THREE, before the great and terrible day of the sacrifice comes

ONE SECOND JUNPEI was standing alone contemplating his life and by the next, he was being forced to follow Ama into the middle of what looked like to be the ritual grounds. The flames surrounding them allowed the boy to notice his mother's disturbing state. She resembled a deer in headlights and if he didn't know any better he'd say she was scared. Of what? He didn't have a clue. He thought that it could be the presence of a vampire but Ama had encountered and defeated too many for them to cause this kind of reaction. It was weird and unnerving.

His gut twisted watching Ama's face. It was a mixture of sadness... And guilt? He was afraid to ask if she was okay.

"Ma?" A heartbeat passed. Nothing. "Ma? Has something happened?"

Ama remembered the exact moment when her nerves took control of her body and caused her to become this unstable mess of a woman. It was the moment she met eyes with the Katerina Petrova. A species she thought was rare to find amidst vampires, werewolves, and witches. And because doppelgängers were so rare to come across due to the phenomenon of them only appearing every 500 years, it was a shock to see one wondering about before her very eyes. She couldn't believe it. Her entire world stilled and she knew trouble followed closely behind.

Trepidation sunk its claws deep into her tough skin and the pressure of keeping everything in order weighed down on her. The distant echo of a clock ticked against the inside of her skull causing the very little sanity she had left to slowly wither away.

"Where's your sister?" She asked, but her son could barely hear her.

"I'm sorry?"

"Your sister! Where is she?" She raised her voice this time.

Junpei flinched back. He was speechless, no words came to mind for a moment as he stared at her, eyebrows creasing at the harsh tone his mother was using toward him. There was something like fear, but not quite, flickering in behind her glossed eyes. Worry grew in the pit of his stomach just by looking at Ama. He knew the woman had planned this day out from start to finish- that she had taken precautions to make sure there were no complications, and that everything was perfect. Her attempts to avoid this very scenario from unfolding were beginning to reveal itself fruitless.

Ama's face twisted with anger at her son's silence. "Where is-"

"-Right here!"

A coarse voice announced. Himari approached them, her jaw clenched as anger emitted from her. Blood stained the right side of her neck and clothes. She came back alone. She held a jar in hand, it was half-filled with crimson liquid: Katerina's blood. Just by the sight of his sister, he knew their exchange of words wasn't pretty. He began to wonder where the vampire was. Did his sister leave her for dead somewhere?

"Where is the girl?" Their mother questioned, eyes narrowing at her daughter.

"Asleep. Unfortunately, not for long. She will wake up very angry with me I'm sure, but I got what we needed from her," Himari said proudly, holding the jar out to Ama. A smile spread across the older woman's lips. The fear she had felt for tonight disappeared for a moment staring at it.

"We shouldn't waste any more time. Give it here!" Ama snatched it from Himari's grasp and began to dump a bunch of herbs in the blood along with the strange plant she told her daughter to acquire.

The girl watched as her mother mumbled a mix of Japanese and Latin words under her breath and hurriedly smashed the ingredients with a rather long blade to create the conjunction that she would have to drink to start the ritual. She felt eyes on her causing her gaze to switch and flicker up at Junpei as he remained silent. There was a hint of uneasiness in his stare and she knew he was scared. He didn't need to say it out loud.

"Whose blood is that?" He asked, examining her for wounds. He frowned upon the realization that there weren't any.

"Mine," Himari's anger boiled and surged through her veins at the memory of Katerina's fangs sinking into her skin.

"She bit you?"

"Yes, so I put her to sleep and then healed myself. I should've killed her for it instead but I showed mercy." She scoffed, laughing dryly as she wiped a hand down her face in a stressed manner. "Speaking of the doppelgänger, you should go find her, and when she wakes up you kill her then you run far from here."

"What? No, I want to be here by your side." He protested. He was confused by his sister's words. Run? Why would he ever leave her behind?

Himari smiled softly, admiring his loyalty. "It won't be safe for you when he arrives. You know this."

"I can fight."

