The night was quiet in Mystic Falls, but that didn’t mean anything was truly peaceful.

You could feel it in the air—the way the trees whispered, the way the streetlights flickered like they were holding their breath.

And you could feel it in your chest, the way your heart kept beating too fast, like it knew something was about to happen.

Your phone buzzed in your pocket.

A text from Elena Gilbert.

I’m outside. Don’t tell anyone. Please.

Your stomach dropped.

Elena didn’t text you like this.

She didn’t sneak out.

She didn’t do anything that would get her in trouble.

Not unless it was important.

You looked at the time. It was past midnight.

You grabbed your jacket and slipped out the back door, careful not to make any noise.

The air was cold, but it didn’t matter. You were moving like you were being pulled by something.

You reached the Mystic Grill, and there she was—standing under the neon sign, looking like she didn’t belong in the dark.

Her hair was loose, and her eyes were wide and nervous, like she’d just run a marathon.

When she saw you, her face softened.

“Hey,” she whispered.

“Hey,” you breathed, stepping closer. “What are you doing out here? Your friends are going to freak out.”

Elena swallowed. “I know.”

You glanced around. The street was empty. The town felt asleep.

“Why are you here?” you asked, voice low.

Elena’s eyes flicked away for a moment, like she was trying to avoid the truth.

Then she looked back at you, and her expression broke.

“I needed to see you,” she admitted.

Your heart stuttered.

“Why?” you asked, though you already knew the answer.

Elena took a step closer, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Because I don’t know how to do this anymore,” she said. “I don’t know how to be normal. I don’t know how to be… safe.”

You reached out, gently touching her arm. “Elena, you don’t have to be normal. You just have to be you.”

She shook her head. “That’s the problem. I don’t know who that is anymore.”

The silence between you stretched, heavy and electric.