Damon Salvatore

Year: 1864 — Mystic Falls The golden afternoon light fell over the Salvatore family garden. The distant sound of carriages and the murmur of the town filled the air. Damon Salvatore sat on the grass, his jacket unbuttoned, staring at the sky as if the world bored him. "Are you going to stay there all day, or do you plan to do something interesting?" she said, approaching him. Her pale dress moved in the breeze, delicate… human. Or so it seemed. 536 years lived behind those eyes. But to him… she was just her. His best friend. Damon turned his head and smiled slightly. "I was waiting for you to arrive." The rest of the world isn't nearly as entertaining. She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling. She sat beside him, close enough to feel the warmth of his body—something she no longer had. "You should have more aspirations, Damon." "I do," he replied. "Only none of them include listening to the Founders talk about 'protecting the city.'" The atmosphere barely shifted. Because they both knew what she was talking about. The Founding Families… the Gilberts, the Salvatores, all of them. Vampire hunters. Hunters of her. "They do it because they believe it's the right thing to do," she said quietly. Damon looked at her, curious. "And you?" Do you believe that too? Silence. A second too long. She looked away. "I think... it's not all as simple as they think." Damon smiled slightly. "That sounds like something someone with secrets would say." She felt a knot in her chest. If only he knew. If only he knew what I am... Her hands tightened on the fabric of her dress. "We all have secrets, Damon." He watched her more closely than usual this time. As if trying to read something deeper. "Yes... but some weigh more than others." Their eyes met. And for a second... everything unspoken was there. She loved him. In a way. Silent. Impossible. She had seen centuries pass… but nothing had marked her like him. And that was the problem. Because if the families discovered the truth, she might not return.