A full week slipped by—quiet on the surface, restless underneath.
The ritual preparations moved slowly, piece by piece, while Adrian kept mostly to the forest, trying to get better grasp of his magic while unaware of the matters unfolding.
Adrian pov:
A leaf floated a few inches above my palm, wavering gently before it dipped and dropped back into my hand.
Not a bad imitation of struggling.
I lifted it again—slow, deliberate, just enough imbalance to make it look like I was barely holding it together. The birds nearby chirped again.
Esther, I didn't need to turn around to know. That faint feeling of someone looking at me behind my back that always appear when I hear the birds chirping. She wasn't trying to hide it either.
It's good In a way, it made things easier as why would she care that a child would know someone is spying on him but I can guess.
I kept the leaf hovering, let it shake once, then allowed it to fall. Enough to seem inexperienced, not enough to look hopeless. A weird balance, pretending to be weaker than I actually was. Not my favorite thing to do, but necessary.
At least now I knew she still cared enough to keep an eye on me.
That alone kept my mind steady, maybe steadier than usual. I didn't have to rush, didn't have to improvise half-baked plans about sneaking into her shelves or digging through old scrolls when no one was home.
I could wait.
Knowing that she has some plans it may be dangerous but I already have made a mistake it can't be changed knowing this gave a sense of calmness — which allowed me to keep my magic in control quiet unless something startled me. A stubbed toe had snapped a twig, and a sneeze had made a leaf catch fire.
-------------------
Inside Ayana's house, evening light spilled through the open windows, turning drifting steam into pale silver ribbons. The clay pot set above the fire simmered steadily, its contents darkening with every slow swirl.
Ayana worked alone.
Her sleeves were rolled to her elbows, hands stained deep green from grinding herbs gathered at dawn. In the stone mortar before her lay a thick, earthy mixture of sage, mugwort, willow bark, bay leaves, and valerian root. Their mingled scent filled the room, sharp and calming at once.
She leaned into the work, pressing the pestle hard, crushing the softened herbs into a paste so dark it nearly looked like ink.
Beside her, a small wooden tray held shards of colorful minerals she had broken earlier. One by one, she cracked them with a flat stone, reducing them into coarse powders. When mixed, the crushed pigments resembled the palette of a painter—blue, ochre, grey, and muted violet.
Ayana scooped the herbal paste into the pot first. The water hissed as it swallowed the mixture, turning from clear to deep forest green. Then she added the minerals.
The liquid shifted immediately.
Green bled into smoky blue, then clouded into a murky grey as she stirred with a wooden spoon. The mixture thickened, slow and heavy. The entire house smelled of roots, cooked leaves, and warm stone.
Ayana lifted the spoon, letting the viscous liquid drip back into the pot.
"Almost ready," she murmured.
Just then, the front door creaked open.
Ayana didn't look up. "Esther? You're early."
Footsteps entered—slow, weighted, and carrying more than physical tiredness.
Only when Ayana finally glanced behind her did she take in the sight.
Esther stood in the doorway, her shoulders tense, travel-dust clinging to her cloak, and the faint scent of pine carried in with her. She didn't step in immediately; she lingered, drawing one quiet breath as if letting go of something heavy.
Ayana set her spoon aside. "You met him."
Esther nodded. "Yes. I met Ansel."
Ayana wiped her hands on a cloth, turning to face her fully. "And?"
Esther let out a slow exhale. "He agreed. In exchange for something that would help him during the full moon."
Ayana blinked—surprised but pleased. "He… agreed?"
Esther stepped forward now, letting the door close behind her. "He said he would send word in a few days. He will secure the remains we need."
"A wise decision to send you instead of Mikael." Ayana rolled her sleeves down and returned to the pot, giving the mixture one deliberate stir. "Good. Once the remains arrive, we burn them to ash, mix the ash into this brew, and allow it to settle into the final salves."
Esther's eyes followed the spiraling mixture. "How exactly will it work?"
Ayana gestured with the spoon.
"When the bones are reduced to ash, we divide the powder into two portions. The male wolf ash is added to one half of the mixture, the female wolf ash to the other. Each becomes a different salve—one carrying male essence, one carrying female essence."
"And the participants?" Esther asked.
"They must be coated in the paste," Ayana explained. "Face, arms, back, legs. The salves impose the spiritual identity of a mated pair. One bearing the male essence, the other the female. The ritual will recognize them as bonded."
Esther frowned slightly. "But Adrian is here. Freya is not. How will the ritual accept her absence?"
Ayana didn't pause her work.
"Tell me, Freya would be fourteen now, yes?"
"Yes," Esther said. "She should have just turned fourteen. Why does her age matter?"
"It matters because if she were physically present, age wouldn't matter. But with her gone, the ritual needs representation. A simple charm won't work. This ritual involves a primordial—it demands precision. We require someone similar to Freya. A girl. A beating heart."
Esther stiffened. "Who?"
"Rebekah," Ayana answered without hesitation. "She and Freya share blood—your daughters, Mikael's daughters. Gender matches. Age doesn't matter. With a personal item of Freya's placed on Rebekah during the ritual, the magic will identify her as the one who awakened the trait. Rebekah will serve as Freya's proxy."
Esther hesitated. "Will this affect Rebekah in any way?"
"No." Ayana's voice was unwavering. "Rebekah doesn't possess the trait your clan carries. The ritual won't touch her. With Freya's item, the magic will perceive Rebekah as Freya and nothing more."
Esther let out a breath of relief. "Good. I'll return home and search for something of Freya's."
Ayana nodded. "Once the remains arrive, everything will be ready."
She covered the pot with a woven cloth and stepped back.
"That's the last major preparation," she said. "This mixture must rest overnight."
A quiet settled in the house—heavy but not uncomfortable.
Ayana looked at Esther with a knowing look. "And the boy?"
Esther looked away for a moment before admitting,
"I've been keeping an eye on him."
Ayana raised a brow. "Every day, I presume?"
"Every day for the past week," Esther confessed. "He is… terrifying."
Ayana folded her arms. "How so?"
"He has good control over his magic," Esther said slowly, "far more than a child should. He has begun to use it consciously now And when it spirals, it only spirals for a moment. He learns faster than he loses control. It's like he's getting a feel for it—like instinct."
Ayana's expression was shocked but she quickly gained control.
"This fast, I knew Primordials are blessed by nature and are absurdly talented but still greater than I anticipated. Esther I think we have to proceed to the second step of the plan."
_______________________
AUTHORS NOTE: GIVE IDEAS and opinions.
I have to ask for some ideas on what Adrian's goal would be in his long immortal life I need to fill some gaps.
When I was writing the general direction of story I noticed some things like his goal for example:
Klaus to break his hybrid curse.
Elijah to keep his family together.
Rebekah to find love.
Mikael to kill Klaus.
Damon is Katherine then Elena.
Katherine to survive.
So what would Adrian be as it would feel odd and kinda empty for the strongest and talented witch to ever exist to just you know exist without goal or meaning.
So I would like suggestions such as to become a god like figure , or Create new supernatural species or magical experiments or is kinda bored and looking for entertainment, or catch me all collect harem of beautiful girls right.
And other hole I found is his personality and intelligence I would like to add some flaws in his character like not a perfect being or a good person or something.
He would be posessive , a bit narcissistic and controlling, a bit impulsive and gives in to whims and sometimes makes stupid decisions or along the lines or the plot and story would become boring if he became a all knowing and perfectly rational being