The presence was gone by the time Malik stood again.
The golden eyes, the pressure in his chest — all of it vanished like it had never been there. But the tree was still pulsing. Still glowing. Still calling.
He didn't know how long he stood there, frozen.
But when he finally turned and stumbled out of the woods, the moon was high overhead, and the once-warm night felt cold.
🏠 Back at the Boarding House
He slammed the door behind him, chest still tight.
Zach looked up from the couch. "You alright?"
"Yeah," Malik said automatically. "Just… went for a walk."
Zach's eyes narrowed. "Where?"
Malik hesitated. "The woods. By the old trails."
That got a reaction. Zach sat up. "You didn't go near the old white oak, did you?"
Malik froze. "Why?"
Zach stood slowly. "Because nothing grows near that tree. And it's not because of the soil."
That night, Malik didn't sleep. He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his hands.
His fingers still tingled like they had touched lightning. His blood felt like it was moving in a way it never had before — hot, fast, almost alive.
And beneath it all… that whisper again.
"It's time."
🕔 The Next Day – Mystic Grill
Malik met Jade again at their usual spot. She took one look at him and said, "You look like you saw the devil."
"Don't know if it was the devil," he said, "but whatever it was… it wasn't normal."
She leaned in. "What happened?"
He told her everything. The tree. The vision. The golden eyes.
She didn't laugh. Didn't even blink.
"You touched the tree," she whispered.
"Yeah."
She looked over her shoulder, lowered her voice. "That tree's part of the old magic. The kind that even witches don't mess with. You weren't supposed to touch it."
He frowned. "How do you even know about that?"
She avoided the question. "You need to stay away from it."
"I did stay away," he said. "It followed me."
🩸 Across Town — Unknown Location
Deep underground, beneath stone and shadow, a woman in black robes stood over a map of Mystic Falls. Candles flickered, runes etched into the floor glowing faintly.
"He touched it," she whispered.
Behind her, another figure stepped forward — face hidden under a hood.
"Then it's begun," the voice said. "The Bloodline has awakened."
🌕 That Night – Malik's Room
The dreams didn't come.
Instead, something else did.
A knock on the door.
Three sharp taps.
Malik opened it, expecting Zach or maybe Jade — but the person standing there was neither.
A man — tall, maybe late twenties, dressed in a black coat, with a chiseled face and eyes that looked too old for his age.
"Malik Rivers," the man said, voice smooth like velvet dipped in steel. "May I come in?"
"…Do I know you?"
"No," he said. "But I know you. And you're not safe here."
Malik didn't move. "You got about three seconds to tell me who you are before I make this awkward."
The man smirked. "My name is Elijah. Elijah Mikaelson."
Malik blinked. "…Mikaelson? Like the old family in town history books?"
Elijah nodded once. "We need to talk. You've touched something ancient. Something that was never meant to wake. And now, there are people — creatures — who will do anything to stop what's about to happen."
"What is about to happen?" Malik asked.
Elijah's eyes narrowed.
"You, Malik Rivers… are becoming the first of your kind."