Class was finally over, but Elena didn't leave her seat right away. She waited until everyone else had filed out of the room. Only then did she stand up and walk toward the teacher's desk.
"Hello, Mr. Saltzman. I'd like to talk to you," Elena said, her voice calm but serious.
He looked up from his papers, a bit surprised. "Miss Gilbert—you can call me Rick."
"Okay, Rick... I know you're a vampire hunter," she said bluntly.
His expression froze. "...What?"
"And I also know you came to Mystic Falls because you believe a vampire here killed your wife," she continued, unfazed.
Rick stared at her in disbelief. Then, without saying a word, he walked to the classroom door, closed it, and locked it behind him. When he turned back, his eyes were sharper, guarded.
"How do you know any of this?" he asked, stepping closer.
"A friend of mine told me. He knows a lot of things," Elena said. "Like the fact that the ring you're wearing brings you back to life... as long as it's a supernatural being that kills you."
Rick's eyes dropped briefly to the ring on his finger. "Who's your friend? And how the hell does he know that?"
"You'll meet him soon," Elena replied. "But not here. Come to my house later. We'll explain everything."
Later that Day – Elena's House
Elena was sitting on her bed, nervously bouncing her knee while waiting.
"How do you think he's going to react to everything we're about to tell him?" she asked aloud.
"Who knows," I replied. "Angry. Heartbroken. Maybe even a little unhinged. Finding out your wife chose to become a vampire and left you? That's a hell of a lot to process."
"And let's not forget," Elena added, "that his wife is my biological mom… and the ring he's wearing will eventually drive him insane if he keeps dying to supernatural threats."
"Yeah… but luckily, I don't see any vampires killing him anytime soon," I said. "Still, we're going to have to tell him everything."
Before she could respond, Jenna called from downstairs.
"Elena, can you come down here for a minute?"
Elena stood up and walked downstairs. Rick was standing at the front door, hands in his coat pockets.
"Hi, Rick," Elena greeted him with a polite smile.
Jenna glanced between them, relieved. "Okay, good. Judging by your face, this isn't anything serious."
"No, of course not," Elena said quickly. "I told Rick we have some old family books upstairs he might be interested in… you know, him being a history teacher and all."
"Sure. Those should be in your parents' closet," Jenna said, then wandered off.
Elena led Rick upstairs to her parents' room. It was clean but clearly untouched—dust lingered on surfaces, and the air was still. She sat gently on the bed while Rick remained standing, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
"So," he said, "who's your friend? And how does he know so much about me?"
"He knows a lot about a lot of things," Elena replied. "But he doesn't like explaining himself. Just… promise me something."
Rick raised a brow. "Depends on what it is."
"Don't try to attack him. He'll hurt you. Badly."
Rick looked genuinely confused now, but nodded. "I won't start anything… unless he gives me a reason to."
Elena closed her eyes. A beat passed—and then her body changed.
Markings spread across her skin like ink crawling from beneath the surface. Her eyes snapped open, now a deep, haunting scarlet.
I was in control.
"Nice to meet you, Rick."
"What the hell…" Rick muttered, instinctively unfolding his arms and stepping back as the transformation took over Elena's body.
"Yeah, I get that a lot," I said, my voice deeper, more resonant. "But keep your voice down. Elena's not ready for her family to know about me—or the supernatural—just yet."
Rick narrowed his eyes. "Who… or what are you?"
"The name's Sukuna," I replied.
His reaction was instant—his stance shifted, more guarded, eyes sharp with recognition.
"Judging by that look, you've heard of me."
"There are… old books," he admitted. "Not much detail, but enough to know you're not someone people forget. You were around over a thousand years ago. How are you even here now? And how the hell do you know so much about me?"
"Long story short?" I said, calmly. "I cursed my own fingers—imbued them with my power, my essence. Anyone who's strong enough to consume one becomes my vessel. Elena ate one when she was five. She survived. Barely. And now we share this body."
Rick stared, stunned. "She ate… a finger?"
"She was a kid. She didn't know what it was," I said. "But that's not the important part right now."
I stepped closer, lowering my tone. "You think Damon killed your wife. That's where you're wrong."
"What?" Rick snapped. "I know he did—"
"She's alive," I interrupted. "In a sense. She's a vampire now. Damon turned her."
Rick's face went pale. "What…?"
"Yeah. Shocking, I know," I said. "Take a breath. Because there's more."
Rick exhaled slowly, clenching his jaw.
Then I explained. Everything. How Isobel chose to become a vampire. How she walked away from her life, her marriage. How she's Elena's biological mother. I told him about the ring he wears—how it brings him back to life only if he's killed by something supernatural, and what repeated use could do to him. And finally, I told him about my fingers, why I'm gathering them, and about Klaus—the original hybrid—who needs Elena to break his curse.
Rick stood frozen, absorbing the impossible.
His world had just been flipped upside down.
"Yeah," I said softly, watching him. "I figured this would hit hard."
"Yeah... it is," Rick muttered, his voice heavy. "I just found out my wife is alive. That she left me willingly, chose to become a vampire... and now I find out she has a daughter—one who's sharing a soul with a powerful dark sorcerer—and there's a vampire coming after her? A powerful one?"
He shook his head and let out a dry laugh, like he didn't know whether to scream or sit down and cry.
"Yeah, I figured you'd take it like that," I said as I sat down, crossing my arms.
"So... what are you gonna do now?" I asked him.
Rick paused, staring at nothing for a moment before answering.
"I don't know. I came to this town looking for revenge—wanted to find Damon and kill him. But now? I don't even know what I'm doing here anymore."
"You should take time to think," I told him, keeping my tone even. "But if you do decide to stay, we could use your help. You're good at what you do—taking down vampires, making weapons, surviving the impossible. And once Elena tells her family everything, they're going to need real training if they want to survive what's coming. You could help with that."
Rick just looked at me. Not angry. Not scared. Just... processing.
"I'll think about it," he finally said.
Then he turned around and walked out of the room without another word.
I gave Elena back control before anyone noticed. Hopefully, he decides to stay. Because when the real threats come knocking, Elena, Jeremy, Vicky, and Jenna are going to need someone like Rick watching their backs.
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AN: Sorry for the late chapter work been kicking my ass.