The Card's Legacy

< Mystic Falls >

"Heyyy Lucius."

Lucius smiled, tilting his head slightly. "Hey Lizzie. Hey Josie."

Pushing Rafael forward gently, Lucius gestured for Lizzie and Josie to take over. They'd clearly been prepared for this handoff.

"Now, if you can follow me..." Lizzie said, already locking eyes with Rafael as though assessing him, then practically dragging him off. Josie trailed behind quietly, her hands folded neatly in front of her.

Lucius turned toward Hope with his signature smirk. "Well, you know where to find me." With that, he strolled away casually, his posture exuding effortless confidence.

Hope clicked her tongue in annoyance. Watching him go, she turned back to find Alaric leaning casually against a nearby locker, his arms crossed and a faint smirk playing on his face.

"Let's move to the office," Alaric said, hefting his bag, stuffed with tools for hunting and managing supernatural creatures, into his locker. He sighed as though the weight he carried extended beyond the physical.

Inside the office, Alaric gestured for everyone to sit. Landon, already briefed on the basics of the supernatural world but still visibly reeling, sat down heavily. His fingers raked through his hair as he muttered under his breath, "This isn't the fancy school I hoped to go to. Especially not one filled with vampires and werewolves."

Hope shrugged, which only seemed to irritate him further. Landon rested his elbows on the desk, clutching his head as though trying to block out the absurdity of his reality.

"Relax, Landon," Hope said, stepping forward and placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. When he looked up, his intense gaze made her falter for a moment, but she pressed on. "Everything will be fine. This school is made for people like us. That includes Rafael."

Landon frowned, her words doing little to ease his unease. "For a school that's supposed to be about secrecy, you guys seem pretty talkative."

Alaric gave Hope a pointed look, and she responded with a sheepish smile. Turning back to Landon, Alaric's tone became sharper. "Now, tell us who Rafael killed."

"Excuse me?" Landon squinted at him, disbelief flashing across his face. He shot to his feet, his voice rising. "Rafael is not a killer. Why are you even asking me this?"

Alaric raised a hand, his voice steady but firm. "Werewolf curses don't activate on their own. For it to trigger, someone with the gene has to take a life. Accident or not, it's the only way."

Landon's fists clenched as he turned toward Alaric, his jaw tightening. "He is NOT a killer," he said, his voice cracking. He took a shaky breath before continuing, his tone lower but no less intense. "A month ago, Cassie, his girlfriend, was with him in the car. There was a storm, and Rafael took a turn too fast. The car crashed. He was fine, but she… she didn't make it."

Hope's expression softened as she exchanged a glance with Alaric. Landon hesitated, his shoulders shaking slightly. "Since then, he's been acting weird. I thought it was grief or something, but then he threw a lawnmower fifty feet. His parents thought he was possessed by the devil."

A voice interrupted from the doorway. "Ahem."

Everyone turned to see Lucius leaning casually against the frame.

"How many times have I told you to knock, Lucius?" Alaric groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Dealing with Lucius felt akin to managing a second Lizzie.

Lucius grinned unapologetically. "So, um… your little daughter messed up. Something about gluten-free bread." He stepped aside, revealing a curly-haired boy in a school uniform standing sheepishly behind him. "I brought MJ, like you said."

Alaric sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "I told you to pass the message, not drag him here."

"Hey, no problem," Lucius said breezily. "Oh, is this the memory-wiping part?"

Landon's head snapped toward Alaric, his eyes widening. "Memory-wiping? What does he mean by that?"

Alaric shot Lucius a withering glare before turning back to Landon. His tone softened, but his words carried a weight that made everyone pause. "Landon, the knowledge of this world puts you at risk. You're human. You don't have the protections that Rafael has. If the wrong people found out you knew about werewolves, vampires, or witches, they would come for you. And they wouldn't just stop at threats."

Landon's breath hitched, his fists clenching as he tried to process Alaric's words. "So, what? You're just going to erase my memories? Like none of this ever happened?"

"It's for your safety," Alaric said firmly. "And for Rafael's. You can't help him if you're being targeted, Landon. This isn't about punishment—it's about protection."

Landon stepped back, his voice rising with desperation. "No! You can't just make me forget! Rafael needs me! I'm all he has left!"

Before Landon could bolt for the door, Lucius stepped into his path, his crimson eyes glinting with mischief. "Relax. I'm sure MJ here will make it quick and painless. Right, MJ?"

'MG is my name though,' MJ shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Alaric. "Uh… yeah. Sure."

Lucius flicked Landon's forehead with a casual motion, knocking him out cold before he could argue further. "Problem solved," he said cheerfully, ignoring Alaric's exasperated groan. "You really should consider better security, Mr. Alaric. Maybe a moat? Or a dragon?"

Hope grabbed Lucius by the arm, dragging him outside. "You're making everything worse," she hissed, though there was a trace of laughter in her voice.

As they walked down the corridor, Lucius's expression softened slightly. "You still haven't told me how you feel about the transformation," he said, his voice quieter now. "Elijah said he could help you handle the pain if you're open to it. And if not, well, I'm pretty good at sneaking Tylenol when you need it."

Hope glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "I'll be fine," she said eventually. "But thanks, Lucius."

Lucius smiled faintly. "Anytime."

Before either of them could say more, MG popped his head out from a nearby doorway. "Hey, uh… Alaric said Lizzie gotten out of control. He wants you there?"

Hope sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Great."

Lucius clapped his hands together. "Let's go see what the princess wants this time."

***

The kitchen was a chaotic mess when they arrived. A knife hovered mid-air, trembling slightly as though caught between unseen forces. Alaric stood in the center, looking every bit the exasperated father.

"Lucius, a little help, please," Alaric said, gesturing toward the floating knife.

Lucius tilted his head, considering. "A belt? On it, sir!"

Alaric groaned, clearly regretting his life choices. Lucius snapped his fingers, summoning green spheres of energy that froze everything in the room. "Mana Zone: Chrono Stasis Grigora," he said with exaggerated drama.

The knife stopped moving entirely, along with every other floating object in the room. Then, with a deliberate twist of his wrist, Lucius rewound the scene. Dishes re-stacked themselves, the knife returned to its block, and the kitchen returned to its pre-chaos state.

Hope watched with raised eyebrows. "Impressive," she said, nodding.

Lucius smirked. "I aim to please."

From the pantry, Lizzie's voice cut through the calm. "Are you done showing off?"

Lucius grinned as he headed toward her. "Alright, princess. What's the meltdown about this time? Too much gluten in the bread?"

Lizzie glared at him, though her lips quivered slightly. "Don't mock me. It's been a rough day."

Lucius crouched to her level, his teasing tone softening. "Okay, fair. Wanna tell me what's up?"

Lizzie hesitated, then mumbled, "I said something dumb, and it just… set me off, okay?"

Lucius offered her a hand. "Come on. Let's get you back out there. Can't have you hiding in here all day."

Lizzie took his hand, muttering, "You're still annoying, you know that?"

"Oh, I count on it," Lucius replied with a grin.