SIXTEEN,      The end is near

ELIJAH HAD NEVER seen Himari as silent, as calm, and as still as she was right now. She hadn't said a word to him since they were freed from that cold cellar by Elena of all people. Once they had arrived back at their small apartment, Himari didn't acknowledge him or Elena. That alone spoke volumes. She simply moved past them and went straight to her room, slamming the door shut.

Before Elena had explained it to him, Elijah had no idea what occurred during those hours in the cellar, while he was daggered, though by Himari's lack of conversation, he assumed nothing good. She wore this defeated, almost-dead, expression that made him recall the last time he had seen her in such a state. It was back in the 1980s when those men attacked and poisoned her. He remembered how her body convulsed, how her eyes had fluttered shut as the toxins coursed through her veins at a torturing pace. 

Back then, he offered her his hand, reassurance, a declaration of loyalty, a promise of protection, and though her body had been weakened, her spirit remained intact. She'd taken his hand, bloody and stained with sins, and decided to trust him despite it.

But this... this time felt different.

It seemed that no words would mend the anguish she endured in those hours.

He couldn't lie and say it didn't worry him, because it did. More than he cared to admit. Himari had been poisoned and that meant her powers were severed. Not permanently, only temporarily. But what really concerned him was the fact that it had been by the hands of Damon Salvatore— Himari was not his biggest fan and he feared she might become fixated on revenge rather than focusing on their end goal.

The worst part was that he understood it.

The look of anger, of bitterness, of gnawing obsession— it was the same look his brother wore for centuries. A man who had been consumed by vengeance and his own paranoia, whose every action had been driven by rage and the need to settle old scores.

Revenge was a poison. He knew that better than anyone. Once it took root, it twisted your soul, and darkened every corner of your being until there was nothing left. Klaus would never truly know peace, only destruction. And if Himari succumbed to that same impulse...

Elijah sighed, tearing his gaze from the front door, as he pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. He had been waiting for Elena to come back after letting her go to deal with an emergency. His trust in her had been fickle. He didn't know why he allowed her— how Himari allowed— to walk away from them knowing the last time they trusted her and her friends, it got him daggered— it got Himari hurt.

He remembered the feeling of hopelessness when he saw Himari lying there, basically dead. She had been so still.

Though, at first, it wasn't for the reason he wanted it to be. His concern for her hadn't been purely selfless. He wanted to believe he cared for her— that the fear that gripped him when he found her had been about her, her well-being, her safety. And yes, a part of him had grown attached, maybe even fond of her over the years. But it wasn't the whole truth. The cold reality was that when he had seen her lying there, so fragile and vulnerable, his heart hadn't sunk out of fear for her life. No, what really terrified him, was the realization that if Himari was defeated—if she died— his plan would die with her.

Without her, Klaus would win.

She was an essential tool for his own selfish agenda, in this intricate game he's been playing with his brother. And if that piece fell, if she fell, his ambitions would crumble with her.

Elijah hated himself for thinking it.

But he couldn't deny it.

His gaze drifted back to Himari, lingering on her still form. She sat perched at the very edge of the couch, as though any closer to him might suffocate her. Her chin rested heavily in her hand, but her eyes were distant, locked on the flickering flames in the fireplace. Her hair was damp, strands clinging to her neck and shoulders from the long grueling shower she had just taken. Droplets of water still traced her collarbone, disappearing into the fabric of her tight long-sleeved shirt. Her skin, though, was what drew his attention most— red, raw, irritated— as though she had scrubbed away every layer until it hurt, trying to cleanse something far deeper than just Damon's torment.

The silence between had stretched longer than Elijah could bear. But he knew that Himari was still too lost in her own thoughts.

Clearing his throat softly, he casted a tentative glance at her before turning his gaze back to the flames. "Elena informed me of what happened so your silence is understandable."

Himari didn't stir. Her eyes remained fixated on the fire, unblinking.

He hesitated, his brows furrowing ever so slightly. This wasn't unfamiliar territory for him. There had been centuries of conversations where words came easy to him, where he could charm, persuade, or command. But here, now, with her words felt inadequate.

Still, Elijah was nothing if not persistent and patient. He leaned forward a little, his voice soft but deliberate. "I understand you don't feel like talking... but please remember you don't have to carry the burden alone."

A heavy pause filled the room.

Elija's eyes lingered on her, every fiber of her body seeming tense, guarded.

