Pain. Intense, blinding pain tore through my chest, suffocating me as if my very bones were being crushed. It was as if the world around me had imploded, and I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. Everything felt wrong.

Suddenly, a loud, sharp cry pierced the air. It was… mine? I gasped as my eyes snapped open.

I wasn’t in my bed. This wasn’t the room I’d fallen asleep in.

Everything was blurry at first—my vision foggy, my body weak and disoriented. But there, looming in front of me, were two familiar figures: Elena Gilbert and Jeremy Gilbert. The last thing I remembered was… them watching them on my screen, and now… here I was.

I raised a hand to my face—my hands felt foreign, larger than I remembered. I looked down, my heart pounding harder as I realized the truth. I was Kol Mikaelson.

The world around me flickered. My body was shaking. The memories were overwhelming, but the panic I felt was worse. Was this a dream? How had I ended up in Kol’s body? Was this some kind of twisted joke?

“Kol,” Elena said, holding a stake. “We’re doing this for everyone you’ve hurt.”

“No,” I gasped, my voice deep and unfamiliar. It was Kol’s voice. But I was in control now, and I didn’t know how to escape this nightmare.

Jeremy stood beside her, staring with fury, ready to strike. But I wasn’t Kol. Not really. I had his body, his face, his abilities—but I wasn’t him. And I wasn’t sure how to get out of this mess.