Klaus's fingers danced across the phone's keypad, summoning his brother's name from the speed dial.
"Nicklaus." Elijah's voice crackled through the receiver. "What's the matter?"
"Tomorrow, my dear brother, we shall finally unveil the truth," Klaus declared.
"Has Phemonoe's fury towards you simmered down?" the eldest Mikaelson inquired.
"I have managed to make amends with Noe, and she has agreed to lend us her aid," Klaus explained. "However, we must remain vigilant and keep a watchful eye on Lucien and the Stirx."
Elijah could sense the immense pressure his brother was facing just from the tone of his voice.
"Fear not, brother; Marcellus is diligently monitoring the Strix, and Freya is attempting to reconcile the family with Finn. Lucien still holds his cards close to his chest, but we are keeping a keen eye on every move," Elijah reassured his brother.
"And..." Klaus hesitated for a brief moment, his voice wavering, before summoning the courage to speak with unwavering determination, "And what of Camille? Is she receiving adequate protection?"
Elijah swiftly responded, "Marcellus and Vincent have taken it upon themselves to keep a vigilant eye on her."
"Until tomorrow then," Klaus uttered, his tone filled with concern, "stay safe, brother, and ensure the safety of our siblings as well."
Elijah bid farewell to Klaus, hoping that their efforts would prove successful in preventing the prophecy."
#################
In the meantime, a few blocks away, Cami was anxiously pacing back and forth in her apartment. Her typical mess of scattered textbooks, notes, and laptop had given way to a different kind of chaos. Dark objects were strewn haphazardly throughout the house, with knives and a crossbow rifle perched precariously on her bookshelf.
The poor girl was terrified. Klaus had vanished into thin air, and Aurora was trapped in some medieval torment, yet miraculously still breathing.
It was only a matter of time before she found a way to escape and seek revenge.
In the twisted mind of that wicked woman, Cami was to blame for losing Klaus's love.
And even though Klaus was gone and Cami was struggling as a baby vamp.
Aurora, in her mind, will be convinced that Klaus still has feelings for Cami.
"But he does have feelings for you," as the logical side of her mind pointed out, the paranoid one argued, "No! He spared Aurora's life; he has killed others for much less than what his ex did to me. And yet he let her live! He still cares for her."
She's a complete mess emotionally. "You've been acting way more paranoid than Klaus." That nagging voice inside her head won't stop; it keeps trying to break through, but she's doing everything she can to suppress it.
Deep down, she's aware that she's having a mental breakdown. The symptoms of PTSD are overwhelming her. She's acting out of sheer panic and desperately trying to distract herself. Ever since she finished her transition, she's been in this state.
"You took the white oak, jeopardizing both him and the people you hold dear. Your ability to think logically and make sensible choices has been compromised." The wise old self tries to advise her.
However, she is filled with anger and fear. It's a rare thing for her to feel such intense fear. For the first time in forever, she is really scared.
"When was the last time she was scared?" She wonders.
"That morning on the old plantation."
Klaus had invited her to that beautiful house. "Why has she gone to his house anyway?"
She went because she was taken with him. "Those blue eyes, that crooked smile, his accent." There was something about him that pulled her in. She couldn't resist his allure.
Then she saw the painting hanging on the wall. "He had bought it!"
The very piece they had talked about.
Then he began rambling about his life; he offered her a job as "his stenographer".
She diagnosed him with BPD and suggested that he could benefit from talking to someone professionally.
"I prefer to talk to you," he said.
Up to that point, she was still fascinated with him.
But when he rambled about war, Marcel, witches, werewolves, and vampires.
Fear started to creep into her.
Not because of the claims he made about the supernatural, but because she thought he might be crazy and therefore dangerous.
"You are scared," he said, like it was a strange concept that he was making her feel scared.
In a sudden moment, he vampspeeded towards her, pinning her against the wall with a mix of intensity and gentleness. The incredible proximity of their bodies took her breath away.
He looked her in the eyes and said, "Don't be," and just like that, her fear vanished. She was left in awe of the revelation of a whole new world that existed right beside hers.
Throughout all the previous instances, she found herself in perilous situations, whether it was with her uncle, the Guerrera wolves, Mikael, Ester, Finn, Lucien, or Aurora. Although fear gripped her, she never felt truly terrified. Deep down, she always held onto the belief that he would come for her, and protect her from harm.
"He did protect you," her logical self reminded her.
"He came weaponless to face Mikael, and he gave his life to save yours. That's the depth of his love for you. Aurora means nothing. Think, think, this madness is not you…"
But her paranoia was relentless. "Klaus loved," she emphasized, "the human you! That girl would never betray his trust by stealing the white oak. She would have stood by his side, helping him defend himself and his family against any threat."
It's undeniable that Cami, the vampire, manipulated him and put everyone at risk by taking the white oak. She bears the responsibility for allowing such a dangerous weapon to fall into the wrong hands.
Vampire Cami lied to him and broke his heart in the end.
"But what about my heart?"
The angry voice returned. "What about my heart? Isn't it broken too? He's gone; he didn't fight; he just accepted words and left."
"Be honest!" the logical voice orders her. "What are you afraid of? What are you deflecting from with all this hatred and anger that's consuming you?"
"Death!" Cami acknowledged that if she were to pass away at this moment, there would be no chance of returning. This life is her final one.
"This isn't a life! I'm not myself; I have no control over my life." She said it out loud.
"This isn't about Klaus and Aurora; this is about you. You're not yourself; you need to make peace with your choice to become a monster." The voice said again, urging her to reclaim control over her life.
Once again, Cami collapsed to the floor as a loud sob wreaked havoc on her body. Angry emotions pouring from her eyes through hot tears and heartbreaking sobs escaped her lips and turned into inarticulate screams. The weight of her despair seemed unbearable, as if it threatened to consume her entirely. She longed for a way out, a chance to break free from the fear that had overtaken her life.
The horizon seemed devoid of any hope; for as long as Aurora remained alive, the terror of her return would continue to haunt Cami. "Aurora must die," she declared with determination. If Klaus refused to take action, she would take matters into her own hands. She would rather face Klaus's wrath than endure another day of living in constant fear.