Rosalina Mikaelson was a fragile soul who had always been protected by the unstoppable force of her siblings and supernatural friends.
Yet as an unpredictable threat manages to weave its way into her heart, she learns it's time for her to return the...
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—"ELENA! HEY, WAIT up. You walk way faster than I remember. Have I ever told you that?" Stefan teased. Catching up to the brunette with a loving smile. Glistening eyes catching the Gilbert off-guard.
Her head moving from side to side as she tried to remember how she had gotten to the side of the lake. Eyes trailing down to take in the clothes she wore. An outfit she had initially put on the night Stefan and her had first gotten together.
"Wh—what's going on?" She stammered. Flinching as the man took her by the hand. Leading her closer to the edge of the water. Where a picnic had been beautifully laid out. Her favorites baked to a 't'.
Flowers sticking out of a wicker basket. Smelling absolutely gorgeous as she was sat besides them. Stefan joining her a moment later.
"I thought I'd make you something nice, after Rosalina passed our relationship became strained and I want to work on that" he confessed. Causing her chest to tighten in discomfort.
She'd killed the girl. Sacrificing her for her own selfish needs, and here she was. Living it up alongside the love of the girls life. Whilst her heart longed for the man's brother.
The worst part was, she couldn't seem to remember the group ever making up. In fact, the last thing she could seem to recall. Was Damon telling her she made his skin crawl.
Quite the opposite of what was playing out before her.
"Stefan, I don't understand—we aren't—you aren't" she rubbed her hands down her face in frustration. Finding it harder to breath as pressure grew within her lungs.
"This is what you wanted, isn't it?" He asked anxiously. Brows furrowing as her lips shifted from a soft shade of pink to a pale blue. Skin losing all signs of life.
Elena's eyes enlarged as water began to pour from her lips. Body jerking forwards in an attempt to cease the pain that flooded through her.
Brown orbs concealed as her lids screwed shut. Hands rising to her throat, strangled noises of horror echoing through the air.
Silent screams traveled through the water as Elena's eyes shot open. Limbs thrashing about as she temporarily came to. Skin greying as the liquid continued its endless cycle. Entering her system, bubbles lifting to the surface of the stream through the side of her car.
She was drowning. For the seventeenth time since her initial submersion under the River. She was drowning.
Hair hands smacked violently against anything she could reach. Pleas for help barely able to leave her lips. Unheard by any passersby.
It was traumatizing, images of her parents car flashing through her mind as she relieved her worst nightmare over and over again.
Deep down, in her semi-conscious state, she felt as if she deserved the pain. In fact—she wondered if she'd died, and was being punished for her actions. Tortured for the things she'd done whilst she was alive.
These thoughts continued like a broken record. Freezing only as her consciousness slipped away. Waiting patiently for her body to heal before starting all over again.
She wasn't entirely sure how she'd managed to get so unlucky. She'd never drank the blood of a vampire, nor had she finalized a transition. Therefore when her car had in Italy been sabotaged she figured her life was coming to an end.
It had been a surprisingly peaceful thought. The notion of seeing her family once more. Free from the torment she had caused, the loss she had felt.
Yet the temporary peace had been shattered the moment she woke from her dreams the first time. Hallucinations of her past lovers and friends coming to haunt her in her sleep. Pretending as if everything was just fine.
She'd almost prefer if they'd screamed at her. Telling her how terrible she'd been. It would bring her far less pain if they had.
Whereas their sweet smiles and kind actions simply made her grow nauseous with utter, unbelievable, guilt. She couldn't face them, even if they were mirages, whilst they treated her as if she was the same angel of a girl she had been when they first met.
Nevertheless, piled with guilt and immeasurable amounts of agony. The Gilbert withered away repeatedly in the place her parents perished. Positive she'd be left there for all of eternity. As for once in her life, there was no one waiting in the wings to save her.
Or so she believed.
Up above, stood with their hands behind their back as they admired the wreckages silhouette. Was a man with unspoken power.
As much as it bugged him to do so, he planned his descent into the water. Holding his breath before diving down to retrieve the doppelgänger.
Hands waving the door aside, limbs carefully removing her body from the vehicle just as she returned to the torturous hands of her illusions.
With faint struggle, the duo made it to the bank of the River. His arms hovering over her unmoving form in a careless manner.
"Wakey wakey" he muttered, trying not to grow annoyed as he waited for the girl to regain consciousness. Momentarily forgetting just how confused she'd be once she was able to make out his features.
Elena choked as she awoke, expecting to be bombarded with gallons of water. However she found herself able to turn to the side. Lungs clearing out with unexpected ease.
She gasped heavily. Barely able to catch her breath as she laid back onto her spine. Eyes hesitantly peeling open to see the sky above her.
Disbelief covering her every feature as she saw not just the sky, but her savior. Temporarily believing herself to be in another dream. Even though this felt far too realistic.
