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❝A DOOR INTO DARKNESS❞

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Glen, Rafael and Landon walked together, heading towards Glen's dorm as they decided to get ready for the Halloween party.

With Valerie spending a lot of time lately with Jed and Kaleb, Glen had become closer with Rafael and even befriended Landon.

"Are you sure you're up for a party, Raf? We could always stay back and have a horror movie marathon." Landon suggested as they walked. He knew that his foster brother had been quite down since Cassie had been brought back from the dead. Of course, they had closure and Cassie found peace, but it still hurt. Rafael missed her so much.

"I'm good Lan." Rafael declared, putting a smile on his face. "I'm looking forward to this party, honestly. Plus, I love our matching costumes." The Waithe confessed as Glen had a slight smirk on his lips, "Mario and Luigi. Classic." He stated.

"Any idea what Lucas and his trio of dramatics are dressing up as?" Glen asked as Landon frowned, "How would I know?" He asked, as he hadn't spoken to Luca since the Saltzman basically said they should end whatever they had between them.

Glen sighed, feeling bad as he had forgotten about them calling it quits. "Sorry— I forgot." He quickly said as Landon shook his head, "It's fine. Who are you dressing up as?" He then asked.

Glen had a smile on his lips before he announced, "I'm dressing up as Phantom of the Opera." He stated as they reached his dorm. He placed his hand on the doorknob and pushed it open, though the trio stopped and gasped at the sight they'd seen.

Valerie and Jed were locking lips, as little gemstones crowded the floor as Val had been bedazzling their outfit.

"Woah— finally!" Glen was the first to speak, as Val and Jed both looked surprisingly at the trio. "This is awkward.. I'm gonna go." Jed quickly decided as Valerie laughed. "Okay. Save me a dance tonight." They called, as Jed left the room quickly.

"I hope you enjoyed the show." The Harlowe spoke sarcastically as the trio entered the dorm. "Sheesh, no judgement here. You're getting more action than the three of us combined." Glen confessed as Landon laughed nervously.

"Why are their gemstones everywhere?" Rafael asked, as she pulled his costume out of a plastic bag, revealing it to be Luigi. "Because I'm bedazzling my Micheal Myers costume." Valerie stated innocently.

"Mama Mia." Landon responded to Valerie with a feigned Italian accent, as he took his Mario costume from the same plastic bag Rafael's costume was in. "You absolutely butchered that accent, bro." The Waithe responded as Landon laughed. "I know."

"Boys... I have a suggestion." Valerie spoke, keeping their eyes on Glen. "What would that be?" Rafael asked, almost nervously. "Tonight is operation, set Glen up." The Harlowe said.

Glen blinked in surprise before he laughed, "You want to set me up with somebody?" He asked before he shrugged, "I mean... who?"

The purple haired werewolf shrugged, "Anybody that isn't Tori." They declared. Glen felt his shoulders sink a little, but he nodded.

He had been stuck on Victoria for years, and the girl he had fallen for seemed to be long gone. Even so, he still held out hope that she'd come back.

"I think this could be a good idea, man." Rafael admitted, looking to Glen. "What do you prefer, girls or guys?" The Waithe asked.

Glen shrugged, "I prefer girls and people that are non binary, but I am definitely open to guys." He decided, as Valerie was trying to hide her smirk as she thought about how she had practically walked in on Glen and Charlie.

"Okay... easy. We shall be on the hunt." Landon smirked, liking this idea. Between the Halloween party and their new mission of setting Glen up, the Kirby was relieved that he wouldn't have time to think about Lucas, and how much he longed the boy that was never his.

Glen smirked, approaching his wardrobe to take his costume out. He wondered how his friends would go in their little operation, though he thought it was sweet that they were thinking about him.

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As Tori completed the headdive, herself and Hope could hear the sensation of Jazz music playing. "I'll be damned." A voice piped up, belonging to the Necromancer. "I mean, I'm obviously damned, but it worked."

Tori's jaw dropped as she looked around, recognising the place to be main street of New Orleans. "What the hell are we doing here?" She snapped, looking to the monster. "You two are the ones who invited yourselves along." The Necromancer responded.

"This restaurant is in New Orleans. I've spent half my childhood here." Hope spoke, looking around.

"Rousseau's." Tori blurted, recognising the familiar bar that her mother Cami had once worked at as a bartender. She walked over to the window, and glanced inside, wishing deep down that she could see her mother in there working away... but she wasn't.

