I concentrated my thoughts, and with a soft electronic sound audible only to me, a translucent blue interface materialized in front of my eyes. The appearance was more stunning than dawn's first light.
[Physical Strength: Lv. 5 - Peak Vampire]
[Agility: Lv. 5 - Peak Vampire]
[Senses: Lv. 5 - Hyper-Aware]
[Mental Fortitude: Lv. MAX - Immune to Compulsion]
[Bloodline Purity: 100% - Perfect]
A self-assured grin, completely unlike the weak expressions this face used to show, spread across my mouth. Absolute power. A true advantage beyond imagination. "No more concealing my true nature," I decided, my determination solidifying into unbreakable resolve. "No more acting like a shattered person. Now I'll experience this reborn existence completely."
And where could I better start displaying my new strength than at the local high school?
....
The vehicle represented German perfection - a Mercedes-Benz S-Class moving like a smooth black missile humming with contained energy.
I discovered the keys inside the estate's garage, another advantage of my absurdly rich orphan status.
Rather than parking quietly, I aggressively took a space directly before the school's main doors, interrupting an old pickup truck with a bold wheel turn that made the tires scream. Multiple students leaping aside halted to gaze, their mouths dropping open in shock.
I exited the vehicle without rushing, resting casually against the gleaming car door with my arms folded. My sharpened hearing captured every detail of the student crowd moving through Mystic Falls High - their secret talks, petty conflicts, and racing hearts. An intense wave of complete fulfillment swept through me, so powerful it felt overwhelming.
"Never again pointless work. No more dull learning, studying for meaningless tests. No more rent stress in a hopeless existence." I breathed deeply of the fresh morning air. "This... this complete freedom feels amazing. This is real living for the first time."
Nearby, Elena Gilbert sat on a bench attempting to disappear into her book, a weak effort to avoid her deep sadness. But the abrupt quiet, then the surprised whispers, dragged her from her reading escape. She raised her head, her big, sorrowful brown eyes searching the school grounds until they located the source of the commotion.
Me.
And like drawn by some unseen connection, my own relaxed eyes moved across the school grounds and connected directly with her gaze.
For one heartbeat, everything else in existence disappeared except for that powerful eye contact between us.
I knew my eyes shone with self-assurance and enjoyment that the previous Alex could never have shown. They contained none of the sympathetic sadness that other people gave her. Only clear, bold curiosity.
Her eyes remained wide with complete, total surprise. I could watch her mind working, nearly understanding her thoughts. "Is that really Alex Smith? What... occurred to him? This goes beyond different clothing. He hasn't simply altered... he's been totally transformed. His stance, his appearance, that energy... he previously moved like a shadow in the corridors, but now... now he shines like daylight." A soft redness colored her face, and she rapidly lowered her eyes to her book, though the mental picture was already permanently fixed in her memory.
The ripple effect was immediate.
Caroline Forbes, who had been arranging her schedule book with strict organization, tracked where Elena was looking. Her attention moved to me, then to the luxury car, then returned to me. Her mouth almost dropped to the ground. "Oh my god," her face clearly showed. "I can't accept there was a secret treasure like this at our school! Why didn't I notice him before? This transforms all my plans! He must join the cheer squad, attend my social events... he must become my property."
Matt Donovan, leaning on his vehicle, sneered unhappily. His look revealed a disagreeable blend of puzzlement, irritation, and deep uncertainty. "What's his situation?" he questioned, his fists whitening around his football. "Since when does he look that good?
Then came an unusual feeling - a chilly, searching force that tingled against my energy. Bonnie Bennett, positioned defensively close to Elena, was staring at me with a serious expression. She showed no envy or interest, but rather strong magical concern. An icy tremor moved through her body as her witch senses something different about me. "What kind of being is he?" her mind questioned nervously. "This Alex feels new,completely different and truly threatening."
...
When the first-period bell rang,satisfied with the chaos I'd sown, I finally pushed off the car. The crowd in front of the main doors seemed to part for me almost unconsciously, a sea of teenagers making way for a shark. My walk was a predator's walk—fluid, silent, and radiating a commanding presence that demanded attention.
