fragile whisper trembling with the weight of unspoken grief as if sadness had stolen the strength from his voice.
"Pain doesn't vanish overnight. But you don't have to face it alone." Stefan whispered, his breath grazing Rafael's ear. A part of him wanted to push Stefan away to protect himself, but instead, Raf found himself sinking further into the Lycan's warm embrace. They sat there, entwined, as the rain softened to a drizzle outside. Stefan's heartbeat against Rafael's back was a steady rhythm, a promise that they'd weather this storm together. So, for the brie-fist of moments amidst shattered glass and splintered wood, they found a fragile kind of peace.
Outside of Mystical Falls High School stood the Scooby gang, "So let me get this straight: Dana is dead, but it wasn't a vampire that killed her as Dad thought, but a spider?" Lizzie asked as a single eyebrow rose, expressing her skepticism and confusion at the situation's absurdity.
"This is why you should pay attention during history class. A Arachne was originally a beautiful woman who was cursed by a jealous god and turned into a giant spider. So, she is constantly preying on humans so she can wear their skin and be normal once more. The bite marks Dad saw was the spider's way of injecting the body with a type of natural chemical that liquefies its victims from the inside but leaves the outside unharmed," Nyx explained.
"That would explain why it couldn't follow the Knife out of town. An SUV-sized insect can't exactly hitchhike unless it inhabits the body of someone," Hope pointed out.
Lizzie still looked a bit skeptical about the idea, "This sounds more like nerd porn than real life," she disputed.
"Liz, you and I can literally do magic, so why is this so hard to accept?" Enzo asked.
"Because if these things are so big and constantly jump from body to body, how has Dad never heard of them?" she asked, gazing at him quizzically.
"It's not that he hasn't, but simply that it's been passed off as mythology instead of reality. Like vampires, witches, and werewolves," Mg answered.
"Just days ago, none of us believed in Dragons or Gargoyles yet both have appeared searching for the knife," Nyx added.
"Then where could it be? You said it damaged Connor's skin when trying to escape, so it has to find a new victim, right?" Kaleb asked.
"....Sasha, she's the only one no one has found. The Arachne most have her subdued......but where?" Nyx mumbled as she started pacing, "...Dana.... Conner.... They have a vendetta against our school.... they were the ones that graffitied the wall Liz, Mg, and Kaleb had tried to clean.... It's heading to the old mill."
Back at the old mill, Stefan helps Raf get up from the floor. "Was that magic?" Rafael asked.
Stefan chuckled, "No. Just... years of practice...I could help you, Raf, with Jed and your control," he offered, his voice warm and calming.
"H..how?" Raf asked, his walls going up immediately.
Stefan notices, "I'm not Jed. You don't have to relive such a tragic moment in your life to make a pack with me. You just need to trust me as you do, Landon. Believe that your well-being is my first priority," he answered honestly.
Rafael looks down, "If I refuse?" he asks in a whisper, still not entirely sure he can trust Stefan. Years of disappointment made it difficult for Raf to trust others with his well-being.
"I'll still be there for you, Raf. I'm not going anywhere, and Jed doesn't scare me.... What scares me is that if you don't submit to him, you could die. Wolves do not handle rouges well, and right now, every wolf in the school follows Jed's lead," Stefan admitted as his eye pleaded for Rafael to make the right choice.
"Why aren't you the alpha?" Rafael asked, and in an instant, he saw Stefan's own walls shoot up. He looked down, unable to maintain eye contact with Raf.
"I was for a time until I chose to step down. Jed was my beta back then...and my boyfriend," Stefan recounted, shocking Rafael. ".... I lost a pack member. I was blinded to see his pain and Jed's involvement....his name was Henry. I knew his family and gave them my word I would watch out for him, but he died on my watch. If I had been a better alpha, he would never have gone to Hope seeking power," Stefan admitted, but the more he talked, the more his voice cracked, as if it felt like a fist was slowly closing over their heart. Rafael understood the pain Stefan was feeling because he two blamed himself for his girlfriend's death. Neither of them was able to forgive themselves for past mistakes, but maybe together, they could keep from repeating them. Rafael is about to accept Stefan's proposal when the sound of heavy breathing catches their attention.
"Did you hear that?" Rafael asked as he turned away from Stefan and followed the sound further into the mill. Stefan follows him when something white sticking from the upper level catches his attention.
"What the hell is that?" he asked, causing Raf to follow the Lycan line of sight. Both teens head up the flight of stairs to the second floor of the mill. They find every inch of it covered in a weird sticky thread-like substance. Their brows formed a deep, puzzled crease as both teens scanned the room, searching for answers they couldn't find.
".... Stefan," Raf whispered, causing the Lycan to look towards his friend, finding the young werewolf standing by some object encased in the odd substance. Stefan walks over and leans forward, noticing what looks like a face beneath the thread. His nails morph into claws, and he uses them to cut through the thick thread carefully. The feeling of the material reminded Stefan of silly string, but it was denser and more resistant. After a few seconds, he managed to remove the material from the face, revealing a young girl.