"I spent a good amount of time here. Your father was good for my business, he always killed people." The Necromancer added as the sisters both turned around to face him, with expressions of suspicion.

"How do you know about our dad?" Hope demanded. "Well, he's standing right behind you." The Necromancer spoke, laughing as both girls turned around to see nothing.

"Kidding. Kidding. But his spirit is all around you. Plus, he and I did our fair share of drinking here when he was at his most murder-y." The monster continued as Tori scoffed, "Are you done fucking us around?" She demanded, feeling like he was trying to trick them.

The Necromancer looked at Tori. "Frankly, I think you and your sister are the ones messing with me. All this talk about solving the mystery of Malivore. I think you and I both know which mystery you'd love me to solve. You want to know how your dad is? Or should I say, where he is?" He poked, knowing that Klaus had died to protect them.

Tori was seething now, "No. No, I don't." She insisted, as Hope agreed, crossing her arms.

"Sure you do. You want to know if he's at peace or if he's suffering. Regretting his sacrifice. After all, he did die to save your lives. A lovely gesture for such a mercurial man." The Necromancer rambled on, hitting a nerve with the Mikealson sisters.

"Hmm. Not to bother. I'm not telling you anything until we've finished our journey. Now, let's get started, shall we?" He began, "This is my conscious mind. We need to find the door to my subconscious. Look for a hallway to nowhere, an endless staircase. Something like that."

"Ooh, a second line. My favorite." The Necromancer spoke, as the trio turned around. Suddenly, the street was dark and there were performers dancing in the street and musicians playing instruments. "Yeah! How I love the macabre! Oh, oh, the dance of death."

Hope looked around, looking uneasy at the sudden change whilst Tori stood by her protectively.

"I wonder, who's the guest of honor?" The Necromancer asked, pointing to a coffin in the street. "Let's take a look. Perhaps, Klaus Mikaelson?" He asked, approaching it.

"No!" Hope yelled out, rushing to the coffin as did Tori, but when they approached the open coffin as the Necromancer opened it, it was completely black inside.

"There's nothing there." The auburn haired girl grumbled as the Necromancer, who was now dancing said, "You're not ready for the truth."

"No, there's literally nothing inside this box... like it's a door to darkness." Tori snapped, catching his attention now.

"Hmm? Ah, clever girl. May I present the door to my subconscious?" The Necromancer asked, before he quite literally leapt inside the box and fell into the darkness, closing the lid as he did.

Frantically, the sisters opened the coffin again to now see a regular casket. "Oh fuck.." Tori sighed, patting the bottom of the coffin to make sure that it wasn't an illusion.

"Tori... everyone is gone." Hope stated as they looked around to see that suddenly they were alone. "God this place is creepy." Tori said, before she made a beeline for Rousseau's, having an idea.

"Victoria, where are you go—" Hope stopped once she stepped inside Rousseau's to see Tori standing in a doorframe of a door she had just opened. Well, technically she had opened every door in the bar to test her theory.

When Hope approached her younger sister, she realised that the doorway Tori was looking through had a stairway to complete blackness. The hybrid laughed humourlessly before she called out, "This is a bit much, don't you think?"

Hope placed her hand on Tori's shoulder, insisting she went inside first. The blonde nodded, and stepped aside for her older sister to enter.

Tori trailed behind her sister as they walked down the stairs. "And you said you don't like mind games..." Hope scoffed at the Necromancer's words.

The sisters continued to walk down the endless stairs, as Hope reached her hand back to clasp Tori's protectively, as they submerged further into the darkness.

Suddenly, the stairs came to an end and Hope stepped off the edge, letting go of Tori's hand as she fell. "Hope!" Tori cried out, rushing forward to grab hold of her sister, only to fall over the edge too.

After what felt like an eternity of falling, the pair finally hit the bottom, landing close to eachother. They were in complete darkness.

Tori grumbled, as Hope got to her feet. "This is just getting creepier and creepier." The older sister spoke, helping Victoria to her feet. "No shit. Even I'm getting the heebie jeebies." Tori confessed.

Assuming that the Necromancer could hear them, Hope began to speak. "First of all, ow. Second, I'm here. Okay?" She called out, as her voice echoed.

"We climbed your endless staircase down into your bottomless pit of despair. Let's call an end to the torture. Okay?" The auburn haired girl added as Tori grit her teeth, growing frustrated. "Hey, Almighty Necromancer, weren't we supposed to be in this together?" She seethed, her voice also echoing. "Hello?!"