As I walked, my sharpened senses were flooded with information. I could smell the sweet, expensive cloud of Caroline's perfume. I heard the faint squeak of Matt's sneakers as he nervously moved his weight from one foot to the other. And underneath it all, like a trapped bird, was the fast, frantic flutter of Elena's heartbeat. But all these details were just background noise. My true focus, the one thing that burned brightly in my mind, was the memory of her face—so surprised, so utterly beautiful in that single, captured moment.
"The real-life Elena Gilbert," I said in my mind, a true smile curving my lips. "More beautiful than on TV." Those eyes, that face... they were enough to make a man forget everything else. And I was a man who had the power to take anything—or anyone—that I decided I wanted. If it caught my eye, I would hold onto it forever.
...
In Mr. Tanner's history class, I made my move without saying a word. I settled into a desk that offered an uninterrupted view of her.I didn't pretend to be doing anything else. I just rested my chin on my hand and let myself watch her. But my look wasn't the nervous, hungry stare of someone obsessed. It was open and admiring. It was the calm, focused look of an expert examining a rare and beautiful masterpiece, taking in every perfect detail.
Elena felt it—the heavy, constant pressure of my gaze. She tried to force her attention down to her notebook, her hand moving to scribble notes about the town's founding families. But it was no use. A warm blush, slow and undeniable, crept up from her collar, heating the skin of her neck before staining her cheeks a soft pink. I could see the conflict inside her: the confusion, the fluster that made her fingers tremble. But beneath it all, something else was waking up. A single spark of curiosity in her eyes, a tiny but defiant flame starting to glow in the deep darkness that had filled her since the accident.
Matt sat at the back of the class, his face shadowed and jealous. He glared at the back of my skull, wishing his stare could actually hurt. Under the desk, he was clenching his fists so tightly that the skin stretched white over his knuckles and the veins in his arms bulged. A silent, angry rant filled his head: "Who the hell does he think he is?" He hated the way I was looking at Elena. It wasn't a shy glance; it was the confident, claiming look of an owner, and it made him furious.
Mr. Tanner, a balding man whose voice always had a whining, nasal tone, finally stopped his lecture. His eyes, small and sharp, scanned the room and landed on me. He saw what everyone else had felt—my complete and open disregard for his class. I wasn't even pretending to listen.
"Mr. Smith!" His sharp, nasal voice cut through the classroom quiet. He tapped his wooden pointer hard against the chalkboard, creating a series of loud, impatient knocks. "I am aware the founding families are a fascinating subject," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "But perhaps you could do us the honor of paying attention to this lesson,instead of just sitting there... staring off."
A sudden, heavy silence fell over the room. It was so quiet you could hear the dust settling. Every single pair of eyes in the classroom swung toward me, their stares like a physical weight. I saw Elena's face flush with embarrassment, her expression pained for me. Across the room, a slow, ugly smirk spread across Matt's face. He was leaning forward, eagerly waiting to see me stumble, to see me feel ashamed under the spotlight.
I didn't jump in my seat and get red-faced or look down. I simply moved my head toward Mr. Tanner in a slow, purposeful way. And through it all, I kept smiling. It was a calm and confident smile that never wavered, showing everyone that I was completely unfazed by his scolding.
"Please forgive me, Mr. Tanner." My words were soft, yet they cut through the quiet without any effort. A knowing smile touched my lips. "I was merely distracted," I explained, my gaze briefly flickering away with purpose, "I was thinking about how we witness history. Not just the past, but the important moments that are being made... today."
The reaction was instant. A shared, sharp gasp echoed off the classroom walls. My reply, though politely delivered, was a devastating blow. It left Mr. Tanner speechless. He was frozen, his face blank with shock. His mouth opened, then closed, then opened again, making him look like a gasping fish, completely and totally lost for words.
The bell screamed, ending the standoff. As everyone rushed to leave, my eyes met Elena's across the busy classroom. She was still at her desk, holding her books so tightly her knuckles were white. Her expression was a messy swirl of confusion and surprise. But beneath all that, I could see it clearly—a tiny, undeniable spark of hope. It was a small light starting to glow in the shadows of her grief.
I gave her a small, knowing wink.
With that final look, I turned and left the room. My walk was calm and unhurried. And behind me, I could hear it—the hushed, excited voices of the entire class bubbling up. The whispers rose and followed me out into the hallway like a wave, but I didn't care. I had given them exactly what I wanted to: a mystery they couldn't stop talking about.
....
Good Night