"I know you can. I doubt it for a second, but this is not your battle, dear brother. It is mine alone to endure or did you forget?" The girl told him, reminding him of the prophecy their mother had once spoken of.

A lump formed in the boy's throat and with teary eyes, he broke eye contact and took a step back. "Ok, so I kill her and leave you here? Then what happens after all this is over, Himari? Mhm? What if I never see you again?"

"You will! I swear to you." She reassured, taking his hand. Her anger had vanished and was replaced with desperation. It grew and grew as they wasted time. "Jun, please, do not fight me on this."

The witch's voice wobbled, a sadness in her eyes as she looked at her brother. He was determined to stay and fight alongside his sister if it was the last thing he did. Besides, he always wanted his death to be noble and purposeful. What better day to die?

The flames around them seemed to grow taller, and the cold wind blew harshly against their skin. The rest of the coven began to circle the three, they repeated the same string of words Ama had been mumbling for a while now. The ritual had finally begun and the moon was as red as ever fueling their magic. Himari panicked at the sound of them- everything she ever dreamed of was becoming a reality so why is it that at this moment all she felt was fear?

"You need to go!" Ama told her son, sternly.

"Ma-"

"Now." Her tone left no room for arguing. "Your sister will be just fine."

Himari gave him one last look of reassurance before he accepted the situation and nodded. Her heart ached to watch her brother run and she could only hope he'd be safe. A squeeze on her arm returned her attention to Ama. Her mother pulled her closer and grabbed onto both her hands as she continued to cast the spell. Her grip grew tighter, the flames brighter, and the wind angrier than ever.

The young witch felt the magic within her sturring as the chants became louder. It was exhilarating to an extent because as her magic became more and more impatient something at her core began to hurt.

Ama's grip loosened and held the jar up to Himari's mouth. "Drink. All of it."

And she did. The blood was bitter and hard to swallow. It stained her teeth, lips, and the outside of her mouth red. Something about drinking Katerina's blood made her stomach twist. Perhaps it was the irony of it all. A witch who hated vampires for their nature had to drink their blood for her own personal gain. Himari wiped her face, disgusted with what she had just done.

"Do you vow to be reborn as the next vessel of the Great Kitsune and to restore the balance that has been lost at the hands of evil no matter the cost?" Ama asked.

Himari nodded. "Yes, I do."

"And if you are to fail you will vow to also, suffer any punishment deemed necessary?"

The girl swallowed, hesitant. "Yes."

There was silence. The chanting ceased, the fires shrank, and the wind no longer blew rapidly. Himari could hear her own heart beating against her ribcage. It quickened as the silence prolonged. A beat of sweat dripped down her forehead, she waited for anything to happen. It seemed as if the rest of the coven was waiting too. The air reeked of anticipation.

This was it.

She saw her mother slowly getting closer with the blade in hand, Himari narrowed her eyes, confused and wary of this look of shame upon Ama's face.

Unexpectedly, the woman hugged her daughter, then pulled back to get one last look. "Make me proud."

The girl's world went quiet. Nothing could be heard except the sound of a blade slicing through her skin. The object went through her stomach and out her back in a singular motion. Himari didn't have time to react. Blood began to gush out her mouth causing her breathing to become unsteady and shaky. No words could be formed no matter how hard she tried. Her whole body ached, growing weaker by the second. She attempted to grab the blade and pull it out but her muscles felt weak like any sudden movement would drain her. She was powerless.

She tried to hold on to her mother, grasping at any piece of clothing she could feel, but it was pointless because Ama only pushed the blade in deeper, dragging it up slightly before letting the girl fall to her knees leaving the blade intact.

She glanced up at the woman with tears in her eyes as she cried out in pain from this burning sensation spreading throughout her body.

Was this how she would die?

"Ma?" Was all she could say. Her voice was soft and anyone could tell she was afraid of death.

"You must be reborn."

