The Card's Legacy

"So how exactly did we end up here?" Lucius mused as he found himself in front of what appeared to be a dance party in front of a school.

"So, um, I sort of promised to go to a dance with a friend. But, since you're here-" To be honest, they had completely forgotten about dancing and ended up here because they followed the lights.

"So you are going to ditch me for your 'friend' huh?" Lucius approached, glancing to the side to see Hope staring at someone who was looking around and waiting. "Forget him, how about you tell me about your transformation to a wolf later that night."

She nodded, concealing a sad smile, before telling him. "Mom said if I push past the part where all my bones break, I will experience something amazing and beautiful."

As they both took the dance floor, Lucius wrapping his arms around her waist while she held his hands, a strong feeling of gratitude rose inside her, thanking her for the opportunity to attend one last prom before the night.

"So you used to be a witch, and now you're a wolf too? What's next, you're going to admit you're a vampire?" Lucius, who was initially laughing, noticed his eyes widening and his mouth twitching. "You are kidding, right?"

"Mhm." Hope shook her, releasing a laugh and swirling around to the music. "I told you my secret, what is yours?"

"Well, you can think of me as a big bad wolf." Lucius mused, but when he saw Hope growl, he chuckled and continued. "Well before you found me I was trapped in god knows where and in a magical kind of slumber for I don't know how long."

"How did you escape?" Hope pushed forward, leaning against and eyes that showed her interest.

Lucius, on the other hand, was aware that he couldn't truly explain or make sense of her. "The way you and I use magic is different. To escape, I tore the space before jumping in."

"That's.... Possible?" Even with the power she now possessed coursing through her veins, it seemed insufficient to tear the space apart. Even if she could, it would require extensive preparation and could not be accomplished in the same way that Lucious did by simply tearing it.

"Think of it as something I was born with. It is unique to me and only me." He lifted his chest, proud of what he had accomplished, eliciting an awe expression from Hope.

Just like that, Hope arrived at her dorms' doorstep.

"I completely forgot to take you to Alaric didn't i?" Hope moaned, making Lucius laugh and assuring her not to worry. But before she could say anything else, she realized the door was open, and she hadn't noticed because she was staring at Lucius's red eyes.

"D-Dad." Hope was worried about how he would react to everything, but seeing him with a soft smile and an aching look in his eyes made her stop worrying and turn. "Lucius, this is my father. And, dad, he's Lucius Elijah, as you must have heard."

"Hello, sir. I believe I saw it at the dance." Lucius's keen observation surprised Klaus because he was watching them and Lucius never glanced at his side. Even so, he was aware of her father's presence. "Hope has been an amazing help today."

"Oh how wonderful." Klaus clapped, but seeing how their hands were still tied, he rested his arm on Hope's shoulder. "Now, Hope has to attend the family night and they are waiting."

Hope felt a sudden wave of sadness as she remembered her conversation with Elijah and the text message her father had sent her.

"It was nice to meet you, Lucius. I hope you have a great time here and in the future." Hope, swallowing her tears, attempted to pull the hand, only to find Lucius smiling wryly at her. She didn't even have time to react when her father went behind him and snapped his neck. "W-w-what?"

Klaus attempted to snap Lucius's neck but was unable to do so, and even his attempt to pierce through the heart failed. In the end, Klaus raised his voice to say, "RELEASE HER."

"I was about to explain. If I let her go, whatever is crawling inside her will continue. And I am not sure if you are aware of how bad her body is in right now." Lucius snapped his hand, revealing a green magical circle that wrapped around Hope, beginning with their hand. "So do you still want me to release her, because she will die the moment I do." 

***

"I will rip you apart and bathe in your blood if I even find a single scratch on her." Klaus began speaking incessantly about various methods of torture. Hope and Lucius sat together in the office while her father, family, a blonde woman, and, finally, the headmaster looked at them as if they were works of art.

