Chapter 35: The Klaus Research
The Salvatore boarding house library smelled like old leather and vampire blood—not an encouraging combination when researching how to survive an encounter with the Original Hybrid. Alaric sat across from me at the mahogany table, surrounded by stacks of his vampire hunting journals, while Pearl's ancient recollections filled the gaps between historical facts and supernatural nightmare.
My shoulder still ached from the vervain bullet, but three days of Caroline's aggressive nursing had gotten me functional again. The sling was gone, replaced by careful movement and strategic positioning of my clones.
"The Mikaelson family," Alaric read from his notes, "original vampires created by Esther in the 10th century. Elijah, Klaus, Rebekah, Kol, and Finn." He looked up. "According to Pearl, they're not just old—they're the template every other vampire was copied from."
Pearl herself materialized in the doorway with that unnerving vampire silence. "Klaus is different from his siblings. The werewolf side of his nature makes him unpredictable, savage in ways that pure vampires aren't."
"Hybrid curse," I thought, remembering the show's mythology. "He needs Elena's blood, a werewolf, a vampire, a witch, and the moonstone to break it."
"Tell me about the ritual," I said aloud.
Pearl's expression darkened. "The sacrifice requires precision. One doppelgänger, one werewolf, one vampire, one witch to channel, and the moonstone as catalyst. Elena dies, Klaus becomes free to create more hybrids."
"Unless we find a way to change the terms," Alaric muttered, flipping through pages covered in his cramped handwriting.
That's when the temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.
"I do so enjoy overhearing conversations about my family."
The voice was cultured, ancient, and came from directly behind me. Every instinct screamed danger as I spun around to see a man in an impeccable suit standing in the library's entrance. He moved with the fluid grace of a predator, and his eyes held the weight of a thousand years.
My Mind Shield clone immediately stepped between us, invisible barriers of pure will crackling to life.
"Elijah Mikaelson," Pearl whispered, and I heard genuine fear in her voice for the first time since I'd met her.
The Original vampire studied me with the same expression a scientist might use when examining an interesting specimen. "I understand you've been researching my family. How curious for a human."
"Preparation," I said, keeping my voice steady. "Klaus is coming for Elena. We need to understand what we're dealing with."
Elijah's lips curved in something that wasn't quite a smile. "The boy with shadow soldiers—Katherine spoke of you. You're trying to prevent my brother's ritual."
No point denying it. "I'm trying to keep people alive. If that means preventing Klaus from getting what he wants, then yes."
"Ah." Elijah stepped into the room, and I felt my Mind Shield clone tense as compulsion pressed against his mental barriers. Nothing happened—the Epic-tier affinity held firm. "But what if I told you we share a goal?"
Alaric's hand moved toward the stake in his jacket. Pearl remained perfectly still, recognizing a predator that could end her existence without effort. I stayed calm, letting my clone handle the supernatural threats while I focused on the negotiation.
"I'm listening."
"I want Klaus to break his curse," Elijah said, settling into a chair like he owned the place. "But I want it done with precision, not the chaos he typically prefers. A controlled, consensual ritual where the doppelgänger survives and my brother gains his freedom without unnecessary bloodshed."
My mind raced. In canon, Elijah had his own agenda involving Klaus's death after the ritual. But here, now, he was offering something different.
"You're suggesting we give Klaus what he wants, but on our terms," I said slowly.
"Precisely." Elijah's smile was genuine this time. "My brother's curse has driven him to madness for a millennium. Free him from it, and he becomes manageable rather than apocalyptic. Deny him, and he burns down everything you care about to get what he needs."
"It makes sense," I realized. "Klaus's desperation is what makes him dangerous. Give him an outlet, control the process, everyone lives."
"What do you need from us?" I asked.
"Cooperation. The doppelgänger's willing participation, a qualified witch to channel the magic, and volunteers for the vampire and werewolf sacrifices." Elijah's ancient eyes fixed on mine. "In exchange, I ensure Elena Gilbert survives the ritual intact."
[QUEST ALERT: THE ORIGINAL PROPOSITION]
[OBJECTIVE: NEGOTIATE TERMS WITH ELIJAH MIKAELSON]
[REWARD: POTENTIAL KLAUS ALLIANCE, ELENA'S SURVIVAL]
[WARNING: ORIGINAL VAMPIRES ARE NOTORIOUS FOR BETRAYAL]
I dismissed the System warning mentally. Elijah's proposal was dangerous, but it was also the first plan I'd heard that might actually work.
"I'll need to discuss this with the others," I said. "Elena, Stefan, Bonnie—they all have to agree."
"Naturally." Elijah rose with inhuman grace. "You have three days to decide. After that, Klaus arrives whether we're prepared or not."
He vanished between one blink and the next, leaving behind only the faint scent of expensive cologne and ancient power.
"Well," Alaric said after a moment, "that was terrifying."
Pearl nodded slowly. "Elijah Mikaelson is many things—noble, honorable, utterly ruthless when necessary. But he keeps his word. If he says Elena will survive, she will."