Reborn? It didn't make sense. Her mother never mentioned death as part of the ritual. She only reminded Himari of the good parts. The ones she should focus on. The power she would have and the honorable title it would come with. It all sounded tempting. She remembers feeling so excited the day she was chosen. Had she been told from the very beginning that her death was needed to perform this ritual, she would've found another way. There was no guarantee she would be brought back to life. It was unnatural. No one should be able to do such a thing. It was the exact reason why vampires were deemed as abominations. Her mother knew this.

Although, Himari had a million questions and wanted to fight back: she couldn't. The excessive bleeding was making her tired and weak. She was losing consciousness. What if she doesn't come back? What if her ancestors didn't see her as worthy? Her eyes started to flutter shut. She tried hard to stay awake but the pain was unbearable. She couldn't do it. Dark spots clouded her vision then it was quiet.

Only for a moment.

Her eyes snapped open as she gasped for air, reaching for her stomach. There was nothing there. There was no blood staining her skin or clothes. The pain had stopped. Himari glanced around and was ultimately, confused when she was met with nothing but emptiness. Goosebumps covered her skin taking in the never-ending darkness surrounding her. Was this the afterlife? A void? She often wondered what it was like. She imagined haunting screams from people in agony paying for their sins, scorching heat, and no freedom. Or a white light, happiness, and being at peace with the life you lived. Himari didn't see or feel either.

"Ma?" She called out, and the only response was her own voice echoing. "Pa? Jun?"

No one else was here. It all seemed like some bad dream and she just wanted to wake up. There was nothing here that made her want to stay. It was cold and lonely. Her breathing was heavy as she quickly got up to her feet without struggling like before. She wanted to run until she couldn't anymore or scream again and hope that someone would respond back. But she knew it was pointless.

"Himari."

The young witch turned around at the silvery voice. It was a woman. She was beautiful and she was glowing. Her features were soft and her kind eyes created a comforting aura around her that made Himari calm without realizing it so when the ghostly-like figure approached, she wasn't scared anymore. If anything, she was more curious than ever.

"Who are you?"

"Keiko." She answered, with a soft smile, bowing. "I was wondering when I'd meet you."

"What do you mean? What is this place? Why are am I here? I don't understand," Himari looked around, clearly distressed.

"You died," Keiko said simply as if it wasn't obvious. "Your mother killed you in the most inhuman way. She betrayed you like my family did to me too. They gave me no warning, no time to prepare, no one asked me if this is what I truly wanted. They decided for me. I know how you feel."

"This?"

"Becoming the first vessel to the Kitsune," Keiko revealed, watching the shock spread across the young witch's face. "I created this place when they killed me. You see, I was scared of death, I didn't want nor plan on dying that night so I protected myself. Fortunately, the second I died the Kitsune spirit made a home in me and that allowed my magic to let out a burst of energy so powerful that it created another dimension: the dark dimension. One that I could enter and leave as I please. This is where all my victims would go but as you can see it's empty because I no longer possess the Kitsune. You do."

Excitement is what Himari should be feeling at this moment. She finally possessed the Kitsune, which were words she always yearned to hear. She should feel satisfied and proud of herself. But truthfully, all she felt was anger. It bubbled beneath her skin and in her veins. She had been lied to, betrayed, and murdered at the hands of her own mother.

"You're angry. Good," Keiko noticed the fury behind her eyes. It was waiting to be unleashed. "Use that anger. Every last bit of it and fulfill your duty. Once that is done you rebuilt this atrocious community little by little."

"What if I can't? What if I fail?" Himari questioned.

"Now is not the time to doubt yourself. You have to get back to the real world before it's too late," Keiko urged, stepping closer. "You will be fine."

The girl wanted to believe her but she was afraid of facing her mother when she returned. It would hurt too much to look Ama in the eyes again. "I can't."

"Yes, you can," Keiko reassured her, suddenly taking Himari's arm. "You have the power of all our ancestors living in you, in your heart, and it's time you use it and you use it well. Do you understand?"

Himari gulped, nodding. "What about you? Will I see you again?"

"If you want to. All you have to do is call out to me." She winked, knowingly. Keiko's grip on the girl tightened.

