[THE DESCENT]

every fall is a chance to rise.

"IF I TELL YOU something, do you promise to keep it to yourself?" Juliette questioned, raising her eyebrows at the Original Vampire. She didn't know why she was confiding in him, she barely knew him, but yet she knew everything about him.

She knew his fears, weaknesses, what made him happy, his flaws and his perfections. Despite their situation, she tried to push these thoughts aside. He was the bad guy. It didn't matter whether he made a deal with Elena or not.

Eventually, if he doesn't get his way, he will hurt one of her friends.

"Of course." Elijah nodded, a hint of concern in his eyes as he watched Juliette look around the woods surrounding them before she walked over to some rocks by a little stream. She sat down with her knees to her chest as she watched the water flow past her.

Elijah soon followed after her, sitting next to her. A sense of deja vu fills him—they have been in this position before in their dreams, in the field of course. They would sit in the same place for hours while they talked.

It was mostly Juliette who spoke and Elijah just admired her. He was completely fascinated by her, he loved the way she had dimples on her cheeks whenever she smiled, and when she was concentrating on something, she would stick her tongue out, almost like it made her more focused.

He loved her angelic laughter and the way she snorted when she laughed way too hard. He especially loved the way that she always had full attention on him when he spoke, and she would push him for information.

In short, Elijah Mikaelson was in love with Juliette Gilbert. But he could not have her, not yet.

He has only known the girl for at least two weeks in real life, but in the dreams, they had known each other for a year. It didn't matter that they were both dreaming, it was real to him.

His feelings for Juliette were real.

And he can't deny them any longer. But of course, Juliette cannot know.

Elijah has lived for a thousand years, through many centuries, wars and eras. Enduring physical pain from his enemies. But this was a new kind of pain—being unable to be with the one you love.

"What is wrong, Juli?" Elijah questioned, noticing a distant, horrified look on Juliette's face. She was trying to find the right words to explain her situation.

She knew she just had to tell someone, and Elijah seemed to be the only one willing to listen. "You have to promise not to judge me, Elijah." She said sternly, pointing a finger at him.

"I would never judge you, Juliette."

Taking a deep breath, Juliette began, "The day you came to my house to make that deal with Elena before you arrived, I was making food for myself when I heard a voice saying my name. But it wasn't just one voice, it was like a hundred people whispering my name over and over again. At first, I thought I was hearing things, but then today I heard it again."

"And what did they say this time?"

"My name again, but then they said that I will pay for what I did, I can't escape my fate, and 'she' will get her revenge for what I have done." She explained, her eyes set on a little frog, hopping from rock to rock.

"Who is 'she?'"

"I have no clue."

Elijah thought for a moment, he really wanted to help Juliette but he couldn't think of anything that might help. "I don't know why that is happening to you but I will find out if it's bothering you."

"Of course, it's bothering me. I'm literally going insane." The blonde complained, scoffing at Elijah's reply.

"You aren't going insane; something is just not right."

"Yeah, my mental state is not right."

Elijah couldn't help but laugh, Juliette has always been dramatic, a fact he knew well from their dreams. Whenever she had an argument with Elena, she would tell Elijah everything, often exaggerating.

"No, that is not what I meant." He shook his head, watching a small smile form on Juliette's lips. "I will get my witch to look into that for you, I'll do anything to help you."

Juliette was shocked, Elijah was so quick to help, he was always like that though. He always said he would do anything to help Juliette and he is still yet to be proven wrong.

It was now that Juliette realised all the things Elijah had done for her, mostly in her dreams. He has always been that person she could lean on, tell all her problems to and confide in him, telling him her deepest secrets.

And now in real life, he has basically done everything she has asked him to do. Why?

Why was he acting so nice to her? Surely a very powerful 1000-year-old vampire wouldn't want anything to do with a stupid girl.

"Why are you so nice to me?"

"How do you mean?"

"You're so kind to me but then with others you're... I don't know, not nice." Juliette spoke, shrugging her shoulders as she fully turned to face him, her legs crossed as her hands pulled her jacket closer to herself.

Elijah stayed silent for a moment, coming up with an answer. "Well, you're the only one I truly know. That is why I am nice to you."

"But we're on different sides."

"Not anymore. We have a deal."

Juliette was about to argue back but her phone ringing interrupted her. She sighed as Elena's name flashed up on her screen, "She's probably going to force me to come home." She scoffed, answering the phone and putting it to her ear.

Before Juliette could even say hello, Elena was shouting down the phone. "Juliette, where are you? Rose got out and I don't know where she is." Elena said, her voice sounding panicked.

"What? How did she get out?" Juliette questioned, standing up abruptly.

"She was hallucinating and tried to attack me. So I hid in Stefan's room and when I came back out, she was gone. Juliette please, I don't know what to do."

"Okay, look, calm down. I'm coming now, call Damon." The blonde hung up, cursing under her breath as she watched Elijah stand up too.

"Rose has escaped?" He questioned, a confused look on his face. Juliette furrowed her brows, not knowing what he meant until she remembered that he didn't know about Rose's situation.

"Rose got bitten by a wolf who's in town. It was Damon's fault as per usual." Juliette informed, rolling her eyes at the mention of her best friend's name, she loved Damon truly but sometimes he was a real pain in the ass.

Elijah looked disappointed for a moment, he thought back to how he maliciously took the life of Trevor, right in front of her. And now she would die too soon after she was granted freedom.

It was a waste.

"I have to go, so uhm, thank you, Elijah," Juliette mumbled.

"You're welcome Juliette, I'll try and find a way to help you."

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Heyyy guys!