Prologue

Five months ago in Atlanta, Georgia.

All the piece were there; she just needed to connect them to figure out the picture they made. From the article that started the war on immortals to The Hybrid's capture, it was all laid out in the historic papers she had managed to find, chronicling moments in time that had brought her to this inevitable fate.

She couldn't live like this for much longer, a vampire seeping with bloodlust and the constant urge to give up her emotions and turn herself over to the darkness welling inside her. She had never been prepared for the chance that this might actually happen to her.

If you would have told her three years ago that someday she would be one of the creatures of the night her parents had warned her about, she never would have believed you. She probably would have just laughed in your face for being an idiot.

In those three years, however, she'd gone from Prom Queen to Bloodsucking Parasite. All because of a car accident only she had survived-just no longer human.

She could remember that night hazily, just like with all her human memories. It had been raining, she knew, and everything was slippery. She was sitting in the front seat with her boyfriend's best friend while her boyfriend sat in the back. They had been arguing, she knew, but about what she couldn't remember. The best friend had tried to calm them both down, not seeing the person jump out in front of the car until it was almost too late.

He hit the brakes at the same time he jerked the steering wheel to the right, causing her boyfriend to slam against the car door as they went off road. As they rolled in the ditch, she could remember hearing the shattering of the windshield, the crack of the roof falling in on itself. Then there was the sickening—but oh-so-clear—sound of her friend's head doing the same as he was thrown around.

To this day, she didn't know what happened to her boyfriend.

But she was thrown from the car. When the paramedics and police showed up, they wrote in their report that she wasn't breathing, that she was bleeding from multiple heavy wounds. By the time she got to the hospital, though, the wounds were beginning to clot normally. They did several "vampire tests" on her before wondering at the miracle before them.

Only she was a vampire. She had no idea how she passed those tests. The vervain hadn't burned her like acid, the sunlight had really only hurt her eyes. There was no way that she could possibly be a vampire.

Except that she was. As she had been lying on the ground in pain, feeling the world closing in on her, the person they'd swerved to avoid had come up to her. He'd stood above her—tall, dark, and intimidating. He'd bitten open his wrist before crouching down to force it into her mouth. Though she'd fought against it, she was no match for him.

When he'd wrapped his hands around her face, he'd murmured, "Find him and get the cure." Then he'd snapped her neck, ensuring that she would wake up a vampire.

That one sentence had taken over her life. Every waking moment was devoted to becoming human again. Nothing else had mattered. Guilt had continuously assuaged her because she had gone through transition. She'd drank from someone and bolted, leaving behind her human life. She didn't want to die; she just wanted to be mortal. To do mortal things.

And now she had the papers that would lead her so much closer to the cure. They were stacked in her hands, the biggest piece of her intricate puzzle that would lead her to the one creature in existence that knew where the cure was, how to use it.

If she paid close enough attention to the details, she could find the whereabouts of The Hybrid, that elusive monster that had been captured decades ago. If she could find where he was being held, she could get an interview with him, could get him to tell her where the cure was. She was sure of it.

But she needed to start from the beginning. She needed to read through all these papers and figure out—without doubt—where The Hybrid was being kept.

January, 1950

Supernatural Creatures Exist!

No, this is not a false account meant to give you entertainment. All over the world, vital information is being made public, starting in these United States! These creatures have lived amongst us for centuries and yet we believed them to be mere stories! They are very real, citizens, and they have the power to turn our world upside down.

The "information leak" began here in the United States when confidential papers were stolen and released to all. This happened through other powerful countries throughout the world mere days later, bringing forth an investigation for the parties involved.

But all this leads us to wonder: did our leaders—those meant to protect us—know of this threat and refuse to let us know? Did they hide such vital information from us? It is deeply disturbing, to say the least. If they did, then they have put us all in danger for a very long time. This reporter sincerely hopes that this is simply not true.

As of yesterday, there is an emergency United Nations meeting. Since the information on supernaturals was exposed, more countries have since joined the organization in hope to find a way to keep them under control.

