"Where is she?" Stefan called out, heading outside the kitchen.

"Not in her room either," Caroline replied, looking inside the bathroom in hope to find Elena.

"Where do you think she went?" Bonnie asked for suggestions, hoping to look further in search of her best friend, "I was with her until midnight, then she said she had to sleep and.. she left."

It had been over an hour since everyone had started to search for Elena, with no luck finding her. She had disappeared, while she was already unwell due to the previous witch attack.

"She's not there either," Damon said hopelessly, as he returned from the garden.

"Who's not there?" a voice echoed in the hall, making everyone's heads snap towards the source.

Elena stood there, her mouth smeared with blood, as she withdrew her fangs back inside. She had a smile plastered on her face, confusing everyone.

"Elena? Where have you.." Damon stopped midway as he took in the rest of her appearance.

Her shirt was smudged with blood stains, and she looked more flushed than ever.

Has she been feeding all this time?

"Elena.." Stefan's eyes widened as he realized what she'd done.

"Damon, she," Stefan couldn't find the right words to suit the situation. Damon was already vulnerable, and Stefan knew better than to tell him what was going on.

"She?" Damon pressed.

"She's probably hungry because of yesterday's blackout, I think you should go rest. Caroline and I will take care of it," Stefan gave him a reassuring smile and lead him towards his room.

"I'm fine, Stefan," Elena smiled as she sat on the couch, putting her legs on the coffee table, "in fact, I've never been better."

"Elena did you.." Caroline widened her eyes as she added two and two, "flip the switch?"

. / . / .

SIX HOURS AGO..

"Elena."

"Mother?" Elena was unable to understand what was happening. How could her mother be alive? Her parents had died years ago, on the same bridge as she had.

Was she imagining things?

"It's me, darling," her mother held a peaceful smile, as she spoke to her daughter.

"How can I see you?" Elena questioned, "am I dead?"

"No, I'm only here to visit," she smiled as she sat near Elena, "my, you're all grown up."

"Mom," Elena couldn't hold back her tears. She tried to hug her mother, but passed through her. She couldn't touch her, or feel her.

"I can just talk, Elena. I can't touch," she gave Elena an apologetic smile, "I'm here to talk to you about something, Elena."

Elena nodded, as she wiped her tears and eagerly listened to her mother.

"Kill yourself."

Elena's eyes widened, and her breathing stopped. It was as if everything had stopped functioning for a moment.

"What?"

"Kill yourself, honey, you have to," her mother pressed on, "you weren't meant to live. You were supposed to die with us."

"I've been watching you, darling," she continued, "you aren't meant to be like this. You fill your heart with emptiness, you live your life in bitterness. It isn't supposed to be this way, honey. Come with me, we can be a family again."

"I.." Elena was taken aback, because she knew a part of it was right, that she had to die on that day along with her parents.

"The time is here, baby, you don't have to live your life like this," she continued, as she slowly began to fade.

"I.. I can't, mom, Jeremy will be alone.. And, and my friends," Elena cried out, unable to hold her tears, "I can't leave!"

"Mom?" Elena called out, but by the time she opened her eyes – her mother was gone. "Mom.." she cried silently, the silence full of emptiness and self-loathing.

She hated herself for the person she had become. She didn't want to feel like this. She wanted to be a better version of herself, but ever since she had turned – everything had only gone downwards.

She cried, and she cried all night, the pain never going away, as every moment reminded her of her inner demons more and more.

And that's when she couldn't take it anymore; she flipped the switch.