Sophia approached the school, in a hurry. She'd just gotten off a flight from Belgium, and was eager to speak to anyone about Mazikeen's sudden disappearance.

Rushing inside, Hope and Clary were the first to see her. "Hey, who are you?" Clarissa blurted, as Hope stood protectively in front of her very human sister, unsure of what species the unfamiliar girl was.

After a moment, the Mikaelson recognised her. "Sophia?" She asked, as Sophia realised who she was talking to. "Hope?"

"What are you... doing here?" Hope asked, as Sophia approached her. "I'm worried about Maze... we were talking a couple times a week and... suddenly she just disappeared." The Huxley admitted to the girls.

"I tried calling a few times but I got no answer... and when I saw Maze in Belgium, she was... in a strange place." Sophia explained to the pair.

"We're actually trying to figure out where Maze is, also." Hope sighed, "One minute she was here and the next... she literally vanished into thin air."

"Wait... you left this school after your sister Jade disappeared. I didn't realise you and Maze were still friends since then." Hope then admitted as Sophia laughed awkwardly, "We um... saw eachother in Belgium. I go to school there, and Mazikeen was travelling Europe over the Summer."

Noticing the coy-ish tone, Hope realised something. "Oh my god, you and Maze slept together!" She blurted, as Clary looked shocked by this revelation.

There was clearly some form of jealousy and hurt on Hope's face, even though Mazikeen had forgotten about Hope over the summer since she dived into Malivore.

"Woah, no need to be jealous." Sophia said, wanting to diffuse the situation. "It was a one time thing, besides I'm dating Penelope now." She added, as this just surprised Hope even more.

"Wait... I just have one question." Clarissa awkwardly piped up, as Hope and Sophia turned to Clary. "Jade is... Mazikeen's ex girlfriend, so technically you slept with your sisters ex girlfriend?" The O'Connell rambled. "Isn't that... weird?"

Sophia blushed in embarrassment, as Clary had the situation completely wrong. "No... no, it's not like that at all, Clare" Hope laughed. "They're two different Jades. Jade Hale, the werewolf who... recently got killed, was Maze's ex girlfriend. Sophia's sister was a vampire also named Jade, who disappeared years ago." Hope explained to her sister. "Oh... oh whoops." Clary laughed.

"The Saltzmans are missing too." Hope then added, looking to Sophia as she brought them back the earlier topic of conversation. "Something tells me that... all of these disappearances have to be linked."

❤︎︎

"So.. how did you meet Kai— Dad? I guess I should call him Dad." Maze asked curiously, as she walked with Grace through the meadow, towards the Salvatore school.

Kai had decided to head to the infirmary to find some blood bags, and Grace wanted to spend a little alone time with her daughter so Azazel went along with their father.

"I met him many years ago... when I went by the name, Oliver Rosewell." Grace explained, her expression softening as Maze raised an eyebrow. "Oliver? But isn't that... a boys name?" The younger Parker asked, before realisation gradually hit.

Grace gave her daughter a nod, "I was born a boy, but growing up I realised that I had been born in the wrong body. I'm transgender, darling."

Mazikeen nodded, understanding. She was accepting of course, just surprised. "That's cool." She responded.

Suddenly, much further in the distance, Alaric, Josie and Lizzie appeared. Grace was the first to notice them, and abruptly stopped in her tracks.

"Honey, we need to go back go the Old Mill." She said, keeping her eyes on Alaric. "What why?" Maze asked, peeking around her mother as her eyes landed on Alaric and the girls.

"I have to go and talk to them— I need to warn them about Jade and Dieg—"

"No, Maze please. You're not bound to this world like the rest of us. If Alaric tries to kill you, you'll be permanently dead." Grace explained, as Mazikeen frowned. "Alaric wouldn't kill me." She responded.

"Wasn't he the one who sent you here?" Grace then asked, as Maze thought about it. "But, Lizzie and Josie—" The younger Parker stammered.

