❝ 𝖶𝖧𝖮 𝖠𝖱𝖤 𝖸𝖮𝖴. ❞
ʚɞ ⁺˖ ⸝⸝ 𝗌𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗈𝗇 𝟣 － 𝖾𝗉𝗂𝗌𝗈𝖽𝖾 𝟣𝟦 ◞ ꙳ ๋࣭ ⭑ '
𓂃  ࣪   ˖ 𖦹 𝟢𝟢𝟮.     𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃. ˚₊·-̳͟͞͞♡
𓏲 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖ 𝖺𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗌 𝗉𝖾𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗏𝖺  ⁞  𝗄𝗅𝖺𝗎𝗌 𝗆𝗂𝗄𝖺𝖾𝗅𝗌𝗈𝗇 ⋆⭒˚｡⋆
▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄

             AS THE DAYS TURNED into months and the months turned into years, the tomb that held Amaris remained untouched and undisturbed for a while. The dark, cold chamber, hidden deep within the forest, bore silent witness to the relentless march of time. The once ancient walls, now even more worn and weathered, whispered the secrets of the centuries that had passed.

A thick layer of dust coated the stone floor, the coffin that held Amaris inside and the walls, the still air heavy with the weight of her long-forgotten existence. Cobwebs stretched across the corners of the tomb, the spiders that wove them long gone, leaving only their delicate, gossamer threads as a testament to their brief existence.

And within the tomb, Amaris lay in her coffin, trapped in an eternal slumber. Her face perfectly preserved by the magic and her transformation into something more. Her chestnut hair, frozen in time, cascaded around her shoulders, framing her serene, peaceful expression. Memories forgotten, all except one. A replaying dream in her mind as she slept, the only thing missing was the face of someone she knew was important to her.

The blood that coursed through her veins was not just her own, it held her in a state of suspended animation, her heart silent and still, her breath no more than a faint, distant memory. And yet, beneath the surface, something lingered, waiting for the day when it would be awakened.

As the world outside the tomb continued to change and evolve, the forest around the tomb gradually transformed as well. The trees grew taller and thicker, their roots snaking through the earth. The once clear path that had led to the tombs entrance was swallowed by the undergrowth, the tomb was now underground, hidden away from the rest of the world.

And even so, the young woman slept on, the years turning into decades, and the decades turn into a century, her existence all but forgotten by the one who loved her and his family. The tomb became a silent, timeless sanctuary, its dark and somber walls a testament to the cruel, unyielding passage of time that Esther Mikaelson had left Amaris bound to her eternal, unending sleep.

         DAMON'S HEART RACED AS he continued his frantic search for Katherine, desperately tearing through the tomb's passageways for her withered body. His eyes darted from one shadowy corner to another, his hands shaking with a combination of frustration and anticipation. He couldn't fathom the idea of Katherine not being in the tomb, especially when he witnessed her getting carted away in 1864. There was no way she wasn't here.

Damon's breath grew short and erratic, he ran his fingers through his raven black hair as he muttered to himself, "She's not here," the words barely audible as they spilled from his lips, the reality that Katherine was not where he thought she was settling in.

Just then, Stefan appeared behind Damon, confusion and slight concern etched across his face as he stepped closer to his brother. "What?" He asked, unable to hear due to his slight panic.

Damon's voice grew louder and angrier as he repeated the words, all his hope and anticipation of finding his beloved Katherine gone out the window. "She's not here!" He shouted, his voice echoing through the chamber as he hurled the blood bag he had brought for Katherine at the wall, the bag bursting upon impact and splattering the cold stone with the crimson liquid.

Stefan's eyes watched the blood spill down the wall before he shook his head and gripped his brother's shoulders while Damon stood mumbling to himself angrily. "Damon, we've got to leave," he urged, his voice tense knowing that Bonnie and her grams weren't going to be able to hold the crypt open for long. "Damon, if we don't get out now, we'll be trapped with the rest of them! Do you really want that?"

Damon wasn't paying attention, his eyes were darting around, trying to make sense of why Katherine is not inside the tomb where she was supposed to be. He expected Katherine to be here, why wasn't she here? "It doesn't make sense," he mumbled, his voice tinged with disbelief. "She has to be here - she has to be!"

Stefan's grip on his brother's shoulders tightened, desperately trying to make Damon see sense. "It's not worth spending all eternity down here - she's not worth it!" He pleaded, his voice strained with desperation. "Katherine or not, we need to get out. Now!"

