The town of Mystic Falls had finally calmed down. Esther and Finn were still in hiding, but most of the problems had already been dealt with. Nik and Jeremy had eliminated Silas, who had been the most powerful villain the series had seen after Cade—and even Cade didn't seem that relevant in this world, considering there were beings like Lucifer and Hades out there.
As it had been said, things were going well… until a redhead arrived in town.
Her name was Sage, Finn's lover.
"Sage…" Damon sighed as he looked at her, deliberately avoiding her eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"Ohh, Damon… why are you weaker?" Sage asked, her voice laced with confusion. "Did you forget what I taught you?"
"What are you talking about?" Damon asked, curiosity and fear mixing in his tone.
"Damon, who is she?" Stefan walked into the room, looking straight at Sage.
"Don't look into her eyes!" Damon shouted—but it was too late.
Stefan had already met her gaze. His body froze instantly, his expression shifting into pure terror before he collapsed unconscious.
"Damn it… I told you not to look at her," Damon muttered, frustrated.
"Now, changing the subject," Sage said calmly, her confidence unwavering, "I'm looking for someone. His name is Finn Mikaelson. Have you seen him around?"
"The oldest Original… yeah," Damon replied, knowing he couldn't lie his way out of this. "He's been missing with his mother. They're hiding somewhere."
When he finished speaking, still looking down to avoid her gaze, his eyes widened when he realized… she was gone.
—++—
Things escalated quickly after that. Damon went straight to Nik, bringing news that a vampire with powers similar to Amara's had arrived in town. Desperate, he asked for help to wake Stefan, who was still in a coma.
Nik didn't hesitate. He looked at Amara and gave a simple order. She barely moved—just flicked her hand toward Stefan.
Stefan woke up violently, gasping.
The mental damage, however, was severe. He barely remembered his current life, clinging only to fragments of his past and scattered recent memories. He had even forgotten Elena—which, to Damon, was… surprisingly convenient.
Nik decided to act immediately. He gathered Caroline, Amara, and Bonnie, and they went hunting.
It didn't take long to find them.
Finn stood calmly, leaning against a door, while Sage looked at him with clear affection.
Then Nik walked in.
"Well, lovebirds," Nik said with a playful laugh, "how about you hand over Esther, and I'll leave without causing trouble? Then you can go find a room and enjoy yourselves."
"I'll stay behind," Finn said, stepping forward. "Nephew, you've ruined everything. I'm going to teach you some respect."
"Ohhh, dear uncle," Nik clapped mockingly, "now I see why you stayed in that coffin for so long—it's that terrible sense of humor. But sure, let's do this. I'll finish you using just my vampire powers. No magic."
Sage tried to lock eyes with Nik—but was interrupted when a woman stepped in front of him.
She had Elena's face.
Dressed like a maid.
Amara—the original doppelgänger. The first immortal.
"You…" Amara said coldly, looking at Sage. "I've heard about you. Your vampire magic… similar to my mental abilities. Let's test that."
"Go," Nik said, waving casually toward Bonnie and Caroline. "We'll handle the strong ones. You two take the witch."
The air grew heavy the moment the sides split. It felt almost natural, as if everyone already knew their opponent.
Nik cracked his fingers, tilting his head at Finn. "So… are you going to give me another lecture about respect, or should we skip to the part where you lose?"
Finn didn't respond. He simply attacked—fast, direct, merciless.
Nik smiled as he dodged by inches. "Wow… someone woke up grumpy."
His counter came instantly—a sharp punch to Finn's stomach that cracked the floor beneath them. But Finn didn't back down. He retaliated with a brutal, refined sequence of blows, centuries of experience in every movement. Nik blocked one, dodged another, and took the third. He slowly turned his face back, licking the blood at the corner of his mouth.
"You're improving…"
Then he vanished.
—
Amara vs Sage
Reality itself collapsed.
Amara didn't wait—she invaded Sage's mind before Sage could even begin.
Sage smiled. "So you prefer fighting in here too…"
The world twisted into a distorted Mystic Falls—crooked houses, fractured sky, voices echoing endlessly. Sage circled Amara slowly.
"I manipulate fear… desire… memory…"
Amara crossed her arms. "I learned from someone worse than you."
Sage attacked. False memories exploded—pain, loneliness, centuries of suffering. But Amara didn't react. She simply watched.
Then she smiled.
"Is that all?"
Sage hesitated.
Mistake.
The world shattered. Now Sage was the one trapped—surrounded by countless versions of herself being ignored, forgotten, abandoned.
Amara appeared behind her. "You depend on other people's minds… I can erase you from perception entirely."
Sage tried to strike—but hit nothing.
Only emptiness.
"Living with him…" Amara said, tilting her head slightly, "has been educational."
She touched Sage's forehead.
Sage collapsed.
Her mind… broke.
"Goodnight."
—
Nik vs Finn
The house was barely standing.
Finn attacked relentlessly—fast, precise, powerful. Nik stepped back once, twice, blocking, dodging, taking hits. Blood ran down his lip.
And he laughed.
"Yes! That's what I'm talking about!"
Finn lunged for a killing blow.
Nik caught his arm mid-strike—stopped it with one hand.
