Malik stood in the doorway, heart thumping like a war drum.
Elijah Mikaelson.
He'd heard that last name before. Town history books. Old founding family. Rich, reclusive, and supposedly gone.
But there he was — sharp suit, calm voice, and eyes like he'd seen the rise and fall of kingdoms.
"You gonna stand there and stare, or are you coming in?" Malik asked finally, stepping aside.
Elijah entered smoothly, eyes scanning the room like a chessboard. He didn't sit. Just stood near the window, arms behind his back.
🧠 The Explanation (Sort Of)
"You touched the white oak tree," Elijah said.
Malik leaned against the desk. "You make that sound like I opened Pandora's box."
"You didn't open it," Elijah said. "You are it."
Malik blinked. "That's real cryptic, man. Can you talk normal?"
Elijah gave a faint smile. "The tree you touched… it's the source of the spell that created the Originals. My family."
"I'm guessing that tree don't just zap random people with blood visions for fun."
"No," Elijah said. "Only someone with a certain kind of blood could have triggered that response."
Malik crossed his arms. "And let me guess — I've got that kind?"
"You have something older than that. Something that predates even my family's curse."
🧬 Bloodline Unknown
"There was another spell," Elijah continued. "One my mother never used. A prototype. Dangerous. Raw. She buried it along with the original roots of the white oak — in case the world ever needed something… or someone more powerful."
"And you think I'm the key to it," Malik said.
"I know you are. You've already begun to change. You feel it, don't you?"
Malik didn't answer. But yeah — he did. He hadn't eaten all day. Wasn't tired. His senses had been… sharp. Too sharp.
"You're saying I'm becoming—what? A vampire?"
"Something close. But not just a vampire," Elijah said. "You're becoming what I am. But new. Unconnected to my bloodline. A new Original."
😈 Meanwhile — Across Town
Deep in the woods, the woman in black stood before a circle of witches. Her face was painted with ash, her hands trembling with dark magic.
"The boy has touched the root," she said.
One witch hissed. "Then he must die before the transformation completes."
"He is not bound to the sireline. If he lives, the balance of power ends."
The wind howled around them.
They began to chant.
🏠 Back at the Boarding House
"Why now?" Malik asked. "Why me? I'm nobody."
Elijah walked over to him. "That's the thing about destiny. It rarely asks for permission. It simply chooses."
Malik scoffed. "I didn't ask to be chosen."
"Neither did I," Elijah said quietly.
Before Malik could reply, every light in the room flickered — then burst.
BOOM.
The window behind Elijah exploded inward. A gust of black wind rushed in, and with it — a figure.
She was cloaked in shadows, eyes glowing with dark magic, hands glowing green.
Malik stumbled back. Elijah was already moving — a blur of speed and precision. But the witch was faster than she should've been.
"You will not rise!" she screamed, hurling a spell that threw Elijah across the room.
She turned to Malik, hands raised.
But something inside him snapped.
His eyes widened. Heart racing. Blood humming.
And suddenly — without thinking — he caught her wrist mid-spell.
CRACK.
Her bone shattered under his grip.
She screamed — but it wasn't human. It was primal. Ancient. Afraid.
Malik shoved her back — and she vanished into smoke.
Aftermath
The room was destroyed. Elijah rose slowly, suit torn.
Malik stood in the center, chest heaving. Hands still buzzing with raw energy.
"You felt that," Malik said.
"Yes," Elijah replied. "Your transformation has begun."
Malik looked at his hands, blood staining his knuckles.
"I didn't even think. I just… moved."
"You won't be able to ignore it for long," Elijah said. "Others will come. Witches. Vampires. Even my own family… they may not accept what you're becoming."
"So what do I do?" Malik asked.
Elijah stepped forward.
"You survive long enough… to become what they fear."