(Ace POV)
Later that evening had brought with it its own tension filling the air as the weight of what had been done the night before still lingered, especially with Esther who was starting to feel her connection to the ancestors fade as time past. She could feel in her own way that they were not at all pleased at what she had done.
But there was one voice I particularly focused on.
Ayana Bennett.
Mother's mentor, her teacher in the craft, the woman who had guided Esther in the ways of magic for years. I could hear her approaching our home with determined footsteps, and from the cadence of her walk, she was not pleased.
I was sitting in the main room when the door burst open without so much as a knock. Ayana strode in, her dark eyes blazing with fury, her entire body radiating an anger I'd never seen from the usually calm and composed witch.
"Esther!" she called out, her voice sharp as a blade. "Esther Mikaelson, show yourself this instant!"
Mother emerged from her room, looking haggard and guilty. She'd barely slept, barely eaten, drowning in the weight of what she'd done. When she saw Ayana, she flinched as if struck.
"Ayana, I—"
"What have you done?" Ayana's voice was low, dangerous. "What abomination have you created?"
The rest of my siblings began filing into the room, drawn by the commotion. Elijah looked wary, Klaus defensive, Rebekah worried. Finn appeared almost relieved, as if he'd been waiting for divine judgment. Kol just seemed curious.
"I did what I had to do," Mother said weakly. "To protect my children."
"Protect them?" Ayana's laugh was bitter. "You have cursed them, Esther! Cursed them to walk this earth as monsters, to drink blood and never see the light of day without pain!"
"We can walk in the sun," Kol interjected. "Ace gave us rings—"
"Silence, boy!" Ayana snapped, and Kol actually took a step back. "You understand nothing of what has been done to you."
I stood, drawing her attention. "Perhaps you should explain it to us then, Ayana. Since clearly, Mother didn't fully understand the consequences either."
Ayana's eyes found mine, and for a moment, something like surprise flickered across her face. "You. The tribrid. I can feel it radiating from you, three species combined into one. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? How unstable?"
"I'm perfectly stable, thank you," I replied calmly. "And if you're here to lecture us about what we've become, save your breath. It's done. We can't go back."
"No, you cannot." Ayana turned back to Esther, her expression one of profound disappointment. "I warned you, Esther. I told you not to pursue that spell. I told you the price would be too high."
"You wouldn't help me!" Esther's voice rose, tears streaming down her face. "My son was dead! My baby boy was killed by those monsters, and you expected me to just accept it?"
"Yes!" Ayana shouted back. "Because death is natural! Death is the balance! But you, in your arrogance, decided you knew better than the spirits, better than nature itself. And look what you've created, immortal predators who will never know peace."
"That's enough," Elijah said firmly, stepping between them. "Ayana, we understand your anger, but what's done is done. Perhaps instead of condemning us, you could help us understand what we are, what we need to know."
Ayana's gaze softened slightly as she looked at Elijah. "Sweet Elijah. Always the diplomat." She sighed heavily. "Very well. Sit. All of you. If you're to survive as these... creatures, you need to understand what you've become."
We all took seats around the room. Ayana remained standing, her posture rigid.
"Esther has created something that should not exist," she began. "Immortal beings who feed on human blood. You are predators now, designed to hunt, to kill. The sun will burn your skin without protection. You cannot enter a home without invitation. Vervain, a common herb, is poison to you as nature must have its balance."
"We know about the sun," Rebekah said quietly. "Ace gave us daylight rings."
Ayana's eyes narrowed. "Did he now? And how did you know to make such things, boy?"
I met her gaze steadily. "I have my sources of knowledge. Just as you have yours."
She studied me for a long moment, and I could see the wheels turning in her mind. She suspected I was more than I appeared, but she couldn't quite figure out how or why.
"The spirits are in turmoil," she continued, turning away from me. "They scream at what Esther has done. You have upset the natural balance. For every life you take to sustain yourselves, that imbalance grows. There will be consequences."
"What kind of consequences?" Finn asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"For you? Personally? You will struggle with bloodlust, with the constant urge to feed. You will watch everyone you've ever known grow old and die while you remain unchanged. You will be hunted by those who learn what you are. You will become the monsters you fear."
"And for the world?" I asked.
Ayana looked at me sharply. "For the world? Nature will seek balance. For every abomination created, nature will create a way to destroy it. You should not exist, and nature will ensure that eventually, you don't."
"Cheerful," Klaus muttered.
"This is not a matter for jest, Niklaus," Ayana snapped. "Your mother has damned you all. The least you can do is take it seriously."
Klaus's expression darkened, but he said nothing.
"There's more," Ayana said, her voice dropping. "The spirits have shown me visions. Your existence will ripple through time. Others will seek to become like you, to gain your power. Blood will be spilled for centuries because of what was done here."
"Then help us," Mother pleaded. "Help us control it, contain it. You're the most powerful witch I know, Ayana. If anyone can find a way to—"
"To what, Esther? Undo what you've done? It's impossible. The spell you cast was fueled by the death of your son, by dark magic and desperation. It cannot be reversed."
