The Card's Legacy

Down in the cellar where they keep werewolves during full moon, was Lucius who stared at London knocked again on the floor. Then turning back, he replied "whatever drug he took is not in the system anymore. The compulsion should work now."

"You know you didn't need to hit him that hard." Hope coming through the door frame crossed her arms, throwing a mocking look.

"Right. Now where is MJ?" Alaric, ignoring how Lucius grabbed his head and banged him against the iron bars, knocked him cold, and yet not a single scratch was on his head. 'Did he heal him?'

"About that...." Hope tried to not look in a certain direction as she replied. "His stomach all of a sudden acted up. Kaleb said he hasn't left the bathroom."

"Sigh. We will deal with this in the morning. I need to have a 'talk' with Lizzie." Alaric stood up not bothering to care anymore. His mind was occupied with so many things lately he feels stressed. "By the way, the party at the old mill I will be shutting down.... In like 2 hours. So bye."

***

With a beer in his hand, Lucius was chatting with Rafael before Josie interrupted, pointing at the person behind her. "I got him out."

"You broke him out?" Lucius almost choked on his beer when he saw Landon standing there, looking at him like he'd just killed his puppy. Lucius raised an eyebrow as Landon fidgeted under his gaze.

But as soon as he noticed Hope grabbing a beer to hand to her friend by the fireplace, Landan's attention shifted, and he followed her movements before following her leaving behind Lucius and Rafael.

Lucius chuckled, leaning back lazily. "Dude didn't even thank you. Doesn't seem super chill like you said, Rafael."

Rafael sighed, starting to step forward. "One second," he muttered, but Lucius stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Forget about that lovesick puppy and just have fun!" Lucius said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. He dabbed Rafael up before gently pushing him toward the girl. "I gotchu, bro."

Rafael hesitated but eventually let himself be swept into the crowd. Lucius, meanwhile, looked around, realizing someone was missing. "Now, that's not good."

In an instant, he disappeared, reappearing back in his room and startling the life out of Caroline, who was furiously typing on her laptop. She jumped, clutching her chest. "Fucking hell, Lucius!" she exclaimed, her breath coming in short gasps. "What are you doing here?"

Lucius leaned casually against the desk, his beer still in hand, and gave her a disarming smile. "Checking on you," he said simply, his tone annoyingly light. "You've been cooped up in here all night. You're missing all the fun."

Caroline glared at him, clearly unimpressed. "I stayed behind for Hope, remember? Someone has to be responsible. And what's with you vanishing like a magician on a sugar high? Could you, I don't know, knock?"

Lucius's grin widened. "Knocking is for people who don't know how to make an entrance," he quipped, earning an eye-roll from Caroline. He stepped closer, nudging the laptop screen closed despite her protests. "Come on. Take a break. The world isn't going to end if you breathe some fresh air for five minutes."

Caroline swatted his hand away, reopening her laptop with a pointed glare. "Unlike you, I don't have the luxury of winging everything. Some of us actually plan."

"Planning, schplanning," Lucius said, shrugging. He set his beer down and perched on the edge of the desk. "Look, I get it. You've got responsibilities. But Hope's fine. She's surrounded by people who'd throw themselves into a fire for her. Literally. Right now, you're just finding excuses to avoid letting loose. Classic overachiever move."

Caroline's jaw tightened, but she didn't immediately counter. Instead, she leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "And what exactly would you know about responsibilities?"

"More than you think," Lucius said, his tone softening slightly. He met her gaze, holding it just long enough for the weight of his words to sink in before his usual smirk returned. "Besides, I'm not suggesting you abandon your duties. Just... live a little."

Caroline hesitated, the tension in her shoulders easing just a fraction. "Five minutes," she said finally, standing up and brushing past him. "If this is as stupid as I think it'll be, I'm blaming you."

Lucius followed her with a triumphant grin. "Deal. But you'll thank me later."

As they walked out, the sounds of laughter and music from the party filled the cool night air. Caroline glanced toward the firepit, where Hope was laughing with a group of students. She paused, her arms loosening from their defensive cross.

Lucius handed her a drink and leaned against a nearby post, watching her with quiet amusement. "See? Not so bad."

Caroline took a tentative sip, her gaze lingering on the crowd. "We'll see," she muttered, though her tone lacked its usual edge. For the first time in a while, she allowed herself to exhale. 

The stars above seemed a little brighter, the air a little lighter. "Lucius, you're impossible."

"Impossible? Or misunderstood?" he countered, straightening up and dropping the act with a playful smirk. "Look, I get it. I'm not exactly what anyone would call conventional, but I haven't let Hope down. And I won't."

She hesitated, the faint humor draining from her face. "That's the thing, Lucius, while you haven't let Hope down, you don't make it easy to trust you either. You're... a complete mystery."

Lucius tilted his head, watching her closely. For once, he didn't have a quick comeback. Instead, he let the words settle, his expression softening. "Fair point," he said after a beat. "But trust is earned, right? And I've got time." He flashed a small, genuine smile. "Speaking of time, you've spent way too much of it stuck in here. Come outside."

Caroline crossed her arms, trying to hold on to her resolve. "And do what, exactly? Stand around awkwardly while everyone else gets drunk?"

Lucius grinned, recovering quickly. "Absolutely. And maybe, just maybe, you'll actually have fun. Worst-case scenario, you leave with fresh air in your lungs and one less report on your mind."

She sighed but let him pull her up. "Fine. But this better not be some waste of time, or you'll never hear the end of it."

Lucius opened the door and gestured for her to go first, the grin still lingering on his face. "Noted. But I think you'll surprise yourself."