"...Sasha?" he whispered as his eyes widened in alarm. The girl's eyes snapped open out of nowhere as she gasped for air, causing both boys to leap back into the sticky thread. They try to pull away from it but only manage to be entangled even more. "Raf," Stefan called out as he stopped struggling, but the young wolf grunted, still desperately trying to escape the thread. "Raf, stop! The more we move, the worse it will get...I think this is a spider's web," he spoke in a suffocated whisper. Rafael's muscles stiffened, too overwhelmed to move as his eyes glanced around the walls for any signs of movement. "I don't think it's here at the moment, or we wouldn't have gotten up here, but if we thrash around, it will only send vibrations through the web, and that's not good," Stefan explained, his demeanor calmer than before.
"How are you suddenly so calm?!" Raf asked in disbelief.
"I can't keep you safe if I'm freaking out. Now I wish I could give you time to accept me at you're on accord. But that's no longer possible. The only way we can get out of this is with our combined strength," Stefan explained in a serious tone. Again, this boy that Raf barely knew was putting himself at risk just to keep him safe. It wasn't something he was accustomed to, having always been the one to protect Landon. Yet Stefan's words made him feel safe for once in his life. A nonverbal answer passes between them as they look into each other's eyes.
Stefans's olive-green irises melt into a crimson red that glows like a raging fire. His skin prickles as if a thousand needles pierce it simultaneously as muscles ripple, expanding and contracting, reshaping Stefan's facial features. Ears elongate to a pointed tip, and brows become ridged as canines sharpen. Rafael watched in utter awe as hair sprouted on the sides of Stefan's face, framing his jaw like mutton chops. His breaths grew ragged as Stefan's human mind fought to retain control while the primal instincts clawed at the edges of his consciousness. Raf can see the overwhelming struggle between the beast and Stefan's humanity. He remembered the night he transformed within the church, knowing there was a chance Stefan might lose the fight. Rafael surged forward, clashing his lips against the Lycans. The kiss was desperate, hungry, a lifeline thrown to a drowning man. As their bodies pressed together, Stefan felt the beast within retreat. When they finally broke apart, he stared at Raf with dreamy tenderness. "Do you trust me?" he whispered. Trust? The word echoed in Rafael's mind. He had trusted someone once, and it had led to years of betrayal and suffering. But there was something in Stefan's gaze, a vulnerability that cut through his uncertainty. In that fragile moment, Raf made a choice. Trust was a dangerous thing, but maybe—just maybe—it was the key to salvation. Before Rafael could blink, Stefan's canines sank into the crease between his neck and shoulder. At first, the pain was blinding, searing through his veins. But then everything changed to a warm sensation as a bond tied their souls together. For once in his life, Raf finally felt as if he was home. The sound of footsteps causes Stefan to pull from him. Blood drips from his lips as Connor enters the upper level of the mill. Stefan's eyes widened; their usual sharpness was replaced by hazy uncertainty. Connor remains silent as he turns towards them, revealing his damaged flesh. Stefan and Raf's eyes are transfixed with horror, unable to look away no matter how much they wish to as Connor's chest bulges from the skin stretching and shifting. Suddenly, his chest split open, revealing a gaping maw lined with fangs. A monstrous spider crawled out, its legs thick and hairy, its abdomen swollen with the remnants of its previous victim. The spider scuttled toward the trapped teens, its eyes fixated on them. Its mandibles clicked together, hungry and eager.
"Stefan now would be a good time to escape!" Raf's voice trembled with fear.
"Concentrate all your strength into your arms and pull!" Stefan ordered. Rafael concentrates on his arms as his eyes melt to a golden yellow. He feels his lean muscles ripple with power. Both teens lunged forward in different directions as their muscles strained against the weds. They tear their way out, leaving shredded remnants behind just in time for the leaping spider to miss them and collide with the railing. The metal screeched as it gave away, causing the spider to fall and crash to the floor below. Both boys look over the broken railing just as the spider regains its footing and hisses at them.
Raf gulps nervously and says, "I think we pissed it off."
Stefan raises an eyebrow, "Oh, really? You think? Because I was under the impression that spiders love going face-first into a railing and then being body-slammed because of some teenage boys. It's like their favorite pastime—right up there with knitting cobwebs and attending arachnid tea parties!" he quipped sarcastically.
Nyx and her friends run through the woods when the phone in Mg's pocket starts to ring. He pulls it from his pocket while running and glances at the number. "It's for you. No way I'm telling your dad what we're about to do," he explained, then tossed the phone to a reluctant Lizzie.
"Uh, I suck at lying," she admits, then tosses the phone at Landon, "You're great at it."
