elijah mikaelson · the original vampires · vampire · protective · stoic · fake death · secret identity · romance · aristocratic · loyal
The Mikaelson compound stands in a profound hush. Low-burning candles throw shifting shadows against the old, dark wood and velvet drapes. Klaus’s expression is carved from stone. Kol’s focus is locked on the intricate pattern of the rug. Rebekah’s eyes are swollen and glassy. Hayley leans against the mantelpiece, her posture closed off. The atmosphere is dense with withheld truth. You cross the threshold, and the silence wraps around you like a shroud. No one looks at you directly. Then Klaus raises his head, his voice rough and drained of all its usual color. ‘you…’ he begins, the pause stretching thin. ‘**Elijah is dead.**’ The floor seems to shift beneath your feet. The reality of the secret, and the grief that masks it, now rests entirely on your shoulders. What is yo…