The town had quieted down.
With a new mayor running things and most of the chaos in Mystic Falls behind them, it felt like the worst was finally over. Maybe, just maybe, the town could breathe again.
But not everyone was ready to let things rest.
Out near the edge of the woods, beneath a dark sky streaked with red clouds, Viktor stood in silence. The wind tugged at his coat as he glanced over at Sybil and Selene. Neither of them said a word. They didn't need to.
"Go ahead," Viktor said quietly, his voice low. "Do it."
Sybil gave him a look—calm, unreadable—before turning to her sister. Selene nodded once. Then they stepped forward, side by side, into the old circle carved into the ground.
The trees around them groaned as if something ancient had stirred. The air thickened, like it was holding its breath.
Sybil raised her hand, fingers traced with faint gold light, and began to speak in a language lost to time. Selene followed, her voice softer but just as sharp, weaving into the chant like a second thread.
The earth trembled.
A low hum crawled through the ground, rising from the soil and roots and stone like it had been sleeping there all along. Shadows bled into each other at the center of the circle, twisting, clawing at the edges of the ritual space.
Viktor didn't flinch. He just watched.
A flash—brief, white-hot—and then silence.
Then, a man stepped out of the dark, barefoot, dressed like he didn't belong anywhere near this century. Eyes like burning coal, calm smile like he already knew how this would all end.
Cade.
He looked around slowly, like he was admiring the view.
"Well," he said, voice smooth, almost playful. "It's been a while."
Sybil lowered her hand. Selene took a step back.
Viktor didn't move.
Cade turned to him.
"And you must be the one pulling the strings now."
The wind picked up again. The trees leaned in, listening.
The fire crackled behind Cade as if the ground itself wanted to burn just from being near him.
Viktor didn't flinch. The man who once ruled hell now stood just a few feet away, but to Viktor, it might as well have been a dog trying to bite a mountain.
"Yes," Viktor said calmly, hands in his coat pockets. "I want you out of the picture."
Cade tilted his head.
"Your way of doing things," Viktor went on, "is sickening. You feed off weakness. Fear. Desperation. And worse, you think you're untouchable. I'm sure you've convinced yourself I'm a fool for even standing here."
He took a slow step forward, his boots crunching the leaves beneath him.
"And maybe," Viktor added with a half-smile, "you'd be delusional enough to come after me. We both know that's not something we want."
Cade let out a low chuckle, the sound oddly warm. He raised both hands like he meant no harm.
"Oh, I would never do that," he said smoothly. "Come now, Viktor. I've watched your rise. The first tribrid—vampire, werewolf, witch… a perfect blend. A new species. You're the first of your kind, the most powerful being in existence."
He paused, letting his words linger.
"Why would I make an enemy out of you?" Cade asked, smiling. "If anything, I owe you. All those sinful souls you've sent my way over the centuries… You've been my most loyal benefactor."
Sybil and Selene stood behind Cade, quiet, watching closely. Their expressions unreadable.
Viktor's smile didn't fade. In fact, it grew.
"You're good," he said, nodding slightly. "Really good."
Then he shook his head.
"But I can still see the dagger behind your back."
Cade's eyes flicked for a brief second, almost invisible.
"It won't work," Viktor continued. "If you want to stab me, you'll have to be faster than I am."
And just like that, he was gone.
A blur of movement—too fast to follow. The wind snapped sharply, leaves swirling into the air. In a blink, Viktor stood behind Cade, holding the very dagger Cade had been hiding.
He turned it slowly in his hand, the blade glinting under the moonlight.
Cade spun around, startled, his eyes wide for the first time.
Sybil stiffened. Selene's lips parted slightly, her gaze locked on Viktor.
They had seen powerful men, monsters even—but this was different. Cade wasn't just cautious now… he was scared.
Viktor walked back in front of him, calm as ever.
"I'll give you a chance," he said, voice even, no threat in his tone—just a quiet finality. "A fair one."
Cade said nothing.
"If you can land one hit on me," Viktor went on, "just one… I'll let you walk away."
He held up the dagger, twirling it between his fingers.
"But if you can't," he added, "I'll use this—your own little trick—on you."
Cade's smile was gone now. His eyes scanned Viktor's face, looking for a crack, a hint of a bluff. There was none.
The silence stretched, heavy and cold.
Sybil took a slow step back, her instincts screaming. She'd seen Cade rip through armies of men with just a whisper. She'd seen him burn souls alive. But now, here he was—rooted to the spot like a child scolded by a parent.
And Viktor… he hadn't even raised his voice.
"Do we have a deal?" Viktor asked, still holding the blade.
Cade's mouth opened, but no words came. His hand twitched, uncertain. There was a tremble in his breath. Even he could feel it—this wasn't a normal fight. This was something else.
This was a line he might not walk away from.
Viktor tilted his head. "You're hesitating."
Cade straightened his back, trying to gather what little pride he had left. "Very well," he said finally, voice low. "One hit."
He moved quickly, faster than most eyes could follow. Shadows curled around him like smoke, his power flaring with a sharp wave of heat.
But Viktor didn't move.
Cade's strike came close—closer than most would dare—but just before contact, Viktor turned slightly, letting the air shift. Cade's blow cut through nothing.
In the same breath, Viktor stepped forward and pressed the dagger gently against Cade's chest.
Not stabbing. Just showing.
The fight was already over.
Cade froze.
Viktor leaned in slightly, his voice barely a whisper. "That was your shot."
Cade took a shaky breath, sweat forming at his brow.
Selene looked at Sybil. Neither said anything, but the look in their eyes said it all—they had never seen Cade like this.
And now they knew.
Viktor wasn't just strong. He was beyond anything they had ever imagined.
He lowered the dagger, still calm, still quiet.
"Now," Viktor said, meeting Cade's eyes, "let's talk about what happens next."