"Okay... Enough of this. I get it, you want me to admit what I want from you. But you're wrong." Hope continued to call out, "I'm at peace with my dad. Yes, he died because of me, but that was his choice. I've come to terms with it. You're wrong about me."

"I don't need to know anything. Screw this. Let's get out of here Tori." Hope decided, as she turned to her sister. "Finally." Tori replied, eager to escape. She reached out to grab Hope's hand and get them out, before she was suddenly picked up by an unmovable force and thrown away.

"Tori!" Hope screamed in horror, as her younger sister was thrown out of the Necromancer's head, leaving Hope alone.

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Meanwhile in Aphrodite and Laura's dormitory, Aphie, Laura, Liv, Myrical and Lizzie were getting into their costumes. Josie had wanted to join them in preparing for the party, but upon finding out that Olivia was there, she decided against it.

Liv currently sat in front of Aphie's mirror, as she was using facepaint to paint her skin a light blue for her costume; Emily from Corpse Bride. She had a semi permanent blue dye in her hair, and a thrifted wedding dress and heels.

In the bathroom, Aphrodite and Lizzie were standing in vintage dresses, as they curled their hair. They were going to the Halloween party as Evelyn Hugo and Celia St. James.

"Yes! It still fits!" An excited Laura called out, as she pulled on her light pink kimono. "Wow! It's so beautiful!" Myrical, who was across the room in her Boo costume, called out. "Thanks! It's my favourite thing ever." Laura admitted.

Aphrodite and Lizzie then stepped out of the bathroom, in their completed outfits now. "Woah, you guys look awesome!" Liv blurted, with a bright smile.

"Thank you, love." Aphie responded to her daughter, as Lizzie moved over to the mirror Liv was using to double check that her makeup was as she liked it. While she was there, she applied more lipstick.

"Okay.... The paint is done, now I just need to seal it so I don't accidentally rub it on anybody." Liv admitted, getting to her feet now. "Here, I have a sealant." Aphie piped up, approaching the Auclair as she held a large can of sealing spray in her hands.

Liv held out her arms and closed her eyes as Aphrodite sprayed the sealant all over her skin, which would set the face paint. With that, Liv could finally step into her dress.

"Okay, is everyone ready?" Lizzie asked, looking at Laura and Myrical who both nodded, before looking to Aphie and Liv.

"I think we're meeting the other Salvatore students in the courtyard before all leaving together." Aphrodite spoke, placing the large spray can down before she approached Lizzie and took her hand.

Lizzie quickly pecked Aphrodite on the lips before she opened the door to their dorm. Everyone got up and grabbed their things before leaving with the girlfriends.

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"Tori! Tori!" Niko's voice cried out, as they stood by the dazed hybrid who had been violently thrown out of the Necromancer's mind.

The blonde was scratched up, her costume tattered as she looked beat. "Niko?" She asked, her eyes slowly fluttering open. "Oh thank god you're awake... but where's Hope?" The Shiratori asked, visibly concerned before the auburn haired girl suddenly appeared, also being ejected from the Necromancer's mind but in a much less violent manner.

"Hope?" Tori got to her feet, rushing over to her sister who was teary eyed. "He was right..." Hope said, facing the blonde. "I want to know about what happened to our Dad. Our family said he must have died with love in his heart, and that he should have found peace with Camille but how are we supposed to know that?" The tribrid asked.

Tori felt tears sting her eyes now, and she didn't want to speak. She was in fear that if she spoke and showed more emotion towards their father, her humanity would completely switch on and that isn't what she wanted.

The blonde lurched forward and hugged her sister, as Hope hugged back and cried in Tori's arms. "Uh, guys." Niko caught their attention as he pointed to the Necromancer, who had awoken.

"Tell me where our father is." Tori snapped, wanting to know the truth so that Hope would feel better. "I will tell you everything you want to know, but wouldn't you like to hear about what I've just learned of Malivore first?" The Necromancer asked with a cocky smile.

"After I left you, I returned to the scene of my death. I saw a shadow. I felt a searing pain. And when I looked down, there was a knife in my heart and emptiness all around me." The Necromancer explained.

"A knife? The knife." Hope asked, as he nodded. "Interestingly enough, that which I seek is that which did me in. You've got to understand, to be killed by such a trifle of an object... I was curious as to its power, so I jumped out of my subconscious and summoned the spirit of the man who forged the knife in the first place."

