The coppery taste of blood lingered on Luãn's tongue, a potent reminder of the transformation. The burning thirst was gone, replaced by a humming energy that vibrated through every cell in his body. He walked back towards the clearing with his siblings, their movements unnervingly fast and silent compared to how they'd moved just moments before. The world was a symphony of heightened senses – the crunch of dry leaves under his newly light feet sounded like thunder, the scent of pine and damp earth was overpowering, and the faint, frantic beat of distant human hearts was a constant, unsettling rhythm.
'Okay, level one completed,' Luãn thought, a wry smile playing on his blood-smeared lips. 'Achievement Unlocked: Original Vampire.' The sheer absurdity of it all still hadn't fully worn off. He, Leon from a New York penthouse, was now an immortal apex predator in 11th-century Norway. It was like the wildest, most insane Isekai fanfic, except it was his life.
Esther and Mikael were waiting. Esther looked weary, her eyes shadowed with grief for Henrik, but also alight with a fierce pride as she surveyed her changed children. Mikael stood straighter, his usual grim demeanor softened by a look of profound satisfaction.
"You have fed," Esther stated, her voice calm. "The transition is complete. You are now immortal."
Kol let out a wild laugh, spinning around faster than the eye could follow, a whirlwind of blood-stained tunic. "Immortal! This power is incredible!"
Rebekah was more subdued, looking at her hands, turning them over as if seeing them for the first time. "My skin… it feels… different."
"Harder," Mikael supplied, his voice gruff. "Unbreakable by mortal means." He walked towards them, his gaze sharp, assessing. "You are faster, stronger, more resilient than any man, any wolf." He stopped in front of Elijah, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder. "You have done well, my son. All of you."
'A compliment from Mikael?' Luãn's internal monologue was momentarily stunned. 'Okay, write that down. Historic moment.'
Esther held up her hand. "There are… limitations. The sun. Until your eyes adapt, it will burn you." She gestured to the sky, where the first rays of dawn were starting to pierce the horizon. "And wood. The wood of the White Oak tree. It is the only thing that can truly kill you. It is both your salvation and your doom."
Luãn nodded, filing away the information he already knew, but hearing it spoken aloud by the Original Witch was a different experience entirely. 'Right. Sunburn like a ginger vampire in the desert, and pointy sticks from the tree are bad. Got it.'
"We cannot remain here," Mikael said, his voice hardening. "The villagers… they have seen too much. They know something unnatural has occurred."
Luãn glanced towards the village. Through his enhanced sight, he could see figures huddled in their huts, faces pressed against small windows, eyes wide with terror. The few who had ventured out earlier were nowhere to be seen. The air thrummed with their fear.
'Yeah, probably saw us drain the village livestock like a bunch of supernatural juice boxes. Not exactly subtle.' The thought brought a slight, morbid amusement.
"They will fear you," Esther said softly, confirming his observation. "And fear breeds hatred. We must leave this place. Find a new home. Where you can learn to control this… hunger." She looked at them, a touch of apprehension entering her expression.
'Control the hunger,' Luãn mused. 'Step two. Avoid becoming Rippers. Easier said than done for some of this crew.'
"We leave at once," Mikael commanded. "Gather what is essential. We travel north."
The departure was swift and silent, dictated by Mikael's urgency and their new, effortless speed. As they moved through the waking village, the fear was palpable. Doors slammed shut, people recoiled from their path. Luãn saw a woman cross herself as they passed.
'Ah, yes. The classic 'supernatural creatures are evil' trope starts now,' he thought, trying to suppress a sigh. 'Guess being a minority just got upgraded from 'outsider' to 'terrifying demon'. Cool, cool.'
They traveled for days, moving mostly under the cover of night or in heavily shaded forests during the day. The initial rush of power was exhilarating, but learning to control it was a challenge. Simple tasks became exercises in restraint. Picking up a stone could crush it to dust. Jumping across a stream could send them soaring into the treetops. Their senses were constantly overwhelmed – every rustle, every scent, every distant sound was a distraction.
And the thirst. It was a constant, low-level ache, manageable after the initial feeding, but always present, a hungry whisper in the back of their minds. They hunted animals – deer, rabbits, whatever they could find – but it didn't truly satisfy them like the cattle had. Luãn understood now the deep-seated longing the show's vampires had for human blood.
