[KNOW THY ENEMY]

the right people stay.

SERAPHINA, 1001, AD

It has been exactly three days since I murdered my uncle and two brothers in cold blood. Uttering the word "incendia" as they lit up in flames right before me. I hadn't meant to do that, my powers got the best of me.

One part of me hated myself for what I did to my family, the people who loved me and supported me. My two brothers were my best friends, I was the oldest and expected to look after them, so I did. I couldn't believe I was the one who killed them.

But there was another part of me, deeply rooted inside my chest, that liked what I did. Watching them burst into flames sent a fit of adrenaline through my veins, the smell of burning flesh made me smile as I watched as they fell to the floor, screaming violently.

They got what they deserved, they shouldn't have messed with what they couldn't control, what they had no chance against.

I am too powerful to be stopped.

The powers that coursed through my veins consumed me and fuelled me to carry on. My power made me realise that I was... unstoppable. I could not be stopped, I could no longer be the helpless girl who everyone belittled.

I can now fight my own battles, and stand up for myself against the people who are set to prove me wrong.

During my travels alone, I fell upon a small congregation of people, it was a small town and the people within it glared at me as I passed through.

I had planned to carry on running, but knowing my family was still after me, I couldn't afford to stall. That was until I met a woman, that went by the name Esther.

She was a witch too.

And she needed my help.

Somehow she knew of my... incident, and she praised me. Telling me how strong I was for standing up against the people who dared try to defeat me.

She said she would help me flee my family if I helped her with a spell, she needed my powers to solidify it. I was only happy to oblige.

Esther informed me of a spell, incantatio amplificus, a spell that would amplify the magical abilities of the witch that drew power from the deceased witches on the other side. She said I needed to cast it to help with her spell.

She had five children, once six but he was furiously slaughtered by the wolves that inhabit our world, Esther wanted to protect her remaining children, but she couldn't lose another child to the wolves.

She wanted to make them immortal.

Beings who couldn't die.

Vampires are what she called them.

Supernatural beings who thrived off the blood of humans, beings who had special enhanced abilities. Such powerful beings who would remain superior for eternity.

All I had to do was help her with this spell and then she would help me flee my revenge-hungry family.

- Seraphina Gilbert.

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    JULIETTE YAWNED AS SHE tiredly shut the leather-bound grimoire, her vision clouded over as sleep fought against her body, practically forcing her to rest. She shifted in her bed, placing the grimoire in her bedside drawer before turning the lamp off.

Letting out a sigh of relief as she lowered her head onto the pillow, bringing the blanket up to her chin as she closed her eyes, letting herself succumb to sleep.

Juliette's eyes snapped open as the cold bitter air nipped at her skin, her eyes darted around her surroundings as she slowly realised she was in her dream, and her erratically beating heart slowed down at the realisation.

She stood up from the grass, brushing the dirt off her dress that fit whatever period she was in. She lets a huff of air, her mind whirling with different types of things her dreams could show her tonight.

"Juli, my love."

Juliette froze.

Her heart pounded against her chest as a huge grin found its way onto her lips, slowly but surely she spun on her heel, standing eye to eye with Elijah, the man she had missed so much.

He beamed down at her, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He let out a grunt when Juliette surprisingly engulfed him in a tight embrace, wasting no time at all.

Juliette went on her tiptoes as Elijah's arms tightened around her waist, somehow finding a way to pull her closer to his body. One hand snaked through her hair, his hand soothingly running through Juliette's blonde locks.

"I've missed you so much," The blonde whispered, her voice calm and full of emotion. She couldn't believe she was seeing him again, getting to feel his touch once more, despite it being just a dream. She was ecstatic either way.

Elijah grinned, pulling back slightly as you looked down at Juliette, his hand cupping her cheek as his thumb slowly caressed her soft skin. "I've missed you too, Juli. Much more than you could ever imagine," he replied, his expression softening.

"Why are you here? You haven't been in the dreams since you got daggered." Juliette questioned, her brows furrowing in confusion as her hands rested against his hard and toned chest.

Elijah shrugs, his arm snaking around her waist tighter, "I do not know, sweetheart. I am just glad I get to see you again." he beamed, gazing intently down at Juliette.

They didn't need to speak many words; their eye contact said it all.

"I'm glad too, you genuinely don't understand how much I've missed you. Everything's very chaotic while you're gone."

Elijah raised a brow, "Oh? Please enlighten me on everything I've missed." he urged, gesturing for her to sit. Juliette held his hand as she lowered herself onto the patch of grass, Elijah soon followed.

"Well, I found a lot of stuff out." Juliette started, Elijah nodded along intently. "Luca and Jonas are dead by the way."

Elijah's expression falters slightly, "Let me guess, anything to do with the Salvatore brothers and your sister they're both hopelessly in love with?"

She nods, sending him an apologetic smile, "But before Jonas died he gave me something, he said you wanted to give it to me but you couldn't." Juliette spoke, tilting her head as Elijah took her hand in his grip.

"Ah, you got the grimoire?"

Juliette nods.

"Good. I did want to give it to myself but change of plans, have you found anything of use?"

