The sun was already higher in the sky when Ryan went down to the garage with Bonnie via the elevator. On the way, they talked about various things, laughing quietly between one topic and another, also taking the opportunity to exchange some make-out sessions as if they wanted to prolong the moment before facing the world outside.
When they arrived at the garage, he had to make a difficult decision: which of his two incredible cars to use. In the end, he opted for the classic one again, his Impala.
Ryan opened the passenger door for Bonnie, and she got in slowly, adjusting her jacket on her lap. Since they were heading to her grandmother's house, Bonnie was properly dressed, wearing the same clothes from the day before. Still, her expression seemed strange... the kind someone wears when they're not sure if what they experienced was real, or if the universe is going to demand payment at any moment.
After opening the door and tossing his backpack into the back seat, Ryan sat in the driver's seat, started the engine, and drove out of the building calmly.
The same building that Bonnie had nicknamed the "Sorcerer's Lair," because of his identity as a sorcerer, something that only drew an ironic smile from him.
The drive to Sheila Bennett's house was short and somewhat silent.
The two talked about many things, obviously, but most of the journey was spent in silence. But it wasn't an uncomfortable silence; it was that kind of loaded silence, full of unspoken things.
After all, there was still a lot to process about that situation where, suddenly, they were "boyfriend and girlfriend." And for Bonnie, this seemed to weigh even more heavily. Her head was full from the simple fact of having entered the harem of her first love... a harem that already included Elena. It was too much information, too much emotion, and too many questions to sort out so quickly.
On the other hand, Ryan was in a good mood. The night before, he had enjoyed torturing the Salvatore brothers... and then ended the night with a beautiful woman. How could he not be in a good mood?
Even someone as apathetic as him, except when it came to women and the violence he carried as part of himself, noticed something curious: strangely, he was more emotional than usual.
For someone like him, that wasn't a surprise; it was just the inevitable confirmation of something he had been observing silently since he "reborn" in that world. Psychopaths don't feel guilt like normal people, they don't get moved by others' pain, they don't create empathy through human reflex... but that doesn't mean they're machines. It just means their brains work with a different kind of "metric." What awakens emotion isn't morality, but stimulus. Power, control, risk, novelty, possession, pleasure. So, when he realized he was becoming "more emotional than usual," he didn't interpret it as moral evolution or redemption; he interpreted it as a slow, almost clinical mutation. The act of killing had been a familiar trigger, as always... but what came after, Bonnie's warm presence, her scent on the bed, the way she trusted him, that had been a new trigger. Something that excited him not just as a body, but as an idea. And ideas, for someone like him, had always been dangerous, because ideas endure....
The most disturbing part was the detail: he wasn't feeling it explosively, like a human who falls in love or has an emotional breakdown. It was gradual. Small reactions emerging like cracks in perfect glass. An unusual desire to keep Bonnie with him. An almost irritating discomfort at the thought of someone hurting "what was his." A warmth in his chest when Elena said "I love you," something that shouldn't exist for someone who had always lived by impulse and instinct. To be honest, he thought this feeling would be something he'd only feel with Elena, but apparently "not."
With Bonnie, the same thing was happening too, and deep down, he knew it wasn't exactly love. It was something more compatible with his nature: predatory attachment, a form of feeling that doesn't arise from kindness or any conventional human method, but from possession and familiarity, like a wolf deciding that a certain place is its territory and suddenly starting to care about it. Not because it became good. But because, for the first time, something in the world seemed worth the effort to keep around.
Despite all his thoughts and remnants of feelings, Ryan still remained in a good mood and didn't comment on anything, keeping the "mask" perfectly worn on his face.
When the car turned onto the street of her grandmother's house, Bonnie took a deep breath, as if reality was waiting there on the sidewalk to pull her back. Her grandmother's house was just as it had always been, a beautiful Victorian-style construction with a spacious porch and carved wooden details. The white paint was a bit worn by time, but that only added a rustic charm to the house. The surrounding garden was well-maintained, with neatly trimmed bushes and a stone path leading to the front door. Large trees covered part of the yard, creating a pleasant shade that spread across the lawn.
Ryan stopped the car in front, turned off the engine, and looked at Bonnie.
"Are you going to be okay?" he asked simply.
Bonnie nodded, but it took her a second to respond, as if she were forcing herself to be rational.
"I will be. Despite the soreness in my legs and the difficulty walking straight because someone went a little too hard, I'm fine...."
Ryan gave a crooked half-smile, the kind that always seemed to carry an implicit threat to the world.
