The Original

Origin Story

The party had dispersed long ago, leaving the group of friends, foes, and frenemies, standing around the library. Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie sat on the couch, Rebekah sat in the chair on their left, and Stefan in the chair on their right. Damon stood at the table behind the couch, pouring himself a glass of bourbon, Alaric beside him doing the same, while Klaus and Kol stood in front of the fireplace. Elijah, however, had chosen to distance himself, and was now standing at the far side of the room, leaning against the cold window, his hot breath fogging up the glass.

"Tell us. What happened?" Klaus asked, his voice low and tense. 

Genevieve sighed, and looked around the room. "Before I tell you what happened in 1436, I believe I should start with my origin. It might help explain." She paused, and Klaus motioned for her to continue.

"I was born in 768, in Sicily. My family later moved to a villa just outside of Rome. I had a brother, and three sisters. In Sicily, there were legends. Stories, of sea creatures, who lived to serve the sea god Poseidon. Sirens."

"We've heard of them. But they're just myths...aren't they?" Stefan said.

She shook her head. "No. They're not. Every month, on the night of a full moon, you could hear the sound of the sirens calling to each other. A girl I knew, named Circe after the Greek goddess, became obsessed with them. She had no greater desire than to be one of them. To have that power. One night, we were camped a mile or two from the beach, traveling from Rome to Sicily to visit my mother's family, Circe with us. Then, out of the silence of the night, we heard them crying out. She immediately jumped up and ran to the ocean. I followed after her, trying to stop her, but to no avail."

"One after the other, they rose out of the waves, and began moving to shore. They were upon us soon enough. Circe begged them to make her like them. I begged her not to. They granted her wish. And, against mine, they gave it to me too. Contrary to popular belief, sirens aren't just born. They can be made too, but only by other sirens. And, there is a certain ritual that must be performed. I was forced to, otherwise I would have died, while she completed it willingly, and happily."

"After the transformation, I saw a great change in Circe. Before, she had put on a facade of goodness, and kindness, but, in her eyes, you could see a lurking darkness. But, when she became a siren, that darkness was no longer hiding. It was out in the open for all to see...and feel. She terrorized townsfolk. Tortured, maimed them. Killed them. And it didn't matter if they were man, woman, or child. The happiest time of everyone's life was when she went to the sea for a week. All sirens must spend some time in the sea, in order to maintain their power and immortality. But when she returned, the terror resumed. I knew I had to stop her."

Gen stood up from her chair and began pacing around the room.

"I found her in a village about a days ride from Rome. We fought, long and hard. But, in the end, she prevailed. I wasn't strong enough. I hadn't honed my powers enough, because I still hadn't fully accepted them yet. I was still fighting it. But, after losing to her, I accepted them. After I lost, she disappeared. I knew what I had to do. I had to find her. I had to defeat her. But...I was struggling."

"With the new transformation, came a new hunger, a lust for blood, that I couldn't quench. You see, sirens were created by Poseidon because he wanted revenge on humans for desecrating his oceans. He created them with the purpose for enacting that revenge, by luring them to the sea, dragging them to the depths, and killing them, mainly by sucking them dry. That gives us an incredible thirst for blood, that never stops, never goes away. I had cut myself off from the world, isolating myself. The only people who I saw was my family, who would visit me once a week, and offer me their blood to keep myself alive. But, I knew what I had to do."

"Before I became a siren, I was born a witch. I knew of spells that would lessen the thirst. But I knew it wouldn't be enough. So, I wrote another spell. A spell that would allow me to know restraint, to feel hunger without overpowering me, to help control my siren impulses. A vampire spell."

Everyone either gasped, widened their eyes, or jumped from their seat in shock.

"Wait, that can't be right. Our mother wrote the spell," Rebekah exclaimed.

"Not quite. I wrote the original spell, and mine did not require my life to be tied to something such as the white oak. I have no real weakness. I am the first vampire. The first vampire/witch hybrid. And the first tribrid, given my status as a siren. Years later, your mother came to me, having heard tales of my spells, looking for something for her children. I gave her the spell, after first modifying it. Nature would not allow another being with no weakness. It was required that your lives be at the mercy of at least one natural thing. In this case, the white oak. Nature would also not allow another to be a vampire and a witch." 

"After I performed the spell, I set off in search for Circe, hoping to find her, and defeat her. I've found her and fought her many times, but in my 2,000 years of being on this Earth, I have yet to defeat her. This world is still in danger because of my failures."

"I'm sorry, but it sounded to me like you said two thousand. But, maybe I just heard you wrong, because that doesn't seem right," Damon laughed.

"You heard right."

"But, I thought you said you were born in 768. That wasn't 2,000 years ago," Caroline rebutted.

"Yes, I was. 768 BC. I am almost 2,800 years old."