Everhart household
Breakfast time. Grandma was already done eating.
She always wasa very quick eater.
I was still scraping the bowl, more out of stubbornness than hunger. Warm grain the smell and taste are not to my liking. Food here wasn't meant to be enjoyed—it was meant to be endured. As someone who remembered seasoning, oil, and things this feels like punishment, every meal felt like a reminder of where I was stuck.
Grilled meat or fish with salt was the only thing that still felt like food. Fruit, when it was ripe, was tolerable. Everything else went down because it had to.
I understood history now. Wars over spices made perfect sense. I'd start one too.
A sudden shout cut through my thoughts.
"Adrian!"
Klaus's voice hit the door at the exact moment his hand slapped against it.
Before I could react, he was laughing—breathless, triumphant.
"I won!"
Kol came skidding in behind him, nearly colliding with the doorframe. "You did not!"
Elijah arrived last, slower, dusting himself off with quiet irritation.
"You only won because I tripped beacuse of Elijah." Kol argued.
"It was not because of me. " Elijah said stiffly.
"You fell," Kol said.
"Because of you," Elijah replied.
"Same thing," Kol shot back.
"Who told you to drag Elijah by his clothes?" Klaus declared proudly.
"That doesn't count!"
"It absolutely counts."
Grandma stood up, spoon in hand. "Enough."
All three froze.
She looked them over—dirt on their clothes, grass on their knees, flushed faces and wild hair.
She clicked her tongue. "You'll break your bones one day. All of you."
Kol rubbed his knee. Klaus grinned like it was worth it.
Then Klaus remembered why they were here. "We're going to play," he said, grabbing my arm. "At our house."
"Mam, is it okay for Adrian to stay for lunch at our house? Mother asked me to get your permission," Elijah added.
Grandma turned to me. "Did you finish the food?"
I nodded, even though finish felt like a generous word.
As she spoke to them, my mind wandered despite myself.
'Lunch?
Esther invited me for lunch—why?
Especially me. After refusing to teach me magic did she change her mind.
Did she need something from me?is it the reason she's been keeping an eye on me?
Maybe I'd messed up.
Or maybe this was her marriage anniversary or something.
But it didn't feel like nothing.
Is she trying to eliminate me?
No, I don't think so. From what I've gathered and seen, Esther isn't an evil, crazy witch—for now. That happens after a thousand years of torture on the Other Side by other spirits. Right now, she's a very good mother.
She looked back at them. "Take him. Send him back before dark."
"Yes, ma'am," Elijah said again.
"And try not to break each other's bones on the way," she added, already sitting back down.
Outside, Klaus immediately started walking backward. "I won."
Kol shoved him. "You cheated. I was ahead of you."
"Doesn't matter. I touched the door before you."
We walked together down the path, Klaus and Kol bickering until Kol started losing the argument and diverted the topic.
Kol immediately grabbed my arm. "Hey Ian Did you learn something new to show us."
"Yes," I said.
"But Not here," I muttered. There were people walking past—it was the middle of the village, lively and busy.
When we reached the narrow stretch between houses, where the path bent and no one could see properly, I stopped.
"Here."
"Stand close." The four of us formed a circle.
I bent down and picked up a dried leaf from the ground. I placed it on my palm and stared at it hard, tongue pressed to the side of my mouth as I concentrated.
The dry leaf started hovering above my palm.
We stood close together like a secret group discussion. It looked odd—Elijah, eight years old was towering us, and Klaus six year old was slightly taller than me and Kol, who were both four. Klaus kept glancing over his shoulder, keeping an eye out in case someone appeared out of nowhere.
The leaf crumbled slightly at the edges as it hovered.
Then it caught fire.
Not all at once—just a soft flare, like someone had breathed on a spark. Then the spark turned into a flame that engulfed the whole leaf.
"Whats new you showed it before."Klaus questioned.
"Wait," I said. "It's not over yet. See this."
The leaf dropped straight back into my hand.
"Relax. Look."
I closed my fingers around it for a second, then opened them again.
The flame stayed.
Small. Steady. Curling along the edges of the leaf without eating it away. I could feel the warmth spreading across my skin—comfortable, almost pleasant. Like standing too close to a hearth, but not close enough to get burned.
