Stefan drew in a slow breath, his gaze sweeping the room, taking them all in. There was something unspoken in his expression, something weighted, as if he were memorizing their faces just in case. "Alright," he said finally, his voice steady but low. "If anybody wants to back out, I'll understand."

Damon scoffed, his arms folded across his chest. "Yeah. Cold feet? Speak now." His eyes flicked toward Caroline, lingering just long enough to be pointed. "I don't want this going wrong if someone chickens out. Caroline."

Caroline's head snapped up, her eyes narrowing. "I won't," she said, chin lifting defiantly. "Look, she killed me. Fair's fair." A beat passed before she added, "As long as there's no werewolf running around, I'm in."

Damon smirked, something dark glinting in his eyes. "Oh, I took care of Mason."

"We," Alex corrected. "We took care of Mason."

"Right, I forgot," Damon sarcastically said. "Your name's on the trophy, too."

Jeremy, standing off to the side, shifted slightly. "As long as Tyler doesn't kill anyone, he won't turn." His voice was even, but there was a hint of something beneath it—worry, maybe.

Stefan's gaze shifted to Bonnie, who had been unusually quiet. She stood with her arms wrapped around herself, shoulders tense, fingers curling into the fabric of her sleeves. Alex knew that look—knew the war waging inside her best friend. Magic had always been about balance, about protection, but tonight? Tonight, they weren't protecting. They were hunting.

Stefan softened his voice. "Bonnie?" He asked gently. "Are you with us?"

Alex turned slightly, catching the flicker of hesitation in Bonnie's eyes. She reached out, resting a hand on her arm, her voice quiet but firm. "Hey, you don't have to do this. If you're not up for it, Bon, I can handle it."

Bonnie exhaled slowly, the tension in her shoulders barely easing. For a long moment, she didn't speak. Then, finally, she lifted her gaze to Stefan, her voice soft but laced with iron. "No. I'll be there. But no one gets hurt."

Damon let out a scoff, pushing off the mantel. "Except Katherine," he said, his voice smooth, almost casual—except for the lethal edge underneath. "Tonight, Katherine gets a stake through her heart."

Alex's lips twitched, though there was little amusement in it. "You're way too excited about this, Damon," she noted, tilting her head. "It's almost like you're getting your own little revenge flick. Big bad vampire slays evil ex. Oscar-worthy stuff, really."

Damon's grin widened, dark and knowing. "Hey, if the shoe fits..."

GETTING READY FOR THE PARTY felt like assembling a bomb—each detail precisely calibrated, each piece meticulously placed, all with the knowledge that, by the end of the night, everything could detonate exactly the way they needed it to. With Katherine dead.

For Alex, it was almost surreal that they had finally reached this moment. Katherine had woven herself into all their lives, a master puppeteer pulling strings, twisting fate, leaving scars far deeper than any physical wound. She had nearly killed Jenna and John, had spent more than a century tormenting the Salvatore brothers, and when she'd realized just how powerful Alex was, she hadn't hesitated to make her threats known. The memory of that conversation still sat in Alex's chest like a shard of glass. Just thinking about it tightened her jaw.

Tonight, it ended.

She caught her reflection in the mirror, taking a steadying breath as she smoothed down the deep red dress she had chosen. It clung to her figure, stopping mid-thigh with a slit on the left side that flirted with scandal but didn't quite cross the line. She twisted her hair up into a loose bun, leaving a few strands left intentionally undone to frame her face. Her mask was silver with blood-red jewels that matched the dress, a touch of drama she found almost amusing. Katherine always did like a show—tonight, they were giving her one. Alex kept her makeup minimal—half her face would be covered anyway, and she hated the hassle of scrubbing it off when all she wanted to do afterward was collapse into bed. Not that she expected to sleep much. Either tonight would be a victory, or it would be a disaster. There was no in-between.

When she arrived at the party, it was already alive with music and movement, the backyard transformed into a masquerade. Guests in elaborate costumes and gilded masks milled about, their laughter and conversation humming beneath the deep bass of the DJ's music. Performers twirled flaming batons, their arcs of fire illuminating the night in flashes of gold and crimson. Crystal chandeliers hung from the open-air tents, refracting light like shattered glass.