We will release more information as it becomes available, but so far several species have been confirmed:

Vampires
Werewolves
Witches
Ghosts/Spirits

We have been asked to warn all our readers that these creatures are all dangerous. Extreme caution it necessary until safety measures can be enacted. Be safe, citizens.

-.-.-.-.-

United Nations Statement

Citizens of the world, we know that this is a rather unprecedented situation and that you are all on high alert and worrying for your safety. Your leaders would like to share some information with you in hope that it will assuage your nerves.

Contrary to what has been reported by ill-repute papers, our countries' leaders were completely unaware of these monsters' existence. They would not put their citizens in danger by keeping vital information from them. The groups that gathered all the information on these supernaturals are in no way affiliated with any government, but are private groups.

Despite the lack of knowledge on the government's part, we are all—as a united world, not separate countries—working together on a plan of action. We will make sure that our people are safe from the menace that plagues our lives. We will keep you all safe.

For the time being, there will be curfews enacted around the world, as well as all our armies being pulled back home to protect our people.

Put your trust in us, citizens, and we will keep you safe from harm.

-.-.-.-.-

United Nations Transcripts
Note: names of country representatives have been censored for their safety.

Head Council (HC): We are here to discuss the matter of "supernatural" creatures and their existence. As the matter has become public, we must decide on a plan of action. There must be an agreement between all countries involved over what we will use as security measures until further study can be done. We are working towards a united front against this threat. If these monsters sense that we are no longer unified, they could easily wipe us all out. We have a group of specialists here—note my gesture towards the Mystic Falls Council—that have dealt closely with these creatures for decades and know what must be done to protect us, such as weaknesses, strengths, etc. They now have the complete attention of this gathering and all will show them due respect. Mr. Fell, you have the floor.

Mystic Falls Council Representative (MFC): Thank you all very much for your hospitality, though I wish I could be here with less dire information than what I have. Our council has faced countless beasts throughout it's time and we have learned much about them, things that have been passed through generations. However, we have focused primarily on vampires because they are the biggest threat to mankind. Werewolves are deadly, yes, but the only true time to fear them is during the full moon when they "shift" into true wolves. They are easy to spot, though, as humans; they run with a pack. And witches…most would war beside humans rather than across us. They strive for balance, not bloodshed. But vampires…they will destroy us all with hardly a blink. They are faster, stronger, and deadlier than humans in every way. They drink our blood, control us with what we have called "compulsion". There is only one poison to them: vervain. When in a human's system, they can't be compelled and drinking their blood will burn the vampire. Just a touch of the plant will cause untold pain to a vampire—

Soviet Union representative (SU): I mean no disrespect to you, Mr. Fell, but that doesn't explain to us how we find the vampires. If they are as we have been told, they look and act like humans. The only way to tell them apart from the people is when it is already too late. If we're to contain them, we need to know how to find them out.

MFC: Yes, of course. Well, other than the vervain test, there are quite a few other things that you will note about them. They cannot walk into direct sunlight—ever. They will be people that don't come out during the day, drifters that show up in the shelter of night. If you have a witch nearby—though this is in extreme cases—they will be able to tell by just a touch on the vampire's skin. You know that they are trying to compel you when their eyes dilate then return to normal quickly and they order you to do something. But the most telling sign is that they lack a—

And that was where the transcript abruptly cut off. She had begged her contact for more, to find out what the humans did and did not know at that time, but only this first page of the meeting could be located, leading her to believe that the rest had been destroyed due to some unsightly discussions that had occurred later on. Though this information wasn't necessarily important to her finding the cure, she felt as if it were entirely too necessary for her to read the rest.

But she did need to know what she was up against. So far, she had shown that she was not as affected by vervain as other vampires, though it did leave a rather pungent aftertaste burning in the back of her throat. And she had bought a ring off a rogue witch a few months after she was turned that allowed her to walk in the daylight.

Yet this didn't matter. She had learned in her human life things that hadn't prepared her for the brutal reality of immortal life. She was hunted constantly, had had to learn how to cover her tracks wherever she went so she left no trail behind. The kind police officers from her childhood that had once given her candy would now shoot her full of wooden bullets and drag her off to "research facilities" that she hadn't known existed before she was turned. The friends she had once counted on to always have her back would turn her in for a bounty that rested upon every supernatural's head. Even her own mother would look at her with disgust and dread before trying to kill her.

