Forsaken Right

Mystic Falls knew how to throw a party. I'd give them that. Music loud enough to shake the trees, and a bunch of teenagers pretending this was the peak of their lives. Kinda sad; really, it's not what I expected. 

I hung back at the edge of the crowd, just watching. Jocks, cheerleaders, and every other cliché in between. They looked so… carefree. It must be nice. 

"Cyrus!" Caroline's voice was like a spotlight I didn't ask for. Of course, she'd find me.

"You actually came! Thought you were too cool for this kind of thing," she teased, giving me what looked like a playful look; I think I finally noticed I'm not good with people.

I shrugged. "Yeah, well, I heard they had free food." "I'm not joking, That government stimulus checks ain't shit. Funny how that thought hits me like a memory that isn't mine, like glimpsing another version of me in 2021, staring at a bank account that barely blinked. Some things never change, no matter the timeline.

She laughed like I was the funniest guy here. Bitch is trying too hard. "Lucky for you, I'm your tour guide tonight."

Perfect. Just what I needed. But before I could come up with an excuse, Bonnie showed up. Quiet, thoughtful, and definitely too observant. Her eyes softened a little when she saw me.

"Hey," she said, her voice calmer than Caroline's. "Didn't think you were the party type."

I leaned against a tree, keeping it casual. "I'm not. Just… checking it out."

Caroline grinned, but it looked a little forced. "Bonnie's been curious about you," she teased. "She loves a good mystery."

Bonnie's face went red. "Ignore her," she muttered, shooting Caroline a glare. "She likes to stir the pot."

I smirked. "Yeah, I noticed."

Before Caroline could rope us into more small talk, a fight broke out near the bonfire. Some dudes are going at it, all anger and testosterone. Classic.

Bonnie frowned. "Does this happen a lot?"

I watched them clench their fists, and their faces twisted with rage. I knew that look too well. "Seems like it. People do get bored around here."

Caroline marched over, all authority and no fear. "Enough!" she shouted, and they actually listened. Gotta admit, the girl knew how to control a room.

I leaned toward Bonnie, lowering my voice. "She likes being the center of attention, huh?"

Bonnie stifled a laugh. "You have no idea."

She looked up at me, curiosity all over her face. She was trying to figure me out, cute, but no thanks.

I glanced back at the crowd, all laughing and dancing. It Must be nice to be that oblivious.

I felt that familiar pull, the timelines slipping in and out, faces I didn't know but somehow recognized. Other versions of me living other lives better lives. Not here. Not stuck. Fuck.

Bonnie's voice cut through the noise. "You okay?"

I forced a smirk. "Yeah. Just… not my scene." I looked away, trying to ignore the ache in my chest. "Guess I'm not great at the whole 'normal' thing."

She smiled, soft and understanding. "Me neither."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just nodded. It was easier to pretend I didn't care. To act like all this didn't bother me. Even if it did.

The crowd kept laughing, kept dancing, like nothing else mattered. I wondered what that felt like. To be that… free.

I needed a break from the noise. The music, the laughter, the fake smiles—it was all too much. It felt like standing on the edge of a cliff, the timelines pulling at me, whispering about all the versions of me that didn't feel this way. Versions that were actually enjoying this night, blending in, not haunted by memories that weren't theirs. Must be nice.

The woods were better. Quieter. Darker. I pass between the trees. Out here, I could breathe. Out here, I wasn't drowning in other people's happiness. I could just be… me. Whatever the hell that meant.

I walked without a destination, my thoughts tangled and knotted, a mess of what-ifs and could have been. The timelines were still flickering in the back of my mind, teasing me with glimpses of a life I'd never get to live. A version of me laughing around that bonfire, carefree and clueless. A version of me who didn't know just how cruel the universe could be.

Pathetic.

A muffled shout broke through my thoughts, followed by the rustle of branches. I stopped, my head tilting. Panicked footsteps, heavy breathing. Someone was running. From what?.

