After closing the strange interface, Noah took a deep breath and glanced around the dense forest. The excitement bubbling in his chest was hard to contain. Mystic Falls. A supernatural hotspot crawling with vampires, werewolves, witches—hell, even the Original vampires would eventually show up there.
Just the thought of them made his stomach tighten. He knew enough about the Mikaelson family to understand they were the definition of trouble. A dynasty of chaos wrapped in immortality.
A wry grin tugged at his lips. Well, if they get in my way… I'll just deal with them.
With that half-hearted bravado, he started moving, pushing through branches as he searched for a path out of the forest. The deeper he went, the more his thoughts drifted—not to survival, but to the timeline.
Where exactly am I in the story?
Brushing dirt from his cheap, wrinkled clothes, he muttered under his breath, "Unpleasantville… season one, episode twelve." The words left him with a heavy sigh. "Great. At least now I know where I'm headed."
Determined, Noah picked up his pace, his footsteps crunching against the undergrowth as he made his way toward Mystic Falls.
Noah eventually found himself wandering along a quiet road in Mystic Falls, one he didn't quite recognize. Still, that didn't mean he was lost—he knew exactly where he wanted to go, even if the path there was unfamiliar.
Headlights flared in the distance, cutting through the night. A car approached, its engine humming steadily. Noah stepped closer to the edge of the road and lifted a hand, signaling for the driver to stop. The vehicle slowed, tires screeching faintly against the asphalt before rolling to a halt just a few feet ahead.
Noah approached with an easy smile. "Mind giving me a ride into town, sir?" he asked, voice polite and disarming.
The window slid down, revealing a middle-aged man with tired eyes but a warm expression. "Yeah, sure. Hop in," the man said, gesturing to the passenger seat.
Sliding in, Noah buckled up as the car pulled forward. The man glanced at him curiously. "What are you doing out here this late, son?"
Noah chuckled lightly, already weaving his story. "Me? Heh, I just moved into town with my cousins. Planning to enroll at Mystic Falls High tomorrow. Thought I'd make a few friends beforehand, so I tagged along with some kids from the school." He shook his head with a self-deprecating grin. "Turns out I overestimated myself. They ditched me the second it was time to head home. High school kids, right?"
The man laughed at that, amused by Noah's casual tone. "Yeah, that sounds about right. My baby girl goes there, actually. Maybe you'll run into her. Name's Johnathan, by the way. What about you, kid?"
"Noah," he said smoothly, pausing just long enough before adding, "Noah Blackwood."
Johnathan nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Well, Noah, welcome to Mystic Falls." He slowed the car to a stop near a bend in the road, the faint glow of town lights flickering in the distance. "Looks like we're here."
Noah gave him a grateful smile as he opened the door. "Thanks, Johnathan. I'm glad to be here—and I appreciate the ride."
"Happy to help," Johnathan said, tipping his head before pulling back onto the road. "See you around, kid."
The car's red taillights vanished into the night, leaving Noah standing at the edge of Mystic Falls—his new beginning just a few steps away.