The Card's Legacy

The burned bus was the first thing they saw. It sat in the clearing like a grotesque monument, its metal skeleton twisted and blackened, the smell of charred flesh and burnt rubber permeating the air.

Hope's stomach churned as she approached cautiously, her eyes scanning the destruction. She barely had time to process the scene when she spotted Landon, standing a few feet away, looking pale and shaken.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Hope snapped, her voice sharp and cutting. "And what's that?" Her eyes landed on a strange, ornate artifact poking out of Landon's jacket pocket.

Landon looked up, his expression one of utter confusion. "I... I don't know," he stammered, pulling the artifact from his pocket and holding it out as though it might bite him. "I didn't take this. I don't even know how it got there."

Hope narrowed her eyes, her magic flaring involuntarily. "You're telling me it just appeared in your pocket?" she asked, her tone dripping with disbelief.

Landon nodded, his hands trembling. "I swear, Hope. I don't remember taking it. I don't even know what it is."

"Convenient," she muttered, stepping closer. The Hollow's energy bubbled just beneath her skin, her frustration and suspicion mounting. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"I didn't mean for this to happen!" Landon protested, gesturing toward the wreckage of the bus. "I don't know what's going on. I swear!"

"Enough," Lucius interjected smoothly, stepping between them. His crimson eyes scanned the wreckage, his expression unreadable. "This wasn't Landon's doing. At least, not directly." He crouched near the charred remains, brushing his fingers against the ash. "This is dark magic. Someone else is responsible."

Before anyone could respond, a rustling sound broke the tense silence. Hope turned sharply, her magic simmering as her eyes scanned the tree line. Moments later, a woman stumbled out of the shadows, her clothes torn and her face streaked with soot. She looked wild, her eyes darting frantically as she approached.

"Help me," the woman pleaded, her voice hoarse and trembling. "Please, it's coming. You have to help me."

Hope narrowed her eyes, stepping in front of Landon. "Who's coming?" she demanded, her magic thrumming at her fingertips.

The woman grabbed Hope's arm, her grip surprisingly strong. "The creature," she whispered, her voice breaking. "It's hunting me."

Lucius tilted his head, studying her carefully. "She's lying," he said after a moment, his tone calm but firm.

Hope hesitated, glancing at him. "How can you be sure?"

"There's no fear in her eyes," Lucius replied smoothly. "Only anger."

Landon's voice rose in frustration. "She's the one who burned the bus, isn't she? She did this!" He pointed at the wreckage, his voice cracking under the weight of his accusation.

The woman's frantic expression faltered for a split second, her eyes traveled between Hope, Landon and finally Lucius' eyes, then replaced by something colder, more calculated. "So be it," she muttered, her grip tightening on Hope's arm.

In an instant, her form began to shift. Her skin hardened, taking on a metallic sheen, and her eyes burned with an orange glow. Massive wings unfurled from her back as she let out a guttural roar, her transformation into a dragon complete.

Landon stumbled backward, tripping over his own feet as the dragon loomed over them. "This can't be happening," he stammered.

Hope stepped between Landon and the dragon, summoning a barrier of magic as the creature lunged. The dragon's fiery breath slammed into the shield, sending shockwaves through the air.

"Stay back!" Hope shouted, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her.

Lucius didn't move to attack. Instead, he teleported behind Hope's right shoulder, his breath brushing faintly against her ear. His voice was quiet, almost soothing, but with a thread of dark seduction that curled into her mind. "Still holding back, Hope? After everything? After he betrayed you?"

Hope flinched, her focus wavering as his words slipped into her mind like smoke, stoking the embers of her anger. "Not now, Lucius," she snapped, though her voice faltered slightly. His certainty, his insinuations, they pressed against her carefully constructed walls.

Lucius vanished again, reappearing just inches from her left ear. His tone was laced with soft venom, almost as if he relished her turmoil. "Playing it safe won't save anyone, Hope. You think Landon deserves that after lying to you? Let it see who it dared challenge. Let them all see."

"Stop it," Hope growled, gritting her teeth as she fought to maintain control.

Lucius appeared directly in front of her, his purple eyes shimmering with a dangerous allure. His tone was measured, but the darkness in his words twisted deeper. "You want to protect them, don't you? Protect yourself? Remind them all who you are, Hope. Stop letting betrayal and doubt weigh you down. Be the storm they fear."

The dragon roared again, slamming its claws against the magical shield. The ground beneath them trembled, cracks splintering outward from the force of the impact.

Lucius teleported once more, this time behind her, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders, his touch a mixture of reassurance and provocation. His voice curled around her like a serpent, each word carefully placed. "Let go, Hope. Let the fire inside consume this moment. Finish it. Show them what happens when they dare to betray, to defy, to doubt you."

Hope's pulse thundered in her ears as her magic surged uncontrollably. The Hollow's power roared to life, mingling with her own rage. She raised her hands, and with a scream, released it all at once. 

