The news that the Originals were in town hit the supernatural community like a bomb.
Complaints and fear began pouring in toward the Bennetts.
"Seriously? You literally created a supernatural council… I leave town for a few months and this is what happens?" Nik shook his head, dragging his hands down his face. "I want to cry."
"We thought decisions about the city and its different beings should go through them," Bonnie and Caroline replied enthusiastically, "and not just through us."
Damn it… how could you do this to me? You took the power out of my hands and split it into groups…
Now I'm going to have trouble suppressing the shapeshifters when necessary without having to explain my motives.
Why the hell do you ruin all my plans… I swear I'm going to cry.
And I can't just destroy everything they built—if I do, I'd be turning the supernatural population against them… and ruining my relationship with them too.
I can't lose my family…
I'll have to adapt… and slowly pull the power of this city back to myself.
At school, a new student arrived—Kol Mikaelson. And another student who had disappeared returned.
Rebekah Mikaelson.
And the two of them decided they would make Elena's group's life a little miserable.
"Okay, so we can't attack the Bennett witch because she has a deal with Nik and Elijah," Kol grumbled, shaking his head. "How did those two fall for that trick? That witch must be really powerful."
"Yes, from what Elijah said… she managed to throw him across a room. To make one of us fly like that takes a lot of magic," Rebekah replied. "I've seen witches die from exhaustion just trying to push me back a couple of steps."
"Yeah… that's very strange…" Kol started to say, then his eyes widened. "Damn."
He placed a hand over his chest, feeling a pressure.
"What is it?" Rebekah asked, concerned, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Didn't you feel that magical power?" Kol muttered, taking a deep breath. "It's almost like there are ten powerful witches in this school."
"There are?" Rebekah frowned. Fighting ten witches at once would be extremely annoying… too much magic being thrown at them could overwhelm even a vampire's resistance and drain them.
"No… it feels like all that power is concentrated in one place." Kol's eyes widened and a grin spread across his face. "Hahaha… no wonder Klaus and Elijah are wary of the Bennett witch. She's powerful, Rebekah… not on our level yet, but she has power comparable to at least a 700-year-old vampire."
"All that?" Rebekah was shocked. "I've rarely seen witches reach that level of power."
The two exchanged looks, deeply unsettled—and finally understood why no one caused trouble in this city.
Jeremy and Anna were walking hand in hand at school when the new student approached them.
"A vampire and a human?" the boy asked. "Care to share a snack?"
"Get—" Anna was about to snap at him when Jeremy touched her shoulder. She used her mental abilities to enter his mind.
He looks like a vampire… doesn't seem to care about anything. If we test him here, it could cause a fight inside the school and expose the supernatural. Let's go outside and deal with him there.
Jeremy thought, and Anna agreed. She shot the boy an irritated look.
"Sure… but not here." She grabbed Jeremy's arm and led him outside.
"Of course. By the way, my name is Kol."
"Well, shall I take the first bite?" Kol asked playfully—only for his eyes to widen as his arm was suddenly severed.
He stared in shock as Anna's arm turned black, morphing into a blade.
"Try biting this, you worm," Anna snarled, striking again. "Don't you ever talk to my husband like that again."
But when she swung again, Kol had already vanished—reappearing several meters away, eyes wide.
"What the hell is this?" he thought in shock as his arm began regenerating—bones, muscles, nerves, veins, arteries, and finally skin—all in less than two seconds. "What the hell is this?"
Kol froze for a brief moment—not out of fear, but pure fascination.
His eyes gleamed with curiosity as he analyzed every detail.
" I know…" he murmured, flexing his newly formed hand. "But this…"
He looked at Anna's arm, still shaped like a blade, its dark surface almost alive, pulsing with energy.
"This is magic… nor vampirism, is it impossible…" A slow smile formed. "This is interesting."
Anna didn't respond.
She attacked.
Her body blurred forward, the blade slicing through the air. This time, she wasn't testing—she was trying to kill him.
Kol dodged by centimeters.
The ground behind him was sliced apart like butter.
"Enhanced strength… high speed… body mutation…" he continued, almost excited, effortlessly evading her. "This keeps getting better."
He appeared behind her in a blink.
But Anna was ready.
Spikes twisted from her back—dark, jagged—and shot out like spears.
Kol leapt aside, dodging most of them. The ones that reached him—he simply slapped them away, snapping them in half.
He might not have magic as a vampire…
But he was far older—and far stronger—than Anna.
"Ah…" he tilted his head. "So you can transform your entire body, not just your arms. How interesting."
Anna jumped back and raised her hands.
A weak gust of wind burst forward, forcing Kol to shield his eyes.
That was all she needed.
Even though she didn't have the same mastery over elemental vampire magic as her mother or Caroline—since her talent was transmutation—she could still use a little.
Her foot shifted into a blade, and she kicked toward him—
Kol simply stepped back.
"Now, now… don't rush. You'll drain yourself," he said calmly, almost gently. "I'm still learning about you."
He glanced at her leg—then suddenly pulled her toward him, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her.
"So it follows a vampire pattern… if you use too much, you weaken. Interesting." His grip tightened. "You know… I always wanted my magic back… and here you are—a random vampire, so close to my dream…"
His eyes darkened.
"Tell me… how did you get this?" he demanded, squeezing harder. "Come on. Tell me."
Jeremy stepped forward, the hunter's mark spreading across his body.
"Let her go!"
Kol didn't even look at him.
"Human…" he muttered. "Irrelevant."
But then—
Something changed.
He felt it again.
That same magical pressure.
Heavy.
Watching.
Kol's eyes widened—just before he was violently thrown back.
Anna collapsed to her knees, coughing, her arm slowly returning to normal.
Kol stood up, looking down at his chest—where a piece of metal was embedded.
"You're not the only interesting thing in this city…" he said, glancing around. "But you're definitely one of the most fun."
He pulled the metal from his chest and pointed at her.
"You. I'm going to understand what you are."
Then he looked at Jeremy.
"And you… you're probably the emotional anchor. There's always one."
In a blink, he vanished.
Silence.
The air still felt heavy.
Anna clenched her arm, trembling slightly—not from fear, but frustration.
"He… is much stronger."
Jeremy helped her up.
"But you scared him."
Anna shook her head, staring in the direction he had gone.
"No…" she said firmly. "Nik scared him… I felt his magic rising. Something hit Kol—and he felt it too. That's why he backed off."
Somewhere in the city…
Kol reappeared on top of a building, staring at the school with a manic smile.
"A vampire who can reshape her own body… that's magic—I felt it. But how is that possible? Vampires don't have magic…"
"A witch with power comparable to a 700-year-old vampire… and another being with power similar to Klaus—but different—and strong enough to hit me without me noticing…"
His grin widened.
"This isn't a coincidence. Something is happening in this city."
He licked his lips, excited.
"Klaus is going to hate this…"
A pause.
His smile grew—and so did his hope.
"If that vampire can have magic…"
"…then so can I."