Alex spotted Stefan and Damon before they saw her, both positioned at the top of the grand staircase overlooking the party. They weren't exactly blending in. They watched over the crowd, looking for any signs of the vampire doppelganger.

She descended the stairs, her heels clicking against the concrete with each step.

Damon's gaze flicked toward her first, and—predictably—his smirk slid into place, his expression shifting into something equal parts approval and mischief. His eyes swept over her, lingering just long enough to be noticed.

"Well, don't you look hot," he drawled, voice dripping with his usual brand of charm.

Alex arched a brow, giving him a flat, unimpressed look before turning to Stefan. "Have you seen her yet?"

Stefan barely spared Damon a glance, his focus locked on the shifting sea of bodies below. "No. Can you sense anything?"

Alex sighed, crossing her arms. "I would, if you two weren't radiating vampire all over the place. You're dampening everything."

Without waiting for a response, she stepped past them, her gaze already sweeping the crowd.

The party was packed, a blur of masks and movement, laughter curling through the air like cigarette smoke. Beneath one of the extravagant tents, tables overflowed with food and drinks, the kind of indulgence only the Lockwoods could pull off without it feeling gaudy. A chocolate fountain sat at the center, surrounded by silver platters piled high with strawberries, marshmallows, and pretzels.

Alex reached for a strawberry, but before her fingers could brush the fruit, a sharp prickle ran down her spine. A chill, like ice trickling beneath her skin.

Vampire.

She froze, her back going rigid, her instincts sharpening. The energy pressing against her was old—older than Stefan and Damon, older than most things in this town. It was a familiar kind of wrongness, a presence slick with malice.

Alex turned slowly, already knowing who she'd see.

Elena's face. But the confident tilt of her chin, the calculating gleam in her dark eyes, the way she carried herself like she owned every inch of space around her—it could only be Katherine.

A slow, satisfied smirk curved Katherine's lips as she stepped closer, her every movement deliberate, like a cat toying with a bird too stupid to realize it was already dead. "Mm, so nice to see you again, Alexandria," she purred, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

Alex's lips pressed into a thin line. "It's just Alex, actually." Her tone was steady, clipped. She knew it was a trivial correction, but she hated the way Alexandria sounded. Too formal, too stiff. Too much like someone else's version of her.

Katherine's smile only sharpened, amusement flickering across her face like candlelight. "Oh, but Alexandria suits you," she murmured, tilting her head as if savoring the syllables.

Alex arched a brow but didn't bite. She simply waited, gaze steady, forcing Katherine to get to the point.

Katherine let out a breathy laugh, her shoulders dropping in a mock display of ease. "Tell Stefan and Damon to meet me inside. In the study." She took another step closer, the air between them crackling with unspoken threats. "And they better bring the moonstone."

Alex didn't move. "And if they don't?"

Katherine sighed as if the question bored her. "Then things get...messy."

Alex tilted her head slightly, her mask catching the light. "Messy how?" She asked even though she already knew the answer.

Katherine's smirk deepened. "Messy like...maybe I kill a few party guests." Her eyes flicked to the crowd, to the clusters of masked people laughing and drinking, completely unaware of the predator among them. "Or maybe I make it personal." She shifted her gaze back to Alex, something darker, crueler slithering into her expression. "See, you and Elena have a lot of friends in common. I already went after Jenna and Caroline, I could certainly go after Bonnie. Or what about Jeremy?"

Alex didn't blink. "Oh, please. You're not going to start a massacre in the middle of a crowd."

Katherine pouted. "I could. It would be such a shame, though. All this wasted champagne." Her voice dipped lower, silkier. "Besides, I don't need a massacre to ruin the night. I just need one person."

Alex clenched her jaw, but her voice remained infuriatingly calm. "If you're trying to scare me, you're wasting your time. If you want to kill me, you'd have to get close enough to touch me—like you are now." She raised her hand just a fraction, wiggling her fingers with a wicked smile. "And we both know what happens when I touch vampires."

For the first time, Katherine's mask of amusement cracked. It was brief—gone in a blink—but Alex saw it. Anger flashed behind her eyes.

Katherine took a deliberate step forward, her gaze burning into Alex's. "You really think that little trick of yours makes you untouchable?" Her voice dropped to a whisper, just for Alex.