"You can even tell me how wrong I am for trusting Elena." A slight, careful smile pulled at the corner of his mouth, though it was clear he was testing the waters.

Still, no answer came. But in the way her posture stiffened, the slightest shift in her breathing, he could sense her listening, at least.

If Elijah wasn't staring at her so intensely, he would've missed her blink— her attention being pulled away from the fire and finally on him.

"It's not a burden I'm carrying with me, Elijah," Himari said, removing her chin from her hand. Her eyes, dark and tired, met his with quiet intensity. "It feels much heavier... almost unconquerable like I've already failed."

Elijah's chest tightened at the sound of, not just her words, but also the defeat in her voice.

He didn't reply immediately, unsure of whether to push or pull back. He could see it in her— the darkness he had seen in others, but it was deeper, quieter. It gnawed at him, not because he didn't understand it, but because he feared where it might lead her.

"But you haven't," Elijah assured. "They tried to poison you to the point of your death because they're fearful of you, and still, you remain alive. They have failed. Not you."

"It's not about Damon or his friends or even Elena," Himari's fists clenched. "They will get what they deserve in due time. That much, I can promise."

The original was confused. He thought the root of her anger was because of what she endured at the hands of Damon. "Then... what is it about, if not them?"

"Me."

"You?"

"Yes, me. I'm cursed, Elijah. And I wished I had realized it sooner," Himari's gaze shifted back to the fire, her tone distant. "You said it yourself. I'm 'bound by magical vows and obligations at the hands of my ancestors.' Those were your exact words."

Elijah exhaled softly. He hadn't meant for her to internalize what he said out of frustration. He readjusted himself before speaking again. "Was that the only thing you took from that conversation? That one sentence."

"It's the only thing that mattered. It's the truth and you know it." She replied, almost bitterly.

Himari didn't expect his words to affect her this much— but they had. They rang in her ears like a clock ticking down. Especially, after that ordeal with Damon and his mind tricks. Hearing her mother telling her she failed, that basically, her time had ran out. It had left the witch disoriented with festering paranoia. It was like she couldn't think of anything but Klaus— how he was on his way and she had nothing to defeat him with. The artifact was in his hands somehow, her powers had been temporarily severed, and Bonnie had probably channeled the magic from the witch's burial grounds.

She had nothing.

"I never meant..." Elijah's voice trailed off, trying to find the right words. Now careful with how he phrased his next sentence. "I don't want you to dwell on what I said."

"How can I not?"

"It's not the truth."

"It is. You can't deny it," Himari pushed herself off the couch. "Had I not had these powers— which make me different, more formidable against Klaus— you wouldn't have looked my way. You would've gone somewhere else and I still would've been alone. But because I was cursed with this power— to chase your brother down for as long as I have— you came to me. I am your only hope to take down Klaus."

Elijah stood as she did. Deepening his frown. "I don't understand."

"If I fail and Klaus wins. That means the years I've spent carrying this power— this burden— were for nothing."

Elijah took a cautious step closer. "You believe your powers are what makes you worthy?"

"It is— It's the whole reason I'm alive." Himari said, growing frustrated. 

He shook his head. "Your worth doesn't rest on Niklaus or your victory after all this is over. It's simply just a part of who you are, with or without this... curse you speak of."

"It's easy for you to stand there and say that, but you don't understand. Your life isn't on a timer, you can't possibly know what it's like to feel this powerless." She argued, dismissing his words.

"I do know," Elijah confessed against his better judgment. "You've seen me powerless. Desperate even. It's the reason I came to you."

Himari eyed him curiously, taking a moment to remember. It was the night he rescued her after she had been ambushed by Klaus' lackeys. The look of hopelessness in Elijah's eyes was forever ingrained in her mind. At the time, she didn't know if it was pity she felt for him or if it was annoyance.

"My— Niklaus crossed a line I never in a million years thought he would. It proved to me he would never change— that he could not be saved or redeemed, not even for his own family." He explained, watching as her expression subtly changed. "He left me without one. He threw them into the ocean where they could never be found again and I had to live with this... overwhelming grief until I decided his actions could no longer be left without consequences."

The witch was silent, unsure of how to respond. He did know what it was like. She knew of the grief he spoke of well and unlike him, it still lived within her like a plague.

"Everything leads back to him," Himari turned her back on the original. Now facing the fire again. "It always does somehow."

A bitterness spurred in her chest at the realization that she would never truly escape Klaus until either of them were dead for good. This was her true curse. Not her powers or ancestors. It was him. Always him.