Juliette shifted on the grass, and the tension that constantly weighed her body down seemed to slowly diminish, being by Elijah made her feel calmer. "Seraphina was a Gilbert and she was also a witch but not a normal one, she was much more powerful, I just haven't found out how."

Elijah nodded, "A witch within the Gilbert bloodline, you didn't know about that?" he questioned, his hand moving to brush a strand of hair behind her ear as she shook her head.

"No, I haven't been told about her once in my entire life. Do you know anything about her?"

"Her family hated her for what she was, they feared the power that coursed through her veins, she wasn't just a regular witch. She possessed other great powers that were beyond the norm for a witch." The original said, his grip on her hand tightening slightly.

"What type of powers did she have?" Juliette asked intently, relieved that someone was finally answering her questions.

"She had absolute elemental control, much more expanded than the average witch," He started off, "Mind control, telekinesis, complete immortality, projection, and compulsion. She was much more powerful than any other witch."

Juliette's eyes widened in shock as she took in the information Elijah was telling her. "So she's like, the most powerful witch, like ever?" Juliette asked, her brows furrowed.

Elijah nodded, "Yes, the witches in her time regarded her for such power, including my mother." he looked up, his eyes set on something deep within the forest.

Juliette raised a brow, waiting for him to elaborate, when he didn't, she followed his gaze. Her eyes landed on a blonde woman and a dark-haired woman, the same ones from a previous dream.

"Your mother?" She questions. Elijah quickly stood up, holding out a hand for Juliette to take as he pulled her up from the ground.

He began to walk closer to the figures, "Yes my mother," He nodded, his eyes glued on the two women as they spoke in hushed voices while Elijah and Juliette got closer.

"Are you sure this will work, Esther?" Seraphina asked, her voice filled with doubt as she pulled her cloak closer around her.

Esther, the blonde woman, nodded her head. "It has to. With your power added, I am positive that it will work." Esther replied, standing opposite Seraphina.

A thought immediately hit Juliette.

The name Esther had popped up in Juliette's dreams and the grimoire quite a lot.

"Wait, is Esther your...." Juliette trailed off, her mind reeling.

"My mother, yes," Elijah replied, his eyes making contact with Juliette as she let out a small gasp, shock coursing through her body.

She stepped closer to him, "So your mother is connected with my ancestor?" Juliette asked as confusion and shock slowly filled her as she stared at the two figures before her.

Elijah nodded as his grip on the blonde's hand tightened, "My mother had lost one of her children to the wolves." he started off, his voice low and almost filled with sadness.

Juliette nodded along as she slowly pieced her dreams together, knowing the story. "And she wanted to protect you and your siblings from harm, so she needed help from Seraphina to create the spell that would make you into vampires."

Elijah nodded again, listening to you explain what you already knew. "Yes, your ancestor's magic created the vampire spell."

Juliette stayed silent for a moment, her mind reeling as she tried to piece things together.

"Juliette, there are things I need to tell you. I don't know when I'm going to be undaggered again and I fear this might be the only time I will be able to speak to you." The original spoke, his voice panicked slightly. He cups her cheek gently, caressing his thumb across her soft skin as Juliette stares up at him, waiting for him to speak.

"What is it, Elijah?" Her soft voice urged, the angelic sound made Elijah calm down, and relief spread through his body as he could now finally tell you the one thing he's been wanting to tell you since he met you.

"Do you remember when you told me that... that you could move things with a flick of your wrist?"

Juliette nodded, "Yeah, it's been happening a lot recently."

Elijah's expression softened as he pursed his lips, feeling Juliette waking up. "Elijah, please tell me, I don't know when I'll next see you." The blonde asked, her voice laced with desperation as she placed her hands on Elijah's broad chest.

"There's a reason for that, and I should have told you sooner, but I was an idiot and wanted to protect you from this. I don't want this for you." The original said, his lips pressed in a thin line as he stepped closer to Juliette, pressing a kiss onto her forehead.

"Should have told me what Elijah?" The blonde questioned, desperately trying to will the information out of the vampire. "Please, I'm going to wake up soon. I need to know now."

Elijah took in a deep breath of air, filling his lungs as he prepared himself to speak, feeling Juliette slowly edge towards waking up.

The blonde's eyes widened as she shot up in her bed, her breathing coming out in rugged gasps as she placed her hand over her chest.

How could that be possible?

But it doesn't make sense.

How...?

How did she not know about this?

The words Elijah spoke right before Juliette woke up echoed in her mind, almost like a dreadful reminder of what she had just told.

"You're a witch."

✧✧✧✧

Heyy guys.....

Let's ignore that it's been nearly three weeks since I last updated, please.

I genuinely didn't think I would be this far behind but unfortunately, school is taking its toll on me and becoming more demanding. I didn't have the energy to write.

Plus, my school day got longer as an extra hour was added due to it being my last year of high school. So now I don't finish school till 4:30, I'm exhausted.

But anyway, I am going to try and get better at managing all this I promise!!

Plot twist??? or were you expecting this the entire time? 🤷‍♀️

I hope to see your theories and thoughts in the next chapter!!!

Byeee

9/10/24