Klaus stared. "You're not burning?!"
"I'm not," I said, grinning despite myself. "That's the point."
I tilted my hand, and the flame rose a little higher, brighter. "See? It doesn't burn. It just feels warm."
Kol leaned in immediately. "Let me."
I shifted my hand toward him. He hesitated for half a heartbeat, then touched the leaf with one finger.
His eyes went wide. "It's not hot."
"I told you."
Klaus touched it next, then pulled his hand back with a laugh. "It's like holding sunlight."
Elijah stepped closer now, curiosity winning over caution. "Show me."
I placed the leaf in his palm.
For a moment, it stayed the same—warm, glowing softly.
Then it didn't.
The flame flickered, flared once, and the leaf crumbled into ash. The fire vanished with it.
Elijah blinked at his empty hand.
"I can't keep it for long," I said, rubbing my palm. "For now."
They stared at the ashes on the ground like they might start burning again on their own.
Then Klaus grinned. "That was still good."
"It was cool—awesome. I can't wait to learn magic myself," Kol exclaimed.
'i have been showing these three and occasionally Rebekah magic tricks I learned this past week cuz somehow kol caught me practicing magic and had been begging me to show him the tricks since apparently Finn doesn't entertain his demands. So I have been showing them the "new tricks" which in relaity are pretty old tricks I learned to gain brownie points which has no downsides whats so ever. '
Next We joined the other village kids and played until our legs hurt and our throats were dry—racing, shouting, with friends.
By the time the sun started climbing higher, my stomach was already complaining again.
---
Scene change — Mikaelson estate
The table was already laid out when we gathered around it after washing hands , legs and faces with water which was dirty from all the running around.
The food was impossible to ignore.
Lamb skewers rested on a wide platter, roasted over open fire until the meat was dark at the edges and shining with fat. Beside it were vegetables roasted—probably in goat fat, since oil and butter weren't available in this part of the world—soft, browned, simply seasoned. A small bowl sat between them, thick sauce inside.
Esther set the last dish down, then lifted Rebekah easily and settled her on her lap before sitting herself.
"Alright," she said, pleased, looking around the table. Then her eyes landed on me. "Adrian, as the guest, try it first."
I hesitated for half a second, aware of Mikael at the head of the table, then picked up a skewer and bit into it. Unknowingly, my eyes closed as I focused on the flavors.
The meat was very tender and juicy. Properly salted. A slight spiciness from the paprika warmed the taste without overpowering it, and the fire had done its job—smoky, rich, nothing wasted. I dipped it into the sauce without thinking. The honey softened the sharpness of the slightly sour berries, cutting through the fat just enough.
I didn't realize I was smiling until Esther noticed.
"Well? How is it?" she asked.
"It's really good," I said honestly. "Very delicious. My grandma… she doesn't cook like this."
Esther laughed, clearly pleased. "Thank you for the compliment, dear."
Klaus leaned closer to me, lowering his voice like it was a secret. "That's because you're here."
I blinked. "What?"
"This isn't normal food," he said, grinning. "She made it specialy for you. We don't get this often."
That made his excitement make sense—the way Kol was already arguing over the sauce with Finn.
Mikael nodded once. "Eat," he said, and everyone did.
The table filled with noise. Not loud, not wild—just small talk, clinking wood, murmured complaints and laughter. Mikael stayed mostly silent, but he didn't stop anything. He simply ate and listened.
Then Rebekah, who was being fed the tenderest parts of the meat and vegetables by Esther, raised her voice.
"Father? Why are you so silent?"
For a heartbeat, no one breathed.
Mikael answered without hesitation. "Because I have food in my mouth."
Rebekah thought about it.
Then nodded seriously. "That makes sense."
I snickered before I could stop myself.
Mikael's eyes lifted to me.
"S-sorry," I muttered, staring at my plate and avoiding eye contact.
He said nothing. Just went back to eating.
The tension dissolved as quickly as it came, and the meal carried on—warm, full, and strangely normal.
For the moment, whatever Esther's reasons for inviting me were, they could wait.
The food mattered more.