The Card's Legacy

You know what i decided to fuck the timeline and remove the 2 years between the originals to start of legacies. 

Why? Because I want to show how the characters developed, and how Lucius's presence slowly started to change the future.

I can't just say '2 years passed' and write Lucius and everyone the same way right? So yes.

***

A full moon had passed, and today was the day the Mikaelsons were finally leaving the Salvatore School. The air around the school felt heavy, like a balloon stretched to its limit, ready to burst. Change was inevitable, and everyone felt it.

"What is it, Hope?" Lucius asked, lounging on his bed with one leg casually draped over the other, his crimson eyes half-closed as though he had all the time in the world. His tone was playful, but the flicker of curiosity in his gaze betrayed him.

Hope stood near the doorway, arms crossed, her expression a mix of irritation and something harder to read. "The headmaster wants us to check out some supernatural event. He thinks a werewolf just went through their first transition."

Lucius opened one eye lazily, a smirk playing on his lips. "First of all, welcome back. Have you sent your farewells?"

Her brow furrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line. The slight dullness in her eyes didn't escape his notice. He swung his legs off the bed and stood up, wrapping an arm lightly over her shoulder. "What's got our sweet little 'bear' all sad, hmm?" he teased, his voice softening at the end.

Hope let out a low hiss, swatting at his arm. Lucius was too quick, pulling away before she could land a solid hit. "Feisty," he said with a chuckle, the memory of her reactions always amusing to him.

"Anyway," he continued, "why are you even going? It's not like you'll be much help since you haven't even gone through your first transition yet."

Hope sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I know. But Alaric insists. Maybe he wants to show me what it's like or something."

Lucius raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Alaric? Competent enough to pull off a teaching moment? That's new." He glanced to the side, where Caroline was sitting on the couch, flipping through her laptop. "What do you think, Caroline? Can't you talk to him? Maybe convince him to give us a break so me and Hope can actually have some fun for once."

Hope groaned, trying to punch his shoulder, but Lucius dodged effortlessly, smirking. "Phrasing!" she snapped, though there was no real heat in her voice.

Caroline looked up from her phone, rolling her eyes. "Alaric obviously just wants to keep an eye on you, Lucius," she said nonchalantly. "Since he can't do it directly, he's using Hope as his excuse."

Lucius feigned offense, placing a hand dramatically over his chest. "Oh, so I'm the babysitting assignment now? Lovely. And here I thought we were all becoming such great friends."

Hope stifled a laugh, and Caroline shook her head, her tone turning dry. "You're not exactly subtle, Lucius. Alaric's not blind to your... activities."

"Moi?" Lucius feigned shock, clutching his chest, then grinning mischievously. "Careful, Caroline, you're making me sound interesting."

"Interesting isn't the word I'd use," Caroline muttered, though the slight twitch of her lips betrayed her amusement.

"It's fine," Lucius said with a dismissive wave. "At least we get to skip classes."

Hope blinked, then burst out laughing. "Skip classes? That's all you do! Since you showed up, you've probably spent more time trying to get out of things than actually doing them. Aren't you even a little worried?"

Lucius raised an eyebrow, giving her a look like she'd just grown a second head. "What's he going to do? Expel me? I already tried. Didn't even budge when I turned his coffee sour just to mess with him."

Caroline's head snapped up. "Wait. That was you?"

Lucius grinned innocently. "Guilty."

She burst out laughing, the memory of Alaric's tirade suddenly clicking into place. "Oh, he's going to lose it when he finds out. Emma practically had to hold him back."

Hope groaned, though she couldn't keep the smile off her face. "Why am I not surprised? You're impossible."

"I prefer 'resourceful,'" Lucius said, crossing his arms smugly. "Now, shall we get this over with, or are we going to spend the whole day talking about how amazing I am?"

Caroline shook her head, still chuckling as she put her phone away. "Let's just hope you don't manage to make things worse. For once."

Lucius smirked. "No promises."

***

"Rafael, you're really going to let them do this?" Landon asked, his voice low as the two stood just outside the church. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest, and the faint glow of a nearby streetlamp cast long shadows on his face.

"It is what it is, bro," Rafael replied, shaking his head. His tone was steady, but there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes. "I threw a lawnmower across the lawn, Landon. If apologizing to God gets Hector and Maria off my back, I'll take it."

