September, 2027

There was a school for people like her, that's what she was told.

People who could run as fast as lighting, who could jump as high as a building, who changed to animals. People with magic.

All the opposite of her. She just took magic. Not even the magic that she could still feel flowing through her veins -which felt different than her family's, more powerful-, the one she took from the girl who convinced the man who hated her and feared her -she could tell- felt weird.

Siphoning. That's how the girl -Hope, she reminded herself letting out a small snort- called it. She finally had a name to what she could do.

The ride was silent as Kayla looked outside the window. They were on their way to Virginia. A small town named Mystic Falls. The name fit for a town that housed supernatural creatures.

Kayla didn't want to be there. She definitely hated school. She always felt isolated from others. Ness her sister made sure of that and she wasn't even there, having finished high school years before Kayla started it. She left a mark. She told everyone her sister was a weirdo. A freak.

A freak at home and at school. Was it too much to ask for freedom? For anonymity? For a fresh start? Where no one knew who she was?

"So, Kayla" Hope began, breaking the tense silence. She hated it as much as she hated small talk but the silence was suffocating her. Didn't help at all Alaric seemed to be wary of the girl sitting in the back. Both Alaric and Kayla flinched at the sudden noise. Hope made no move to apologize, turning on her seat to look at the girl, "How are you feeling?"

Kayla blinked, "Good"

Hope pursed her lips, forcing a small smile. She didn't really want that answer. "Right. That's good. What do you think about the school?"

"Stupid" Kayla answered, looking away to the window. "If what you're saying of housing different species under one roof it's true, then you're idiots"

"We're protecting them" Alaric replied, knuckles white on the steering wheel. Hope shot him a look. "We teach them, we protect them from the outside world who'd want to harm them"

"What about each other, huh?" Kayla retorted. "Aren't vampires and werewolves like enemies or whatever?"

"That's a myth" Hope shrugged lightly, "They get along fine"

"What if they don't?" Kayla asked again, sliding closer, placing her arms on both seats, leaning her head forward "What if they have a spat and suddenly everyone wants to kill everyone?"

"It has never happened" Hope told her.

"But it can" Kayla pointed out.

Alaric flickered his eyes at the girl in realization, "You're scared, aren't you?"

Kayla huffed, "No" Hope tilted her head. "Supernatural wars doesn't scare me"

Just scary rituals meant to lock me up in a lonely dimension by the people I call family.

"It's okay to feel wary of a new place, Kayla" Hope told her reassuringly. "But everything will be okay. I'm going to be there for you"

"You'll be fine" Alaric told her.

Kayla sagged a bit in defeat, resting her head on Hope's seat, "Are you sure you can't just drop me off at the next stop?"

"No" Hope and Alaric told her.

A small pout appeared in the siphoner's lips unconsciously, "Ah, alright. Worth the try"

Hope smiled slightly, "And don't worry. I'm sure you will find yourself fitting in. There are people who can do the same as you"

Alaric panicked, giving Hope a look.

Kayla straightened in surprise, "Wait. Wait. Like me? What does that mean?"

"They can siphon too" Hope explained, glancing at Alaric who was shaking his head, "You're not the only one"

For the first time there was a glimmer of hope in the girl's cold eyes.

It made Alaric feel slightly guilty but his daughters were first. This girl had killed her entire family and didn't look like she felt remorse about it.

He didn't want that close to his daughters. He had to put a stop on that. Kayla couldn't be close to Lizzie and Josie.

~8~

"Welcome to the Salvatore School"

Kayla looked at the building, seeming slightly impressed as she and Hope left the car.

Kayla shouldered her backpack - which surprisingly had survived the fire as her - and followed the confident girl past the front door.

Alaric walking behind them.

Kayla could feel it. Just like in her house. There was a strong current flowing through the floors, the walls. The school was drowning with magic. Magic, that she felt comfortable with. For a moment she felt like being at home.

Kayla's fingertips traced the wall as she followed Alaric and Hope, feeling the tug, the urge of taking what didn't belong to her. Without remorse, she allowed the gates to open, letting that flow pass through her, letting it fill her. Her fingers lit up with a soft red glow that made her smile. The magic was soothing and familiar.

"Kayla?" Hope called.

The distraction was enough to interrupt the flow. The glow faded as soon as it appeared as she looked at Hope, dropping her hand. She felt whole, like there was nothing missing.