"Well, you didn't complain, Bon. I remember you were moaning nonstop and begging to go faster..."
Bonnie blushed to her ears, her whole face burning as she gave him a light slap on the arm, more playful than annoyed.
"You... you can't say things like that!"
Ryan let out a low, short, satisfied laugh.
"Can't I?" he asked, with that fake innocent tone. "I'm just recalling recent historical facts."
Bonnie clutched the seatbelt on her lap as if that were the only point of stability she had in the universe at that moment.
"My grandmother lives here!" she retorted, vaguely pointing at the house as if that were an absolute and final argument.
Ryan looked at the house, then at her, as if evaluating something seriously.
"Okay. Fair enough." He nodded. "We respect the sacred territory of the witch grandma."
Bonnie glanced at him sideways.
"...don't call her that."
"I didn't call her a witch." Ryan smiled: "I called her witch grandma. It's different."
Bonnie let out an involuntary laugh, too short to be relief, but sincere enough to break the tension building between them. Still, there was a clear trace of disappointment at realizing she had to leave. Gathering courage, almost without thinking, she gave in to a quick impulse: she leaned in and kissed Ryan's lips.
The kiss was brief, but loaded with everything that hadn't been said on the way there. Her lips touched his with a gentleness, as if she wanted to etch the moment before the day separated them. Ryan returned it without hesitation, his hand rising to her chin, his fingers holding delicately as he deepened the kiss for one more second, starting a tongue battle for a few moments.
When they separated, Bonnie blinked slowly, her face still flushed, and opened the car door with visible reluctance. Ryan watched her get out, his green eyes following every movement of hers, the way she adjusted her jacket over her arm, the slightly hesitant step because of the "soreness in her legs" she had mentioned herself....
"Take good care of the witch grandma..." he said, tilting his head to the side with that provocative tone that always irritated and excited her at the same time.
Bonnie rolled her eyes, but couldn't hold back the smile.
"I will. And you... take good care of Elena. And yourself. Don't get into trouble without me around."
Ryan raised an eyebrow, his smile widening a bit more.
"Trouble? Me? Never."
She huffed a laugh, closing the car door with a soft click. She stood there for a second, looking at him through the window, as if she wanted to say more, but in the end, she just waved lightly and turned toward the house.
Her grandmother opened the door before Bonnie even knocked, as if she knew she was coming. Just like in the TV series, she was a middle-aged to elderly woman with brown skin, an oval face, striking features, and dark eyes. She had dark hair, usually short or shoulder-length, worn simply. Her build was average, with an upright posture, and she wore traditional clothes of an older woman. Bonnie exchanged a quick hug with her, murmuring something about "arriving early," and Sheila cast a quick glance at the Impala parked on the street, her eyes narrowing slightly upon seeing the guy behind the wheel.
Ryan waved casually through the open window, with a polite and harmless smile, the perfect mask of a "normal boyfriend." Sheila returned it with a wave and a smile, but he could sense something strange in her gaze, as if he were being evaluated by a greater force. Witches always had that gift of seeing beyond the surface, and Sheila was no exception. But he didn't care; he had his own tricks.
When Bonnie entered the house, closing the door behind her, Ryan started the car again. He drove slowly down the street, his mind turning to thoughts about what would come next. He would probably have a few quiet days starting today; he doubted Stefan would show up at school, and Damon would be planning his revenge. During that time, it would be ideal to train as much as possible.
One thing he had noticed over the last few days since his rebirth was that his body was undergoing a continuous process of "restructuring." Gradually, he was absorbing and assimilating all the characteristics of the King of Curses. Technically, he was transforming into a "Cursed Object," just like Yuji in Jujutsu Kaisen: Module, becoming biologically immortal and unable to die from old age.
Because of this gradual process, his [Cursed Energy] increased little by little. He didn't possess, from the beginning, the absurd amount of energy of the King of Curses, and precisely because of that, this process increased his reserves. The advantage was clear: when he finally inherited all of Sukuna's power, he would still have his own individual potential to explore.
In other words, even after reaching the "limit" of the inherited power, he could still become stronger.
Although unlikely, there was even the possibility of him awakening his own "Innate Technique," or something equivalent, something that wouldn't belong to Sukuna, but to him.
And why did he believe that?
Because, in the end, he was a "vessel"; all the powers of the King of Curses were being engraved into his own existence, little by little, like deep inscriptions carved into his soul and body.
And the really important point was simple: his body could handle all of it.
