Chapter 11. The Third World

Despair settled itself comfortably in the pit of my stomach as the days passed by. The town that used to be Mystic Falls was more derelict and woeful than ever. The sun seemed to have gone into hibernation. Day after day, only grey, forlorn clouds greeted us from the sky. The schools had shut down and vacated long ago due to deaths of students and scarcity of faculty members. Many shops, stores, and restaurants went out of business as well. The remaining people in the town kept to themselves and rarely went outside in fear of mysterious accidents happening. Countless posters of missing children and teenagers flowed across the abandoned grounds, mixing with the garbage that no one bothered to clean.

The only thing that was still in business was the Grill, though it was only funded by the abundance of dejection that the costumers harbored. As the endless gloom droned on and on, I could feel the little hope I had inside edging away.

It was the worst feeling in the world. There was nothing I could do except sit and wait for the unthinkable to happen. The thought of Klaus terrified me. And though Damon didn't say it, I knew it terrified him too. I couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like if he had to lose me twice for the same reason.

Death itself did not scare me as much as I thought it would. I knew it would come some day, and the thought that it may come sooner was not so frightening. What I feared more was the people I had to leave behind again.

I finally understood why the Elena in this world chose to end her life. By sacrificing herself, she had saved the town from an apocalypse. And that was one of the bravest thing I could ever envision.

And although Damon and the others strived to conceive a plan, I knew it was moot. My thoughts were confirmed when Damon asked me for the millionth time if I would consider turning into a vampire.

"I can't," I said again hollowly.

"Elena, please." Damon pleaded, his eyes begging me to reconsider, "There are no other ways."

"I know." I whispered, fighting back the tears, "But I'm sorry. I can't turn because I am still human back in my world. I can't let that go without talking it over with someone back home. And even if I did turn, Klaus would not just leave us alone. What happens if he makes another Elena travel here? Then everyone in this world would pay the price, including myself."

Damon said nothing. The frown lines on his face grew deeper by the second, and the blissful moments we enjoyed before seemed stolen from forever ago.

In the dreary days following our conversation, I couldn't help noticing that he kept his distance from me. He had started talking more and more to Stefan and Bonnie, but would stop abruptly whenever I was in the vicinity. I wondered what they were planning without me. Sometimes I wondered if they thought I was being too selfish. That thought oppressed me more than death did.

As I watched the hunched figure that belonged to Damon lean over the counter, his eyes tired and worrisome, I thought of the countless opportunities I had with him back home. It seemed so easy to just pick up his hand and trudge on the journey with him if I was still in my own world. But here, a step towards him exerted all the energy and courage I had.

Nevertheless, I still walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He stiffened under my touch and let out a sigh. I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face into his back, breathing in the familiar scent of him.

"There's still one thing we could try." Damon murmured half-heartedly, "I can't leave Mystic Falls, but you can." He seemed to be hinting something more.

I tightened my arms around him, "No."

"It will make it harder for Klaus to find you."

"Harder, but not impossible." I added. "Please, Damon. I don't want to run."

"…That's what you said last time." And he turned around and cupped my face with his hands, forcing me to look up at him through tears-filled eyes. A strained smile was stretched across his handsome face. He bent down to kiss me, but just for a second. The desperation was too much and too heavy to bear, and he pulled away and heaved another deep sigh.

"I know what you're thinking of doing." He said softly, "But you can't."

I avoided his gaze.

"There are other people in your world, still waiting for you to come back. You can't just leave them."

"You're the one that said you wanted me to stay here." I objected quietly.

Damon's eyes searched my face, "I didn't say I wanted you to die here."

I looked away.

"You're thinking of taking your own life again." He finally said out loud. "But that won't change anything. If you die, Klaus will just summon another Elena from another world to come here. He won't stop until he finally completes his ritual and become invincible."

"But that's just it!" I cried out loudly, unable to restrain the beast in me any longer, "There is no way out! No matter what we do, he's always be stronger and smarter! It doesn't matter if I live or die – he'll just figure out another way!"

"It matters to me!" Damon growled. "I'm not letting you die again!"