Elijah seemed to recognize her situation as he went to stand next to her as if it were his own.

The door to their apartment opened suddenly, and Himari didn't bother to turn around while Elijah glanced over his shoulder. By the awkward silence—and his slight shocked expression— she knew it was Elena. Neither of them were expecting her to actually return.

"I'm back, like I promised," Elena announced nervously, shutting the door behind her.

"And I'm sure that was very hard for you," Himari remarked, still angry by the doppelgänger's betrayal.

Elijah cast the witch a look before turning to Elena. "I must admit, I had little to no confidence that you would honor our agreement."

Himari finally turned around, making direct eye contact with Elena. Her gaze was intense, full of rage and disappointment all at once. Elena faltered under the weight of it, visibly uncomfortable as she stared back with regret and guilt for what she had done.

"Unlike her, some of us are honorable, Elijah," Himari quipped, smiling innocently as she crossed her hands behind her back.

Elijah sighed, knowing this was only the beginning of Himari's smart remarks. He understood how the witch was feeling— her emotions were justified. But if they wanted their plan to work despite the mishaps they've endured, then they would need Elena on their side.

Elena breathed in heavily, dismissing Himari's words, before walking toward them, removing her jacket and tossing it on the couch. "Tell me. What is Klaus's curse?"

"Please." Elijah gestured for the doppelgänger to sit, his voice calm, trying to ease the tension.

Himari watched them, uninterested in hearing their conversation. She's heard this story a hundred times: the tragic backstory of Klaus Mikaelson, the tortured soul, cast aside and despised by his own father. There was a time when that narrative might've moved her, and stirred some compassion. In a twisted way, she could even relate; to the burden of being set apart, marked by forces beyond your control. A flicker of pity rose within her— unbidden, unwelcomed. Klaus had been brutalized by fate, but still, that didn't justify the choices he had made in his immortal life. He had chosen to be ruthless, to leave destruction in his wake.

And she couldn't allow it to go on any further. She wouldn't let him break his curse, wouldn't let him claim a power that would make him an even greater threat than he already was.

Himari eyed Elena carefully, watching as the shock simmered onto her face as Elijah revealed that Klaus was both a vampire and a werewolf. A hybrid.

A sudden warmth pulled her attention away from their conversation and down to her necklace. The red jewel glowed faintly indicating her powers were back. Himari looked at Elena— remembering the deal they made days ago. The one where she would bind their lives together to keep her safe. Even if Elena didn't want to go through with it anymore, Himari didn't care.

"...That's the curse Klaus wants to break?" Elena's body followed the originals as he sauntered across the room.

"He wants to trigger that of him that's a werewolf," Elijah said. "If allowed, Klaus would sire his own bloodline. He'd build his own race... endangering not just vampires but everyone."

"—But you helped him." Elena slowly got up.

"I helped him because I loved him." He explained, looking away from Elena, unsure of how to accept the compassion in her eyes. "That's changed now. He must die."

"We have the dagger. We can stop him—"

"—The dagger won't work," Himari interjected, still standing by the fire. "If it had, I wouldn't be here today. Klaus is different. And since he's both a vampire and a werewolf that makes him special—more complicated to kill." 

"What are you saying? Is there a way or not?" Elena asked desperately.

"There's one way to kill any supernatural species," Elijah took his time. "At the hands of the servants of nature themselves."

"A witch. If they can channel that much power." Elena said, glancing at Himari. At that moment, she recalled Katherine's words the day she went to visit the vampire. Katherine had told her about how unique Himari was— how she was supposed to be a formidable opponent against Klaus, but Katherine never said how.

Himari could feel the doppelgänger's eyes on her, she looked to be in deep thought like she was connecting puzzle pieces in her mind.

Elena blinked, sighing as her head rested on the wall. "But it would kill them."

"I've told you and your friends that is a sacrifice I'm willing to take." Himari reminded her. "Bonnie doesn't have to die." Still, in her anger, she wanted to keep the Bennett witch safe.

"It's true," Elijah nodded, stepping closer to Elena. "It'll be a full moon and when Klaus is in transition that's when he'll be at his most vulnerable. A witch with enough power can kill Klaus."

"But how are you so sure Himari can do this?
How are you so sure she'll survive?" Elena asked, uncertainty dripping from her voice.

