Leo took a deep breath and looked at himself in the car's mirror. He did this every single time before he went anywhere. It was a small habit, a quick moment to make sure he was ready. He smoothed down a bit of his hair and adjusted his shirt.
Then, he turned the key. The engine rumbled to life beneath him. He pulled away from the curb and began the drive to Caroline's neighborhood. The streets were familiar.He remembered the house from when he had driven there with Elena earlier.
He drove up to the side of the road and stopped the car by the curb. He pressed the horn lightly, two short beeps to let her know he was there. The sound was quiet in the evening air.
After a few seconds, the front door of the house opened. A rectangle of soft, yellow light spread across the front step. Caroline appeared in that doorway, a dark shape against the bright warmth of her home. For a moment she just stood there, perhaps grabbing her bag or locking the door.
Then she started walking toward the car. Her steps were slow and careful because of her shoes. The sharp, clear sound of her heels on the pavement clicked in the quiet street—click-clack, click-clack. She came closer under the glow of the streetlight. He could see she was wearing a nice dress and carrying a small purse.
She reached the car, opened the passenger door, and the inside light came on. She bent down and smoothly slid onto the seat beside him, bringing with her a faint scent of perfume. She pulled the door shut with a solid thud, and the light went out, leaving them together in the quiet dark of the car.
"You're late," Caroline said. But her voice was light, and she was smiling as she said it. There was no real anger in her words, only a gentle tease. As she spoke, she leaned across the space between the seats. He felt her slight weight against his arm, and then the quick, warm press of her lips on his cheek. She smelled like rose and a hint of floral perfume.
She settled back into her seat, the fabric of her dress rustling softly. He heard the precise click-and-slide sound as she pulled the seatbelt across her body and fastened the buckle into its latch.
"But you're here," she continued, her tone warm and forgiving. "So all is forgiven."
Leo just looked at her for a moment, his hands resting on the steering wheel. He managed a small smile. It didn't reach his eyes, which stayed serious. Almost without thinking, his gaze dropped to his wristwatch.
"Yeah," he agreed, his voice a low murmur. "A little late." He turned his head to look over his shoulder, checking the empty street behind them. Then he smoothly turned the wheel and pressed the gas pedal, pulling the car away from the curb and into the quiet lane. "But don't worry," he added"We'll be there on time. I promise."
His lateness wasn't from bad timekeeping. He had been at the gym, testing himself one last time. His strength, speed, and stamina weren't just good—they were superhuman, maybe fifty times greater than normal human. And tonight, he would finally use that power.
He pushed the thought aside and glanced at Caroline again. The soft glow from the dashboard lights outlined her elegant profile. She was beautiful, sitting there in the quiet dark of the car.
But then, without warning, a different picture flashed into his mind. It was from earlier that same day: Elena, smiling and laughing in his passenger seat as he dropped her off. The memory was so clear and sudden it felt real. He didn't understand why that happy image of Elena chose to appear in his thoughts right now, of all possible times.
A small, tight feeling rose in his chest. Almost without realizing it, he gave a quick, slight shake of his head, as if he could knock the unwelcome memory loose and out of his mind.
Caroline gave a single, satisfied nod. "Good." She let out a content breath and settled back against the headrest, closing her eyes. Leo turned up the music, letting the beautiful sound fill the silence.
…
They found a spot at the edge of a long line of parked cars and shut off the engine. The sudden quiet was immediately swallowed by a distant, pulsing roar of noise. They got out and walked toward the sound, following a worn path through the trees.
"This way," Caroline said, taking his hand. Her fingers were cool. She led him down a worn path through the trees, the noise growing louder with every step.
Then, the clearing opened up before them.
It was exactly as Leo had remembered from the show. A huge, raging bonfire was the heart of it all, a tower of orange flame and swirling sparks that cracked and popped loudly. Its light didn't just illuminate the clearing—it made everything move. Giant, trembling shadows leaped and danced across the circle of surrounding trees and the faces of the crowd.
The place was packed. Small groups of boys and girls were clustered everywhere, some yelling to be heard over the music, others dancing clumsily on the uneven ground. Almost everyone held a red plastic cup. The thumping bass of a song blasted from a set of speakers in the back of a pickup truck, the sound vibrating in Leo's chest.
The air itself felt thick and heavy. It was a mix of sharp woodsmoke from the fire, the sweet-sour smell of spilled beer soaking into the dirt, and the warm, close scent of too many people gathered together in the cool night.
A sharp, chilly wind swept through the clearing, cutting through the warmth of the fire. Caroline shivered slightly beside him. Instinctively, she looped her arm through his, pulling herself closer to his side for warmth. She brought her other hand up, rubbing her palms together briskly to create some heat.