"Unless Klaus overrides him," I pointed out.
"Klaus fears very few things," Pearl admitted. "His brother Elijah is one of them."
[QUEST COMPLETED: KLAUS RESEARCH]
[REWARD: +800 EXP, ELIJAH MIKAELSON CONDITIONAL ALLY STATUS]
[TOTAL EXP: 2,400/13,000 TO LEVEL 12]
Two hours later, I sat in the Grill with Elena, Stefan, and Bonnie, laying out Elijah's proposal over coffee and Caroline's homemade cookies. The afternoon crowd provided cover for our conversation, but I kept my Sensory clone positioned outside to watch for eavesdroppers.
"You want me to willingly participate in a ritual that could kill me," Elena said flatly. "With Original vampires. Who are known for betraying people."
"The alternative is Klaus taking you by force and killing you anyway," I replied. "This way, we control the variables."
Stefan's jaw was tight with barely controlled anger. "We don't trust Originals with Elena's life. Period."
"Then what do you suggest?" Bonnie asked quietly. "Because from what I've read in Grams' grimoire, fighting Klaus directly is suicide. He's a thousand-year-old hybrid. We're teenagers."
"Powerful teenagers," Stefan countered. "Sam's clones, your magic, vampire speed—"
"Won't be enough." Bonnie's voice carried absolute certainty. "I've been studying the Originals since Grams died. They're not just old vampires—they're living forces of nature. If Klaus is coming anyway, controlling the ritual is smarter than trying to fight him."
Elena stared into her coffee cup like it might contain answers. "If we do this—if I agree—what are the chances I actually survive?"
"Higher than if we fight him," I said honestly. "Elijah wants Klaus free but stable. A dead doppelgänger can't provide future blood if needed."
"Reassuring," Elena muttered.
Stefan reached across the table to take her hand. "Elena, you don't have to do this. We can find another way."
"What other way?" She looked up, and I could see the weight of being the supernatural world's favorite target in her eyes. "Run? Hide? Watch him kill everyone I care about until I give up anyway?"
The silence stretched until Bonnie spoke again.
"I'll do it," she said simply. "Channel the ritual, I mean. If it means ending this without a war."
Stefan turned his glare on her. "Bonnie—"
"I'm not a child, Stefan. And I'm tired of pretending I am." Her voice carried echoes of the power that had destroyed the Gilbert device. "Grams died protecting people. If I can save Elena and stop Klaus from going on a rampage, that's what she would want."
Elena squeezed Stefan's hand, then looked at me. "You really think this will work?"
"I think it's the best option we have," I said. "But it's your choice, Elena. No one else can make it for you."
She was quiet for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Okay. We try Elijah's plan."
Stefan looked like someone had just sentenced him to death, but he didn't argue. The group dynamics were fracturing slightly—not everyone agreed on the strategy, but they were willing to follow Elena's lead.
[QUEST ACCEPTED: THE ORIGINAL PROPOSITION]
[OBJECTIVE: COORDINATE WITH ELIJAH FOR CONTROLLED RITUAL]
[WARNING: GROUP COHESION DECREASED. STEFAN OPPOSITION NOTED.]
That night, my Sensory clone detected movement in the woods around the boarding house. A familiar heartbeat, predatory and patient.
"Katherine's watching," he reported. "She saw Elijah's visit."
I stepped onto the porch, knowing she could hear me from whatever shadows she was hiding in.
"Enjoying the show, Katherine?"
Her laughter drifted from the darkness like poisoned honey. "Always, handsome. You're playing a very dangerous game with very old players."
"Got any advice?"
"Don't trust Elijah completely. He has his own agenda where Klaus is concerned." A pause. "But then again, so do you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're not trying to save Elena, psychic boy. You're trying to save everyone. Noble. Impossible. Ultimately tragic." Her voice was moving, circling the house. "When Klaus arrives, you'll have to choose who matters most. Choose wisely."
The presence faded, leaving me alone on the porch with my clones and the weight of what was coming.
Three days until Klaus Mikaelson arrived in Mystic Falls. Three days to prepare for a ritual that would either free the most dangerous vampire in existence or get everyone I cared about killed.
"No pressure at all."
+1 CHAPTER AFTER EVERY 3 REVIEWS
MORE POWER STONES == MORE CHAPTERS
To supporting Me in Pateron .
Love [ The Vampire Diaries: The Clone Sovereign ]? Unlock More Chapters and Support the Story!
with exclusive access to 30+ chapters on my Patreon, you get more chapters if you ask for more (in few days), plus new fanfic every week! Your support starting at just $6/month helps me keep crafting the stories you love across epic universes like [ In The Witcher With Avatar Powers,In The Vikings With Deja Vu System,Stranger Things Demogorgon Tamer ...].
By joining, you're not just getting more chapters—you're helping me bring new worlds, twists, and adventures to life. Every pledge makes a huge difference!
👉 Join now at patreon.com/TheFinex5 and start reading today!