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— Mystic Falls, Present Day

In the depths of the Mystic Falls woods, the Temporal Hunters moved like wraiths. Their cloaks, dark as moonless nights, shimmered faintly with traces of the temporal energy they manipulated. Solace, their leader, stood in the center of the group, his pale face partially hidden beneath a hood. His piercing silver eyes scanned the glowing sigils in the air before him, shifting and distorting with each passing moment.

“They’ve already disrupted the flow,” Solace murmured, his voice like cold steel cutting through the silence.

Another Hunter stepped forward, their clawed hand twitching with energy. “Their very presence strains the timeline. If they remain, the fracture will spread.”

Solace’s lips curled into a faint smirk. “We let them lead us to their origins. Their parents—” he spat the word like venom—“are the source of this aberration. They must be eliminated.”

One of the Hunters hesitated. “The Salvatore bloodline is formidable. The twins’ powers—”

“Will be irrelevant once they’re never born,” Solace interjected sharply. He extended a hand, and a swirling vortex appeared in the air, showing the Salvatore Boarding House. “Begin the hunt. They’ve returned to protect their existence. We’ll ensure they fail.”

The Hunters vanished, their forms dissolving into shadows, leaving only the faint smell of ozone in the air.

---

Inside the Salvatore Boarding House

The warmth of the fire crackled in the living room as Damon and Elena sat on the couch, sharing a rare quiet evening together. The photo album in Elena’s lap held memories of a time when life had been simpler—before the endless fights, the losses, the sacrifices.

“You’re staring at that like it holds all the answers,” Damon teased, sipping his bourbon.

“Maybe it does,” Elena replied with a small smile, running her fingers over a picture of Jeremy and Bonnie from years ago. “Sometimes I think about how far we’ve come… and how much we’ve lost.”

Damon tilted his head, studying her. “You’re not having second thoughts about all this, are you?”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“No,” Elena said firmly, looking up at him. “This life—we fought for it. I’m just… grateful we made it through.”

Before Damon could reply, a faint gust of air swept through the room. It was subtle, almost unnoticeable, but it carried a strange energy that made him sit up straight.

“Did you feel that?” Elena asked, her brow furrowing.

Damon set his glass down, his eyes narrowing. “Yeah. And it wasn’t the wind.”

A moment later, the front door creaked open. Damon was on his feet in an instant, standing protectively in front of Elena.

Two figures stepped inside, their movements deliberate but cautious. A young man, tall with raven-black hair, scanned the room with sharp, calculating eyes, while a girl with the same dark hair but softer features followed closely behind.

Elena stood slowly, her heart racing. “Who are you?”

The young woman stepped forward, her hands raised in a gesture of peace. “Please, don’t be alarmed. We’re not here to hurt you.”

“Yeah, that’s what all the bad guys say,” Damon snapped, his tone sharp.

The young man rolled his eyes. “Great. He’s as paranoid as we thought.”

“Jet,” the girl hissed, elbowing him. She turned back to Damon and Elena, her voice soft but steady. “This is going to sound… impossible. But we’re here because we need your help.”

“Start talking,” Damon demanded, not relaxing an inch.

The girl hesitated, then pulled a necklace from her pocket. It was a small, silver locket, worn with time but unmistakable. She handed it to Elena, who gasped softly as she recognized it.

“This… this was mine,” Elena whispered. “I lost it years ago.”

“You didn’t lose it,” the girl said gently. “It was passed down—to me.”

Damon’s eyes darted between the two strangers. “What the hell are you talking about?”

The young man stepped forward, his smirk fading into a rare moment of sincerity. “Look, this is complicated, and we don’t have a lot of time. But the short version? We’re your kids. From the future.”

Silence fell over the room.

Elena stared at them, her mind reeling. “Our… kids?”

“Yeah,” the boy—Jet—said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m Jet. That’s Aria. Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.”

Damon blinked, completely thrown off guard. “What—no. That’s not possible.”

“It is,” Aria said quietly, stepping closer. “We’re here because someone is trying to stop us from being born. And if they succeed, your entire future—our future—will be erased.”

Elena’s breath hitched. “You’re serious.”

Jet shrugged. “We didn’t exactly travel through time for fun.”

Damon stared at them, trying to process the impossible. “If this is some kind of trick—”

“It’s not,” Aria interrupted, her voice firm. “We can prove it. You just have to trust us.”

---

The Hunters Strike

Before they could say more, a sudden crash shattered the tense moment. The windows exploded inward as two Temporal Hunters burst into the room, their cloaks billowing with dark energy.

“Get down!” Jet shouted, pulling Elena to the floor as Aria yanked Damon out of the way.

The Hunters moved with inhuman speed, their weapons glowing with a strange, otherworldly light. Jet lunged at one, his own movements faster than the eye could follow, while Aria darted toward the other, her powers crackling in her hands.

Damon and Elena watched in shock as their supposed children fought with precision and power that defied explanation. Jet dodged a swipe from the Hunter’s blade, countering with a burst of energy that sent the creature staggering back.

Aria, meanwhile, used her abilities to rewind the Hunter’s movements, anticipating its next strike and landing a devastating blow that knocked it to the ground.

The Hunters, realizing they were outmatched, vanished into the night, leaving only the faint hum of disrupted energy in their wake.

---

Aftermath

Damon stared at the twins, his voice low and dangerous. “Okay. Let’s say I believe you. What the hell were those things?”

“Temporal Hunters,” Aria said, brushing herself off. “They’re here to stop us from existing. And they won’t stop until they do.”

Jet crossed his arms, his expression grim. “We need your help to stop them. Because if we don’t, none of this—none of us—will survive.”

Elena looked between them, her heart aching with equal parts fear and hope. “We’ll figure this out,” she said softly, her resolve hardening. “Together.”

Damon nodded, his jaw tight. “But if you’re lying…”

“We’re not,” Jet said firmly. “And you’re going to need us just as much as we need you.”

Aria glanced out the shattered window, her eyes narrowing. “They’ll be back. And next time, they won’t hold back.”

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