Then, her eyes lit up, spotting familiar faces in the crowd. She gave his arm a little tug, her voice bright and sure as she pointed with her chin. "This way!" she said, already guiding him forward. "I see them there."
Leo followed Caroline's gaze across the crowded clearing. Near the trunk of a large oak tree, a small, familiar group stood in a half-circle. There they were: Elena, Bonnie, and Stefan, gathered in the flickering firelight. Elena was talking, but even from this distance, Leo could see she wasn't fully settled. Her eyes kept drifting away from her friends, scanning the clusters of people around them. She would look toward the path, then over toward the roaring fire, as if waiting for—or hoping to spot—someone in particular.
Elena's eyes, which had been restlessly sweeping the crowd, finally landed on him. A flutter of relief—warm and immediate—rose in her chest, and the beginning of a smile touched her lips. There he is.
But the smile froze, never fully forming. Her gaze slid to the figure attached to his arm. Caroline. She was standing so close, her arm linked tightly through Leo's, her body leaning into his side against the chill. The easy, possessive way she held him was like a silent announcement.
Elena felt her heart give a single, hard tighten, a swift pinch beneath her ribs. The earlier warmth vanished, replaced by a hollow chill.
A sharp memory flashed: today morning in the bustling school hallway. Caroline, glowing with casual triumph, had leaned against the lockers, her eyes tracking Leo as he walked by. She hadn't even lowered her voice as she turned to Bonnie and Elena, a confident, almost playful smile on her lips. "That one," she'd said, her gaze fixed on Leo's retreating figure, "is mine." She'd stated it like it was the simplest, most unchangeable fact in the world—a territorial claim made with a smile.
The hope she hadn't even fully admitted to herself deflated, leaving behind a quiet, familiar ache. She looked away quickly, back toward the safety of the fire, pretending to be engrossed in its flames. Don't let it show, she told herself. Just don't let it show.
Caroline's smile widened into a beam of genuine surprise and delight as they reached the group. She gently slipped her arm from Leo's and took a quick step forward, the firelight catching the bright gold of her hair.
"Elena!" she exclaimed, her voice rising above the music and crowd noise. "You actually came!" She reached out and gave Elena's arm a friendly squeeze, her expression one of happy shock. "You totally said you might bail. I was so sure you'd be buried in homework right now!"
Leo's eyes looked at Elena for a moment as Caroline greeted her. The flickering orange light from the bonfire washed over her, softening her features and making her dark eyes seem deeper. In that moment, with her hair framing her face and a tentative, warm smile on her lips, she looked genuinely beautiful. The sight sent a quiet, guilty pang straight through him, and he had to force himself to look away, focusing instead on the crowd behind her.
Elena maintained her warm smile, the perfect picture of a friendly greeting. "I changed my mind," she said to Caroline, her voice light and casual. Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, "Because of someone." Her gaze flicked toward Leo, holding his for just a fraction of a second too long—a look filled with unspoken meaning that immediately made his throat feel tight.
But just as quickly as the charged moment arrived, Elena broke it. She turned smoothly toward a makeshift table made from a wooden crate nearby, where a few bottles and cups sat. "Anyway," she continued, her tone shifting back to cheerful practicality, "here, I snagged this for you." She picked up a plastic cup filled with dark red wine and handed it to Caroline, effectively ending the conversation and giving them all something to do with their hands.
Caroline beamed, accepting the cup from Elena with a graceful nod. She took a small, appreciative sip of the wine before answering, her voice brimming with affectionate certainty. "I knew it," she said, her eyes sparkling. "I knew you'd come because of me. And you don't ever have to thank me for that, Elena. We're best friends. That's just what we do." She said it with such certainty, as if the matter were simple and settled, and took another sip, completely unaware of the deeper meaning behind Elena's words.
Elena simply nodded in response, offering a soft, closed-lipped smile. She didn't explain and correct her. She just let Caroline's assumption hang in the smoky air between them, a quiet secret kept amidst the noise of the party.
From a few steps away, Stefan watched the exchange. He had been about to lean in and ask Elena if she was cold, a gentle attempt to pull her attention back to their circle. But he stopped. He saw the way her eyes had briefly but unmistakably flickered toward Leo again just like in the school, and the careful, performed ease of her smile afterward. His own question died on his lips, feeling awkward and forced. A familiar, protective tension settled in his shoulders. His gaze shifted to the new guy, Leo, who stood slightly awkwardly beside Caroline. A quiet, definitive thought formed in Stefan's mind: He shouldn't have come here.To this town again.
***
Leave Power Stones.