"It's what I was born to do, Elena," Himari answered, a little too casually, like she'd accepted her fate a long time ago. "The Kitsune spirit was created to put an end to Klaus— that's our entire purpose."

"Katherine said you were given extraordinary powers— there has to be more to that." Elena turned to the witch.

"And there is," Himari a faint smile creeping onto her lips at how perspective she was. "I had an artifact that would've rendered Klaus mortal just before he was in transition so that he would be weak in that state. But he has it now and I'm sure he plans to use it to his favor."

"An artifact?"

"Yes, the Kitsune's heart." The witch nodded.

"If you don't have that anymore, how will kill him now?"

"I'm still a witch. A very experienced witch who can handle the power it takes to kill Klaus. I'm sure Bonnie can too but she would die and I don't want that for her despite the little stunt she pulled on me during the dinner party." Himari saw as Elena took every bit of information and digested it. "Do you understand now how foolish your friends have been toward us?"

"I know— I know and I'm sorry about that. They were just... I don't know." Elena's voice faded as she looked down, ashamed.

"And you know they can't go unpunished," Himari reminded her.

"What? What do you mean?"

Suddenly, Himari rushed toward the doppelgänger— her movement was a blur. The witch now stood in front of her, face-to-face, noses almost touching. Elena's breath hitched, not just because she was startled, but also because of the proximity between them. Himari scanned her face, she wore a look of confusion, shock, and... uneasiness about what her next move was. But Elena should remember that Himari would never hurt her or so she said.

"Himari..." Elijah called out to her, hesitantly.

"Do you remember the deal you agreed to, Elena?" The witch asked, ignoring him as she took a step back and brought her hand out.

Elena took a moment before she nodded. "Yeah... I remember."

Himari didn't waste a second before closing her eyes and beginning to chant lowly. The lights flickered as the fireplace grew hotter, more untamed. That's when Elena felt it, a stinging pain in her palm. She immediately looked at it and there was a small cut at the top of her hand that slowly began to go down, creating a jagged gash across her palm. She let out a groan and glanced back up at Himari with a panicked expression. The witch was unfazed and calm. The doppelgänger eyes shifted toward the same wound on Himari's hand, and it was then that Elena realized her life was being linked to hers.

Himari grabbed her hand tightly, mixing their blood together and forming a bind between them.

Elena felt the grip on her become gentle, less harsh as the lights dimmed. The pain in her hand faded away and the bleeding ceased.

The witch let go of her, opening her eyes. "This stays between us like you promised before. Do you understand?"

Elena nodded vacuously, rubbing her palm with her thumb— the wound completely gone.

Junpei sat comfortably on a stranger's couch, a drink in his hand as he watched the frightened expression slowly etch onto Katherine's face from beside him. This would be the first time she'd face him in centuries after she fled from the original— Klaus being in Alaric's body had strikes fear in her but not like this. It was much more difficult and Junpei could see that. She wasn't fighting to hide the terror in her eyes. It partially brought him a bit of satisfaction, but the reality of everything was settling for him and that made it difficult to take any joy in Katherine's misery.

He straightened his posture as the box that held Klaus's real body was being rolled in by his servants. He heard the doppelgänger's breath hitch at the sight.

"I wonder what's in the box," He joked, taking a swig of his drink.

Katherine snapped her gaze at him, momentarily startled as if she'd forgotten he was even there. "You think this is funny?"

"A little bit." He shrugged, unfazed. "I haven't seen you this spooked since the first time I saw you."

A heavy silence fell between them. Both their eyes darted back to the box as it was being positioned to stand up straight. Maddox began to set candles in the shape of a circle and lit them up one by one, giving Alaric's apartment an ominous ambiance.

Junpei leaned in closer, his voice almost a whisper. Katherine's face paled as she let out a shaky breath. "Funny, isn't it? After all your running, all the chaos you left behind... this is where it's brought you. Right back to him— to me, too."

Maddox stepped into the circle and got on his knees as if Klaus was someone to worship. The Warlock began to chant Latin under his breath, it sounded like mumbling. The room grew even more quiet than before Alaric regained control over his own body.

His eyes met Katherine's for a split moment. "Elena?"

Then he fell unconscious to the ground as Maddox stood up and went to the door of the box and slowly opened it.

Junpei could feel the whole room still, could practically hear Katherine's heart beat out of her chest as she stood up abruptly and cautiously walked closer to the box as if she needed to see him first to make sure this wasn't just a nightmare. Junpei followed suit, setting his empty glass on a nearby table.