A force was pushing Himari back into reality despite the fact that she didn't want to leave ever. She couldn't fight. She wasn't strong enough to go up against Keiko's magic. She wondered if she would still feel the burning sensation throughout her entire body from being stabbed. Would she continue to cry after experiencing such betrayal by one of the people she trusted most or would the wrath caused by said betrayal flood her mind the moment she woke up?

She would take action into her own hands. She had to. It wasn't like she had a choice. This unforgiving rage was bound to boil over and Himari guessed it going to be tonight. She was fine with that.

"It's time you return. We'll see each other again soon, Himari," Keiko's reassuring smile was the last thing she saw before everything went dark.

Junpei had never run this fast in his life. The only thing going through his head was Katerina. He had to find her and leave just like his sister told him to, even though there was this lingering thought telling him he shouldn't have left. This gut feeling remained present as he got closer and closer to the vampire's limp body. The idea of going back did cross his mind. More than once in fact. But he ignored it. He trusted Himari and his mother to protect themselves if the situation called for it.

If he was being honest, there was nothing he could've done. He wasn't as skilled with magic as the rest of his family. Witchcraft in general never really interested him, which at times had him feeling like an outcast. He would've died had something gone wrong. The thing is he didn't care. He was willing to take the risk if it meant Himari would be okay. He could only hope now that she would find him once he left.

Katerina's body laid there sound asleep. Despite Himari's blood staining the outside of her mouth, she looked almost harmless. Any trace of the tainted memories that troubled her was gone. She was at peace. Junpei could forgive that she was a vampire and admit the very obvious that Katerina was beautiful. He felt bad that she had to go to such great lengths just to survive for whatever reason. Though he couldn't forgive her for hurting Himari.

Junpie crouched down intending to pick her up but a swooshing sound made him pause mid-action. He was frozen in place. His eyes darted around nervously, trying to focus on the fast movement. It reminded him of how Katerina ran and immediately he knew he wasn't alone. He acted fast, beginning to mumble under his breath. A spell that would hide them and they could flee undetected.

"I wouldn't advise that."

Two figures stood tall in front of Junpei and Katerina's unconscious body. The one that spoke had a thick English accent, he wore a smug smile while the other remained quiet and disinterested in the game intimidation. Although Junpei wanted to show no fear, he couldn't help the way his face went pale or how his heart rate sped up in their presence.

He said nothing and instead, he stood up and tried to run but someone stopped him. A girl with blue eyes and long blonde hair. She wore the same menacing smile the other one had. It didn't take a genius to piece together that they were related somehow.

"Were you just going to leave the poor girl? How rude." She taunted, tilting her head up at him.

Junpei looked nervously between the three, confused as to how he was still alive. "What do you want?"

"I'm glad you asked. Here's the thing I was in search of the wretched doppelgänger so I could kill her for crossing me but as I was tracking her down and learned she was here of all places, it got me wondering: Why here?" The man explained, circling Junpei and making him uneasy. "Then I realized this is the home of the very coven who created the bothersome spirit to take me down and have ultimately failed for the past 500 years. I would've thought by killing the last host that this would have ended but it seems your pesky coven doesn't know when to give up. It's quite infuriating. When I kill someone I expect them to stay dead."

He was now face-to-face with Junpei. He was scowling and it was taking everything in him not to snap the boy's neck. But he couldn't, at least not yet, because he needed answers as to where the new Kitsune host was. "Tell me where she is."

Junpei remained silent, though he was intimidated by the man, he wouldn't give up Himari's location. He would stay loyal until the very end.

"Oh, how commendable of you to refuse to cooperate despite your life being in my hands." He says, almost amused by the warlock's bravery. "Now is not the time for you to play hero, mate. Unfortunately, you cannot be compelled which leaves me no other option but to use violence."

At his words, Junpei's eyes widened and he tried to take a step back. However, the vampire held him in place leaving no room for movement.

"Take the doppelgänger." The Warlock offered. "Just take her and leave."

"Are you bargaining with me?"