I followed the sound, slipping through the undergrowth, speed unmatched. My eyes lightly adjusting to the dark, picking out shapes, movements. There was a figure stumbling through the trees, her steps uneven, frantic even. I recognized her from school.

She tripped over a root, swearing as she caught herself on a tree. Her breathing was loud, panicked like she couldn't get enough air. Her head snapped around, wide eyes scanning the shadows. Whatever was chasing her, she couldn't see it. But I could.

He moved fast; one moment, he was a blur. The next, he was leaning against a tree, looking bored. Dark hair, leather jacket, that infuriatingly smug grin I'd seen him around town.While my mind might be broken it dose have it's upsides.

I watched him, curiosity sparking in my chest. I'd always gotten a weird vibe from him, like he was too comfortable in his own skin, too aware of his surroundings. Now I knew why. He wasn't human.

Interesting.

She backed up, pressing herself against a tree, eyes wide and terrified. "Leave me alone!"

His smile widened, all teeth and malice. "But we were just starting to have fun."

He moved, faster than any human should. One moment, he was ten feet away; the next, he was right in front of her, his hand around her throat, lifting her off the ground like she weighed nothing. Her feet kicked, hands clawing at his arm, but it was useless. He didn't even blink.

I should've felt something. Instead, I just felt… curious. Fascinated, even. What was he? And more importantly, how was he that fast? Nothing to worry about, but still, astonishing.

She choked, tears streaming down her face as she tried to scream. His face changed, his eyes darkening, veins crawling under his skin like spider webs. Fangs. Real, honest to God fangs.

Vampires. Huh. I didn't see that one coming.

She was going to die. It would've been easier to walk away. No one knew I was out here, and I had no reason to get involved. But then I thought about what it would look like if they found her body out here, and I decided I didn't want to deal with that kind of attention.

Hands in my pockets like I walked over "Let her go."

His head snapped around, his eyes narrowing. He looked me up and down, his lip curling. "You've got to be kidding me." He tossed Vicki to the ground like she was trash, turning to face me fully. "I don't remember inviting you to this party."

I shrugged, leaning casually against a tree. "Must've lost the invite. You know how it is."

His eyes flicked to my hands, still in my pockets, my stance relaxed. He wasn't sure what to make of me. 

"You should've kept walking, kid," he said, his voice dropping to a low growl. "Now I have to kill you."

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Yeah, good luck with that."

He was fast. I'll give him that. One second, he was standing there; the next, he was right in front of me, his hand reaching for my throat. But his speed didn't amount to much. Even on my worst day, starving and all, he still would have been a snail.

Everything slowed down, the world sharpening into perfect detail. I saw his fingers reaching for my neck, his muscles tensing, the smirk on his face as he thought he'd already won. Amateur.

I stepped to the side, his hand slicing through empty air. His expression flickered with confusion just before I grabbed the back of his neck and twisted.

The crack echoed through the trees, and he crumpled to the ground, his head at an unnatural angle. I looked down at his body, one eyebrow raised. "That was disappointing."

She was still on the ground, her back against a tree, eyes wide as saucers. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck.

She'd seen me. Wonderful. Just what I needed.

I walked over, crouching down in front of her. "You're not going to remember any of this," I said, my voice low and steady. "You were attacked by an animal, and you ran. Got it?"

She nodded numbly, her eyes flicking from my face to the guys body. I grabbed her shoulder, giving her a little shake. "Focus. Do you understand me?"

"Y-Yeah," she stammered, tears still streaming down her face. "An animal… I… I ran…"

"Good girl. Oh, and if you tell anyone it was here, I'll kill you and all of your family if you have one." I stood up, brushing dirt off my jeans. "Now get out of here. Go find help."

She scrambled to her feet, stumbling back the way she came. I watched her go, making sure she didn't trip and break her neck on the way out. When she was gone, I turned back to his body.

So, vampires were real. And they were fast. Not as fast as me, but still. If there was one, there were more. And if they were all this cocky, I'd gonna have so much fun.

A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth. This place was more interesting than I'd given it credit for. Maybe Mystic Falls wont be such a waste of time after all.