So, this is how a witch feels like all the time. Kayla allowed her lips twitch with a small smile as she followed Hope inside the office. Her smile suddenly fell, But I'm not. I'm just a poor excuse of one. It's magic that will disappear as soon as I wake up tomorrow.

~8~

Hope had classes to take. She had promised Kayla a tour after her last class as soon as the bell rang and left with a groan.

And that left an awkward silence between headmaster and new student.

Kayla could feel the tension growing now that Hope wasn't there to dissipate it and knew his dislike toward her went farther than her killing her family and not feeling nothing for it.

"Is it true?" Kayla decided to break the silence, not wanting to feel like suffocating. "There are others like me?"

Alaric couldn't lie on that "Yes" A small, hopeful smile started to grow on her lips. It made Alaric swallow his guilt for what he was going to do. My daughters' safety is first. That's the school's purpose in the first place "But you can't meet them"

Kayla blinked, her smile fading "What?"

Alaric leaned against his chair, not meeting the girl's disappointed eyes. Daughter of a psycho. She has his genes. Can't let history repeat itself. Alaric tried to excuse himself, tried to reason himself he was doing the right thing by shunning out the girl from her cousins. If she can kill people she's lived with her entire life and feel nothing about it, I can't imagine her how she'd kill family she knows nothing about. Family who are the responsible ones for her father's defeat.

"They're siphoners like you" Alaric told her. "They're my daughters"

Kayla frowned "You're not a warlock though"

"It comes from their mother's family" And yours, Alaric added mentally "Siphoners are common in their family"

"And rare in others" Kayla easily assumed, bitterly "Lucky me"

Alaric ignored the bitterness. "Yes. You three are now the only ones in existence. That's why I said you fit in here"

Kayla sighed, "And yet you don't want me close to them" She tilted her head aside, "Why? Shouldn't the last of their species stick together?"

"Not you three" Alaric said quickly. Another pang of guilt went through him as she noticed the girl shrink back, accepting the rejection. Made him remember what she said about her family hating her. He felt bad doing the same but his daughters came first. "You can't be friends"

"Why not?" Kayla asked "And who said anything about being friends?"

"My daughters" Alaric answered, a small smile in his face "They will try to befriend you. I want you to reject them"

"You haven't answered my question!" Kayla stood, angrily "Why?!"

"Because your father killed their mother!" Alaric snapped, standing up.

They both froze at the admission. The silence that came after became tense.

Kayla's eyes were wide. She now understood. She understood his hate, why he didn't want to help her, why he didn't want her there. Why he didn't want her close to his daughters.

"Okay" Kayla whispered softly. "I won't"

Alaric swallowed the guilt, looking away "I'm sorry"

Kayla shook her head, "Don't be. I understand now"

They both fell silent for a few seconds.

"I have a room set up for you" Alaric told her softly. "You're sharing with a girl named Penelope"

Kayla nodded, "Okay, sure. That's sounds good"

Alaric pressed a button in his desk "You can come in, Penelope"

The doors opened and a brunette girl walked in confidently. "Dr. Saltzman"

Alaric gestured between the two girls, "Penelope, this is Kayla Rivers your new roommate. Kayla, Penelope Parks"

Penelope smirked, wriggling her fingers, "Hey, darling. Welcome"

"Penelope is a witch" Alaric informed.

Kayla stared at the girl, glancing at Alaric for a second. I understand. You don't want us close and I respect that. She looked at Penelope "So am I"

Alaric snapped his eyes at the siphoner in surprise. What?

Penelope's smirk shifted to a small smile "We aren't paired with different species so I'm not surprised"

The girls looked at Alaric.

Alaric cleared his throat, shoving his shock away "Right. You're not. Why don't you show Kayla to your room, Penelope? Hope will give her the tour of the school later"

Penelope shrugged, "Sure" She looked at Kayla, "Come on. I have some clean clothes you can wear" She began walking toward the door "What happened to you? Did you crawl out of a whole?"

Kayla chuckled, following after her "More like out of the debris of my burned house"

"Ouch" Penelope chuckled, "Spell went wrong?"

Kayla glanced at Alaric over her shoulder "You could say that"

Both girls left the office, chatting easily, feeling like they'd get along just fine.