"Isn't that why you're here? For Katerina? To make her pay for whatever is it she did to you. You know I wonder what could she have done that was horrible enough for you to chase her down to the ends of the earth. Why don't you tell me?" Junpei inquired, testing his luck. He watched the vampire's amused smirk fade and he knew he had touched a nerve.

"You're a fool to think you have any sort of power to ask questions here. I should rip out your heart and feed it to you-"

"-Niklaus, keep yourself under control." The other one finally spoke. He stepped in between the two breaking Klaus' grip on Junpei.

"No, you're the fool to think for even a second that I would betray my people. Like I said take the doppelgänger and leave before it's too late," Junpei's words sounded more like a warning than an offer now.

"Is that a threat?" The older one of the two men quirked an eyebrow.

"Take it however you want I really don't care." Junpei shrugged, concealing his fear as he bided more time. His mind was running wildly thinking of any way to escape them. His eyes flickered to Katerina who was still sleeping and an idea had come to mind. "Well, I'm bored now and you've overstayed your welcome."

The three vampires blinked and Junpei was gone. So was Katerina. They looked around panicked and confused as to how he could've vanished so quickly. The Warlock against his better judgment had awoken the doppelgänger from her short slumber. If he had any chance of escaping, he needed her help. It was no surprise she was scared the second her doe eyes snapped open, especially after looking past the boy and noticing three familiar faces.

She let out a small yelp as she got to her feet. She was prepared to run until a tug on her arm stopped her.

"It's okay, they cannot see or hear you. I've cloaked us." He reassured, watching her breathing begin to steady.

"Your sister... Where's your sister?" She asked, looking paranoid.

"Not here." He simply said. "Do not worry about her. Right now I need you to focus on taking the girl down."

"No- I can't!" She protested, backing away from him. "You don't understand... They will kill me!"

"I don't care to understand, Katerina. You brought this fight here and you never considered the people you'd hurt while doing so. I don't want to hear any more excuses fall from your mouth. You wanted our help well, here I am ready to fight alongside you. Now is not the time to cower away in fear." Though Junpei's words were blunt, they were also honest and they held deep desperation.

The vampire again had no choice but to go along with his plan. It would be a huge risk they both would be taking; fighting three original vampires wasn't exactly on either of their radars.

"Okay. Fine," Katerina sighed, preparing herself for what might be her last day alive. "But if I do this, if I live, we call a truce between you, Himari, and I?"

"Alright." He nodded, slightly surprised that she agreed. "You'll be cloaked unless they kill me so for your sake let's hope that doesn't happen. I'll distract them while you take on the girl, do whatever you can, and don't get bested, is that clear?"

"Crystal."

Junpei reappeared right before their eyes. They looked ready to attack and force answers out of him. If he was being honest, it made him a bit reluctant to carry out his schemes. But he couldn't turn back now.

Klaus had grown tired of these petty games, he regretted not killing the Warlock when he had the chance. His face turned to a frown as he sped in front of Junpei. "Witches and their mental games. Clever of you to keep Katerina hidden from us though I wonder why you didn't just run. Perhaps, you really are a fool."

A small groan caught their attention. It was Rebekah with a large tree branch stabbed through her heart. In a matter of seconds, her skin turned grey. Anger flooded the Hybrid once he saw the look of satisfaction on Junpei's face as both brothers saw their sister desiccating.

"I would've missed the show." He jested, answering Klaus' question. Before the hybrid could retaliate he was pushed back by a force of energy. Junpei, with his other hand, was about make a gesture to snap Elijah's neck but he had disappeared. "Well it's just us two. Now it's a fair game, don't you agree?"

Junpei wondered where the other brother could've ran off to.

Klaus got up to his feet, an evil look behind his eyes that shined a very dull yellow with black veins protruding from beneath them, not quite as bright as Junpei imagined them to be, which led him to the conclusion that Klaus had not triggered his werewolf curse yet. Or something was suppressing it. He looked like a normal vampire. Less threatening. When it came to witches, there was always an imbalance of power. They were stronger, especially while their magic was being fueled by a celestial occurrence like a blood moon, and also being in their territory where their ancestors roamed as if they too were alive, were a recipe set up for failure. Klaus knew this but he didn't care. He didn't know when to stop.

