the legacy of A Past Life

That night, the full moon shone through the windows of the Salvatore School, casting soft shadows across the silent hallways. Hope lay in bed, her eyes fixed on the ceiling, but sleep would not come. Her mind was full of Ethan—the way he had held her in the hallway, the intensity in his eyes, the warmth of his hand on her waist. Her heart raced just thinking about him, and she couldn't understand why it was happening so fast. It was all so new, so intense, something she had never felt before. Turning over in bed, she sighed in frustration and decided to get up. She couldn't stay here, suffocating herself with these thoughts.

Hope walked through the dark hallways to the cell where Landon was being held for observation after a recent incident. He was sitting, staring at the floor, when she arrived. "Can't sleep?" he asked, his voice low, when he saw her standing in the doorway. Hope shrugged, leaning against the wall. "No," she replied, her tone dry, but her thoughts still far away, fixed on Ethan. "What about you?"

Landon sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Not me either. This whole thing… it's crazy." He looked at her hesitantly. "You seem different, Hope. Are you okay?" She stared at him for a moment, her blue eyes reflecting the dim light of the cell, but she didn't answer directly. They talked for a while about school, about what he'd seen, but Hope was distracted, her mind constantly returning to Ethan. After a few minutes, she said goodbye. "Try to rest," she said, before leaving, heading back to her room. But sleep still wouldn't come—Ethan lingered in her thoughts, a presence she couldn't ignore.

The next morning, the sun was just beginning to rise when Ethan woke up, his stomach growling with hunger. He got up, pulling on his black leather jacket, his messy brown hair falling over his forehead. Before leaving the room, he passed by the door to Alaric's office, which he had now decided to call Dr. Saltzman out of respect. The door was ajar, and he heard voices inside, but he didn't stop to listen, more focused on finding something to eat in the school kitchen.

In the kitchen, Ethan grabbed a piece of bread and an apple, eating quickly as he watched the other students move about. He could still feel the buzzing in his bones, a constant reminder that something inside him was different, but the hunger was more pressing now. When he was done, he walked back into the hallway, and that was when Alaric found him. "Ethan," he called, his tone firm but with a slight smile. "Today we're going to test your powers. I want to know where you fit into all of this. You're a supernatural being, there's no doubt about that."

Ethan shoved his hands in his pockets, nodding. "Okay, Dr. Saltzman," he replied, his voice husky, showing the respect he now felt for the principal. Alaric led him to an open area at the back of the school, where Hope was already waiting, along with MG, a vampire Alaric had summoned to help. Hope felt her heart race again when she saw Ethan. She was still thinking about the day before—the moment in the hallway, the heat from him, the way he made her so confused. It was all so fast, so intense, and she didn't understand why she felt this way. She had never felt anything like this before, and it was driving her crazy. Still, she tried to hide it, crossing her arms and keeping her face neutral, not wanting Ethan to see how much he affected her.

Alaric crossed his arms, looking between the two of them. "Hope told me your strength is no joke, Ethan," he began, his tone serious. "She thinks you're not far behind a vampire, which is impressive, since you're not a vampire… yet." He gave a half smile, but his eyes were alert. "Let's have a friendly spar, just to test it out. Hope, you and MG are going to help. I want to see what he's capable of."

Hope nodded, but her heart was racing at the thought of being so close to Ethan again. She couldn't stop looking at him—the way he moved, the energy he exuded, it all drew her in in a way that made no sense. Ethan, in turn, noticed her gaze, but said nothing, just gave a half smile, putting his hands in his pockets as he prepared himself.

The fight began with MG advancing first, using his vampire speed to test Ethan's reflexes. Ethan dodged on instinct, the buzzing in his bones pulsing louder, and struck back with a strength that surprised even MG, knocking him down with a single blow. Hope joined the fight next, casting a simple spell to create an energy barrier, but Ethan broke through it with ease, his eyes glowing with an intensity that made her hesitate. They exchanged light blows, more to test than to hurt, and with each move, Hope felt her heart race faster. Being so close to him, feeling his heat, his strength, it was too much. She held back as much as she could, not wanting to let on that she was so attracted to him.

