(At the Forbes House)
Sleep didn't come peacefully that night.
I drifted into it slowly, like sinking beneath dark water—until the dreams began.
Fragments of memory flickered behind my closed eyes. Broken, disjointed… wrong.
And then—
Damon Salvatore.
Standing in my room.
But not as I remembered him. His face twisted into something monstrous—eyes dark, veins crawling beneath his skin like something alive. A predator.
Watching me.
Waiting.
A shiver ran through my body, even in sleep. My chest tightened. I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.
---
Liz Forbes finally returned home after a long shift. The house was quiet—too quiet.
Caroline had called earlier, saying she'd been discharged from the hospital but would stay over at a friend's place for the night.
Liz wasn't entirely convinced, but she let it go.
Still… something felt off.
She walked upstairs, her steps soft against the wooden floor, stopping just outside my room when she heard it—
A faint, strained sound.
She frowned and pushed the door open.
There I was, tangled in the sheets, trembling violently, breath uneven as if I were running from something unseen.
"Aaron—" she rushed to my side, gripping my shoulders, shaking me gently but urgently. "Aaron, wake up. You're having a nightmare."
My eyes snapped open.
For a moment, I didn't recognize where I was. The dream still clung to me, heavy and suffocating.
Then I saw her.
"Mom…?" My voice came out hoarse.
Relief softened her features as she helped me sit up. "You were having a nightmare, honey."
"Oh… thanks, Mom." I reached for the glass of water on my bedside table, my hand still slightly shaking.
She sat beside me, studying my face carefully. "Is something troubling you? You can tell me."
I hesitated.
Damon's face flashed in my mind again—that monstrous version of him.
But it didn't make sense.
It had to be my imagination. Just the result of everything I'd been reading lately… all those strange journals, all those stories about things that weren't supposed to exist.
I shook my head. "No, Mom. I'm fine."
She didn't look entirely convinced, but she smiled anyway. Brushing a strand of hair from my face, she pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.
"Goodnight, sweetheart."
"Goodnight."
I watched her leave, the door clicking shut behind her.
The room fell silent again.
I lay back down, staring at the ceiling.
Caroline wasn't home tonight.
She said she was staying with a friend… but I knew she'd gone to the Salvatore Boarding House instead.
I didn't understand why.
She and Damon were over. That much was obvious.
And Stefan… he was in love with Elena.
So why was Caroline there?
The question lingered in my mind as my eyes slowly closed again.
---
The dream returned.
But this time, it was different.
Caroline stood in my room.
Her presence felt real—too real.
She reached for my hand, her grip cold, trembling. "I have to leave," she said, her voice breaking. "I can't control my hunger. I almost hurt you at the hospital…"
Tears filled her eyes.
My chest tightened.
She leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. "I'll stay away from you and Mom for a few days."
Then she looked straight into my eyes.
Something in her gaze shifted—sharp, commanding.
"You'll forget I came here tonight. We'll call each other. I'll be staying at the Salvatore Boarding House. Don't tell Mom. Just relax. Go back to sleep."
Her voice wrapped around my mind like a whisper I couldn't resist.
Then—
She was gone.
Slipping out through the window.
Everything blurred.
And I sank back into darkness.
---
Outside, Stefan waited.
Caroline approached him quietly.
"Did you say your goodbye?" he asked.
She nodded, though something about her expression felt distant. "Yeah. It was easy. After they took off his bracelet at the hospital… he never wore it again. Compelling him wasn't hard."
Stefan gave her a reassuring pat on the back. "It's for the best. You said you almost hurt him. Staying close right now isn't safe."
Caroline swallowed, glancing back at the house.
"Yeah…"
"Come on," Stefan said gently. "Let's go. We'll figure this out together."
They disappeared into the night.
---
(A Few Days Later)
"The number you are trying to reach is currently unreachable…"
I groaned and tossed my phone onto the bed.
Caroline was ignoring me.
Actually ignoring me.
That had never happened before.