Landon frowned, his gaze shifting to the church doors. "It's not right. They don't even—"

"It's fine," Rafael cut him off, his voice sharper now. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "It's not that deep."

The heavy wooden doors creaked open, revealing Hector and Maria waiting just inside. Maria approached them first, her expression kind but firm. She placed a hand on Landon's shoulder, her voice soft. "You don't have to be here, Landon."

"But I want to," Landon replied, his tone resolute. His eyes darted to Rafael, silently asking for confirmation.

Hector stepped forward, his expression hardening. "This is between Rafael and God," he said sharply, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Landon clenched his jaw, his frustration evident. He looked at Rafael, who gave him a reassuring nod, mouthing, "I'll be fine."

Reluctantly, Landon stepped back. As the doors closed behind Rafael, the sound of chains locking echoed faintly. Landon sighed, slipping his earphones in and pulling out his sketchbook.

Sitting on the stone steps outside the church, he let himself sink into the comfort of drawing. His pencil moved quickly across the page, sketching feathers that soon transformed into a pair of wings.

The longer he drew, the more he lost himself in the rhythm, the world around him fading away.

So engrossed was he in his drawing that he didn't hear the rumble of an approaching car or the sound of footsteps crunching on gravel. He only looked up when the shadow of someone standing nearby interrupted the light from the streetlamp.

Hope stood there, her head tilted slightly as she regarded him. "Landon?" she asked, her voice breaking through the silence.

His hand froze mid-stroke, and he blinked up at her in surprise. "Hope? What are you doing here?"

Before she could answer, a loud roar erupted from within the church, the sound primal and filled with anguish. The noise made Landon jump, his sketchbook nearly slipping from his hands.

"That doesn't sound good," Lucius remarked, stepping out of the car behind Hope. His crimson eyes glinted as he took in the scene. "Is he the one we're looking for?"

"No," Hope replied quickly, her gaze snapping toward the church doors. "That's Rafael."

The roar came again, louder this time, and Alaric moved swiftly from the driver's seat, his crossbow in hand. "What's the holdup? Move!" he barked.

Hope ran toward the church, Lucius following at a more leisurely pace. As they reached the heavy doors, Lucius eyed the chains wrapped tightly around the handles. "Locked," he noted, his tone almost amused.

Hope muttered a spell under her breath, her voice steady despite the tension. "Dissera Portus."

The chains shattered, the doors swinging open to reveal chaos inside. Rafael was on the ground, writhing in pain, his transformation incomplete but brutal. His parents clutched each other near the altar, their fear palpable as they watched their son in horror.

The priest stood over him, clutching a cross and murmuring prayers, his voice shaking.

Hope stepped inside, but Lucius held back for a moment, his gaze lingering on the scene. When Hope turned to look at him, her expression questioning, seeing him freeze.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed his wrist, pulling him forward. The sounds of Rafael's anguished cries filled the air, each one sharper than the last.

Cracks began to form in the stained glass windows, its as if the pressure from his transformation threatening to shatter everything around them.

Lucius crouched beside Rafael, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "We can't stop this," he said firmly, glancing up at Hope. "This has to happen. If he doesn't face this now, he'll never stop running from it."

Alaric moved quickly, securing a silver collar around Rafael's neck to keep him restrained.

Landon, who had finally made his way inside, froze at the sight of his foster brother. "Raf?" he called, his voice trembling.

Lucius leaned against the wall, watching the scene with a casual air. "He'll be alright," he said. "Probably."

"Probably?" Landon echoed, his panic rising.

"Lucius," Hope said warningly. Then turning to Landon, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," she said gently. "He's a werewolf. This is what happens on a full moon. He'll be back to normal by morning."

Lucius stood, brushing off his hands. "Assuming he doesn't break the collar," he added, though his tone was lighter now. "We should probably keep our distance just in case."

Landon hesitated, his gaze flicking between Hope and Rafael. Finally, he nodded, stepping back but keeping his eyes fixed on his brother.

Rafael's screams eventually subsided, his body slumping to the floor as the transformation completed. Where a boy had once been, there was now a wolf, his golden eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. He let out a low, mournful howl, the sound echoing through the church.

Lucius smirked, leaning casually against a pew. "Well, that was dramatic. Shall we?"