In the quiet of the night at the New York Institute, a rouge Warlock effortlessly opened a portal that led to Mystic Falls, Virginia. The gateway would soon combine the similar worlds in a noticeable rift if no one passed through it right away. The hooded Warlock raised a gloved hand, and in one swift motion, pulled the sleeping Vampire on the other side to himself. An unknown force grabbed the resting Vamp from her bed and dragged her through the portal. As expected, the windy link closed. "At last, I've found you." The man murmured, abruptly letting go of the woman.

Caroline Forbes awoke as she was carelessly dropped onto the cool tiled floor. Her eyes fluttered open as she let out a startled gasp. "K-Klaus?" She groaned out, staring up at the male in confusion.

The Warlock had long since removed his hood. If his piercing gaze intensified, his azure orbs would have burned holes in the beautiful female's crystalline blue hues. "You're mistaken. I am Jayden Mikaelson, Klaus's older twin brother." He purred, staring down at the blonde haired blood-sucker, the predatory look still in his eyes. "From what I gather, he's fond of you. Apparently, you're the only one little Klausie couldn't kill." Smirking, the Immortal Downworlder snapped his fingers before he used his powers to teleport away. A spell he'd cast centuries ago rendered the Shadowhunters in the Institute frozen in time. Not even the mighty Magnus Bane was able to free his beloved Alexander Lightwood, or anyone else from the halted timeline.

The former cheerleader shuddered as the ginger-haired male spoke the truth. As if that wasn't bad enough—she'd lost Stefan Salvatore to a Werewolf bite over two hundred and thirty years ago. She had been about to say something when Jayden made himself scarce. "This just keeps getting better and better." She muttered bitterly, finally rising to her feet and dusting herself off. She canted her head, taking in her surroundings for the first time since she'd been abducted. Everyone stood still, almost as if time had ceased.

Without another word, Caroline wandered around the eerie institute. She felt a pang of sorrow for the harmless Humans. What did they do to deserve this? She wondered silently, making her way out of the building.

The moment she went outside, the smell of blood greeted her nose and intoxicated her. As if in a trance, the woman followed the scent. She sprinted into a clearing in the woods, only to find a male Vampire feeding on a deer. The creature's lifeless eyes stared on blankly, all traces of emotion gone as its plasma was drained. The former cheerleader couldn't resist the urge to feed, even though her target was clearly another Vamp's dinner. In an instant Caroline shoved the stranger back, and took hold of the adult doe. "Save some for me." She snarled out, wasting no time sinking her razor-sharp teeth into the animal's back. It had been a long time since she drank from a mammal—usually, she stocked up on blood bags from the Mystic Falls Hospital. The scatterbrained doctors and nurses practically begged her to take the free plasma. Then again, a little compulsion goes a long way.

-

Simon Lewis rarely ever hunted in the forest for his food, as there were usually plenty of Mundanes addicted to Yin Fen, a drug made of Vampire Venom. The careless Humans were putty in his hands once they'd gotten the toxin in their systems. However, the new bouncers at the nightclub refused to permit him entry, as he wouldn't tell any other Vampires how he became a Daylighter. As a last resort, he'd sometimes feed on animals—mostly rats, but tonight was different. He had been on his way to the New York Institute when he crossed paths with an injured deer. Unable to resist temptation, Simon attacked and went in for the kill, using his enhanced speed and strength to finish off the helpless animal. When the doe fell, he fed on her, savoring the metallic taste of her crimson essence. While he was feeding, he let his guard down. In a matter of seconds, a female Vamp he didn't recognize rammed into him. The brunette tumbled down, the forest floor coming up to meet him. He groaned and tilted his head to gaze at the blonde haired woman.

"That was rude." Simon grumbled out, slowly regaining his balance. He hastily stood up and ran a hand through his hair. I hope my 'do isn't too messy. He thought as he watched the blonde devour his prey. It wasn't every night that a gorgeous stranger stole his dinner. "You know, if you'd just asked, I would have shared anyway." He chuckled.

The ravenous beauty gulped down the remaining droplets of blood, and released her tight hold on the doe. Shock registered on her face slowly once she realized what she'd done. "I'm sorry, um… sir." Caroline mumbled. A light pink hue tinted her cheeks.

"Simon. My name is Simon Lewis." The other bloodsucker stated immediately, his hazelnut orbs peering back at her. "And you are?" He extended his hand for her to take.

"Right. Simon." The blonde chuckled awkwardly. "I'm Caroline Forbes." She took his hand and allowed him to help her up. Again, Caroline took in her surroundings. She exhaled heavily and whispered under her breath, "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Mystic Falls anymore."

"Is Mystic Falls your home?" The brunette wondered aloud, walking alongside his new acquaintance. His fingers threaded through hers and he loosely held onto her hand until she abruptly pulled away.

"I wouldn't exactly say that—but it used to be." She answered sadly. "I've made so many memories there. I was only visiting the house I grew up in. Everything was exactly the way I left it, except for all the dust. Maybe…" The blonde paused momentarily before finishing, "Maybe this is fate." Perhaps she was meant to leave her old life behind. Her friends and family would forever be in her memories.

Simon shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows? Whether it's fate or not, I want to help you."