We raced to the old witch house, tires kicking up gravel as Stefan drove. Damon followed close behind in his own car with Elena. My heart hammered against my ribs the entire way. Bonnie had sounded terrified on the phone, and the last thing we needed was Esther getting her hands on the most powerful witch in Mystic Falls.
When we pulled up, Bonnie was already standing outside the house, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her grams' voice must have really shaken her. I jumped out before Stefan even fully stopped the car and ran straight to her, pulling her into a hug.
"You okay?" I asked, pulling back to look at her face.
She nodded, but her eyes were wide with fear. "Grams said Esther's coming for me tonight. That the linking spell was only the beginning. She wants me to channel her power through me to finish it."
Stefan appeared at my side, his hand brushing mine in silent support. "We won't let that happen."
Damon and Elena joined us a second later. Damon looked ready for a fight, as usual. "So Mommy Original wants a Bennett witch special. Cute. What's the plan, witches? Because I'm all for crashing whatever family reunion Esther has planned."
Elijah stepped out from the shadows near the trees. I still wasn't used to him showing up like that. "My mother is holding the ceremony at the old Lockwood cellar tonight. She believes the location has… symbolic power. She intends to use the link to force one of us to die, taking the rest with them."
"Any volunteers?" Damon asked sarcastically.
Elijah's expression remained grave. "She has asked me to be the sacrifice. To 'free' our family from the curse of immortality."
Elena looked horrified. "You're not actually considering it, are you?"
"I have spent a thousand years cleaning up my family's messes," Elijah said quietly. "But I will not let her destroy everything we have built here. Not while there is still a chance for redemption."
I glanced at Stefan. His jaw was set, but I could see the conflict in his eyes. He'd been on the other side of this — compelled, monstrous, lost. Now he was back, and I could tell he wanted to prove it.
"We need to get there before she starts the spell," I said. "Bonnie, can you do a locator spell or something to track her exactly?"
Bonnie nodded, already pulling a map and candles from her bag. "I can try. But if she's channeling the power of the Original Witch… I don't know how strong she'll be."
We worked quickly. While Bonnie prepared the spell, Stefan pulled me aside, his hands framing my face gently.
"Hey," he said softly. "Whatever happens tonight, I need you to know something."
"Stefan—"
"I love you, Myra. I'm not going anywhere this time. Not unless you tell me to."
I rose up on my toes and kissed him hard, pouring every ounce of fear and hope into it. When we broke apart, I rested my forehead against his. "Then don't. Stay with me. We do this together."
A small smile tugged at his lips. "Always."
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The Lockwood cellar felt colder than usual, the air thick with old magic and tension. We moved silently through the tunnels, following Bonnie's guidance. Elijah led the way, his presence both reassuring and unnerving.
We heard chanting before we saw them.
Esther stood in the center of a ritual circle, white oak ash spread around her, candles flickering. Klaus, Rebekah, Kol, and Finn were positioned at points of a pentagram, linked by threads of glowing magic. Esther's voice rose in an ancient language that made my skin crawl.
Bonnie grabbed my arm. "She's already started."
Damon moved first, vampire speed carrying him toward the circle, but an invisible barrier threw him back hard. He hit the wall with a grunt.
"Nice try," Kol called out with a smirk, even as he strained against the link. "Mother's thought of everything."
Elijah stepped forward. "Mother. This ends now."
Esther turned, her eyes cold and ancient. "My son. Have you come to fulfill your purpose? To die so that nature may be restored?"
"Not today," I said, stepping up beside him. Magic crackled at my fingertips. I'd been practicing — quietly, desperately — ever since I realized what I could do. I threw a blast of energy at the barrier. It flickered but held.
Esther smiled. "The Saltzman girl. How fitting. Another daughter of this cursed town."
Elena moved to my other side. "You don't have to do this. There's another way."
"There is no other way," Esther hissed. "My children are an abomination. They must be undone."
Rebekah looked at me, something almost like desperation in her eyes. We'd had our moments — strange, tentative friendship forged in shared pain. She didn't want this any more than we did.
Stefan appeared next to me, ready to fight. "Bonnie?"
"I'm trying," she whispered, eyes closed, hands raised. The air around her shimmered as she pushed against Esther's spell.
The linked Originals began to struggle. Finn looked almost relieved at the prospect of death. Klaus, however, was furious.
I focused everything I had, drawing on the anger, the love, the fear — all of it. I slammed my power into the barrier again. This time it cracked.
Damon didn't hesitate. He shot forward and snapped Finn's neck — the weakest link, the one who wanted to die. The connection faltered.
Esther screamed in rage.
Chaos erupted.
Kol lunged at Damon. Rebekah broke free and grabbed Elena, not to hurt her, but to pull her out of the fray. Klaus roared, eyes golden with hybrid fury, charging toward Stefan and me.
I threw up a shield spell just in time. Klaus slammed into it, snarling.
"You think you can stop me, little witch?" he growled.
"Not alone," Stefan said, standing shoulder to shoulder with me.
Bonnie's voice rose in a counter-spell. The remaining links shattered. Esther collapsed to her knees, the ancient power draining from her.
Elijah caught her before she hit the ground.
"It is over, Mother," he said quietly. "Let it be done."
Esther looked up at all of us, defeat and centuries of grief in her eyes. "You will regret this. Nature always balances the scales."
Then she went still.
The cellar fell silent except for heavy breathing.
Klaus straightened, glaring at all of us. "This isn't finished."
Rebekah stepped forward. "It is for tonight, Nik. Leave it."
Surprisingly, he listened — for now. The Originals disappeared into the tunnels, leaving us standing among dying candlelight and broken magic.
I turned to Stefan and collapsed against his chest. His arms wrapped around me instantly, holding me tight.
"You were incredible," he murmured into my hair.
"We all were," I whispered back. "But this town… it never really ends, does it?"
He pulled back just enough to kiss me softly. "No. But we're still here. Together."
Damon helped Bonnie up, cracking a joke to lighten the mood. Elena checked on everyone, ever the caretaker. And for a moment, in the middle of all the death and ancient grudges, we felt like a team that might actually survive this.
But as we made our way out of the cellar, I couldn't shake Esther's final words.
Nature always balances the scales.
I just hoped we wouldn't have to pay too high a price.