𝑨𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒎 - 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑽𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝑫𝒊𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔

「Chapter 6」

Elias carefully packed his grimoire into a bag while Damon observed the process, the large book looking somewhat out of place in the bag.

Damon couldn't help but express his reservations. "I'm really starting to regret this," he admitted.

Elias, determined and unwavering, replied, "Well, it's too late now."

Damon suggested a different course of action. "I could just compel you to forget," he offered.

Elias turned to Damon, his gaze steady. "I don't want to be compelled."

Damon reassured him with a smirk, "Relax, I don't even think you can be compelled, considering you're a witch," he said, gesturing toward the grimoire.

Elias pondered Damon's words for a moment before asking, "If I wasn't a witch, would you still compel me?"

Damon's smirk remained as he replied, "Not without your permission."

Elias couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You're only saying what I want to hear," he teased, a hint of a smile on his face.

Damon chuckled at Elias's response. "Well, you caught me," he admitted, his tone lightening.

Elias smiled and then pulled out his phone to send a text message to Stefan, letting him know where he was headed.

Damon, appearing behind him, expressed his reservations. "I don't think you should tell him", he suggested.

Elias turned to Damon, considering his point. "I want him to know where I'm at, you know, so he doesn't get worried," he explained.

Damon raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You really think it's a good idea to tell him you're going to Whittemore College?" he questioned.

Elias sighed, a mix of determination and understanding in his voice. "Well, I just can't lie to him," he replied. "Besides, I don't want him to think I don't trust him," he added.

Damon shrugged, seemingly uninterested in the argument. "Whatever," he said, conceding the point.

------

Damon's gaze occasionally wandered from the road to Elias, the man seated beside him. He found himself captivated by Elias's features, from the way sunlight played with his hair through the car window to the intense focus in his eyes as he delved into the grimoire's pages.

Sensing Damon's lingering looks, Elias eventually turned towards him, breaking the silence in the car. "Is something on your mind?" he inquired, his curiosity evident.

Damon hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words to convey his emotions. Elias had a unique way of evoking admiration and stirring his feelings, and he wanted to express it carefully. Finally, he spoke with sincerity and vulnerability, "It's just... different, in a way that's hard to put into words."

Elias met Damon's gaze, a mixture of confusion and eagerness in his eyes. "Different how?" he asked, eager to understand.

Damon shook his head and replied, "It's nothing," redirecting his attention to the road ahead.

Elias furrowed his brow and closed the grimoire. "No, I'm here to listen," he insisted.

Damon appeared hesitant but eventually voiced his question, "How did you come to know about Enzo?"

Elias wore a troubled expression. "That's not the real question you want to ask, is it?"

Damon hesitated for a moment before admitting, "No, but I am curious about Enzo."

Elias let out a sigh, his gaze distant. "I have visions," he confessed.

"Visions?" Damon questioned, his curiosity piqued.