(Bill Forbes and Steven's room)
Dad was half-sitting against the headboard when Steven handed him a cup of coffee.
Steven held it out carefully. "You look tense. Did something happen?"
Dad took the cup from his hand. "The magic lock the witch gave me was deactivated when I came home. I checked everything—nothing was missing. It doesn't look like someone turned it off to steal anything. If they had, the room would've been a mess. But there wasn't a single sign that anyone had searched for something."
Steven sat down beside him. "Wait. That witch is trustworthy. Her magic wouldn't just deactivate out of nowhere."
Dad sighed heavily. "That's why I went to talk to the kids, to see if anything strange happened. But Caroline's friend just lost her grandmother, and Caroline already feels guilty for not being there for her. Bonnie is Aaron's friend too."
He took a slow sip of coffee. "I don't want to interrogate them while they're grieving."
Steven gently patted his back, offering silent reassurance.
.
(Back to present )
.
Bonnie said she would give her grandmother a traditional family burial outside of Mystic Falls and that she needed time away from everything. After that, she turned off her phone.
We were worried, but she reassured us she would be fine. She was just going to her dad's.
.
Eventually, life slipped back into its usual rhythm.
One afternoon, Caroline walked into my room wearing a swimsuit.
"Change your outfit," she said brightly. "We're heading to the lake."
I stood up. "Really?"
She nodded. "Yes."
I quickly changed and followed her out. On our way, we passed Dad and Steven in the living room, watching TV.
Dad glanced at us over the back of the couch. "You two heading to the lake?"
"Yes!" Caroline replied excitedly.
"Okay. Be safe," Steven added.
I nodded. "'Kay."
.
The lake was right beside our house, its surface glimmering under the afternoon sun. Caroline didn't hesitate—she ran forward and jumped straight in, splashing water all over me.
I wiped my face, sputtering. "Seriously?"
But she only laughed hysterically, completely unapologetic.
I jumped in after her, making sure to splash her just as hard.
As we swam, a thought crept into my mind.
"Hey, Care," I said casually. "Do you know much about our ancestor? The co-founder of Mystic Falls?"
"You mean William Forbes?" she asked.
"Yeah. Can you tell me more about him?"
"Well, he was the first sheriff of this town. The Forbes family has always held that position."
I hesitated before asking, "Do you think the Founding Families are hiding a truth? Something only the adults know?"
Caroline blinked at me. "What? Okay, you've been reading way too many detective novels. Why are you suddenly so interested in our ancestor?"
"For no reason," I muttered.
"If you say so."
But my thoughts refused to quiet. Jeremy's ancestor's journal and my ancestor's journal matched events too perfectly. Yet… vampires weren't real. I felt stupid even considering it.
.
.
(Somewhere at a church of Georgia)
.
A woman approached the boy who had lost his wallet at the restaurant.
"Ray, you look tense. Did something happen?" she asked.
"Nothing," Ray replied, though his voice sounded distant. "I just… felt something when I touched that guy."
"What guy?"
"Nothing."
His eyes suddenly turned a bright, unnatural blue and started glowing,"Is everything prepared? The things I asked for?"
"Yes," the woman answered quietly.
.
.
(At home)
.
I called Jeremy today. No matter how ridiculous it sounded, I had to ask him about the journals and vampires. But he didn't pick up. Instead, he sent a quick message saying he was with Anna.
I scoffed and tossed my phone onto the bed. "Such a friend," I muttered under my breath.
Then I considered asking Steven. Dad would be skeptical, but Steven had always been the chill one while I was growing up. Maybe I could tell him.
I left my room and searched the house until I found him in the garden.
"Steven!" I called out.
He looked up and waved.
When I reached him, he was pulling carrots from the soil, brushing dirt off them with careful hands.
Suddenly, I felt uneasy. Maybe this wasn't the right choice. Maybe I should go back.
But Steven noticed the look on my face. He stopped what he was doing. "Hey, buddy. Is something wrong?"
I forced a casual tone. "I know you're not from Mystic Falls, but I thought your point of view might help me. It's just for a school project. Our new history teacher asked us to write about our heritage, so I was wondering if you could help me with my homework."
It wasn't entirely a lie. Alaric Saltzman had assigned us history homework—but I had already finished and turned it in.
Steven smiled. "Sure. Even if I'm not from Mystic Falls but after marrying your father I learned a lot about the Founding Families. Your family was one of them."
"Can you tell me more about William Forbes and the 1860s?"
Steven leaned back slightly. "William Forbes was one of the Founders and the first sheriff of this town. The 1860s weren't just about hoop skirts and polite society—they were soaked in blood and division. The Civil War tore this country apart, brother against brother. Towns like Mystic Falls were forced to choose sides whether they wanted to or not. Will that help with your homework?"
"Yeah. Jeremy and I read some parts of his ancestor's journal—Jonathan Gilbert's to help our homework.I must say He had quite an imagination, but the details were… convincing. Anyone reading it might actually believe him that vampires exited."
I chuckled, pretending it was a joke.
But Steven went rigid.
"Hey, Aaron," he said quietly.
"Yes?"
For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something more. Then he forced a small smile. "I hope I helped with your homework. I don't actually know much beyond that. But your father does.Since he is directly from the founding family If you have questions or confusion, he might have the answers."
"Thanks for your help."
He nodded and returned to pulling carrots from the earth.
But I knew that look.
He definitely knew something.
My intuition was telling me that this wasn't just fantasy. Something did happen in the 1860s.
And the adults were hiding it from us.
.
.
.
(The summary of what is happening in the mystic falls)
.
After the tomb was opened and Sheila Bennett died, Bonnie Bennett pulled away from everyone — especially Elena and Stefan. She blamed the vampires for her grandmother's death and wanted nothing to do with them. Her powers also became unstable because her grief was so intense.
Meanwhile, Damon Salvatore spiraled. Finding out that Katherine Pierce had never been in the tomb broke him. Emily Bennett's spell had protected the vampires in the tomb, but Katherine was never there — she had escaped in 1864 and let Damon believe she was suffering for over a century. Damon felt betrayed, humiliated, and furious. He began acting recklessly, killing without caring and clashing more with Stefan.
The tomb vampires, led by Pearl, slowly tried to rebuild their lives. Pearl wanted peace and stability, not chaos. She compelled people, gained money, and tried to secure a safe future for her daughter Anna. But not all tomb vampires agreed. Some were vengeful and wanted revenge against the founding families.
Anna continued getting closer to Jeremy Gilbert. At first, she used him to get the journal and information about the Gilbert device. But Jeremy, still grieving Vicki and feeling lost, became obsessed with vampires. He started romanticizing the idea of becoming one, thinking it would take away his pain. Anna genuinely fell for him, and their relationship blurred the line between manipulation and real emotion.