"Let's warn Kai and Azazel, and figure out what is going on first. Maze, I don't want to lose you again." Grace then insisted, with a teary expression.

It was clear that the love she had for her daughter was genuine, and what Maze didn't know is that the woman had cried herself to sleep for years, wishing that she had her daughter back.

"Okay." Maze finally agreed, as Grace held onto the girl before vampire speeding them back to the Old Mill.

❤︎︎

"Dad left ages ago. I don't know why." Azazel admitted, once Grace and Maze were back at the Old Mill. They'd briefly explained that the Saltzmans were in the Prison World.

"We'll find him." Grace declared, wondering if Kai went to investigate on his own. She knew one thing about her husband, for taking away their daughter he truly wanted Alaric dead. He'd never been as filled with rage as he had been when he realised that Alaric took away Mazikeen.

"Azzie, we have to keep an eye on Maze." Grace spoke to her son, as though Maze wasn't there. "I know... she's not bound to this world." Azazel said to his mother before he looked to Mazikeen.

"I won't let anything happen to you." The twin insisted, as Maze smiled back weakly, ultimately realising how loyal Azazel was.

Truthfully, Azazel probably struggled the most when Maze disappeared. He went from having a twin in which he was inseparable with, to being alone.

Without Maze, baby Azazel barely slept. He often tossed and turned, or cried which kept up Grace and Kai. He learnt to sleep better now that he was older but as a baby and toddler it was painful for the Parker trio.

❤︎︎

Entering the Salvatore house, Maze was surprised to find Alaric tied to a chair, and asleep.

"Is that.. our Uncle?" Azazel asked, as Grace nodded. "Don't wake him. It's more peaceful when he is asleep." She insisted, before she wondered where her husband went.

"If Kai isn't trying to torture Alaric, then I'm not sure where he may be." Grace admitted, keeping her hands on Maze and Azazel's shoulders.

"He could be with the twins." Maze blurted, thinking of Lizzie and Josie. "Would he hurt them, to get back at Ric?" Azazel then asked, as Mazikeen's face paled over in fear that he would.

Grace shook her head, though she wasn't even sure herself that Kai wouldn't hurt Josie or Lizzie to get revenge for taking Maze away. "I need to find them." Maze insisted, looking between Grace and Azazel.

❤︎︎

Josie stood in shock, as she'd just gotten off the phone with Kai. He'd told her that he'd found his own way out, and he was finding Grace and hopefully his kids, and escaping.

Kai also explained that Josie would have to break the sandclock, so she'd have the power to get everyone else out of the prison world that would be left behind.

Clutching the sandclock in her hands, she was prepared to break it, but Maze caught Josie just in time and screamed out. "Josie— No!"

Josie looked up at Maze, anxiety showing in the way she breathed. "I have to break it, I have to get us out of here!" The Saltzman demanded.

Maze shook her head, "No, Jo..." She spoke as though she was trying to diffuse the situation. The Parker edged closer, and gently took the sandclock out of Josie's hands.

"You're not gonna break it, are you?" Josie asked, once her breathing slowed. "I can handle a bit of dark magic, Jo. And we definitely need to get out of here." Maze insisted, but Josie shook her head.

"No, it's all my fault Maze. That dark magic belongs to Ari and I... I can let you take it! It will destroy you." Josie cried out, as Maze shook her head, hoping to reason with her cousin.

"Jo... You don't want to become a monster... not like me, not like Kai—" Maze was cut off, "You're nothing like Kai! I should never have let you believe that." Josie interrupted the Parker.

"Do you remember when we studied the Roswell bloodline back in eighth grade?" Maze then asked, as Josie didn't understand the relevance. "Vaguely." She responded.

"The Rosewell bloodline are witches, who practice using dark magic. They can absorb so much of it, making them so powerful." Mazikeen reminded her as Josie shook her head in frustration.

"How is this relevant?!"

"Grace—My Mum... is a Rosewell, Josie. That makes me one too. I can take this magic, and it won't kill me." Mazikeen responded, worried it could kill Josie.

