16 Years Later — Mystic Falls
The sun was beginning to set over Mystic Falls, casting golden hues across the familiar streets of the small town. The Salvatore Boarding House still stood proudly at the edge of town, restored and alive in ways it hadn’t been for decades. Laughter and voices echoed from the house—this was no longer a place of shadows but a home filled with life.
Inside the sprawling living room, Jet Salvatore leaned back on the couch, flipping a basketball in his hands. His raven-black hair fell into his face, but he paid it no mind, a smirk tugging at his lips as he listened to his sister, Aria, pacing around the room.
“I swear, Jet, if you’re not ready to leave in five minutes, I’m going without you,” Aria snapped, her green eyes blazing with exasperation.
“Relax,” Jet said lazily, tossing the basketball into the air and catching it. “It’s just a bonfire, Aria. It’s not like the world’s ending.”
Aria shot him a look that could set fire to the curtains. She stood tall, her hair as dark as his but with Elena’s soft waves cascading down her shoulders. “I’m not kidding. Mom and Dad will kill us if we’re late. You know Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Ric always make a big deal out of this Founders’ Day bonfire.”
Jet rolled his eyes but stood up, tossing the basketball onto the couch. “Fine, fine. Let’s go, Speedy.”
The nickname was well-earned. Aria crossed her arms, a smirk mirroring her brother’s as she replied, “Don’t call me Speedy when I’m still faster than you.”
“Not in a race,” Jet quipped.
“Only because I let you win last time.”
Before the bickering could escalate, the front door creaked open, and Damon Salvatore’s unmistakable voice rang through the house.
“Are you two coming, or do I need to light this bonfire myself?”
“Coming!” Aria called, grabbing her bag. She glanced at Jet. “Come on, dummy.”
Jet grumbled under his breath but followed, the two of them zipping past Damon in a blur of speed. Damon let out a long-suffering sigh as he watched the streaks of movement. “Every time,” he muttered, though the faint smile tugging at his lips betrayed his pride.
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The Founders’ Day Bonfire
The town square buzzed with life, families gathered around crackling flames, music playing softly in the background. Lanterns hung from the trees, and tables were covered with food and drinks. The Mystic Falls Founders’ Day bonfire had become an annual tradition, and tonight was no different.
Elena stood near one of the tables, watching the crowd with a warm smile. She looked as radiant as ever, her ageless beauty matched only by the light in her eyes as she watched her children laughing near the fire. Damon stood beside her, holding two cups of cocoa, one of which he handed to her.
“They’ve officially inherited your stubbornness,” Damon said, nodding toward Jet and Aria, who were now arguing over who could toast a marshmallow faster.
Elena smirked, taking a sip of her cocoa. “They’re your kids too, Damon. Don’t forget that.”
Damon grinned. “Yeah, but I was never that bad.”
“Keep telling yourself that.”
Nearby, Caroline and Stefan stood with their two daughters, laughing as Bonnie and Alaric shared stories. Jeremy leaned against a table, throwing a football back and forth with Matt. It was the life Elena had always dreamed of—family, friends, safety. The darkness of the past felt like nothing more than a distant memory.
But all of that was about to change.
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A Disturbance in the Air
Later that night, after the festivities had died down and the fire had begun to burn low, Aria stood at the edge of the woods, her arms crossed as she looked out into the trees. Jet appeared beside her in a blink, his usual smirk replaced by a more thoughtful expression.
“What’s up, Speedy?” he asked, though his voice lacked its usual teasing tone.
Aria didn’t respond right away. Her eyes narrowed, her gaze fixed on something far beyond the shadows. “Do you feel that?” she asked softly.
Jet frowned, turning serious. He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing. Then he felt it too—an unfamiliar energy crackling in the air like static before a storm. It felt wrong.
“Yeah,” he muttered. “What the hell is that?”
Before either of them could react further, a sharp pain exploded in their heads. Both twins staggered back, clutching their temples as visions flashed across their minds.
Flashes of Mystic Falls, years earlier.
The Salvatore Boarding House, crumbling into flames.
Their mother, pregnant—a younger version of her—lying unconscious.
A voice echoed through the visions: “They must not be born.”
The visions stopped as suddenly as they started, leaving Aria and Jet gasping for breath. Jet straightened first, his eyes wide with alarm. “What was that?”
Aria’s face was pale, fear etching into her features. “Something’s wrong. The timeline—it’s changing.”
Jet looked at her sharply. “What do you mean, changing?”
Aria swallowed hard, her mind racing. “If what we just saw is real… someone’s trying to stop Mom from having us.”
Jet’s face darkened. “You’re saying someone’s trying to kill us… in the past?”
“Yes.” Aria turned to him, determination blazing in her green eyes. “And we’re not going to let that happen.”
Jet ran a hand through his hair, already processing what had to be done. “So what—are we just supposed to jump back to the past and fix it?”
Aria glanced back toward the bonfire where their parents stood laughing, unaware of what was happening. She nodded. “Yes. We have to go back. If we don’t, none of this—we—will exist.”
Jet exhaled sharply. “Mom and Dad are going to kill us when they find out.”
Aria smirked faintly, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “That’s assuming we make it back to tell them.”
Jet sighed, rolling his shoulders. “Fine. Let’s do this. Speed of light, right?”
“Speed of light,” Aria confirmed.
They exchanged a look, a silent agreement passing between them. And then, in the blink of an eye, the twins vanished—two streaks of energy cutting through the night, racing against time itself.
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The Past — Mystic Falls, Present Day
The woods surrounding Mystic Falls were quiet as the energy shifted unnaturally, a ripple of light tearing through the dark. Suddenly, Jet and Aria appeared in the clearing, landing on their feet with perfect precision. The air crackled around them, the smell of ozone lingering from their arrival.
Jet looked around, his sharp eyes scanning the familiar landscape. “We made it.”
Aria stepped forward, determination etched into every line of her face. “Now we find Mom and Dad.”
Unbeknownst to them, however, their arrival hadn’t gone unnoticed. From the shadows of the trees, unseen eyes watched them, and a low, guttural voice whispered softly to itself.
“They’ve come. The children of the impossible. The timeline will not hold.”
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