Klaus's real body stepped out with his usual proud smirk as he looked around the room, his eyes falling briefly on Alaric's motionless figure and then drifting across everyone in the room.

"Now that's more like it."

The last thing Himari wanted to do was go back to the same place where she had endured the worst torture. She didn't want to leave her apartment to talk about matters she'd already settled. She was going to kill Klaus with Elena's help whether the Salvatores liked it or not. She was confused as to why Elijah insisted they needed their help— why he thought an apology would solve anything. She was sure that if she was in the proximity of Damon, she wouldn't be able to control herself.

She didn't understand why Elena and Elijah thought everything could be forgiven so easily as if what happened to her could just be swept under the rug. It couldn't. Himari wouldn't let it. She had been hurt when all she was trying to do was keep Elena safe.

It felt unfair to pardon, to forget, what Damon had done. She thought that Elijah, of all people, would understand her— her anger. But he seemed persistent on glossing over it like her situation was trivial compared to what they needed to be focused on.

Himari followed the two into the Salvatore home and immediately an uneasiness washed over her. She wasn't sure if the cause was the memory of being a prisoner in their cellar still being fresh or if she just knew that this might not go as Elijah planned. Before they entered the study area, the sound of a loud crash caught the witch's attention. She stepped into the room, seeing Salvatore brothers at each other's throats.

She turned to Elijah, noticing this moment had stirred some unwanted memories.

"Stop," Elena yelled at them. Immediately the two brothers let go of each other as if they had been compelled.

Damon looked between Elena, Elijah, and then Himari. He was unsure as to why the doppelgänger thought it was a good idea to bring them back to his house— why Elena trusted these people to begin with.

"Now you've invited him in?" The vampire said incredulously as he looked at Elijah.

"I've renewed the terms of our deal," Elena ignored his comment.

"Really?" Damon replied, sarcastically.

"The two of you will come to no harm at my hands." Elijah stepped forward, looking between them. "I only ask for one thing in return."

"What?"

"An apology."

Himari sighed, seemingly annoyed by all of this. She couldn't believe Elijah would even accept this.

"A what?"

Despite Damon being wary, Stefan took a chance and approached the original. "I'm sorry for the part that I played in your death. I was protecting Elena. I will always protect Elena."

"I understand," Elijah said.

Unlike his brother, Damon didn't trust Elijah or the plan. There was no guarantee that Elena would make it out alive. He could lose her and that wasn't a risk he was willing to take. Himari saw his hesitancy, the look of fear and anger mixing into one. He was too prideful to admit he was scared— that he needed their help whether he liked it or not.

Unable to restrain herself, she took a slow step forward, her voice a low, dangerous murmur. "What's wrong, Damon? Do apologies stick in your throat?"

He sneered, though his gaze flickered briefly with something more uncertain. "You're still alive? Are you expecting an apology too?" He shot back.

"Oh, I'm not here to accept anything." Himari leaned on the small indoor balcony, her tone laced with contempt. "In fact, I haven't even begun to return the favor of what you did to me."

Elena stepped in between them, blocking Himari's eyesight. "That's enough, both of you. We need to work together."

"So I'm supposed to trust her now, huh?" Damon's mouth twisted into a mocking smile.

"Trust? Trust has nothing to do with this. I've accepted we're never going to see eye to eye." She said coolly, her gaze burning into him. "But if I ever decide you're no longer useful... I'll finish what you started in that cellar."

Elijah's voice interrupted the mounting tension, calm yet commanding. "If we want Klaus dead, this... truce is necessary. The choice is yours."

Damon remained silent, still skeptical.

"The sacrifice is going to happen, Damon," Elena firmly told him. "Himari will be able to kill Klaus without Bonnie getting involved and she knows how to save my life. I told you I'd find another way. And I did."

"Is that true?" Damon directed his question to Elijah and Himari.

"It is."

"And you're trusting them?" He looked at Elena again.

"I am."

"You can all go to hell." Damon's anger had surfaced, and he left the room.

Himari watched him leave, a sense of satisfaction filled her knowing he didn't get what he wanted— that he didn't get the last word, and that, as childish as it was, felt like a victory. But even with the tension momentarily broken, she could feel the gravity of what lay ahead. She looked to Elijah, then to Elena. With everything set in line again, the witch felt her hope rising— that maybe everything would go as planned.

One thing was for certain; the end was near.