If she knew her enemies, though, she had a better chance of surviving until she got the cure, until she returned to her normal life.

And those weren't her only potential obstacles on the way to becoming mortal once more. She heard many stories about Originals—vampires that were the first of their kind and very much alive. Having learned quickly to never completely give up on an idea, she believed that they were out there, somewhere, just waiting for their chance to attack. And she very much doubted they'd want a cure released. It was too dangerous for their livelihood.

Proof—if it wasn't doctored so that governments could look better—of their existence was currently in her hands on a piece of paper, aged, worn, and torn from it's bindings.

April, 1950

Diary, the humans have announced our existence to the world. They have started taking—I say this only in the hope that they haven't killed them—some of the friends I have made here. Vampires, werewolves, witches…it seems the only creatures capable of keeping under the humans' radar are my brother's creations. They look and feel more like humans than we do, which makes them almost undetectable.

I'm worried, Diary. What if they take my Stefan next? I'm strong enough to fight off their attacks, but I don't feel that Stefan would be able to do what's necessary to protect himself.

He is so kind and gentle; he still dreams of being a doctor for those beasts that hunt us. I just don't see him killing even to protect himself. He would sooner let them capture him than do anything that would actually put them down. And even if he did, he would hesitate, giving them the opening they needed.

I worry for him, Diary.

Now, I must go, however. I hope that I never have to find out the answers to the questions I have written here. I really, truly do.

R

And that wasn't all she had on those mysterious beings. Though none of it exactly confirmed that they were indeed Originals, their hints at unbelievable strength and near invincibility had her certain that they were out there somewhere, whether they had been captured or were merely in hiding for the time being.

Further along in her "studies", there were letters, notes, plans. All signed with single initials and giving cryptic information. They usually coincided with announcements or big changes in the humans' reactions to the supernaturals living alongside them, leading her to believe that the Originals had a very extensive line of informants and connections that were near-constantly feeding them information.

December, 1950

To Whom It May Concern:

The research facility is complete and ready for subjects. It has been built in such a way to house numerous creatures that you have for us, though tests will not be done at this time.

Mystic Falls Council

-.-.-.-.-

E,

Why are you so worried, brother? So what if the humans are now aware of our lives beside theirs? It is high time they bow down to us, wouldn't you say? We are stronger, smarter, faster, and most importantly older than they could ever hope to be. They are no threat to us and treating them as such is a mockery of what we are.

Now, I must ask you to cut your illogical worries out of your correspondence with our sister. You know she worries needlessly—and constantly—about her precious baby vampire and I am the one that must calm her as you have decided to go off chasing that peasant girl from our time in Bulgaria.

N

Even when countries started putting out protection plans in February, 1951, letters continued to be sent between the siblings, telling each other to keep calm and carry on. This lead her to the conclusion that there were five siblings in the Original family: E, F, N, K, and R. If she was right, that meant she needed to be wary of five ancient vampires that could kill her with little more than a flick of their wrists.

She was potentially setting herself at odds with creatures who ages were multiples of her own.

But it was surprising to her to have found letters and journal entries from other vampires, as well as werewolves and witches. And they held just as important—if not more so—information.

March, 1951

This could not have come at a better time! I was just under their noses, backed into a corner. But now they're all distracted enough for me to run once again! I may yet keep on with the life I lead, journal of mine, something that I am more than happy to continue. It is survival of the fittest, now.

Because what they haven't noticed is that vampires are already adapting to this new threat. If they didn't turn blind eyes to the others out there, they would see how powerful we all are growing, how easy it would be to take the humans down a peg or two.

We are creatures that survive. We've overcome death; teaching ourselves some new tricks is nothing compared to that. It's only been a year since the humans started hunting us in full force, but we are already changing so that it's harder to be detected, to be found out.

Why, yesterday I even met a vampire that could swallow vervain without flinching, though the inside of his mouth was a bit worse for wear.

Hundreds of years ago, vampires mastered the offensive; now it's time for us to make our defense concrete as well.