Alex's smile didn't waver. "I never said it did."

Before Katherine could reply, another voice sliced through the tension.

"Katherine."

Katherine's head snapped around, her posture shifting as she turned to face Stefan. Whatever strange, twisted history the two of them shared, it was enough to pull her focus away from Alex completely.

"Stefan," she said, her voice a mix of nostalgia and false affection. "I was just having a friendly little chat your friend here."

Alex barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

Stefan stepped closer, his eyes never leaving Katherine's. "I think you and I have some catching up to do." He extended a hand, an invitation wrapped in expectation.

Katherine hesitated, just for a second. Then, slowly, her lips curved into a smile, and she placed her hand in his. "Oh, I'd love that."

But as Stefan began to lead her away, Katherine cast one glance over her shoulder at Alex, her gaze burning with unspoken promises.

Alex held her ground, watching them disappear into the crowd. A flicker of satisfaction curled in her chest. Katherine's threats were old news—she'd heard worse from people far less charming. Damon was a master of menacing comments, after all, and she had spent years honing her skin against barbed words.

Besides, like she said, if any vampire wanted to truly hurt her, they'd have to get close enough for her to touch them. And if they did...well, she doubted they'd be walking away unscathed.

Alex leaned against one of the tall columns lining the edge of the Lockwood estate, her silver mask still in place as she let her gaze drift across the party. The music throbbed in the air, a steady rhythm that seemed to dictate the pace of the night—fast, pulsing, electric. Everywhere, masked guests swayed and spun, utterly oblivious to what was about to happen.

For a moment, she allowed herself to take it in.

A young couple on the dance floor caught her attention. The woman, dressed in gold and glittering from head to toe, let out a breathless laugh as her partner twirled her before dipping her dramatically. The sheer joy on her face was so unguarded, so blissfully untouched by the constant storm that hung over Mystic Falls, that it made something in Alex's chest ache. There was something enviable about that kind of happiness—something simple, something safe.

Her eyes shifted, settling on a small table off to the side where Bonnie and Jeremy sat, half-hidden in the shadows. Bonnie looked tense, her fingers tracing patterns along the rim of her untouched glass, while Jeremy leaned in close, speaking to her. Whatever he said made Bonnie's lips twitch into a faint, fleeting smile. They looked like any other young couple stealing a moment at a party—except Alex knew the truth.

1. They weren't a couple.

2. They were both mentally preparing for what was coming.

She watched as Jeremy straightened, took a steadying breath, and stood. A decision made. He slipped into the crowd, heading off to play his part in the plan.

Bonnie caught Alex's eye, giving her a small, purposeful nod. It's starting.

Alex exhaled, pushing off the column. She kept her movements natural, unhurried, blending into the crowd as she wove her way toward Bonnie. But she only made it a few steps before someone grabbed her arm, yanking her sharply into the shadows of the garden.

"What the hell—" Alex snapped, spinning to confront whoever had the audacity to drag her around like that.

Her breath caught when she saw Elena standing there. She stood rigid in the dim light, her face pale beneath her mask, her eyes wide and bright with barely contained anger.

"What the hell is going on?" Elena demanded, her voice low and shaking.

Alex blinked, surprised for only a second before she smirked, schooling her expression into something casual. She slid off her mask, cocking her head. "Uh, attending a masquerade? Mingling with questionable people? Same as everyone else?"

Elena didn't so much as flinch. If anything, her glare deepened. "Don't. Don't even try to pull that on me, Alex. I know something's going on. What are you doing here?"

Before Alex could conjure up another excuse, Bonnie appeared out of nowhere, her expression tight with frustration. She looked between the two of them, let out a long, resigned sigh, and shook her head.

"She knows."

Alex groaned, tossing her mask onto a nearby stone bench. "Great. Just great. Surprise intervention, mid-murder plot. That's exactly what we needed tonight."

A soft rustling behind them made Alex glance over her shoulder just as Jeremy slipped out from the shadows, his mask hanging loosely from his hand. His expression was unreadable, but there was a tension in his posture that made it clear he'd overheard at least part of the conversation.

"My part's done," he said, his voice calm but clipped as he looked between Bonnie and Alex. Then his gaze shifted to Elena, and his jaw tightened. "So, what's going on here?"

