Salvatore House – The Living Room
The air was thick with tension. Bonnie could feel the weight of everyone's stares, the disbelief, the questions they were holding back. But she wasn't here for a reunion. Not really.
She exhaled, rolling her shoulders before speaking.
"I didn't come back alone."
That got their attention. Damon leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing, while Caroline's fingers curled tighter around her arms. Elena's expression was still shifting—relief, fear, confusion, all tangled up in one.
Bonnie let the words settle before continuing.
"When the veil lifted, I wasn't the only one who saw an opportunity. There were others. Witches. Powerful ones, trapped for centuries on the Other Side. And they had unfinished business." She paused, eyes scanning the room. "With the Mikaelsons."
Damon let out a low whistle. "Oh, great. Because we definitely needed more supernatural war criminals running around."
Caroline shot him a glare, but he wasn't wrong.
Elena frowned, taking a step back. "Wait… you're saying witches came back? For what? Revenge?"
Bonnie nodded. "Pretty much."
Stefan, who had been silent up until now, tilted his head slightly. "And you?" His voice was flat, unreadable. "You're part of this?"
Bonnie's lips pressed together before she shrugged. "I made a deal."
Elena's brows furrowed. "With who?"
Bonnie exhaled through her nose. Then—
"Qetsiyah."
Silence.
The name dropped like a bomb in the middle of the room.
Damon blinked. Then scoffed. "Excuse me—what?"
Bonnie crossed her arms, standing her ground. "You heard me."
Caroline looked completely lost. "Okay, wait. Who—?"
Elena didn't even let her finish. "The original witch," she said, her voice quiet but firm. Her eyes locked onto Bonnie's. "The one who created the first immortals. The one who spent centuries making sure Silas suffered for eternity."
Caroline's eyes widened. "That Qetsiyah?"
Bonnie nodded.
Elena shook her head, stepping back like she needed distance to process. "No. No way. We are not getting involved in another war with the Mikaelsons."
Damon huffed a laugh. "Finally, some sense."
Caroline was quick to agree. "Yeah, nope. Count me out."
Stefan didn't say anything, but his jaw clenched slightly.
Bonnie just stared at them, her face unreadable. "I thought so."
Elena glanced at her, uneasy. "Bonnie—"
"They don't know her yet," Bonnie interrupted, her voice quiet, but there was something sharp in it. "They don't understand."
Caroline shifted uncomfortably. "Who exactly is she?"
Bonnie turned, her gaze distant, like she was looking past the room, past all of them.
Then, she spoke.
"She's not just some powerful witch from the past. She's the first. The one who started all of this. Immortality, vampires, The Other Side… everything traces back to her."
She took a step forward, her voice steady.
"And she's not here for a petty grudge. She's here because she knows something we don't. About the Mikaelsons. About Ivar." Bonnie's eyes darkened. "She's going to create his weakness. And when she does—she's getting rid of him."
Silence stretched again.
Damon exhaled through his nose, running a hand down his face. "Great. So, what—you're recruiting?"
Bonnie didn't answer right away.
She looked at Elena instead. "You really think this is over?"
Elena's jaw tensed.
"You think the Mikaelsons are just gonna stop causing problems?" Bonnie's voice was calm, almost eerily so. "They've been alive for over a thousand years. They don't just die off. They have enemies. Lots of them. And now? Those enemies aren't just ghosts anymore."
She let that sink in.
Caroline shifted uncomfortably. "Even if that's true, what does that have to do with us?"
Bonnie sighed. "Qetsiyah wants allies. And she's not going to stop until she gets them."
Elena folded her arms tightly across her chest. "Well, it's not gonna be us."
Bonnie looked at her for a long moment.
Then she smirked. But there was no humor in it.
"We'll see."
And just like that, she turned and walked toward the door.
No goodbyes. No explanations.
She had said what she needed to.
Now, it was just a matter of time.
Mikaelson Estate – Balcony
The night was quiet. Too quiet.
Ivar sat on the edge of the grand balcony, legs stretched out, one arm draped over his knee. The cool air brushed against his skin, but he barely noticed. Below him, Mystic Falls was its usual mess of secrets and supernatural drama, but up here, in the Mikaelson estate, the weight of something much bigger loomed.
The door behind him creaked open.
Kol strolled out first, dressed as sharp as ever, a smirk tugging at his lips. But it wasn't his usual brand of mischief—this one had an edge to it. Freya followed behind, her expression unreadable, though her eyes held something heavy.
Ivar didn't move. Didn't even acknowledge them.
Kol, of course, didn't care.
"Seems the witches are getting nervous," he said, leaning against the railing beside him. "Qetsiyah's making her move. Wants to craft a cure for immortality. But—" he chuckled, shaking his head. "Turns out she's not looking to use it on us."
Ivar tilted his head slightly, finally glancing his way.
Kol grinned. "She wants to use it on dear old Silas. Her one true love." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Romantic, isn't it?"
Freya sighed, rubbing her temple. "The other witches don't see it that way. They think she's coming for us next. So, naturally, they're preparing a spell. A massive one."
Ivar exhaled slowly, his gaze shifting back to the town below. He could feel the magic in the air, humming, building.
Kol folded his arms. "I already passed the spell to Freya. Thought she could reverse-engineer it, find a way to counter it before it becomes an issue."
Freya gave a small nod. "It's complex, but manageable. We could neutralize it before they even—"
"Don't bother."
His voice was calm. Flat.
Kol blinked. "Sorry, what?"
Ivar finally sat up straight, rolling his shoulders. "Alyssa's handling it."
Freya frowned. "Alyssa?"
Ivar nodded. "She wants to see what she can really do with Vade Maecum Infernal." His fingers tapped against the balcony railing, the ghost of a smirk playing on his lips. "Let her."
Kol let out a low whistle. "Now that's a bloody risk."
Freya looked less amused. "Are you sure about this? That book is unpredictable at best."
Ivar shrugged. "So is she."
Kol chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, this just got interesting."
Freya still looked skeptical, but she didn't argue. She knew better than to challenge Ivar when he'd already made up his mind.
The wind picked up slightly, rustling through the trees below.
Ivar leaned back again, watching the town.
The witches were preparing for war.
Let them.
He wanted to see what Alyssa was truly capable of.