"You left Hope in there on purpose?" Tori asked, in a growl. "Oh, I had work to do, and your sister had lessons to learn." The Necromancer said before he began to explain what he had heard from this man he had seeked out. "From this man, I heard the remarkable story of Malivore, created to wipe the scourge of the supernatural off the face of this Earth. Malivore consumed us, erased us. It was permanent death. And it was in Malivore that we were left to perish. Until recently, when the knife started beckoning us to bring it home.

"But why a knife?" Hope asked as the monster answered. "Decades ago, Malivore was contained. Three locks created to seal Malivore shut. The knife is one of those locks. When all three locks return home, Malivore is free to open its jaws of death once again."

"What does that even mean?" Hope demanded. "Let's just say, I'm summoning as much help as I can to get this knife to Malivore. When the knife is returned to Malivore, I will be free to find peace." He explained as Niko shook his head. "Goodluck with that. I can't understand why anybody would help you."

"As for your father, he watches over you every day, along with your mother." The Necromancer spoke, looking from Hope to Tori. "He did die with love in his heart, and he doesn't regret his choice. But he won't find peace... until you both do."

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Sometime later, Alaric and Caroline had caught the trio in the cellar and kicked them out. Alaric had gotten angry at the girls for engaging and insisted that they stayed out of it.

Hope was frazzled, and wanted to continue her mission on stopping the Necromancer, but Tori was insistent that they should go to the Halloween party.. mostly because she thought alcohol and a bit of dancing might lift their mood.

Nevertheless, Tori was slightly stressed. Her Red Riding Hood costume had been destroyed, and she had no other costumes for the Halloween party.

Swiftly, she followed Hope into her dorm room, though they were surprised to see Charlie in there, who had already gotten ready for the party.

"Woah— you scared me." Hope blurted, completely forgetting that she and Charlie were going to get ready together and help one another with horror makeup.

"Is your nose actually bleeding?" Tori asked Charlie, who shook his head. "It's intentional— I'm Eleven, from Stranger things!" He smiled, as Tori looked to Hope. "I'm going to dress as Max." Hope explained, as the best friends were doing matching costumes.

Truthfully, Hope and Charlie hadn't spent much time together lately despite being best friends. Charlie had been hanging out a lot more with Lizzie and Lucas, while Hope had been getting closer with Niko.

"Anyway, I do have a costume for you." Hope said to her sister, before she approached her wardrobe. She grabbed a coat hanger, which was holding a Harley Quinn costume.

"I have never seen you wear this." Tori confessed, as Hope shrugged. "Landon and I were going to dress as Harley Quinn and the Joker last Halloween... but then we broke up." She explained, holding out the costume as Tori took it.

"Well... thanks. You saved my Halloween." Tori confessed, before she entered Hope's bathroom to get dressed. Little did Tori know, she was going to meet the Poison Ivy to her Harley Quinn only minutes later.

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Most of the Auclair and Salvatore students were waiting in the courtyard, in their Halloween costumes. Already waiting were Liv, Myrical, Aphrodite and Lizzie along with Glen, Valerie, Landon, Rafael and Jed (who was wearing an LED purge mask)

Hope, Tori, Charlie, Beau and Lucas joined them, as everyone chatted about their outfits. "Oh wow! You guys are Max and Eleven!" Olivia piped up, seeing Hope and Charlie's outfits. Hope smiled at how fast their costumes had been recognised before Charlie nodded. "Yep! I'm so glad you could tell, especially since I didn't shave my head." The Salvatore chuckled, as he didn't want to shave his hero hair.

Tori stood with Beau and Lucas, still looking apologetic. "I'm sorry about my costume... I'm still disappointed it got ripped." The hybrid confessed as Lucas and Beau looked to her. "It's okay, we'll just have to do another costume trio next year for Halloween." Lucas suggested, as Tori liked that idea.

"Besides, you look hot." Beau confessed, "I bet you're gonna get the attention of a few girls or guys tonight." He admitted, as Tori shrugged as she rolled her eyes playfully. "Who knows, maybe I'll find my Poison Ivy." She spoke jokingly.

Next came along Clary, Corentin, Veronica and Josie. Josie was dressed as Annabelle, Veronica was dressed as Black Cat, Corentin was dressed as Jughead and Clary was dressed as Poison Ivy. Beau, Lucas and Tori looked at Clary's outfit before the boys both looked at Victoria and stifled laughs, at the coincidence.