Elena folded her arms tightly over her chest, her frustration rolling off her in waves. "So it's true then? You guys are trying to kill Katherine? Here? At this party?"

Jeremy shrugged, trying to play it cool. "We saw an opportunity and we knew we had to take it."

Elena's expression darkened. "Okay, stop with the 'we' talk," she hissed, her voice dropping to a furious whisper. "Are you guys crazy? You're going to get yourselves killed."

Alex raised an eyebrow, mirroring Elena's stance. "Oh, please. Killed is only an option if we're completely incompetent. And besides, I'm the backup plan. Although, I really should've just been Plan A."

Bonnie shot her a sharp look, but Alex just shrugged. It wasn't her fault that she was right. The plan had been entirely Stefan and Damon's idea because, of course, the heroic vampire brothers needed all the glory for themselves.

Elena exhaled sharply, her hands flying to her hips. "This isn't funny, Alex!" Her voice cracked slightly, raw with something deeper than anger. "If something happens to you—if something happens to any of you—" She broke off, shaking her head, like the thought alone was too much to process.

The fight in Alex's chest wavered, just for a second.

Bonnie stepped forward, her voice softer now, grounding. "We know what we're doing, Elena. We've got it under control."

Elena let out a hollow, disbelieving laugh. "Under control?" She looked around at each of them, eyes darting between Bonnie, Jeremy, and Alex, her frustration breaking through the fear. "And how am I supposed to feel if one of you guys gets hurt?"

Jeremy's expression hardened, his fingers curling slightly at his sides as he took a step closer. "It's not just you anymore, Elena," he said, his voice low, steady. "She's messed with all of us. She's hurt everyone we care about. She has to be stopped."

If only that had happened.

The plan went off the rails almost immediately.

Katherine had anticipated that they were going to do something—of course, she had—and had linked herself to Elena as a precaution. Every injury Katherine suffered transferred directly to her double, manifesting with excruciating precision.

Alex's stomach twisted with horror as she realized what was happening. One moment, Stefan had shot a stake into Katherine's back. The next, Elena gasped, doubling over, her arms flying to the wound she couldn't reach. Blood bloomed through the fabric of her shirt. It was brilliant, brutal, and exactly Katherine's style.

Stefan and Damon were left fuming, unable to do anything without hurting Elena in the process. Katherine just laughed, taunting them with her twisted sense of justice.

Bonnie was on the floor beside Elena, trying to at least ease the pain. Alex knelt beside them, reaching out, feeling for the threads of the magic woven into Elena's body. The spell pulsed against her fingers, slippery and elusive, like trying to grasp grains of sand in a rushing tide.

"Come on, come on," Alex muttered through clenched teeth, hands trembling as she siphoned what little magic she could. But the spell was too deeply embedded. Without Katherine right in front of her, she was only working at half-strength, tugging at invisible strings without the full tapestry.

And then, just like that, the spell unraveled. Not by Bonnie, not by Alex.

The original caster had undone her own work.

And that wasn't the end of it.

In the chaos that followed, Tyler Lockwood, panicked and out of control, killed someone. An accident, but the blood was on his hands all the same. The horrifying realization of what he'd done hit him like a truck. The werewolf curse had been triggered. And with the full moon fast approaching, it was only a matter of time before he turned.

By the time the dust settled, Katherine wasn't dead, Stefan and Damon were both seething, and Tyler was on the verge of a breakdown. But at least Katherine was no longer a threat, not immediately, anyway. Damon had taken matters into his own hands, finally trapping her inside the tomb she'd managed to escape all those years ago. The irony of it made Alex smirk. There was a certain poetic justice in it.

They spent the next hour covering their tracks.

Aimee Bradley's body disappeared before any authorities could ask questions. The blood was scrubbed away from the no-longer-spelled room, leaving only the lingering scent of iron. Caroline was with Tyler, keeping him from completely falling apart. Bonnie and Jeremy had already slipped away, on their way home. Stefan remained at the Lockwood mansion, overseeing what was left of their cleanup.

Alex offered to drive Elena home.

She didn't ask if Elena needed company—she just knew. Damon was busy ensuring Katherine was handled, and Stefan had too much to do at the mansion. It left just the two of