Damon's eyes flashed with anger as he wrenched himself away from Stefan's grasp, his eyes stained with tears he refused to let fall. "No!" He growled, he couldn't bear the thought of leaving the tomb without Katherine, even if it meant being trapped inside forever. He was willing to stay, wanting to stay.

Just as the tension between the two brothers reached a breaking point, Elena Gilbert appeared in the darkness, her eyes wide with concern and impatience. "Damon," her voice broke through Damon's anger. "Please."

As Damon hesitated, something caught his attention. Something out of place, something that didn't belong. Everything else was old, discarded and forgotten but this ... it was pristine. Elena had already departed from the tomb, Stefan close on her heels when he turned to see his brother wasn't behind him. He walked back to see Damon hovering over a pristine coffin, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Katherine?" Stefan cautiously asked Damon, earning nothing in return. Stefan watched as his brother ran his fingers over the coffin, tracing the delicate patterns of it's design when he saw something strange. 'M'. What could that mean? Stefan didn't have time to wonder as Damon had already tossed the heavy lid off the coffin, throwing it on the other side of the room.

Their eyes widened instantly, the face they knew too well. Katherine.

"Katherine..." Damon breathlessly whispered as brought his hand down to caress her face. Stefan stood in awe, staring down at the face of the woman who haunted his dreams for decades. Damon immediately dipped his hands down to pick her up out of the coffin, hugging her to his chest as he held her protectively. "Weren't we meant to be escaping?"

The brothers hurried through the crypt, quickly making their way to the exit before Bonnie and Grams could seal them inside. As they reached the entrance, Elena's eyes widened as she saw Damon holding Katherine in his arms, her face the same as her own. Before she could say anything else, Stefan took her arm and led her out of the tomb, leaving behind the rest of the vampires that were trapped there for 100 years.

As they stepped out into the dark forest, Stefan's eyes immediately fell on the sleeping woman's face. Something bugged him about her appearance, she didn't look weakened like Pearl or the rest of the vampires that were in the tomb. No, she looked perfectly preserved. Her clothes, they weren't the clothes that Stefan remembered her wearing the night she was taken away, as well as her hair. Something was off.

"Stop staring, Stefan," Damon's voice broke Stefan's concentration and made him realize he was looking at Katherine longer than he intended. "You already have your plaything." Elena looked completely insulted but couldn't deny seeing Stefan stare at his ex for a long time without saying anything made her feel slightly jealous.

"Just... take her back to the house," Stefan tiredly sighed, rubbing his the temples in his forehead as he took Elena's hand in his own. "Something doesn't feel right about this."

Damon rolled his eyes and waved a farewell to his brother before he sped off, leaving Stefan and Elena in the woods. Damon carried Katherine back to the Salvatore Boarding house. The night was calm, the moon casting a silvery glow on the path ahead and as he walked, he felt that sense of accomplishment, knowing he finally set Katherine free and they were going to be together.

Upon arriving home, Damon made his way to the living room and gently laid Katherine down on the plush couch. Her dark hair fanned out around her, framing her face beautifully. He couldn't help but to stare at her for a long beat, knowing he'd been waiting for this moment for decades. Taking a seat on the edge of the couch, he placed a warm hand atop hers, feeling her soft skin beneath his fingertips. A contented sigh escaped his lips, and he leaned in closer to her still-sleeping form.

"Oh, Katherine," he whispered softly, voice filled with unsheathed emotion. "I've missed you, you have no idea how much. How I've longed to hold you again, to kiss and feel you against me again." As he continued to speak, his words grew more fervent. "I love you, I'll always love you, Katherine. I won't let anything or anyone ever tear us apart again."

Stefan quietly stepped into the living room just as Damon leaned in and placed a soft, tender kiss on Katherine's sleeping lips. Damon turned his head to see Stefan standing there and a smirk found its way to his taunting lips.

Katherine's eyelids fluttered slowly, eyes finally opening to reveal her rich, captivating brown eyes. Like pools of melted chocolate, they held warmth and capture the moonlit night sky. The irises were flecked with the tiniest silver specks, shimmering like distant stars, adding an ethereal quality to her gaze.

She blinked, her long, dark lashes casting delicate shadows on her porcelain cheeks, as she tried to focus on her surroundings. Her eyes scanned the room, darting from one corner to the other, seeing answers to countless questions that now were swirling in her mind. As she looked upon the faces of the two men before her, slight panic began to rise in her chest as she realized.

She didn't know who they were.

