"Well, I'll try to be kind to you," Elijah released Elena's arm and appeared in the middle between Pearl and Anna, and with a movement of each hand so fast that no one saw it, he struck their ribs, sending each of them to opposite sides.
"Ghahhhaaa!" the two of them vomited blood as they slammed into the walls and collapsed to the floor, nearly losing consciousness.
They tried to get up, but even the instant regeneration of a 500-year-old vampire would take time to recover from a blow like that.
Elijah reappeared in front of Damon and Stefan.
"You look normal, don't seem to have powers like them, so you're useless."
Before they even realized it, both of them felt a piercing pain in their chests.
They looked down and saw Elijah's hand pressed against their chests.
"How?" Damon coughed up blood in panic… and Stefan couldn't even speak.
There, they understood the difference in power.
"Stop, don't hurt them, I'll go with you," Elena ran forward and clung to Elijah. "Please don't hurt them."
"Good," he said calmly and threw both of them aside without ripping their hearts out, then grabbed Elena's arm.
+++
"Let her go!" Bonnie arrived at just the right moment and cast a spell at Elijah.
The vampire flew and slammed into a wall, then landed on the floor—already back on his feet.
"Even more surprising," Elijah commented, straightening his clothes. "First two vampires with powers that shouldn't exist, and now a witch capable of throwing me across a room with magic… It's been a long time since anyone managed to move me."
He began walking toward Bonnie, who prepared another spell with a smile.
Elijah stopped instantly, and Bonnie pointed behind him.
At the same moment, an explosion and a powerful strike hit him, sending him flying again.
It was Caroline, her hand engulfed in fire, attacking Elijah at a speed that seemed like teleportation.
Elijah was caught off guard by another strike, sent flying again with yet another explosion.
The second explosion still echoed against the walls as Elijah cut through the smoke.
He spun in the air before touching down.
Landed on his feet.
Always on his feet.
The fire still burned on Caroline's hand—not chaotic flames, but dense, compressed, almost golden. Controlled combustion. She didn't create fire from nothing; she accelerated particles, forcing molecular friction until the air gave way. A raw technique, less refined than Pearl's. But violent.
Elijah ran a hand over his shoulder, brushing off the embers on his coat.
He looked at Caroline.
This time, with full attention.
"Fire," he said quietly. "Impulsive. Direct. And surprisingly efficient."
Caroline didn't respond. She was already moving.
She crossed the distance in a blur.
Her fist, wrapped in flames, struck his jaw.
The impact sent a shockwave through the room.
The floor cracked again.
Elijah was pushed several meters—but this time he rotated his body midair, absorbing part of the force. He touched down on the tips of his feet and slid backward, controlling the landing.
He disappeared.
Caroline barely had time to turn when he appeared behind her.
But she reacted.
She spun with incredible speed and blocked his strike with her forearm.
The clash of force made the fire erupt around them.
For a moment, it seemed the entire warehouse was breathing heat.
Elijah gripped her arm.
His eyes narrowed.
He felt it.
Muscle density.
Bone resilience.
Strength.
He squeezed.
The concrete beneath their feet dented.
Caroline pushed back.
And he… was forced to step back half a pace.
Silence.
Real silence.
Elijah released her arm slowly.
"This is impossible."
He studied her like a scientist facing a newly discovered species.
"Physical strength equivalent to… at least nine hundred years."
Caroline lunged again, but he elegantly dodged and struck her abdomen with an open palm.
She flew into a pile of twisted iron.
Flames spread around her as she fell—but she stood up almost immediately.
Heavy breathing.
Fierce gaze.
Elijah walked in circles, analyzing.
"You are stronger than the previous two."
He glanced at Anna and Pearl lying on the ground, still slowly regenerating.
"Older in physical power."
He tilted his head.
"But the elemental manifestation… is less refined."
Caroline gritted her teeth.
The fire in her hands flared, but trembled.
He noticed.
"You rely more on the body than on magic."
He smiled slightly.
"Physical discipline above arcana."
Bonnie cast another spell, attempting to pin his feet to the ground.
Shadows rose like chains.
Elijah raised a hand.
The energy exploded around him, dispersing the spell with sheer willpower.
He turned to Bonnie.
"Persistent."
Then back to Caroline.
"Three vampires."
He counted on his fingers, almost thoughtfully.
"One with structural manipulation. Another with advanced thermal control. And you… kinetic combustion combined with anomalous strength."
He exhaled.
The air seemed to stabilize around him.
Composure returned completely.
Surprise gave way to strategy.
"This is no accident."
He began to walk slowly, as if organizing invisible pieces.
"This is a pattern."
His eyes swept over each of them.
Anna.
Pearl.
Caroline.
Then rested on Bonnie.
He advanced at a speed no one saw.
Appeared in front of Caroline.
This time, she couldn't block completely.
He grabbed her neck and lifted her off the ground.
The fire burned across her body, even scorching Elijah's hand—but… his hand healed faster than the fire burned.
He was prepared now.
"You are extraordinary," said Elijah Mikaelson with cold calm, "however, with less potential than the other two. The only thing making you stronger than them is that you are older… simply that. If you had their potential… with that strange magic, perhaps you could have defeated me."
Caroline tried to kick him.
He caught her leg midair with his other hand.
"What I don't understand is… you have strength and speed comparable to vampires of nine hundred years and more, yet I don't know you… Who are you?"
He leaned in, looking directly into her eyes.
"…tell me who you are."
"Fuck off," Caroline spat with rage.
"Verbena, then? Excellent. I'll have time to remove the verbena from you later. You, the witch, and the three vampires, along with the copy, will come with me."
He threw her to the ground.
The impact snuffed out the flames for a moment.
The entire warehouse shook.
Elijah stood in the center of the chaos.
Impeccable once again.
Eyes sharp.
He was not defeated.
But he was intrigued.
And something inside him began to recognize an uncomfortable truth:
Vampires were not only evolving, and he did not intend to be left behind.
+++
Just as Elijah was about to leave, a force threw him across the room.
"Elijah, keep going," a voice called, and he widened his eyes—it was a voice he knew.
"Niklaus?" Elijah roared angrily and released Caroline.
Just as he was about to move to find Klaus, he didn't notice Damon approaching with a massive stake—and struck him, pinning him against a wall.