Alaric watched everything, arms crossed, analyzing every movement. "Interesting," he muttered to himself as he watched Ethan move with an agility and strength that was unusual. He was fast, strong, and seemed to have a supernatural stamina that went beyond what Hope or MG expected. After a few minutes, Alaric raised his hand, ending the test. "That's enough for now," he said, his tone firm. "Ethan, you're more powerful than I thought. We need to understand more about what you are."

Hope took a deep breath, trying to compose herself, her face flushed with effort and emotion. She couldn't stop thinking about yesterday, about the moment in the hallway, and now, watching Ethan struggle, the attraction only grew stronger. Ethan, in turn, stared at her for a moment, his voice hoarse as he spoke. "Thanks for your help, Hope," he said with a slight smile, before turning to Alaric. "What now, Dr. Saltzman?"

Alaric stepped forward, his face serious. "Now, let's investigate Clark further," he replied. "There's something special about you, Ethan, but we need to find out what it is before it becomes dangerous. Hope, keep helping him." He paused, looking at the two of them with a slight glint of amusement in his eyes. "And try not to rehearse any more romantic scenes without my approval, okay?"

Hope blushed deeply, avoiding Ethan's gaze as he merely cleared his throat, adjusting his jacket. The buzzing in his bones was still there, but now mixed with something new—Hope's presence, which seemed to occupy every corner of his mind.

Just as everything seemed to be settled for the day, Ethan's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, seeing the name "Mom" flashing on the screen, and answered it with a hesitant smile. "Hi, Mom," he said, his husky voice softening a little. Hope, who was not far away, fiddling with her phone with a distracted expression, looked up for a moment, her werewolf hearing picking up the conversation without Ethan noticing.

"Ethan, my son," Tory's voice came, thick with emotion. "Where are you? I was so worried when you left like that." Ethan took a deep breath, leaning against the wall. "I'm in a school, Mom. The Salvatore School, in Mystic Falls. I needed to come here. I had to find information about myself… and about Dad, Clark. I feel like there's something inside me that I don't understand, and I think the answers are here."

On the other end of the line, Tory was silent for a moment, sadness evident in her voice as she answered. "I knew I couldn't keep you, Ethan. You've always been like this, searching for your own answers. But… it hurts that you're so far away." They talked for a few minutes, her asking about school and him telling her a little about Alaric, Hope, and the others, without going into too much detail about the tests.

Then Tory changed her tone, a gentle curiosity emerging. "Is there anyone here that interests you, son?" she asked, a slight smile noticeable in her voice. Hope, standing a few feet away, heard every word with her heightened hearing, her heart pounding as she tried to hide it, scrolling faster on her phone to appear busy. Ethan, unaware that Hope could hear him, chuckled softly, scratching the back of his neck. "Well… there's this one girl," he admitted, his voice hesitant. "Hope. She's intrigued me since I got here. I've never felt this way about any girl before, at least not this quickly or like this. It feels… right to be here, even though I've only just arrived. But I don't want to rush things."

Hope froze, her fingers hovering over her phone screen, her face heating as she processed his words. She felt a mix of surprise and something deeper, something that made her even more confused. Not far away, Ethan continued, oblivious to her presence. Tory, on the other end, was surprised, but also happy. "Really?" she said, her voice thick with emotion. "I'm happy for you, Ethan. It reminds me of when I was young. And… you know, your father told me something interesting years ago. He said that some werewolves have what they call an 'imprint.' When they find their mate, their soulmate, the person they're meant to be with, their soul attaches itself to that person. The feelings grow fast, strong, almost irresistible. Your father had that with me. Maybe… maybe you're feeling something like that with this Hope."

Ethan was silent, the buzzing in his bones pulsing louder as he processed his mother's words. "Imprint?" he repeated, his voice low, almost incredulous. "You think that's it?" Tory laughed softly. "I don't know, son. But if it is, trust your feelings. Your father always said it was the best thing that ever happened to him." They said their goodbyes, and Ethan hung up, still lost in thought.

Hope, still standing there, felt her heart race even faster. She had heard it all—Ethan's confession, the words about the imprint, the call with Clark. Her eyes met Ethan's for a brief moment before she quickly turned away, pretending to adjust something on her phone. She didn't know what to think, but something inside her, maybe her werewolf side, seemed to respond to those words, leaving her even more intrigued and confused.