Before Josie could argue back, Mazikeen threw the Mora Miserium against the ground, causing it to shatter. Josie let out a scream of panic, watching as the black smoke flew out of the shattered sandclock, and towards Mazikeen.

Mazikeen gritted her teeth, trying not to cry out as pain and rage filled her body. The veins on her skin darkened, as she fell to ground. A scream finally tore through Maze's throat, as her eyes blackened over for a moment.

"Maze!" Josie cried out, rushing to the girls side. She gently took Mazikeen's hand, as the blonde squeezed it tightly. Josie didn't dare wince in pain.

Slowly, Mazikeen released her hand from Josie's, and got to her feet. When the ravenette looked at the Parker, here eyes were back to their normal blue colour, though it looked as though they weren't as bright.

"Cmon, let's go home." Mazikeen ordered, determined to find Lizzie and the others and leave.

❤︎︎

As Maze and Josie looked for the others, Kai, Grace and Azazel were nowhere to be seen. "They left without you." Josie stated, as they continued to search.

"I doubt it. Grace seemed really reluctant to let me out of her sight." Mazikeen responded, believing that the Parkers were still there.

Eventually, they wandered by the infirmary, as Jade stood by the door. Maze looked at the vampire, not noticing many similar features between her and Sophia, her half sister.

Jade's worried face met Maze and Josie's, as her eyes lit up in recognition. "Lizzie is in there, and she's hurt!" The vampire managed to say.

"Lizzie!" Maze called out, before she rushed into the infirmary, with Josie by her side. Alaric, who was tending to Lizzie on the bed, turned and looked at Mazikeen and Josie in surprise.

Mazikeen looked different... her veins were still darkened, and her eyes had lost that shine they always had. Overall, she looked more intimidating than the girl who he'd sent away to the prison world.

"Maze—"

"Get out of the way, I can help her." Maze quickly said, pushing Alaric aside as she reached Lizzie's side.

Something in Maze's mind told her to leave Lizzie, and let the pain take over... or even finish the job and kill her. It was the magic speaking, of course Maze would never hurt Lizzie.

The Parker massaged her temples, feeling the dark magic infect her mind. This also caused the ground to slightly rumble, and the lights to flicker.

"Maze!" Alaric snapped, hoping to break her out of her trance. Mazikeen took a deep breath, as she calmed herself, and tried to manage the overload of dark magic that filled her.

"I'm gonna help Lizzie, but I'll be unconscious for a while." Mazikeen finally stated.

❤︎︎

Now in the meadow, Mazikeen stood with Lizzie, Josie, Alaric, Jade and Wendy. "Alright, we need to work together." Mazikeen called out. "Place the spires in a circle to create a boundary spell."

"Wait!"

Everyone turned around, shocked to see Kai, along with Grace and Azazel. Mazikeen's eyes widened, "You guys didn't leave?" She blurted, in shock.

"No." Kai said, as they stopped. "I wasn't leaving without my daughter." He insisted, before noticing the change of appearance in the blonde.

"Oh no... you did not." Kai managed to say, remembering what he'd told Josie earlier. "Josie was supposed to... absorb the magic..." He added, feeling like he was to blame for this... though it meant his daughter would be incredibly powerful.

"You were going to make Josie break the sandclock?!" Mazikeen then snapped, as her eyes blackened over suddenly.

Seeing the girl so filled with rage, Grace suddenly rushed towards Mazikeen. "Maze, honey... it's okay. Take a deep breath. I can help you control your magic, as soon as we're out of here." She spoke, as Mazikeen's eyes went back to their normal colour.

"We are the same." Grace said, before her eyes blackened over for a moment. Her eyes then went back to their normal colour, as Mazikeen looked at her mother in surprise.

Grace then took Maze's hand gently, as they were going to chant the spell together. "Let's leave this place behind us." The Parker woman said, as Mazikeen nodded, eager to get home.