"Calm down brother." Elijah approached, only to find Klaus' golden eyes and fangs hissing at him. "Let's give him the opportunity to speak and explain. If he moves a single muscle, I will rip out my heart and feast in content."

'What's with your family and ripping people? Jezzz.' Lucius rolled his eyes at both of the brothers. 'Did they not hear that Klaus didn't even scratch me?'

"Relax, Dad. He is correct; I did not hear a whisper or feel plain all day. I held his hand for the entire time without realizing it." Hope would normally blush at her words, but the gravity of the situation clouded her mind. "Lucius, can you please tell us what is the magic you are using and what you said before."

"It's simple really." He shrugged his shoulders and explained casually. "Time. As soon as I get in touch with her, I can use my time magic to stop the progression. With me, she won't even need to transform the full moon. That is as long as she possesses my magic."

"This is getting absurd." The headmaster, named Alaric, scoffed. He grabbed his phone and started dialing a number. "He speaks as if he can control time, which is impossible and never heard of."

"But our eyes don't lie. It is right in front of our faces. Did you not notice him eating the chocolate bar all this time, and it still appeared that he took only one bite?" Kol, the youngest brother, argued, but he believed even his own words were questionable. "Do you know anything about Davina?"

Davina, his wife and someone he can confidently describe as an expert, is on the call with him. "I have no idea, Kol. I feel like this is bigger than anything I've ever known or felt."

Klaus, who kept staring at his watch, became impatient. "We can't believe what this boy is saying. I told you I had already found a way to save her!"

"Through your death?" Elijah responded, which stunned Hope and prompted her father to lash out, pinning Elijah against the wall.

"Death?" Hope spoke up, her eyes becoming moist as she looked at her father, who averted his gaze. "I thought you had found a safe place to store it. You intend to take everything into yourself and, what, die?

"Hope." Klaus released his brother and started walking towards Hope before crouching down. "Listen, love-"

He was abruptly cut off when Hope slammed him across the room. Then, realizing what she had done, she turned to Lucius, who was casually munching on chocolate.

"That came from you, not it." Lucius's response made her relax and refocus her gaze on her father.

"I will do whatever to save you, Hope even if I have to—" Before Klaus could charge forward, he vanished, leaving Hope and Elijah staring accusingly at Lucius.

"I just gave him the same treatment I gave your uncle." I hope you do not mind. Surprisingly, Elijah remained calm after hearing what Lucius did.

"That is it. I'm taking my girls." Alaric narrowed his eyes at Lucius, clearly indicating that he would have a heated discussion with him later. "See Caroline? The ocean isn't enough for him."

Caroline, the girls' mother, sighed as she followed Alaric, leaving behind Elijah, Kol, and then their sister Rebekah.

"So, what will we do? Just watch and believe his words?" Rebekah finally spoke after remaining silent for the entire play.

"I'm going to take my brother and try to talk some sense into him. While I leave you both to keep a lookout." Elijah stared deeply at his sibling, who returned the stare, revealing an unknown tension.

"Fine we got it." Kol decided to break the silence by dragging a chair and sitting facing the duo.

"Bring him back." At Elijah's words, Lucius waved his hand, creating a magical circle that dropped Klaus. As soon as he appeared, Elijah dragged him away in an instant.

"So.... I assume you both are related to Hope?" Lucius inquired, prompting the blonde to roll her eyes and disappear.

"Aand here she goes." Kol also signed, waving his hand mockingly before turning to Lucius and exclaiming, "So this magic. How is this possible, and what can it do?"

"You are asking a magician to reveal his trick?" Lucius laughed, but when he saw Kol's passionate eyes, he smiled. "It is a unique form of magic that cannot be acquired. It's simply something that people are either born with or extremely fortunate to have."

"And where do you fall in that?" Kol asked, pressuring him to reveal the secret. The thought of playing something forbidden, such as time, made his stomach turn and his heart race.

Lucius only smiled and weaved around the question. "I honestly don't know all the answers. It's simply something I could do."