-.-.-.-.-

Our Lords and Lady,

Please help us. You must know of the humans' plan to hunt our people to extinction. We have started to go missing all over the world. You are the only ones with the strength and power to lead us all into a battle we haven't begun to prepare you. Only under you could we be brought out of this onslaught with our numbers in tact.

You are the strongest beings in the world. If you all band together with us, we could defeat them. I beg you, help us!

Your Loyal Servant,
Rose

That was only one of many letters begging for their assistance. There were dozens written to the legendary Original family, pleading with them to provide some sort of organized attack against the humans that hunted them.

All, however, went without answer.

Until 1952, when the Originals were attacked personally.

July, 1952

Brother, F and S are missing. Their usual contacts haven't heard from them in weeks or have fallen off the edges of the earth themselves. I understand they enjoy their privacy, but I do not think this is pertaining to that particular trait of theirs.

I believe now is the time for me to worry, as well as you and our other siblings.

E

So, one of the Originals was captured—she didn't know who his companion might be. Though she hadn't found a response to the letter, she had no doubt that it had begun a revolution fueled by the power of the remaining siblings. Taking their brother was a clear declaration of war and one that wouldn't go unnoticed. The humans had wanted to draw them out; they had done so magnificently.

If I had any siblings, she thought to herself, I would fight for them to the death.

She knew it wasn't as simple as that; this had to deal with the possible extinction of their entire species. Her species. There were many variables that needed to be considered before they actually went about retaliating. Would they attack head on or sneak in and slowly destroy everything the humans were creating? Where would they attack first and when? What would happen if they lost?

It was obvious now that they had. But she had twenty-twenty hindsight, they did not. Though she couldn't be sure what they did, she knew that it had caused quite a stir in the general populace, spreading panic and fear.

Because they were put on the Most Wanted List.

October, 1952

Supernaturals Most Wanted

Due to recent events, we want all citizens around the world to be aware of several major threats to humanity. They walk amongst us and are all believed to be very dangerous.

The "Originals"—a "family of 5 "siblings" that are believed to be the origins of vampirism, though the cause is currently unknown. We have already captured one that we believe is a "sibling", but we must gather more information first. There are no known recent locations or names. Pictures below only show two brothers and a sister; no others have been found.

George Lockwood—leader of several wolf packs who follow loyally. Approach with extreme caution as this is the strongest known werewolf at this time. Last known location was Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. See picture below.

Sheila Bennett—leader of a growing rogue witch "coven", giving aid to other supernatural creatures. Despite this, she will not directly hurt a human, but caution is still suggested. Last known location was Salem, Massachusetts, USA. See picture below.

Katerina Petrova—vampire, no real affiliations. Believed to have close ties to the "Originals". Bloodline is that of the powerful Petrova doppelgangers. Approach with extreme caution. Last known location was Alexandria, Egypt. See picture below.

The Hybrid—considered a myth. Part werewolf, part vampire. If seen, do not approach under any circumstance. Lethal. No know location or name. See below for artist rendering.

If any of these creatures are in your area, do not engage them unless trained to do so. Let your local authority know when and where they were last seen.

Thank you and God bless.

-.-.-.-.-

You must return to us, brother. They are now getting closer and closer to finding our family. We must come together as one and take care of this threat once and for all. Otherwise this could prove the end of our very long lives.

E

That was when human generals and leaders started going missing. Battlefields full of humans sucked dry and torn viciously apart showed the kind of massacre these monsters were capable of. People started barricading themselves into their homes at night, fearing their own neighbors. They worried for their safety whenever darkness came over them. Much like the Salem Witch Trials, many were accused simply because people were hoping to play the system, to get some bitter enemy taken out of the picture.

It became complete and utter chaos for awhile.

By the time she was born, though, it had calmed down to almost nothing. She still had to wear and drink vervain every day, but there weren't boobie-traps throughout her house. She was allowed outside the house past dark, so long as she carried wolfsbane, vervain, and a stake with her. Her mother had taught her how to wield that stake, not the school.