"Oh great... look what the cat dragged in." Lizzie sighed, upon seeing Veronica, one of her sworn enemies. Over the years as Veronica came to visit her loved ones at the the Salvatore School and Auclair Academy, she and Lizzie had grown to dislike one another.

It had began when Hope and Lizzie hated eachother, over some fake rumours Josie made up... Veronica had hated the way Hope was treated by Lizzie, and although Josie's lie was caught out and Lizzie and Hope were now friends, V and Lizzie still didn't get along.

"Why if it isn't my least favourite Saltzman, which is saying a lot because your Dad's an asshole." Veronica scoffed, her eyes meeting Lizzie's. Upon hearing this, Aphrodite shot V a nasty glare and was prepared to say something but Lizzie had spoken first. "Don't you dare bad mouth my family and I."

"Why? You've always done it to my family." Veronica reminded her, before Corentin piped up "Guys, guys. There's no need for all of this hostility." He insisted.

"He's right. Keep your mouth shut honey, or we're going to have a problem." Aphrodite spoke to Veronica. The blonde Mikealson was surprised by Aphrodite, as she had never seen the girl before, but when she saw her intertwined hand with Lizzie, she realised they were a couple.

Veronica crossed her arms, and looked to Josie. "I always thought your sister had Mommy issues." She confessed, as Josie was surprised by this comment. Despite letting Veronica say such things to her sister, she sighed, "V, please stop... tonight's supposed to be fun."

Veronica suddenly felt bad. Of course, she was a nice person, but when it came to Lizzie she found herself to be spiteful. "Sorry Jojo." V spoke, giving her friend a weak smile.

"What the fuck is this?" Clary asked Tori, as the Mikealson looked surprised by the Bailey's outburst. "You look hot." Tori shrugged, trying not to be bothered by the fact that they were dressed up in essentially a couple's costume.

"Is this some sort of joke?" Carice asked Victoria, as the Mikealson shook her head. "I borrowed this costume off of Hope. Mine got destroyed earlier." She spoke bluntly as Clary sighed.

"Now everyone is going to think that we're a couple." The witch mumbled as Tori stepped closer to her, a smirk on her lips. "Would that be so bad?" She flirted, causing Clary's face to go red.

"Absolutely, because you and I are never going to happen, Mikealson." Clary declared, looking into Tori's eyes with a serious expression. "Keep telling yourself that... I know you fancy me." The O'Connell-Mikealson teased as she winked at her.

Glen, who had witnessed this interaction, felt his posture stiffen. Jed placed a hand on his shoulder, and gave him a sympathetic look. "Where are the others? We're burning moonlight..." Valerie spoke, though as if on cue the rest of the group arrived.

Laura and Niko approached them first, Niko dressed as Magnus Bane. They were followed by Amelia (dressed as an angel), Rachel (dressed as Barbie), MG (dressed as Dracula), Alyssa (dressed as Maleficent), Kaleb (dressed as a skeleton) and Wade (dressed as a fairy).

"Hey guys." MG chirped, as Liv looked at everyone's costumes, thinking they looked awesome. "We have such a variety of characters here... I love it." Aphrodite chuckled, as Lizzie laughed too.

Beau looked at MG, noticing the hand he kept around Alyssa's waist. He quickly looked away, though MG had caught his disappointed expression.

"You look beautiful." Josie said to Amelia, catching the brunette's attention. "Oh, thanks." The surprised heretic responded before she admitted, "Your costume is scary." Josie laughed, "Perfect. Clary helped me with the makeup." She said as Amelia smiled at her.

Veronica smirked at the pair, before she looked to Corentin. "Our cousin has a crush." She spoke quietly, just enough for the Claire to hear. Corentin chuckled, "They would be so cute together!" He said back, in a whisper that was definitely too loud.

Finally, the large group began to leave the Salvatore school. Liv held up the bottom of her dress as she walked, trying her best not to trip over it. She hadn't expected to wear such an extravagant costume for Halloween, but after rewatching the Tim Burton movies with Myrical, she had been so inspired.

What the Auclair didn't know, is that Charlie may have told a certain somebody about her outfit, and they were planning to show up in a costume to be her counterpart.

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AUTHORS NOTE

The sisterly moments between Hope and Tori made me soft. I can't wait for you guys to see their dynamic once Tori has her humanity back on 😌

Anyway, next chapter will finally be the Halloween party at Mystic Falls High. There will be violence, heartbreak and even the potential beginnings of a new relationship 👀 Any guesses on who?