Stefan watched as Katherine's eyes opened, no words being spoken from her. He watched her chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm, her eyelashes fluttering open to reveal those familiar brown orbs. "Katherine," he breathed, watching her reaction to hearing her name being called. He saw the way her eyes focused on him, but realized there was no recognition in her gaze.

The woman blinked up at the two men who stared down at her expectantly. The one that was further away had called her Katherine, perhaps that was her name? It didn't sound familiar, nor did she feel like a Katherine - whatever that meant. She focused on him harder, slightly shifting uncomfortably feeling as though she should recognize them, but their faces stirred no memories. Nothing. Her mind was blank and she was growing rather frustrated.

Damon leaned in closer, hovering over her possessively as he let his hand come down to caress her face. "Katherine, it's me, Damon," he said softly, moving his fingers upwards to brush a strand of her hair away from her forehead. "It's been 100 years, we got you out of the tomb. You're safe now."

That name again, Katherine. No, she wasn't sure what her name was but that name sounded wrong. It didn't feel like that was the name for her. The woman frowned slightly, eyebrows furrowing in confusion and Stefan noticed this time.

"This isn't Katherine." Stefan finally spoke, stepping closer this time. The woman tore her gaze away from the raven-haired man to look at the other one, her eyes scanning his features. She blinked a few times before appreciating the sights, even though she didn't know these men, she couldn't help but find them insanely attractive. "Look at her face, Damon. Not one ounce of recognition in her eyes."

The one called Stefan kneeled down to get at eye level with the woman and she slowly began to sit up on the couch, watching him cautiously. Damon's face fell as he realized what Stefan was saying and realized his brother was right. Reluctantly, Damon pulled back, staring down at the woman who he wanted to believe was Katherine, taking a deep breath.

"Fine," Damon scoffed, throwing his hands up in the air. "If she's not Katherine, then who the hell is this and why does she also look like Katherine?" When he received no answer, Damon slapped his hand down on the woman's forehead. "Hey, you, freaky look-alike girl. Who the hell are you?"

The woman slapped his hand away from her forehead and glared at him, furrowing her eyebrows at the way he described her. She opened her mouth to tell him who she was, but then she closed it just as fast. I don't remember. "I ... I don't really know..."

Stefan's eyes flickered between the woman's and Damon's; his brow furrowing as he tried to make sense of this strange situation. This woman bores an uncanny resemblance to Katherine as well as his girlfriend, Elena. But something more, she was found in the tomb, in a coffin. Her clothes are more than outdated which leads him to believe she's from an older time. But how is that possible?

Damon's eyes narrowed; his jaw clenched tightly as he listened to the woman's idiocy. How do you not know who you are? Of all the Katherine games, there was no possible way this wasn't Katherine. It's not Elena, and she was found in the tomb where she was supposed to be. A swirl of emotions raged within him, disbelief and anger swirling together, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. The muscles in his arms tensed, his hands balling into fists at his sides as he struggled to contain the volcanic fury bubbling beneath the surface.

Stefan's gentle voice filled the room, his hand finding itself atop of hers as he studied her face intently. "That's okay, don't worry." He reassured her, patting her hand gently. "Can you remember anything at all? We found you in a coffin, do you know who put you there?"

The woman was silent for what seemed like forever as she tried to think back, think back before she opened her eyes. Damon pulled himself up from the couch, shaking his head in frustration. She closed her eyes, racking her brain for anything - no matter how insignificant. Nothing. Her hands balled into fists as she felt herself growing rather irritated, not understanding what happened or what was going on, shaking her head slowly. "I can't remember anything; I've been trying to ever since I woke up in this place."

Before Stefan could coax anything else out of her, Damon's patience had snapped. He sped over to her, wrapping his hand tightly around her throat and lifted her into the air, her feet dangling above the ground. "Cut the shit, Katherine," he growled, his face contorted with anger. "How about you stop playing your little games and come on out for us, mkay?"

Stefan braced himself to intervene, attempting to reign his brother back but before he could, the woman suddenly grabbed a hold of Damon's face and clawed his skin, effectively breaking his polished skin with her nails before she shoved him back with a powerful hiss. Her fangs bared the moment she perched up on the couch in defense. As quickly as the outburst happened, she seemed to snap out of it, her face reflection confusion at her own actions.

"At least she's still a vampire, right Katherine?" Damon scoffed, his disbelief evident. "How'd that feel, hm? Having that same control over me?"