It had been less of a threat because the government was protecting her. Except she had still been turned. There were still monsters out there that had gotten past all the precautions. Just like her.

Which was why she needed the cure. How long until she was found out? She couldn't live this way any longer. It was too much to control her bloodthirst with stolen blood bags that could have saved lives. Every day was a battle she might not win with the monster inside. Holding onto her humanity was all she had left, and the thread was beginning to unravel on that.

June, 1953

To Whom It May Concern:

We have clear evidence that The Hybrid is alive and well. He may have the means to create more like him, though we can't be sure of that. Also, it is believed that he knows the whereabouts of the cure to vampirism.

However, we have found the perfect specimen to experiment with a cure of our making. We do not suggest that The Hybrid should be captured. Rather, he should immediately be put down as he is too powerful for an entire army to kill.

Mystic Fall Council

-.-.-.-.-

Dear Mystic Falls,

Hello. I don't believe we've met, but you have all just become a source of my wrath. You have taken my lover and I wish to have him back.

The longer you take, the more your citizens die.

Sincerely,
R

-.-.-.-.-

Nancies,

Release my brother before I have to go through the trouble of killing you all. I know you are considering him a test subject, but only I am allowed to torture him.

So hand him over and no one gets hurt.

DS

It was surprising to her that test subjects were being brought into the facilities. And the number of them. That lover and brother were only the first of many to be knowingly used as guinea pigs to find a man-made cure for vampirism. There were records of thousands of vampires dying under the intense torture, finally falling into true death at the hands of masked guards and scientists.

As she dug deeper, it became all the more clear that they were desperate for something that would turn vampires back into humans. There were so many theories on how to find a cure that all of it was beginning to jumble in her mind, making it hard for her to understand. The humans wondered what a cure would accomplish: would those people die as they hadn't before or was it a serum to fix death? Could they use it as a dart or was it a spell done by a witch? Should they keep a few vampires alive in cages so they could take their blood and cure the sick and hurt?

Would they be able to give it to all vampires? Would it reveal the mystery around the species' creation?

Whatever the answer, it had the Originals on edge. As whispers of a cure grew, the remaining siblings became increasingly uneasy, sending more letters to one another until….

September, 1956

They've taken your brother, My Lord. A human stabbed him through the heart with one of your family's stakes. I fear that is what they plan to do to all of you. Your brother was a good man and deserved much more than to be carted away like a corpse, but I'm afraid I don't know where they've taken him.

All I can ask of you is to heed this warning and run. Run far away, My Lord, and wait until the time is right to strike.

Your Loyal Servant,
Trevor

-.-.-.-.-

R,

I know what the humans are after, sister. They want to find the cure to vampires, to us.

Don't let them get it.

K

She would have expected there to be an immediate war after yet another brother was captured, only able to write one last note to their sister. Two siblings had been taken to most likely be tortured for information; the other three had to return that volley, right? It was the only thing that made sense.

Only they hadn't.

It was completely silent on their end for two months. No letters, journals, or even a scribble. It was like they dropped off into Narnia and schemed their revenge there. In fact, other than K's letter, there was only one hint at their personal lives until 1959.

Novemeber, 1956

We must attack these labs now. They have taken too many of our family members and comrades. This cannot be tolerated any longer.

I say we all go to the nearest one on Christmas and attack when they are least prepared. They cannot take us all.

N

However, he had been incredibly wrong about that. Though it had been the massacre he'd no doubt believed it would be, the sides were switched. It was his comrades that had taken heavy losses. Unfortunately, the humans had come far more prepared than ever before.

All over the world, creatures were ambushed and killed. Few were taken alive and even fewer escaped. Amongst the missing were E and R, leaving N as the last Original sibling. All his siblings had been taken now, leaving most supernaturals shaking in fear for their future.

They were a message to all: the humans would win, no matter the cost. Yes they would suffer casualties, but they would defeat beings more powerful than them even if it took their last breath.

She could remember having the kind of tenacity. It was something she'd lost after being turned, replaced with an increased sense of survival. As a human, she'd known that her days were, in fact, numbered, that at some point she would die. So she'd lived day by day. But as a vampire there was the possibility of living forever.