He fumbles the phone a bit, then tosses it to Hope, "You're his favorite," Landon pointed out.
"You're the hero," Hope retorted, throwing the phone back to Lizzie, but Nyx catches it and tosses it.
Everyone glances back at her in disbelief, "He isn't the priority right now. Sasha is, so let's do this," Nyx declared, moving forward. They make it to the old mill a few seconds later, but Landon recklessly runs in headfirst.
"Kirby!" Nyx yelled, running in after him.
Stefan and Rafael's eyes glow inside the building as they release wolf-like snarls that reveal sharp fangs. Claws extended from Raf's fingertips as the spider's multiple eyes glinted malevolently, its hairy legs tapping the floor in anticipation.
"Hey! Douchebag!" Landon yelled as he grabbed a broken pipe and smacked it against the wall, gaining the spider's attention. It screeches and leaps towards Landon, who stumbled backward, barely containing their scream. Nyx appeared, jumping over him, her movements fluid and precise. She summoned water from her waterskin, which caused it to swirl around her, responding to her will. It forms into a whip—a sinuous ribbon of liquid that slices through the air, encircling the spider's legs and freezing them in place. But the creature's body remains agile, its armored hide allowing the spider's legs to shatter the ice around them. The spider lunged, its legs propelling it forward with unnatural speed. Nyx dodged, rolling to the side, as Stefan came from behind the creature, slashing at its abdomen. His claws left deep gashes, and green blood splattered to the floor. The spider retaliated, snapping its pincers at Stefan. He twisted away, narrowly avoiding the deadly jaws. Hope, Enzo, and Lizzie run into the mill, their eyes widening in alarm.
"I hate spiders," Hope spat as her mouth twisted in an involuntary grimace, "Lizzie, Enzo, I need your help! take my hand." Lizzie and Enzo rush to her side, taking hold of Hope's hand. The spider seems to sense their magic and turns towards them, venom dripping from its fangs. It skitters toward them, but Nyx, Stefan, and Rafael rush toward it. Raf's enhanced strength allowed him to leap onto the nearby wall. From there, he launched himself at the spider, aiming for its thorax. His claws tore through the tuff hide, eliciting a screech of pain. But the spider's legs flailed, knocking Rafael to the ground. "Repeat after me. Imperium fluctus malleus," Hope chanted as Stefan lunged at the spider's back, sinking his claws into its flesh. The creature writhed, its legs flailing wildly, causing it to tumble sideways. Nyx lashes out, again bending her water into a whip, slicing through the air, and aiming for its vulnerable underbelly. Before it can hit its mark, the spider spits venom at her, forcing her to hastily bend the water into a shield, barely deflecting it. "Imperium fluctus malleus. Imperium fluctus malleus. Imperium fluctus malleus," the witches chant as magic swirls around them, growing stronger with each chant. The spider screeches in pain as its murderous gaze falls on Hope, Enzo, and Lizzie. With the last bit of its strength, the spider manages to knock Stefan off, sending him flying into Raf. A cold look washes over Nyx's features as the spider closes in on Hope, Enzo, and Lizzie. With a deep breath, she extended her arms, her fingers dancing gracefully in the air, weaving the ancient and dark power that she had sworn never to use. The spider lunged forward, its fangs extended, but it was met with an invisible force that seized its grotesque body. The creature writhed and twisted, trying to break free, but its essence of life was bent to Nyx's well. Her concentration did not waver. She could feel the lifeblood of the beast pulsing against her control, a rhythmic drumming that beckoned her to exert more power. With a final, forceful motion, she commanded the spider's own blood to halt, and the creature froze, suspended in a moment of eerie stillness. The pure fear in the creature's eyes made Nyx's heartache with the weight of her actions, the unnatural control over another being's life force. "Imperium fluctus malleus!" Hope, Enzo, and Lizzie chant once more. The spider's body instantly exploded from the inside, covering everything in green slime.
That night, Nyx sat on her bed alone, the toll of her actions heavy upon her soul. She had protected her sister and Hope but at the cost of touching the unspeakable evil within. A siren's voice was a powerful weapon, but it didn't have lingering after-effects. Controlling the life force of a living being was unnatural and called upon dark magic within a siren. If she weren't careful, it would leave her a feral husk. There would be no coming back from that. Her father would have no other choice but to kill her himself if it were to happen. Nyx sighed as she looked down at her hands and arms covered in black veins that throbbed and shook with power, begging to be used once more like an addiction. She folds in on herself, wrapping her arms around her waist. The sound of the door opening causes Nyx to look up, her eyes landing on a shocked Hope. Nyx shoots up from the bed, revealing that she had been sitting on the spare bed next to Hope's, which is now covered with her belongings. "Hey.....roomie," she says, her voice quivering like a fragile bird taking flight, each word a delicate wingbeat that fluttered with the weight of her nervousness as she rubs the back of her neck.
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