Looked him straight in the eyes.
"Now it's over."
He pulled Finn in—headbutt.
CRACK.
Then grabbed him by the throat and hurled him across the room. Finn got up, tried again—
But Nik was already in front of him.
"You fight well… but I learn too fast."
A brutal sequence followed—no gaps, no mercy. Finn couldn't keep up anymore. Nik grabbed his face and slammed him into the ground, creating a crater.
Foot on his chest.
Pinned.
"No magic… and you still lost."
Finn couldn't move.
Nik smiled. "Don't worry… I'm not killing you. Not yet."
One last strike—
Finn went unconscious.
—
Bonnie & Caroline vs Esther
The magic shifted from chaotic… to overwhelming.
Esther finally stopped holding back. She raised her hand, and ancient runes filled the air, covering walls, ceiling, even space itself.
Bonnie felt it immediately—the pressure, like reality itself was trying to crush her will.
"Careful… she's using ancestral magic…"
Caroline stepped forward, her eyes glowing with heat. Flames ignited in her hands—controlled, unnatural, vampiric.
"Good… I've been wanting to try this."
Esther moved two fingers.
That was enough.
Gravity increased. The air compressed. Bonnie dropped to her knees for a moment, while Caroline struggled to stay standing.
"You don't understand," Esther said calmly. "I don't use magic… I command it."
She gestured, and multiple energy spears formed and launched from all directions. Bonnie barely managed to raise a shield, trembling under the impact.
"CAROLINE, NOW!"
Caroline exploded forward, her body wrapped in fire. She broke through the attack—but Esther had already adapted. The walls transformed into restraints, trying to bind her.
"Really?" Caroline scoffed. "That's so cliché."
She touched them—transmuted them instantly into dust—and unleashed a wave of fire at Esther.
Explosion.
Light.
Smoke.
Esther stood untouched.
"Impressive… but ineffective."
She stomped.
The magic intensified.
Bonnie screamed, blood running from her nose as the pressure spiked.
"She's trying to overload me!"
"You have talent," Esther said, "but I have centuries."
Bonnie nearly broke.
Nearly.
Then she stopped resisting—and started redirecting.
"Caroline… stop attacking directly."
"Got any better ideas?!"
"She draws from the environment. So we take that away."
Caroline grinned. "Oh… I like that."
She slammed her hands into the ground. The environment destabilized—wood to ash, stone to sand. Structure collapsed.
Esther frowned.
"Clever…"
Bonnie gathered the unstable energy—and sent it back as disruption.
Esther's magic faltered.
Just for a second.
Enough.
Caroline appeared in front of her, flames concentrated.
"Now."
Explosion.
Esther was thrown back—for the first time, injured.
She smiled.
"You learn fast…"
Then she unleashed everything.
A crushing wave slammed Caroline into the wall. Bonnie hit the ground.
Before they could react—
A stake formed.
Spinning.
Charged.
It flew—
Straight into Caroline's heart.
Silence.
"CAROLINE!" Bonnie screamed.
Esther didn't look surprised.
"Time to reveal my true creation."
Footsteps.
Heavy.
Slow.
Alaric Saltzman appeared.
But changed.
Stronger.
Colder.
"An enhanced Original," Esther said.
—
Nik arrived at that exact moment.
And saw Caroline.
Dead.
Silence fell.
Something inside him shifted completely.
No smile.
No joke.
He vanished—and reappeared in front of Alaric.
The first punch shook the ground. Alaric answered. They exchanged blows at impossible speed.
Equal.
Brutal.
Nik growled, attacking faster, harder—but Alaric matched him.
Then Nik stopped.
Breathed.
Smiled.
"Alright… enough."
The energy changed.
Magic.
Dense.
His.
Alaric moved—but froze mid-air.
"You're strong… but you still follow rules."
Nik stepped closer, placing a hand on his chest.
"And I break them."
Explosion.
Alaric was thrown, defeated.
—
Silence.
Nik turned.
Walked to Caroline.
Kneeled.
Seconds passed.
Then—
Her body moved.
The stake was expelled.
Her heart beat again.
She gasped.
"I HATE DYING!"
Nik stayed silent… then laughed softly, relieved.
Bonnie stared. "That's… not normal…"
Caroline stood slowly. "I'm starting to think 'normal' isn't an option anymore."
Nik crossed his arms. "My lineage…"
He looked at Esther.
"…doesn't follow the same rules."
Bonnie whispered, "You're like… semi-Originals."
Caroline smirked, kicking the stake away. "Good luck killing me like that again."
They all turned toward Esther.
She stood there… horrified, staring at her fallen creation.
"Well," Bonnie said, stepping forward, "looks like we've got the Original witch here."
She flicked her hand.
Esther's neck snapped.
Nik looked at Amara as she approached. "What about Sage and Finn?"
Amara smiled slightly. "Sage asked for a deal. I removed Finn's suicidal tendencies… and she left with him. They won't be coming back."
"Good," Nik said, pulling her into a hug and kissing her.
Ahem.
Caroline coughed loudly, clearly annoyed.
Nik instantly appeared in front of her—and kissed her too.
"…Now that's better."