Hello! I'm back!
This story is inspired by The Vampire Diaries (book and tv show), The Forbidden Game, and Labyrinth. If you like the story, please, please, please leave reviews! I depend on reviews to act as the fuel for my drive to continue to write!
PS… Yes, Damon Salvatore is the Vampire King. In this story, for the sake of the storyline, he and Stefan are NOT related.
So without further ado, the story begins…
The story begins long ago, when vampires ruled the land. Mercilessly they had hunted and killed humans, enjoying the thrill of the hunt and allowing their bloodlust to take over. Among these creatures, a leader arose. His eyes were said to be the color of ice and his hair the color of his soul, black. This leader relished in the act of killing humans, to the point that he thought it a game. That is, until a large coven of witches came out of hiding. Together, their powers united to banish the vampires to another dimension, separate from this one so they cannot hurt humans anymore. It's said this leader picked off any vampires who dared defy him, and because of his strength, he has certain powers. Even so, he is still bound by certain traditions, and so he cannot enter this world without an invitation, which is made in the form of someone wishing away someone else.
They say he is waiting from his realm to find his Queen of Darkness, and that she is a mere mortal bound to this world. He cannot claim her until she is either wished away or she wishes someone else away, which would present the opportunity for him to take her.
Elena stormed into the house, her hair flowing wildly behind her as she made her way through the house, pulling off her jewelry and various accessories as she did so. She was so angry and embarrassed; she really hoped Stefan wouldn't follow her in tonight, not after what he did… Or perhaps what he didn't do would be the better way to put it.
How could he? Elena thought to herself, Stefan knew how much this event meant to me!
As Elena stood in the kitchen, she heard the front door open and close, followed by the sound of quick moving footsteps making their way into the kitchen.
"Elena, I'm-" Stefan began, but was interrupted by the red-faced Elena. Her brown hair swinging in all directions as she quickly spun around to face him.
"No, Stefan! I don't wanna hear it! You knew how much this event meant to me! To my mother!"
Stefan's mouth tightened into a straight line as he stood taller in his suit and tie.
"Elena, you know-"
"Yea, yea, you don't dance. Well, guess what! Everyone else and their date were dancing! Everyone was dancing except you and I! Do you know how embarrassing that was for me?!"
Stefan dropped his head in regret, for he had known very well that this event was very special to Elena. How could he have done this to her?
Elena, for some odd reason, suddenly remembered that old tale that was told by kids in the schoolyard at recess.
"You know what, Stefan? I'm so mad at you right now, that I wish the Vampire King would just get his ass over here to take you far away from me!"
Stefan lifted his head suddenly, and met Elena's angry brown eyes. Lightening flashed outside as the lights in the house suddenly went out, plunging them into darkness. Another flash of lightening and Elena noticed Stefan was no longer in the room with her.
"Stefan?"
Elena's heart sped up as she remembered that there was no chance of rain, so there shouldn't be any lightening. Where could he have gone? Did something happen to him?
"Stefan?!" Elena called out again, her voice cracking slightly with worry.
Suddenly, within the dark depths of her home Elena heard the sound of wings flapping and vicious snarling. Now, Elena was afraid; not only for herself, but also for her boyfriend, Stefan.
Elena quickly turned around as she heard a loud tapping sound coming from the sliding glass door behind her in the kitchen. A large black bird, a raven, was pecking at the glass, attempting to get inside.
Another flash of lightening and a strong gust of wind made its way into the house as the sliding glass door opened rapidly, the raven flying in and just missing Elena's head as she ducked out of the way, her arms up to protect her face.
What Elena saw next truly terrified her. A man, clad all in black, with matching black messy hair, and ice-cold blue eyes, stood in the doorway. A smirk formed on this dangerously beautiful man as he continued to watch Elena. His head tilted to the side as he stood there, just beyond the threshold. His eyes drifted down, breaking eye contact for the first time and granting Elena the chance to release the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. His eyes made their way back to capture hers once more, one eyebrow of his lifting as he slowly lifted one foot and stepped over the threshold into her kitchen.
"Who are you? Why are you in my house?! Get out, now!"
Elena was surprised that she was able to find her voice, but the man continued to take slow, calculated steps toward her, that smirk still glued to his face.