That, in itself, said a lot. A vessel can only withstand Sukuna if it has absurd potential. At the very least, his potential was equivalent to Yuji Itadori's. But in reality, it was greater. The reason is obvious even to someone without a brain: while Yuji served only as a vessel (prison) for Sukuna, he was also absorbing Megumi's powers, assimilating everything as if those abilities became part of him. It was as if Sukuna, Megumi, and himself were merging into a single concept.
His soul, elevated by the coexistence of these two potentials, would have shaped the body he possesses now, at least in theory. In simple terms: if a common body would collapse upon receiving this level of power, and if Yuji was already exceptional for being able to contain Sukuna, then someone capable of withstanding Sukuna and, at the same time, incorporating Megumi isn't just compatible. It's a superior vessel, destined for something that completely surpasses logic.
According to Mahito, the soul shapes the body. If this logic applies consistently, then a "soul" conceptually fused with the potentials of Sukuna and Megumi would have a "potential" elevated to a level comparable to both. In other words: if he fully exhausts the "potential" of Sukuna and Megumi, mastering all their powers to their extremes, then technically, he could also do something with his own potential, right?
Well, he was still very far from that, and it wasn't worth racking his brain over it now.
The drive to Elena's house seemed even shorter. The town was waking up gradually, the familiar streets passing like a blur before his eyes. It didn't take long for him to stop in front of her house.
The black Impala contrasted with the white and welcoming facade. He parked, leaned back in the seat for a moment, and honked lightly, waiting.
The sound of the horn echoed softly down the quiet street.
A few seconds later, the front door opened.
Elena appeared wearing something simple: mid-rise blue jeans, a light short-sleeved t-shirt, and comfortable sneakers. Her brown hair was loose, still a bit messy, as if it had been tied up and let down in a hurry, and her face had that slightly tired but alert look of someone who had spent the night awake with worry.
She came down the steps with quick strides, crossed the short path to the car, and opened the passenger door. Before getting in, she placed her backpack in the back seat with an automatic gesture and then sat down, turning immediately toward him.
Without saying anything, she leaned in and kissed him.
It was a quick kiss, but loaded with familiarity and confirmation, as if she wanted to make sure he was really there. Ryan returned it without hesitation, his hand rising lightly to the nape of her neck for a moment before they pulled away.
"Good morning, Elena..." he said, his voice low, watching her closely. "Are you okay?"
Elena nodded, adjusting her seatbelt while letting out a short sigh.
"I am... tired, but okay." She paused briefly. "It was a long night."
Ryan started the car, the engine's roar filling the silence for a second before pulling away from the house.
"I can imagine." He glanced quickly at her. "And Vicki?"
Elena's face grew serious for a moment, but not heavy.
"She'll be fine." The response came with conviction, as if she had already repeated it a few times to her brother, who was obsessed with Vicki. "The doctors said she lost a lot of blood, but she's stabilized. She'll be under observation for a while... but she'll be fine."
Ryan nodded slowly, absorbing the information without commenting further.
Elena leaned her head against the seat for a second, looking out the window as the houses passed, and then turned back to him.
"And Bonnie?" she asked, naturally, but with too much attention for it to be just curiosity. "She seemed pretty shaken up yesterday."
"She's fine," Ryan replied with the same calm tone as before. "I just dropped her off at her grandmother's house."
Elena frowned slightly.
"She didn't come to class?"
"No." He kept his eyes on the road: "Family matters."
Elena accepted the answer without pressing, but her thoughtful look betrayed that it hadn't gone unnoticed.
"Okay..." she murmured. "I'll text her later, then. Just to see how she's doing."
Ryan nodded.
"She'll like that."
The car continued on, entering the familiar route toward the school. The town was fully awake now, students walking on the sidewalks, buses passing, everyday life resuming its rhythm as if nothing abnormal had happened the night before.
Elena watched the movement outside, but gradually relaxed.
"Thanks for yesterday...." she said suddenly, without looking directly at him.
Ryan raised an eyebrow slightly.
"For what?"
"For... staying here." She gave a half-smile. "For not really disappearing, I was afraid something had happened...."
He took his eyes off the road just for a second, enough to meet hers.
"Sorry for worrying you, but I'll always come back to you, so relax....."
She smiled lightly, as if she wanted to fully believe that, and the silence that followed was peaceful, different from the one earlier that morning.
The Impala headed toward Mystic Falls High, while, somewhere in the town, much less peaceful forces were still reorganizing in the shadows.
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