The force was cataclysmic. The dragon disintegrated in an explosion of fire and magic, the blast leveling half the forest around them.

When the dust settled, Hope collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Lucius crouched beside her, his expression unreadable as he brushed a strand of hair from her face.

"That's my girl," he murmured, a faint smile tugging at his lips, and his crimson eyes sparkling.

***

Landon paced nervously near Hope's unconscious form, his voice trembling with disbelief. "She exploded. The dragon—everything. It was like she became a bomb. I've never seen anything like it."

'How did he even come alive, it looks like a phoenix' Lucius and Elijah had the same thought as they both learned about myths and fantasies. 

Elijah, standing with his usual calm but piercing demeanor, kept his gaze on Lucius, who leaned nonchalantly against a tree. "Yes," Elijah said quietly, his voice measured. "But not everything is as it seems."

"What do you mean?" Landon pressed, his eyes darting between the two men. "Is she okay? Is this... normal?"

Elijah finally turned to Landon, his tone brokering no further questions. "I will take care of this," he said, dismissing Landon's concerns with a glance. As Landon moved a few paces away, Elijah approached Lucius, his expression sharp but calm.

"You've been watching her closely," Elijah said, his voice measured but laced with accusation. "Too closely for a stranger."

Lucius leaned casually against a tree, his smirk never faltering. "Oh, come now, Elijah. We both know you've been doing the same—watching, waiting. That's why Alaric let us out here unsupervised, isn't it? You, the ever-watchful guardian, trailing us like a shadow."

Elijah's jaw tightened, his gaze unwavering. "I don't trust you. Your words, your presence, it reeks of ulterior motives. Hope is not someone you manipulate for your amusement."

Lucius raised a brow, his tone remaining light but with a faint undercurrent of darkness. "Manipulate? Such a harsh word. I prefer 'guide.' And you're right, I've been close. Maybe because she needs someone who understands what it means to carry power and not drown in it."

"Power doesn't need temptation," Elijah countered, stepping closer. "It needs control. What you're offering her is neither."

Lucius's smile widened slightly. "Careful, Elijah. You might hurt my feelings. But if you're so convinced I'm a problem, why not do something about it?"

For a moment, the air between them felt heavy, charged with unspoken tension. Finally, Elijah exhaled softly, stepping back. "I'll be watching you," he said, his tone carrying a quiet threat.

"Don't forget that." His gaze lingered on Lucius for a long, unsettling moment before he added, "You should focus on staying safe."

Lucius smirked faintly, his expression unreadable. "Always with the cryptic warnings, Elijah. Such a charmer."

Hope stirred to the sound of voices, her head pounding as she tried to sit up.

"What happened?" she asked groggily, her vision swimming as she took in the charred remains of the forest. Her voice cracked with unease, though she tried to mask it.

Elijah's calm, commanding voice answered her. "You ended the threat," Elijah said smoothly, his tone careful. "The dragon is gone, and so is much of the forest. But it's over now."

Hope's eyes widened. "I didn't mean to..." Hope whispered, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to piece together fragments of the explosion. Her eyes instantly turned to Landon and seeing him alive made her shoulder's relax.

Lucius stepped in smoothly, crouching beside Hope. "Nothing too dramatic," he said with a reassuring smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You had a big moment, let's say. It's nothing to worry about."

Landon—standing a few feet away—looked pale and shaken. "She didn't just destroy it," he said. "She made it explode. Like... a bomb."

Hope's stomach churned again as fragments of memory surfaced. She turned to Lucius, who leaned casually against a tree, his expression carefully neutral.

"What did I do?" she asked again, her voice barely above a whisper, her gaze flicking between Elijah and Lucius.

Before Lucius could answer, Elijah stepped forward, his gaze shifting to Landon. Elijah took a step back, his attention shifting to Landon. "You didn't see anything," he said firmly, though his voice carried no hint of compulsion. "That is what you'll tell yourself."

But Landon frowned, his confusion deepening. "What are you...?"

"Compulsion doesn't work on him," Lucius said, stepping in with a faint smirk. "But lucky for you, I have other methods."

Extending his hand, Lucius summoned a faint glow of energy, rewinding the timeline around Landon. The boy's expression glazed over briefly before returning to normal.

"What just happened?" Landon asked, blinking, though his confusion seems subdued, as if the weight of the moment had slipped from his grasp.

"Nothing you need to dwell on," Lucius said smoothly, his tone light as he extended a hand to Hope. "Come on, Mi Amor. Let's not make a big deal out of this."

As they began their trek back, Elijah lingered, his piercing gaze fixed on Lucius.

"You're hiding something," Elijah said quietly.

Lucius met his stare with a faint smile. "Aren't we all?"

***

I know that the dragon doesn't talk in the show, and was portrayed as a clueless robot which is something I didn't like.

And i also know the order of events is different. I don't have a perfect memory to remember each and every line and scene. so i write it from my understanding and point of view.

Since this is a fanfic, please expect things to be different. I will try not to bend the rules too much, but i will test them once in a while.