The last thing she remembers before she motions to Stefan to save Matt from drowning was the peace. Peaceful—how the word lingers—swallows you up as your body takes in more water. She is going to see her parents again real soon. How they are going to react when they see her die so young, what would Uncle John say—her biological father—say now that her spirit has been elevated from her body?

No.

Something is wrong. Darkness surrounds her except for the faint light in the distance, it mocks. As her wits come about, she lifts her arms to see metal and chain tied to her wrists. More of her space becomes revealed then, she notices the steel bars forming a quaint square six-by-six foot barrier around the rock she could feel underneath her bottom.

To lift away from the rock she was tethered exerted much effort, she hobbled over to the edge of the prison cell. Her fingers grazed against the steel—worn, and partly rusted on the outside—gripped two in her fists and shook them hard with all her might. The rusted metal still wouldn't budge as she sat back on her heels, heaving a sigh.

"Am I to be trapped here for all eternity?"

She is too old to cry but the dryness in the air mixed with the huskiness in her voice made her doubt herself. Elena draws imaginary circles in the stone floor, trying not to let the chafing from the ankle and wrist restraints bother her.

Foot falls from somewhere outside the cell echo into Elena's ear, she turns to see who it is. Hoping against hope that someone would come to save her, she tries to hide the smile forming on her face when the shadow gets closer, the masculine form appears. His face still covered in darkness. The feet stall their forward movement on the stone floor.

Brow furrowing, Elena looks in the direction of the shadow and speaks warmly, "Thank you for coming," she pauses for a moment, "you don't have to hide. Where am I?"

Several minutes pass without a word from this stranger, Elena feels a darkness coming from this man with no face but also a trace of warmth. Her hopes are risen that Stefan has come for her after all, and she asks the question again, "Now, are you going to stay there in the dark and watch me, or are you going to try to rescue me?"

A long, slender hand lifts itself to silence her, she stills her questioning as the man moves towards the light. First his feet illuminate, then the rest of him slowly appears from the darkness, a piercing stare greets her as she gasps.

This man.

Not him.

Kol.

His eyes searching hers as she inhales a slow breath, their brown eyes locking together still not speaking.

Finally, he speaks, "I told you not to test me, Elena."

Stomach plunging downward, Elena crumpled to the floor. Kol lifts his hand again, snaps two fingers, and the cage disappears. They are outside, but Elena still has the feel of wrist restraints chaffing her wrists—rubbing them ceremoniously to soothe them.

Without a word from her, Kol gestures with his index finger for her to follow, he adds, "I think it's time you understand something."

No words can define the anxiety she feels as she follows behind his long strides.