"You can't save me – "

"Then I will die trying."

I stared at him long and hard, realizing it at last, "So that's your plan all along, isn't it?"

"Everything okay in here?" Stefan asked in concern, stepping into the living room. He was pushing Bonnie's wheelchair in front of him.

"Yeah." Damon said shortly, directing his penetrating gaze away from me, "Anything new?" He asked as though we didn't just yell at each other.

Bonnie nodded gravely, "The Locator Spell put him within the country. He should be here soon."

"How soon?"
"Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next week. Depends on how quickly he wants to get here."

The three of them exchanged significant looks, cutting me out completely. The feeling that they were planning something without me bubbled inside. It was very curious how Bonnie, so scared of the idea of Klaus before, now looked calm and collected, albeit somber.

"Is there anything you're not telling me?" I asked. A part of me hoped that they would say no. But Bonnie and Stefan glanced at each other quickly before looking away again, as if communicating mutely.

"We have a plan." Stefan said slowly, choosing his words very carefully.

"What is it then?" I asked.

"It's best if we…keep it to ourselves for now." Stefan answered evasively.

I whirled around at Damon, hoping that he would stand on my side, but he seemed to agree with Stefan as well.

"I don't understand why you have to keep it from me." I said coldly.

Stefan frowned and shot another look towards Damon. These silent conversations they were having with each other was getting more and more annoying. I could feel my patience wavering. This state of depression made me a lot less amicable than I originally was.

"Come here for a second." Damon finally stepped in. His arm extended to form an empty loop waiting for me to fill. I hesitated, then went over to settle myself in it.

It was my place in the world.

It was perfect.

Damon's hand wrapped around my shoulders and guided me out to the porch. Stefan and Bonnie continued their conversation in whispers, and did not proceed to follow us.

We walked slowly and sluggishly, savoring this ordinary moment. For a while, both of us merely watched the deserted streets. Then Damon turned and placed both his hands on my shoulders, "Elena," He said softly, "We're sending you back."

I stared at him.

"Bonnie's been working on something…dangerous. But we're hoping to open the portal that leads straight to your world." Damon continued.

"But – I – Don't you think I get a say in this?" I asked almost furiously. I didn't want to be the only one safe while the others fought my battle for me.

A half-smirk crept up Damon's face, and he almost looked like himself for a second, "And would you have agreed?"

"No." I admitted.

"Exactly."

"But what about you?" I demanded, "Why can't you come with me? All of you?"

Damon's expression was serene as he looked at me with a sad smile on his lips, "Elena, you know we can't. That would disrupt the entire physical universe. I'm already there in your world."

"That doesn't mean – "

"We're staying." Damon interrupted, "And we're going to stop him."

I looked at him exasperatedly, "How?"

"If not with my strength, then with my charms." Damon grinned lazily, though I could see the smile did not reach his tired eyes.

I reached for his hand, trying very hard to blink back the wetness in my eyes. He laced his fingers through mine, but they were icy.

"You said so yourself that he would just summon another Elena." I whispered.

"When I said we were going to stop him," Damon explained mildly, "I meant permanently."

I whipped my head up in shock, "You know how to defeat him?"

"Maybe." Damon said grimly, though he did not elaborate.

"How?"

He smirked again and pulled me closer, almost making me fall, "That's for us to worry about. As for you – " His other hand swept under my knees swiftly and carried me up into his arms as if I weighed nothing. I gasped lightly and wrapped my arms around his neck, caught by surprise.

" – One last trip." He said daintily.

Then he was off. The incredible speed that he travelled in made my eyes water, but I kept them open anyway. I bit the inside of my lip when I realized that this might be the very last time for him. My heart throbbed painfully inside my chest, and I could taste something bitter in my throat. A part of myself hated how I was the cause of all of this.

The wind tangled my hair, but did not cloud my view. I saw the side of Damon's handsome face in concentration as he ran. But the sorrow in his eyes was greater than anything I have ever seen.

I was going back. I would be back in my old world, living my old boring life. I would be basking in the sun, complaining about school, and surrounded by my friends. I would be home again.

But he was going to die.

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