Ever since she got discharged, she'd been staying at the Salvatore Boarding House. We talked every day—but today?
Nothing.
Her phone was off.
And I didn't like it.
Not one bit.
I grabbed my jacket, ready to head over there myself, when—
The doorbell rang.
I frowned and walked over, pulling the door open.
And froze.
"Care?"
She stood there, smiling like nothing was wrong.
Before I could say anything, she threw her arms around me. "I missed you!"
I hugged her back, relief washing over me. "I missed you too."
Pulling away, I narrowed my eyes slightly. "Okay… you have a lot to explain. First of all—why didn't you come home? And why did you tell me to lie to Mom about staying with Elena and Bonnie?"
She stiffened slightly. "Did you tell Mom I was staying at the Salvatore house?"
I scoffed. "Of course not. Rule number one—we don't snitch on each other."
She let out a breath. "Good."
Her eyes drifted to my wrist. "You're not wearing the bracelet Elena gave you."
I glanced down. "Yeah, it was—"
"Wear it."
Her tone was sharp. Firm.
I blinked.she has never been that much commanding. "Yeah… I will."
She nodded, satisfied.
Then, just like that, her mood shifted. "Let's go shopping. I need clothes to match my new ring."
I raised an eyebrow, glancing at her hand. "Since when do you wear something like that?"
She rolled her eyes. "I know, right? Bonnie has terrible fashion sense."
I laughed. "She picked it?"
"Yeah. But it's a friendship thing, so I'm wearing it."
"So… are Bonnie and Elena coming too?"
She hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then forced a smile. "No, they're busy. It's just us."
"Cool."
Still… something felt off.
---
(That Night)
Caroline went to bed early, exhausted from shopping.
I was in the kitchen, filling my water bottle, when the doorbell rang again.
Late.
Too late.
I walked to the door and opened it.
"Elena?"
She stood there, her appearance slightly different—hair curled, eyes… sharper.
Darker.
Predatory.
"I need to talk to Caroline," she said smoothly. "Mind if I come in?"
Something in my chest tightened.
I hesitated.
My dad's voice echoed in my head:
"Don't invite anyone in unless you're sure."
It sounded ridiculous.
But after everything I'd read in those journals… all those stories about things that shouldn't exist…
Maybe it wasn't.
I stayed where I was, blocking the doorway.
Elena's expression darkened slightly. "Aaron? Can I come in?"
I swallowed.
What was I doing?
This was Elena. My friend. My best friend's sister.
I was overthinking.
I opened my mouth—
"Aaron? Who is it, honey?"
Mom's voice cut in from behind me.
I turned. "Oh, Mom—this is Elena. She came to talk to Caroline."
"Oh!" Mom smiled warmly. "Come on in, Elena."
Elena smirked.
And stepped inside.
"Thank you, Sheriff."
As Mom walked away, Elena turned back to me.
Her eyes locked onto mine.
"Nice to finally meet you, Aaron Forbes."
A chill ran down my spine.
Finally?
What did she mean by that?
---
(Caroline's Room)
The door clicked shut.
Caroline stirred awake at the sound.
And froze.
"Elena" stood there.
No.
Not Elena.
Caroline's body tensed as realization hit.
"Katherine."
Katherine smiled slowly. "Hi, Caroline. We have so much to do together."
Caroline pulled the covers tighter around herself. "What do you want?"
Katherine ignored the question, picking up a photo from the table.
Her eyes scanned it—Aaron and Caroline, laughing. Her 16th birthday.
"Aww… your little brother," Katherine murmured. "Not exactly charming… a bit rude, honestly. But smart."
Her lips curled.
"He made me stand at the door for quite a while. Most people see me and think I'm Elena. But him? He hesitated."
Caroline's jaw tightened.
Katherine continued flipping through the photos lazily. "He notices things. I don't like that."
Her gaze snapped back to Caroline.
Sharp.
Cold.
"Now," she said softly, dangerously, "I have a job for you."