"Witch." The hybrid spat angrily as if it were an insult to be called that. "How could it ever be a fair fight because even with my siblings being useless at the moment, you'll still lose!"

"You're right about the fact that it wouldn't be a fair fight but it is not me who'll lose," Junpei said. "Luckily for me, you're merely a vampire. Not a true hybrid. You will never become one. Nature has made sure of it by repressing that side of you... but since you're still immortal, and I cannot kill you with a stake through your heart; how about I force that wolf side out of you as punishment?"

Klaus' narrowed his eyes at the boy. Again he ran in an attempt to attack but failed as he was pushed back. In seconds, each of his bones began to break; they cracked in all different directions mimicking a form of a wolf. The process was painful just like the Original imagined it to be. He remembered watching the wolves in transformation when he was younger. He remembered their agonizing cries during it and the bloodshed after. He remembered his youngest brother, Henrik, being a victim of it because of him.

Junpei watched Klaus scream out in pain. His misery should've brought the Warlock some sort of pleasure because his magic was actually working for once, but it didn't. A pang in his heart told him differently. Hurting people was not the way he wanted to use his gift. It wasn't him. He had to remind himself he was doing this for Himari so they wouldn't hurt her. He could never live with himself knowing he did nothing to help his sister.

Junpei glanced in the direction of the ritual grounds wondering what was taking so long, then back at Klaus who continued to writhe. Had something gone wrong? Fear crept into the corners of his mind at the thought. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up.

Katerina watched quietly from the sidelines as she held the piece of wood in place. Paranoia kept her alert. She hated being unaware of
Elijah's movements. It put her in a dangerous position. Junpei never told her what would happen after she staked Rebekah or what he would do. By the look of uncertainty on his face, it seemed that they were both clueless about what to do next. The vampire's stomach twisted with anxiety because if the warlock didn't have a strategy beyond this then they were both doomed. She couldn't let that happen. No, she wouldn't die today. Not ever. Her life had just begun and she was tired of running. She'd grown desperate and that meant she would do anything to keep Klaus far away from her.

Even if it meant betraying Junpei in the process.

She wondered now that Himari was gone, the linking spell she put on them should also be gone too, right?

Without hesitation, she let go of the branch she had stabbed through Rebekah. She sped off, waiting for the moment of that invisible pull to tug at her.

It never came.

Katerina looked back with an apologetic expression before leaving.

Klaus' suffering continued. The breaking of his bones echoed throughout the plains. His body ached and his head was spinning as he tried to push himself off the ground with a grunt, his eyes met Junpei's for a split second and to his surprise, he was showing remorse. For him.

There were no evil intentions behind Junpei's actions. Instead, they showed the worse quality a person could have in this type of world: sympathy. He was not doing this for his own satisfaction, there was someone else he was trying to protect. If Klaus didn't know any better, It would only make sense that the very Kitsune he was looking for, was somehow related to Junpei. The hybrid recognizes that sort of loyalty and protection are two things only family can offer.

The sound of fast movements caused Junpei to snap his head in the direction of it. The branch holding Rebekah down was now tossed to the side. Elijah stood next to his sister's unconscious body waiting for her to wake up at any moment. Katerina was supposed to be there making sure Rebekah didn't get a chance to fight. Where did she go? Anger slowly bubbled in Jumpei's chest at the realization Katerina had betrayed him.

"I should've warned you beforehand about the nasty habit of double-crossing Katerina has acquired, but it seems you've gotten a taste of her treachery now haven't you?" Elijah's tone was full of mockery before taking a step forward causing Junpei to take one back. "I searched the area and after nothing but grasslands, I found a village. The ritual sight if you may. My intentions were to kill this new Kitsune my brother keeps mentioning... However, to my surprise, the girl was already dead."