And a secret part of her wanted that. To live until the end of time.

It seemed to be the running feeling of the vampire world. They all wanted to live as long as possible. It was as if all natural instincts were amplified once you were turned, making it impossible to ignore them.

Even N—whom she was starting to suspect was actually The Hybrid himself—was showing signs of fear for his life. His suspected movements showed he never lived in one place for long; he caused his mayhem and left before he could be captured. There were always signs that he left behind, to let them know that he could come and go as he pleased, that he could worm his way past all their defenses.

So when he finally made contact after three years of near silence, all hell broke loose.

August, 1959

United Nations and Council Members,

You have been searching for me for years. You've wondered what my plans are, so I thought I might throw you dogs a bone.

I plan on exposing you all for what you really are: cowards. So quick to turn on your friends, family, and allies at the flip of a switch. I have spent a thousand years doing favors for others and I have begun calling them in.

For instance, do you know how easy it is to become a politician? Or to gain the most trust a politician can give? My people do. We've been studying it for centuries. It made it so easy for my men to infiltrate your ranks and start going to your little meetings. And there are some that aren't just vampires; I have my own creations on my side. They feed me information on your movements, on how far along you are with your cure research.

I know you might not believe this—that is you prerogative—but how else would I know your movements against me? I wouldn't have been able to know you followed me into France last March as I searched for my siblings. But I escaped you once again.

As I will continue doing while you tear yourselves apart trying to find my spies. Soon I will take you all down once and for all.

Fondly,
The Hybrid

He taunted the United Nations for months with letters just like that one, threatening them with hybrids that she doubted were within their ranks. But he held off a true battle with them, making tension rise for over a year before he finally went after them. He just kept taunting them until they nearly fell apart.

Then, in December of 1960, he attacked the United Nations with an army of supernaturals behind him. He went after the leaders and killed or turned nearly all of them, leaving only one or two survivors. He and his army were on the verge of winning the war they'd started.

But the sudden entrance of a new group known simply as "hunters" threw that all away. They were trained to be uncaring, to move as fast as a human was physically capable of doing. Most of all, they were lethal. When they joined the fray, none of the creatures stood a chance. The hunters—led by five "generals"—turned the tide of the battle, effectively ending the short-lived war.

And that led to the immediate capture of The Hybrid on December 14, 1960.

They had moved him—now positively ID'd as Niklaus Mikaelson, the final sibling of the Original family—several times until they could find or build a facility strong enough to hold him, as he continued to thwart their attempts to keep him down. He almost broke out each time before they switched him to another facility, hoping that would be the one where they could keep him forever.

Going back into the records of the facilities, she found one that was had been intended for the Original family, only to be abandoned once they had actually captured several of them. The building was built so that no unauthorized person could hope to leave. It had two floors above ground, one buried deep beneath, if the blueprints still held true. There were only four rooms in the very bottom separated by indestructible doors with no windows. There was absolutely no contact with the outside world and however long they were there, they never saw sunlight again. In the control room—which could only be accessed by two people at any point in time—there was a button that made the explosives build into the walls explode.

And somehow she doubted such an expensive building was just being left to rot.

So, with all the information she had, Caroline Forbes began planning and preparing for her meeting with The Hybrid.

-.-.-.-.-

He slammed his fist into the floor of his—what did the humans call it?—kennel, knowing that it was useless. Even if he could dig his way out, it would take too much of his precious little energy to go under the entire building. He was at least thirty feet underground in the very middle of a structure a mile in diameter and he wasn't even given a full pint of blood a day.

The energy he needed to escape just wasn't forthcoming.

But he had a plan; he always had a plan. He knew how to escape, the only question was when. There were no hostages to take since none of the humans got close to him. Though he'd tried continuously to beat down the barrier between him and the outside rooms, it barely dented the shield of metal. He couldn't risk the last of his energy destroying it if he wanted to make it back to civilization at some point.

So he'd decided to wait until his opportunity arose to fight back. He had all the time in the world.

Then he would take his revenge.

My newest story! I hope you enjoyed the prologue; the first chapter will be up on April 23rd without fail. ;)

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