After everything calmed down, everyone left, leaving only Nik and Caroline to deal with Kol.
"So what else is there beyond turning your body into steel?" Kol asked, transforming his own hand into steel claws and then back to normal.
"It's incredible, it took me almost a year to master that," Caroline grumbled, watching how easily Kol handled transmutation. "That's not fair."
"Of course it is," Kol replied proudly. "I'm an Original. Obviously something that came from me is going to be easier for me to learn. It's not fair for a copy like you to have magic before me."
"Looks like arrogance runs in the family," Caroline said, glancing at Nik.
"I love you too, my love," Nik replied with a bright smile.
"I know," Caroline smiled back at him.
"Can we get back to the main topic?" Kol interrupted them. "I saw that girl send wind at my face when we fought. Is that one of those vampire magics too?"
"Yes," Nik answered with an indifferent look. "But as you can see, not everyone has the talent to use it. I suspect it's a branch that comes from those who already had magic before becoming vampires, although that theory isn't complete, since we have a case of someone good at that magic who wasn't a witch… despite having some limitations."
Nik looked at Caroline with pride… after all, his girlfriend had managed to break a theory he believed was true.
There was also Pearl, but after a lineage search, it was discovered that Pearl was a descendant of ancient Chinese witches.
Nik didn't research much, but those witches had a branch of magic based on religion and were called Taoists or cultivators.
There wasn't much information available, because they were a very reserved and closed group within the three factions, and according to Nik's mother…
They had a special way of using magic and could increase their lifespan without rituals, but with the consequence of limiting their genes, creating a high chance that their children would be born with so little magic that they were surpassed even by normal humans.
And apparently, that was Pearl's case, and later Anna's, who even after becoming a vampire couldn't develop elemental magic to a decent level.
Kol stayed silent for a few seconds after Nik's explanation.
This time, he didn't walk away or provoke immediately.
He just… thought.
His eyes narrowed slightly, analyzing every word, every detail—as if he were dismantling the logic and rebuilding it the right way.
Then he took a deep breath.
"No… it's not affinity."
Caroline frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Kol raised his hand, interrupting before Nik could even speak.
"You're almost right…" he looked at Nik. "But you're looking at it from the wrong angle."
Nik didn't seem offended. On the contrary… interested.
"Then correct me."
Kol tilted his head slightly.
"It's not about having magic before… it's about already knowing how to use magic before."
Silence.
Caroline blinked, trying to follow.
Kol continued, more directly now:
"A witch doesn't just have energy. She grows up her whole life channeling, feeling, and controlling things that aren't physical."
He made a small gesture with his fingers, as if holding something invisible.
"Flow. Direction. Intention."
Then he pointed at Caroline.
"You weren't born a witch. So when you became a vampire, you gained power… but you didn't gain language."
That hit.
Caroline went silent for a second.
Nik crossed his arms, clearly following.
Kol continued:
"A witch who becomes a vampire…"
He smirked.
"She already knows how to 'talk' to the world."
The air grew heavy for a moment—not from magic, but from clarity.
"She doesn't need to learn from scratch. She just needs to adapt."
Nik nodded slowly.
"So, in your view…?"
Kol answered without hesitation:
"Elemental magic isn't a power. It's a technique."
Caroline let out a slow breath.
"So… I don't have less talent…"
"No." Kol cut in, direct.
He looked at her, now without mockery.
"You just started later."
That… was different.
It wasn't an insult.
It was a diagnosis.
Kol then turned his gaze back to Nik.
"And those 'rare cases' you mentioned…"
A small smile appeared.
"They're people who, for some reason… learned that language without realizing it."
Nik tilted his head slightly.
"Instinct?"
"Or extreme adaptation," Kol replied.
Caroline thought for a moment… then spoke, more quietly:
"I've always been good at reading people… emotions… small changes…"
Kol looked at her immediately.
"There it is."
He pointed lightly, as if confirming a hypothesis.
"You were already training perception. You just didn't call it magic."
Nik let out a small, satisfied laugh.
"So in the end… my theory wasn't completely wrong."
Kol shrugged.
"Just incomplete."
A brief silence fell… but it wasn't uncomfortable.
It was the kind of silence that comes when something finally makes sense.
Then Kol smiled again—that dangerous smile.
"Now the interesting part…"
Caroline already knew trouble was coming.
"What?"
Kol tilted his head slightly.
"If elemental magic is a technique…"
His eyes lit up with genuine curiosity.
"How long do you think it'll take me to master it?"
Nik didn't answer.
He just smiled.
Because they both knew the answer.
Not long.
--++--
Nik's point of view
"So what are you going to do now?" I asked curiously. "I recommend you don't tell your family about the magic."
"Our family, nephew," Kol replied with a smile. "And I wouldn't risk making Klaus more powerful."
That made sense. Kol had just gained a power advantage over my father, of course he'd think like that.
"Don't worry about that," I said, pointing out the obvious. "My father won't get stronger. Him becoming a complete hybrid ended the possibility of him awakening. After all, vampires and werewolves are opposing beings and don't mix… But remember, what he lacks in magic, he makes up for in raw power."
"Interesting," Kol said, fascinated. "That makes sense… So why don't you want this to spread?"
"Kol, you know there aren't only vampires, werewolves, and witches in this world," I said in a teaching tone. I'm not going to tell him the whole truth… just a bit about the three factions he doesn't know.