"But it can be controlled," I interjected. "We don't have to be the monsters you fear we'll become."
Ayana laughed bitterly. "And you think you can fight against your nature? You're predators now, boy. Eventually, the hunger will win."
"Not if we're smart about it." I stood and pulled out one of the remaining vials of bloodlust potion. "I've created something that helps control the urge. It's not perfect, but it works."
Ayana's eyes widened as she looked at the vial. "What is that?"
"A potion of my own design. It alters the body's dependency on blood, allows us to function without the overwhelming compulsion to feed."
She crossed the room in three quick strides and snatched the vial from my hand, holding it up to the light. Her lips moved silently as she examined it, and I could feel her magic probing the liquid.
"This... this should not be possible," she whispered. "The level of understanding required to create such a thing, the knowledge of both physiology and advanced potion-making..." She looked at me with something like awe. "Who are you?"
"I'm Ace Mikaelson," I said simply. "And I'm trying to ensure my family survives this."
Ayana handed the vial back slowly. "You're not normal. Even among your abnormal family, you're different. How?"
"Does it matter?" I countered. "What matters is that we're not helpless. We're not doomed to be mindless killers. We have options, we have control, and we have time to figure this out."
She was silent for a long moment, then turned back to Esther. "You should leave this place. Soon. The villagers are already suspicious. When they discover the truth, and they will discover it, they will come for you with torches and stakes."
"We're planning to go to Europe," Elijah said. "Establish ourselves there, away from those who knew us before."
Ayana nodded slowly. "That's wise. Europe is vast, with many places to hide. But know this, wherever you go, whatever you do, the spirits will be watching. And if you become the monsters I fear you will, if you tip the balance too far..." She let the threat hang in the air.
"We understand," I said. "And we'll do everything we can to prove you wrong."
She looked at each of us in turn, her expression unreadable. "I hope you succeed. Truly, I do. But I've lived long enough to know that hope is often not enough."
She moved toward the door, then paused, looking back at Mother. "Esther. My old student. My friend. I am disappointed beyond words in what you've done. But I am also..." She swallowed hard. "I am also sorry for your loss. Henrik was a sweet boy. He deserved better than the fate that found him."
Mother broke down completely, sobs wracking her body. Rebekah moved to comfort her, wrapping her arms around our mother's shaking form.
"Ayana," I called out as she reached for the door. "Thank you. For coming here, for warning us. We won't forget it."
She nodded once. "See that you don't. And Ace Mikaelson, whoever or whatever you truly are, I pray you have the strength to guide your family through the darkness ahead. Because if you fail, the consequences will be catastrophic."
With that, she left, the door closing behind her with a finality that seemed to echo through the room.
We sat in silence for several minutes after she'd gone.
Finally, Kol spoke up. "Well, that was intense."
"She's right though," Finn said quietly. "We are cursed. We are monsters."
"We are what we choose to be," I countered. "Ayana sees only the potential for disaster because that's what she expects. But we can be more than that."
"Can we?" Finn looked at me with haunted eyes. "Can we really?"
"Yes," I said firmly. "But not if we stay here. We need to leave, like Ayana said. The villagers will turn on us eventually, and when they do, we'll be forced to choose between killing them or fleeing. Better to leave now, on our own terms."
Elijah nodded. "Ace is right. We should begin preparations immediately."
"Where's Father?" Klaus asked suddenly. "Where's Mikael?"
I'd been wondering the same thing. I extended my senses, searching for his presence, and found him in the forest, alone, doing gods knew what.
"He's out there," I said. "Probably trying to make sense of all this in his own way."
"Or planning how to kill me once he confirms the truth," Klaus muttered.
"Then we make sure he doesn't get the chance," I replied. "We stay together, we stay strong, and we leave this place behind. All of us."
Mother finally composed herself enough to speak. "How long do we have?"
"A few days at most," I estimated. "We need to gather supplies, say our goodbyes, quiet ones and prepare for the journey. We'll head to the coast, book passage on a ship to Europe, and start over."
"Just like that?" Rebekah asked. "We just leave everything we've ever known?"
"Everything we've ever known is gone, Bekah," I said gently. "Henrik is dead. We're... something else now. This village, this life, it's already over. We're just making it official."
She nodded slowly, tears in her eyes, but understanding in her expression.
"Then we should start packing," Elijah said, ever practical. "The sooner we leave, the better."
As my siblings dispersed to begin preparations, I remained in the main room, thinking about Ayana's warnings, her visions, her disappointment.
She was right about so much. We were abominations by nature's standards. We would upset the balance. There would be consequences.
But she was also wrong about one crucial thing.
We weren't helpless. We weren't doomed to become mindless monsters.
We had a choice.
And I intended to make sure my family chose wisely.
Even if I had to drag them kicking and screaming into making the right decisions.
The road ahead would be difficult. Ayana had made that clear.
But we would survive it.
We would thrive.
And someday, we would prove her wrong about everything.