The Card's Legacy

Klaus enters the room with torn clothes and a clear sign of a fight. He finds Hope laughing with Lucius, Rebekah trimming her nails, and Kol laughing into his phone.

"Dad! It works." Hope immediately wanted to rush to her father and give him a strong hug, but she didn't want to disrupt the spell. "I feel completely fine. Even if I use magic, I feel no pain or fatigue."

"Um, did you forget how you are sucking my magic to use spells?" Lucius cast a mocking look at Hope, who giggled. The amount of control, power, and excitement she felt from being able to use magic to play made her the happiest person on the planet.

"..." Klaus remained in the same position he found them in for quite some time before rushing to take Hope into his chest and hug her tightly. Tears stopped falling, and the overwhelming amount of worry faded, allowing him to smile genuinely.

That is, until he looked at Lucius, who was smirking and had his hands interlocked with Hope's. Remembering where they were sitting when he barged in only added fuel to that smirk.

He took a deep breath and took a step back, and Elijah arrived shortly after, still with a stake in his stomach. 

"So are we really doing this?" Klaus inquired, confronted with a situation over which he felt powerless. But his daughter's safety came first, making him question his own judgment. "Does Hope constantly have to be in contact, and for how long you can hold the spell?"

'Until eternity.' Lucius spoke in his mind, but he saved that information for later. "If you give me some time, I can cast a spell on her that will prevent the spread. She does whatever she wants, and I only have to place it once in a while."

"Wait then why are you still holding her hand." Klaus growled, and his paranoia began to create numerous scenarios and stories for this reason. 

Lucius smiles innocently at Hope, who is equally surprised but quickly avoids his gaze. "I mean this was just easier and without me she won't be able to use magic."

Hope was irritated by the fact that she couldn't use magic, but feeling Lucius rub her hand and smile made her relax and stop worrying. For some reason, being near him was the best place ever because it reminded her of the safety and warmth she had missed since her mother's death.

"How can we believe you aren't here to take advantage of Hope? It's extremely convenient for you to drop at the perfect time." Batman, excuse me, Klaus inquired as he had no trust in Lucius. "Even the witches discovered nothing about you. You refuse to reveal your identity or where you came from."

Let's be honest. He didn't trust anyone in general. 

Nothing personal.

"That sounds like a you problem to me." Lucius appears to be talented at pissing Klaus off with every word he says. "You seem to be forgetting something."

Lucius gently brushed Hope's hand and released it, making Hope want to hold it back again, but seeing him walk towards Klaus and stare him straight in the face made her nervous. 

"You seem to forget I am gaining absolutely nothing from this." A dangerous glint flashed through Lucius' crimson eyes, and Klaus noticed his pupils were slit. Then, leaning forward, Lucius softly whispered, "Don't confuse my kindness for weakness."

Elijah sensed the tension and intervened to push them apart; however, he was only able to push Klaus back and not even move Lucius, which surprised him.

"We won't be able to admit you or teach you if you don't even tell us anything about it." Alaric, who had put the girls to sleep and gone through a few things, entered the office with a book in his hand. "But at the very least, answer this question. Do you have ill will toward the school, its members, or anyone else involved?"

"No. I'm not the type to scheme." Lucius responded, causing Alaric to glance at his ring, which did not glow as expected. 

'At least the ring indicates that he is telling the truth.' Alaric noticed. At the same time, he found himself in a rabbit hole, trying to learn anything he could about Lucius in preparation for his admission to school. Oh, he had already decided, 'It's better to keep him close and keep an eye on him.'

"We are thankful to Lucius for giving us time which was something we didn't have the luxury of before." Alaric spoke as he took his seat in front of his desk and placed the book. "Well congratulations, Lucius... ah."

"Lucius Zogratis." 

Alaric nodded as he wrote that down. "Yes. To place you in appropriate classes and curriculum, I still need to know a few things. Firstly, are you human?"

Lucius paused as everyone stared without blinking for his response, finally saying, "Not really."

'Noted.' Alaric considered and moved on to the next question. "Do you have a family or a guardian?"

"Nope." Lucius was alone in the world.

"We're moving on. Do you have any needs that must be met before you can function properly? Like a change in food?" Alaric sighed, seeing him shake his head. He would have a difficult time determining Lucius' race. "This is the final question. Will you forbid yourself from using magic outside or without a teacher's permission during your visit?"

"Obviously no."

Alaric, of course, expected this. He didn't mind because there are ways to prevent a witch from using magic here. "Now moving on to bedding."

Everyone stared at Klaus and his reaction, creating an awkward silence in the room. And, as expected, he was trembling with rage.

"This is something I've never dealt with before. So I'm not sure how long my spell will last or how much it can withstand without her presence." Lucius indirectly stated that he would be sharing the room with Hope, making everyone uncomfortable except Hope, who was unknown to anyone.

"I can't allow full freedom as the dorms for boys and girls are separate." Alaric was again stumped. Even if he allowed it, he was certain Klaus and the others would never agree to Hope living with someone they'd just met. That includes someone far stronger than their strongest member, Klaus.

Then everyone's gaze shifted to the corner, where a blonde was still trimming her nails. When she caught their gaze, she stood up. "Nah. Ah. Not happening."

Klaus approached with pleading eyes, but his sister was obstinate, leaving the only remaining blonde. 

"Huhhhh, mee?" Caroline wanted to smack them for forgetting she has a real job and has to travel for business, so she can't stay in one place for long.

"Either of you can choose. Because I refuse to let my daughter sleep with a boy!" Klaus's anger became visible as his eyes glowed yellow.

Lucius ignored the entire drama and focused solely on Hope, who was resting on his shoulder. His eyes were drawn to the dark veins pulsing with pure power. 'This feels too familiar to ignore.'