During their journey, Luãn practiced using his speed and senses. He would race Elijah through the trees, their forms blurring like phantoms. Elijah, ever graceful, adapted quickly, his movements fluid and precise. Luãn was still slightly more… chaotic, sometimes misjudging distances or braking too late, resulting in minor collisions with trees or face-plants into bushes.
One afternoon, attempting to leap a chasm, Luãn miscalculated and landed halfway up the opposite cliff face, clinging precariously to the rock.
Kol, who had made the leap with effortless ease, peered down at him, dissolving into laughter. "Stuck already, Luãn? Perhaps you should have drunk more cow!"
Luãn hung there for a moment, slightly embarrassed, before his enhanced strength allowed him to haul himself up the sheer rock face with surprising ease. He landed beside Kol, brushing dust off his tunic, trying to look composed.
"Just testing the tensile strength of medieval rock formations, Kol," Luãn retorted dryly, giving him a shove that sent the younger Original stumbling back with a surprised yelp. 'Okay, maybe the 'goofy' comes out as sarcasm and physical comedy due to new powers.'
Klaus, watching from the other side, actually cracked a smile. "You are certainly… robust, Luãn."
Luãn grinned back, a genuine, albeit slightly feral, vampire grin. "Always aiming to please, Niklaus."
They learned to hunt together, their senses working in tandem. Luãn's tracking skills, honed over two years, combined with their new speed and scent made them incredibly efficient. He still relied on his bow sometimes, finding a perverse satisfaction in hitting targets at impossible speeds and distances.
One evening, gathered around a fire only Esther and Mikael could truly tolerate the warmth of, Kol was regaling them with an exaggerated tale of their journey, emphasizing Luãn's cliff-hanging mishap.
"And there he was," Kol dramaticized, gesturing wildly, "clinging like a terrified squirrel, while I soared across like a majestic falcon!"
Rebekah giggled. Elijah allowed a small smile. Klaus looked entertained. Finn, ever serious, simply watched.
Luãn rolled his eyes, but there was genuine amusement beneath it. "If I recall correctly, Kol," he cut in smoothly, "that 'majestic falcon' nearly took out a family of owls on the other side. Some of us prefer a more… grounded approach to acrobatics."
Kol sputtered, laughing again. "Just because you lack flair, brother, does not mean the rest of us must suffer without it!"
'Flair. Right. A thousand years of Kol's flair await me. Send help.' The internal monologue added another layer of dry commentary to the scene.
Mikael watched these interactions with a complex expression. He saw the bonding, the use of their new strength, but also the remnants of their human personalities clashing. He expected strength, not… whatever this was.
"Enough," Mikaiel barked, cutting through the laughter. "This is not a game. You are predators now. You hunt. You survive. There is no room for weakness or foolishness." His gaze settled on Klaus for a moment, then flicked towards Kol and Luãn.
The air instantly grew tense. The humor vanished. Luãn felt the familiar weight of Mikael's disapproval, his impossible standards. He straightened, meeting Mikael's gaze directly, projecting calm strength, a touch of Elijah's poise mixed with a steely resolve.
'Not foolishness, Father,' he thought, keeping his expression neutral. 'Just… retaining some semblance of personality. Something you lost a long, long time ago. But I won't.'
He felt the subtle hum beneath his vampiric power intensify for a fraction of a second, like a hidden engine revving slightly in response to the stress of Mikael's presence, the pressure to conform. It was a warm, solid feeling, distinct from the cool, sharp edge of the vampirism. He still didn't know what it was, but he was beginning to associate it with moments of emotional intensity or physical strain.
The tension eased as Mikael turned his gaze away. Esther spoke then, guiding the conversation towards their immediate future, the need to find a more permanent, hidden refuge.
As they settled down for the 'rest' period of the day (sleep wasn't strictly necessary anymore, but rest was a human habit that lingered), Luãn lay on the damp forest floor, listening to the nocturnal sounds, feeling the immense power humming within him.
He was a vampire. An Original. One of the most powerful creatures in existence. And he had a second, unknown source of power lurking beneath the surface. His goal felt closer, more attainable than ever before. The path ahead was long, fraught with danger and darkness, but he had survived the beginning. He had the knowledge of the future, the power of eternity, and a burgeoning fierce loyalty to the dysfunctional, dangerous, incredible family he now belonged to.
'Well, Original life,' he mused, looking up through the leaves at the distant, pale stars. 'Let's see what you've got. And let's see how goofy I can get while being an immortal bloodsucker. Probably not very. But I can try.'
He closed his eyes, not needing sleep, but savoring the quiet moment of power and potential. The next thousand years awaited.