Below is the opening chapter of your fanfiction book, blending elements from The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Once Upon a Time. I've set it up with the reincarnation via ROB, the wishes, the character's ancient hybrid-Dark One nature, the control dagger, and a slow-burn romance vibe. It kicks off in the summer before the first episode of The Vampire Diaries, allowing him to ease into the world and interact with Elena and others naturally. We'll build toward the Mystic Falls events, then transition to New Orleans later. I've kept his orientation straight, focusing on budding tensions with female characters like Elena and Rebekah (with Freya coming in the Originals arc). Let me know if you want to tweak details, expand on a scene, or jump to the next chapter!
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Chapter 1: Awakening in the Shadows
The last thing Ethan remembered from his old life was the screech of tires on rain-slicked asphalt, the blinding flash of headlights, and then... nothing. No pain, no tunnel of light—just a void that stretched on forever until a voice cut through it like a knife.
"Mortal fool," the voice boomed, echoing with amusement. "You've shuffled off this coil prematurely. But I am the Random Omnipotent Being, and I find your untimely end... entertaining. I'll grant you a second chance. Three wishes, as per the ancient bargain. Choose wisely—or don't. Chaos suits me."
Ethan's consciousness reformed in that emptiness, his mind racing. Reincarnation? This had to be a dream, or some cosmic joke. But the presence felt real, immense, like staring into the heart of a black hole. He thought of his obsessions: endless nights binge-watching The Vampire Diaries, geeking out over The Originals, and that one twisted phase with Once Upon a Time where he'd role-played as the Dark One in online forums. Why not go big?
"First wish," he said, voice steady despite the surreal haze. "Make me a hybrid—a werewolf and vampire combined, stronger than any in the Vampire Diaries world."
The ROB chuckled, a sound like thunder rolling over gravel. "Granted. Your blood will burn with the moon's fury and the night's hunger."
A surge ripped through him, veins igniting as fangs elongated in his mind's eye, claws itching at his fingertips. But he wasn't done. Power called to him, the kind that twisted fates.
"Second wish: Turn me into the Dark One, like Rumplestiltskin from Once Upon a Time. All his magic, his deals, his immortality—but tied to this world."
He hesitated, the words tumbling out. It was too much, he knew. The Dark One was a force of cunning and darkness, a puppeteer of realms. But the ROB's laughter egged him on. "A bit powerful? Oh, mortal, power is never 'a bit' anything. Granted. You'll be the weaver of shadows, bound by a dagger that commands but cannot end you. And for your third?"
Ethan paused, the weight settling. "Drop me into the Vampire Diaries universe, starting right at the beginning. Let me live it out."
"As you wish," the ROB intoned, and the void exploded into light.
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Summer heat hung heavy over Mystic Falls, Virginia, like a lover's breath on bare skin. The air shimmered above the cracked pavement of the old town square, where crickets chirped lazily and the scent of blooming jasmine mingled with distant barbecue smoke. It was late July, weeks before the back-to-school buzz, and the town slumbered in that deceptive peace only small Southern towns could muster.
Ethan—no, he needed a name that fit this ancient shell—opened his eyes to the world reborn. His body felt... wrong. Stronger. His skin was pale as moonlit marble, stretched taut over muscles honed by centuries he hadn't lived yet. He was ancient, the ROB had woven that in: predating even the Originals, a white-haired specter from an era before Klaus and his siblings walked the earth. His hair fell in silver waves to his shoulders, eyes a piercing gray that swirled with hidden storms. Clad in a simple black shirt and jeans that materialized with him, he stood in the woods just beyond the town's edge, the summer sun filtering through leaves without burning his hybrid flesh.
He flexed his fingers, feeling the dual pulse: the vampire's thirst coiling in his throat, the werewolf's wild energy thrumming in his bones. And beneath it all, the Dark One's magic—a sly, golden thread weaving through his veins, whispering promises of deals and dominions. In his hand, unbidden, appeared the dagger: dark iron hilt etched with runes, blade humming with compulsion. It could bend him to another's will, force obedience, but death? No, that was beyond it. A leash, not a noose.
"Well, shit," he murmured, voice deep and laced with an otherworldly echo. "This is really happening."
He'd explained it to himself a hundred times in that void—how he'd been the Dark One once, in some fractured past life the ROB had dredged up, a echo of Rumple's cunning grafted onto his soul. It made him smirk now, testing the magic with a flick of his wrist. Shadows danced at his feet, coiling like serpents before dissipating. Power. Raw, intoxicating power.
Mystic Falls called to him. He stepped out of the treeline, senses sharpening: the distant hum of a car, the laughter of teenagers by the falls, the faint metallic tang of blood from some minor accident blocks away. Elena Gilbert—that was his anchor. The girl with the doppelganger face, starting her senior year soon. Slow romance, he'd decided. No rushing in like a fool. Enjoy the saga first: the vampires, the witches, the werewolf packs. Savor the chaos before the Originals dragged him to New Orleans.
He wandered into town, blending into the sparse afternoon crowd. A coffee shop caught his eye— the Mystic Grill, still quiet before the dinner rush. Inside, the AC blasted cool relief, and he ordered a black coffee, blacker than his mood, paying with cash that had appeared in his pocket.
That's when he saw her. Elena, sitting alone at a corner booth, scribbling in a journal. Her dark hair fell loose, cheeks flushed from the heat outside. She looked up as he passed, their eyes meeting for a split second—curiosity flickering in her brown gaze before she looked away.
Ethan's heart—undead but pounding—skipped. Not gay, he reminded himself with a mental chuckle. Straight as an arrow, drawn to the fire in women like her. But slow. Build it.
He slid into a booth across the room, sipping his coffee and watching the world unfold. Stefan Salvatore would arrive soon, the tomb vampires stirring. But for now, it was just summer. Just possibility.
Hours blurred as he explored: the old cemetery with its weathered stones, the winding roads leading to the Lockwood estate. By dusk, he found himself back near the falls, the water rushing like a vein. A figure approached—unfamiliar at first, but his senses picked up the ancient aura. Rebekah Mikaelson? No, too early. She was daggered away. This was just a local, perhaps a witch's kin, but the pull intrigued him.
"You new around here?" a voice called from the path. Elena again, walking with a friend—Bonnie, he recalled. She waved awkwardly, as if sensing his otherness.
"Just passing through," he replied, stepping into the fading light. His smile was genuine, edged with mystery. "Name's Elias. Long story."
She tilted her head, intrigued. "Summer's almost over. Stick around for the fireworks?"
Oh, he would. The real fireworks were just beginning.
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What do you think? Should we dive into his first deal as the Dark One, amp up the romance with Elena, or introduce some hybrid action in the next part? Or adjust any backstory details?