"Elena…"
"How do you know my name?" Elena whispered. "And where's Stefan?"
The man raised an eyebrow at her, "Oh, Elena… You can forget about him now. I'm here. No need to worry over the little things."
The man was in front of her now, and he slowly reached for her hair, brushing a strand from her face before she could register what he was doing. When Elena came to she quickly brushed his hand away and took a step away from him.
"Answer my questions!" Elena spoke firmly, stomping her foot and raising her head to let him know she's not intimidated and she means business.
The man sighed and looked away from her for a moment, before capturing her gaze once more.
"I simply did what you asked of me, Elena. You wished for me to, and I quote, 'get my ass over here'. So, I came and took him. As for knowing your name… Let's just say I've been watching you for a very long time, Elena. I've been waiting for this moment, or for someone to wish you away."
Elena's face paled, she felt cold as realization dawned on her.
"But… That would mean… No, you can't be! That's just a story us kids told one another in grade school at recess to scare each other!"
The man smirked at her, even his eyes seemed to be smirking.
"Is it really?"
Elena's fear only grew as the man, no, Vampire King, revealed his true face to her. His eyes grew bloodshot, which only served to amplify the striking cold color of his eyes, and grew veins snaked their way beneath his eyes, while sharp fangs descended in his mouth.
"No need to fear me, Elena." The Vampire King spoke as his features returned to 'normal'. "I'm not going to hurt you, Princess. Stefan, on the other hand… I can't decide what I'm going to do with him."
Elena sucked in a breath at the mention of Stefan, and she now worried immensely for his safety. She got him into this mess for crying out loud!
"Hmmm… Should I turn him into one of my minions? Oooorrrr, I could just… Eat him." His eyebrows rose and fell in rapid succession as he spoke the last part.
"NO! Don't hurt him, please! I'll do anything! I didn't mean what I had said!"
"Oh, I'm sure you didn't… Regardless, you said a wish out loud. Whether you meant it or not, doesn't matter. Words have power, Elena, as well as consequences. Your words gave me the right to not only take him, but also to do whatever the hell I want with him. I'm a vampire, I've gotta eat!"
"NO! Take me instead!" Elena pleaded desperately.
"A tempting offer… However, that would be against the rules. Believe it or not, even as a King I am still bound to certain rules… However, if you want to save him, I am allowed to offer you the opportunity. It won't be easy, though. I just hope you're good at solving puzzles."
"Whatever it is, I'll do it. I have to. I got him into this mess; it's my responsibility to get him out." Elena spoke confidently.
Damon laughed softly, "How about a Labyrinth? In which the only way to move within it is to solve riddles. Answer correctly, and you will move in the right direction. Answer incorrectly, and you'll face dangers untold… Or, perhaps you'll just be sent in the wrong direction… And, you can only make three wrong choices before you automatically lose."
"Why even offer this? Not that I'm not grateful for the opportunity, but I am a little confused. What do you get out of this?"
The Vampire King looked her in the eyes with a cunning expression on his face, and his arms folded across his chest.
"Because, my dear, sweet, Elena… Every game has a prize…"
Elena gasped, the situation dawning on her fully for the first time. She didn't notice the Vampire King as he made his way behind her until her gently, but firmly, grasped her shoulders. He lowered his head so as to whisper in her ear.
"If you can solve the Labyrinth by, let's say, dawn, there will be a door that will allow entry back into this world. If you don't, you will be mine forever and Stefan will be your first meal…"
Elena closed her eyes tightly, tears beginning to spill over, as she felt his hands move from her shoulders down to her sides. She nodded her head in agreement to the challenge, unable to find her voice at the moment.
"Oh, and Elena? I always win… No matter the cost…"
Elena's eyes shot open then, and she sucked in her breath as she realized that there may be no way out of this for her and Stefan. But that didn't mean she would give up without a fight. She stiffened up as she felt his grip on her tighten, and she closed her eyes as a vigorous wind blew all around her, and she heard the rapid flapping of wings. She knew what this meant… The Vampire King was taking her to his realm to play the game… And she had just agreed to play with the devil…
Whatcha guys think? Should I continue? Any suggestions? Things you liked or didn't like? Please, please, please leave reviews if you want me to continue the story! Thank you so much for reading!