The woman's eyes flashed with anger, growing rather irritated at being called Katherine. Her voice was firm as she snapped back, "I don't know who the fuck this Katherine is, but I'm clearly not her, moron." Still perched defensively on the couch, the woman locked eyes with the Salvatore brothers as she nervously brought her hand up to her neck, fiddling with a silver moon pendant that hung there. She looked down at it, her eyebrows knitting together as she thought back.

A slither of a memory, the sound of a voice that brought chills down her spine. A face, blurred beyond recognition but in their hands was the moon pendant she now has around her neck. The whisper of a name, a name that sounded familiar and felt right. When she came back to the present, the woman's fingers were trembling slightly as she clutched the charm, her knuckles turning white from the pressure.

Stefan approached her cautiously, his movements slow and deliberate, not wanting to startle her further. As he closed the distance, he slowly reached out to touch the pendant around her neck, his eyes searching hers for her consent. The woman nodded her head and Stefan carefully took hold of the pendant between his thumb and forefinger. He turned it over, the silver surface catching the light as he examined it closely. 'M', the same symbol he'd seen on her coffin. Below that, etched into the back of the pendant faintly was the words: 'Amaris, my beloved.'

Amaris. Reading that name, she could faintly hear the voice of someone in her mind. Perhaps from that faint memory, the blurred face. It was a name, clearly. But was it hers? "What do you think?" She asked Stefan, her eyes filled with curiosity as she stared up at him.

Stefan furrowed his brow, his eyes locked on the pendant as he shook his head. "I've no idea," he lowly admitted, examining the pendant closer.

Damon rolled his eyes and let out a snort of derision, observing the scene with impatience and skepticism. "Isn't it obvious, sleeping beauty?" He said smugly, crossing his arms over his chest as he approached the two, snatching the pendant out of his brother's hands to read it. "This is clearly your name, idiots. What I'm more concerned about is this M, who's that?"

The woman, Amaris, stared blankly at Damon, blinking slowly before she answered his question. "Weren't you paying attention? I don't know. I don't know my own name, what makes you think I know who this M person is?"

Stefan placed a comforting hand on Amaris' shoulder, taking in her vulnerability and irritated tone at Damon. He observed her carefully, feeling a sense of responsibility to help her since he and Damon both took her from the coffin. "Amaris," he said her name for the first time, her eyes lit up like a spark of recognition before the flame extinguished in them. "You can stay in one of the rooms, we'll help you figure this out."

Amaris turned to look at Damon, his aggravated gaze stuck on her frame. "I doubt playboy over there will help me." She murmured, stepping away from the men. As she walked towards the staircase she turned her head to face Damon again, giving him a sly smile that seemed to mirror Katherine's. She held his gaze for a moment before looking at Stefan, to find him already staring at her, before she turned away to walk up the staircase.

Damon watched her retreat, arms crossed over his chest and a grin spreading across his face as he suddenly found himself intrigued by the mysterious woman. "You can't tell me that wasn't Katherine." He mused, turning to find his brother staring after Amaris. Damon's smile faltered slightly, seeing that look in Stefan's eyes. "You already have your Katherine look-alike, Stefan. Don't be obvious."

Stefan ignored Damon's taunts, his mind was elsewhere as he continued to stare at the place Amaris last was. "This isn't good," he suddenly mumbled out, his expression turning serious. "Katherine wasn't in the tomb, either she's dead or she's out there somewhere."

"How certain are we that this isn't Katherine, I mean..." Damon's voice trailed off as he looked back at the staircase with an amused grin, Stefan shook his shoulders urgently. "Alright, alright. So Katherine may be out there somewhere."

"That means there's three women with the same face," Stefan continued, taking a step back from Damon. "Keep an eye on her, Damon."

Damon waved his hand in the air, dismissing Stefan quickly. He didn't find Katherine like he set out to do, instead he found a pretender. Someone wearing the same face as her, though a part of him definitely was excited by the prospect of getting to know this new face on a more ... personal level. He knew she was more than another face of Katherine's, her own personality, albeit she doesn't seem to remember. She belonged to someone once upon a time, and Damon's interest was undoubtedly piqued.

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅ 𝘼 𝙒𝙊𝙍𝘿 𝙁𝙍𝙊𝙈 𝙈𝘼𝙍𝙎 ₊˚ෆ
sorry this took forever to get out!
i'm redoing the chapters, adding
more than i had before.
pls don't be silent, i'd love to hear
what you guys think!

- 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮
hazzawckd ♡︎