Junpei's focus on Klaus faltered. His heart skipped a beat at the Original's words. Elijah watched the Warlock's face drain of all color, waiting for his next move. It was as if the whole world had become silent. Himari was dead. There had to be some explanation or... Elijah must've been lying.

But what if he wasn't?

The fear that something had gone wrong crept to the front of his mind once again. The thought of Himari being in danger, the thought of her being dead was a hard pill to swallow. Their mother had planned this day out from start to finish, there was no room for mistakes. Ama had made sure of it. But Katherine's arrival was never calculated. There was no way of telling she'd throw the whole plan off balance. And Klaus... He wasn't supposed to show up. The ritual should've played out without interruptions.

"Why should I believe you?" Junpei's breathing was becoming unsteady as tears began to form.

"You can go see for yourself."

Junpei stared at him intently searching for any signs of lying.

"Though just by the way your heart is beating I suppose you've had your suspicions about the outcome of this ritual." Elijah took another step forward, testing the waters to see if Junpei's defense would switch from Klaus to him. It hadn't.

"Stop talking! You don't know anything." A new emotion found its way into the Warlock's heart. One that pangs at the slight possibility of his sister being gone for good.

Klaus was listening to the scene, attempting to get up off the ground as his body went through all the stages of a werewolf transition. That pain he felt at the start had somewhat faded, but there was still a dull ache everywhere. His fangs had retracted by themselves, and the veins under his eyes had slowly disappeared.

Junpei was losing focus.

"Don't I?" Elijah challenged, "From where I'm standing it seems to me that you're fighting for nothing. Your coven lied to you about the details of this ritual and now that poor girl paid the price."

"As if you care about her. You came here to kill her yourself because your wretched family knows just how much power she would've held against you," Junpei's attention was now on the original standing inches away from him. "Haven't you lived enough? Don't think you think it's time someone put you out of your misery?"

"That someone won't be you."

Klaus sped over to them in seconds and grabbed Junpei by the throat. The Warlock felt the air and the will to fight being ripped away from him all at once. Junpei was only doing this to give Himari time and protect her but it seemed like his fighting meant nothing in the end.

Elijah watched attentively waiting for his brother's next move.

"Now what am I going to do with you?" The hybrid grip loosened a bit as if an idea hit him.

Himari Abe's eyes glowed a bright orange, her circular pupils were now slits resembling a snake; there was a fire burning behind them. It sought to wreak havoc, to ruin the lives of those who've caused her suffering. There was a new hunger for destruction waiting to be released and with that, she would relish in her enemy's despair. She'd never felt anger quite like this, it was almost unfamiliar. Her hatred for vampires was heightened to the max. She wished to see them fall like pawns in a chess game, to watch them beg for their lives as they rested in her hands, to finally put an end to only one who matched in power with her: Klaus Mikaelson.

That became an evident notion once she took a look around. Everyone was dead. Blood as red as the moon above had splattered the ground. The smell of death had hung in the air for hours. A newfound feeling to watch the world burn and everyone in it ignited at her core as she trembled with rage at the sight in front of her. Though she was hurt by the betrayal of her mother, she did not wish to see her lifeless body. Or any of the members of the coven.

This was her home and now it was ruined. It was tainted with horrid images of corpses.

A numbness took over once she learned her brother was nowhere to be found. If he was dead, there was no body to bury. She searched for days for him and nothing. There was no sign of him anywhere and with that realization, she felt her heart break.

She couldn't stay here.

She had to leave.

She had to continue this journey alone and go fulfill her destiny and destroy the author of everything she would become. But to defeat a monster, one must become the monster; a version much crueler. She had to be the devil himself if she wanted to beat the very darkness she would soon fall for. Himari Abe was a force to be reckoned with. She possessed magic, too much of it, that was embedded in her veins and strong enough to demolish cities. She carried the strength of her ancestors in her spirit and the memory of Junpei in her heart.

Her humanity would be a thing of the past; a flame extinguished by bloodshed because Himari Abe would be the demise of Klaus Mikaelson at any cost.