"I've seen strange things," Kol admitted, genuinely interested. "But nothing powerful enough to beat the three main ones. I think they're flawed creations of witches."
"They're actually creations of werewolves," I dropped the bomb. "Just like vampires have vampiric magic, werewolves have alpha power, which allows them to control transformation, and their bite has the power to create other species… And when they create another species, they gain the characteristics of that species. That's why vampires die from werewolf bites, because vampires and werewolves are on the same level of existence, so they can't be transformed."
"What?" Kol was stunned. "I see… if too many vampires learn magic, the werewolves will see it as aggression, and those alphas will start creating monsters left and right."
I nodded slightly.
"Exactly… and that's why this can't spread."
Kol stood still… but something in him had already changed.
"If many vampires start evolving…" I continued—
"the werewolves will see it as a direct threat. The alphas are quiet because they lost… not because they gave up."
Caroline added, crossing her arms:
"Basically: you poke them, they bite. Literally."
Kol let out a low "hm"… still controlled.
"And it doesn't stop there," I continued. "The vampires themselves will react."
"Oh, I want to see that," Kol said with a light smile.
I looked straight at him.
"It's not the kind of reaction you're imagining."
A pause.
"There's a group… that controls this."
Silence.
Kol blinked.
"Controls… what exactly?"
Caroline answered with a half-smile:
"Who gets to evolve. Who learns magic. Who doesn't."
Silence.
This time… heavy.
Kol didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Nothing.
"Say that again," he said quietly.
I kept my tone calm.
"After the war, older vampires decided magic needed to be limited."
"So they started teaching only those they considered… worthy."
Absolute silence.
Caroline glanced at Kol.
"Spoiler: they didn't include you on the list."
Mistake.
Big mistake.
Kol slowly turned his face toward her.
Very slowly.
"They… what?"
Caroline raised her hands.
"Look, I don't agree either, okay? I'm just translating."
Kol looked back at me.
And this time…
There was no curiosity.
There was anger.
"So let me see if I got this right…"
His voice was way too calm.
"I spent a THOUSAND years…"
He took a step forward.
"…trying to recover something that is MINE by right…"
Another step.
"…while a group of vampires—"
He stopped.
The air around seemed to grow heavier.
"—decided who could or couldn't have it?"
Silence.
I didn't look away.
"Yes."
Caroline muttered:
"When you put it like that… it sounds worse."
Kol let out a laugh.
But there was no humor in it.
"Sounds worse?"
He ran a hand over his face, laughing quietly.
"Sounds worse?!"
Suddenly, he stopped.
Looked at me.
"They knew about me."
It wasn't a question.
I answered anyway:
"Probably."
Silence.
"And they chose not to teach me," Kol concluded.
Caroline tried to ease it:
"Maybe you didn't fit the psychological profile they wanted—"
Kol turned to her.
"Caroline."
She raised her hands.
"Okay, terrible timing."
Kol looked forward again… breathing deeply.
Once.
Twice.
It didn't help.
"NOBLES?" he suddenly burst out. "They call themselves nobles?!"
Caroline made a face.
"Not officially… but that's kind of their vibe."
"VIBE?" Kol repeated, outraged. "I was prevented from evolving because of a vibe?!"
I held back a smile.
"It wasn't personal."
Kol looked at me.
"This is extremely personal."
Silence.
Kol started pacing.
"A thousand years…" he muttered. "A thousand years searching for answers… testing… failing…"
He laughed again.
"And there was a group… sitting on it."
Caroline commented:
"Technically, they were trying to avoid another war."
Kol stopped.
Turned slowly.
"I'll avoid a war too."
A pause.
"After I talk to them."
I let out a small sigh.
"Kol—"
"No." he cut me off. "No, Nik. This isn't about strategy. It's not about werewolves. It's not about balance."
He pointed to his chest.
"This is about MY species hiding something from me."
Silence.
And this time… even Caroline didn't joke.
Kol tilted his head slightly.
"They decided who was worthy?"
A cold smile appeared.
"Great."
He started walking toward the exit.
"Now I decide."
Caroline looked at me, quietly:
"This is going to go very wrong."
I answered, far too calmly:
"It always does."
"And you're calm about that?" she asked.
I shrugged.
"Well, those guys have been causing a lot of trouble for my mother. Every month some god, demon, or mythological creature with territory sends messages to her complaining about magical vampires causing problems or werewolves causing some night of terror in some city," I said in Caroline's mind. "Imagine if my mother decides to retire today and I have to deal with that mess?"
A small pause.
"It would be better if that kind of inconvenience disappeared."
Caroline sighed.
"And when he finds out you're using him?" she thought, pointing her thumb toward Kol.
"He won't," I replied in her mind. "After all, he'd massacre those nobles with or without my intervention."
Kol was already at the door.
He stopped for a second.
Without turning around.
"Relax…" he said.
A pause.
"I'm just going to talk."
The door opened.
And closed.
Silence.
Caroline stared into the empty space for a few seconds.
Then turned to me.
"You're evil, you know that?"
I thought for a second.
"I know. And you love me like this."
I placed my hand on her waist and kissed her.
"Damn my heart."
Caroline laughed and kissed me back, giving in to him.
He gave a slight smile.