54 Chapter 2.5 ( 2)

Orion had decided to hide the black oak where he kept the white oak, strengthening the protections he had over it. Freya had gone to visit her siblings, inviting Orion with her. When they entered, they saw Kol and Klaus going at it. 

Klaus, seething with barely contained fury, glares at Kol. "What were you thinking, Kol? Attacking the doppelganger? Do you have any idea how important she is?" 

 Klaus, infuriated, shouts back, "I care! Keep this up, and I'll put you back in a coffin with a dagger in your heart."

Kol's smirk fades slightly, but his defiance remains. "Always the threat of the dagger with you, Nik. Do you have any other tricks?"

Klaus steps closer, his anger barely contained. "This isn't a trick, Kol. It's a promise." 

Orion remained seated on the couch, a hint of amusement in his eyes at the unfolding drama. Meanwhile, deciding to intervene, Freya used her magic to push her brothers against the wall.

She first turned to Klaus, expression firm, "Klaus, you will not threaten to dagger Kol again."

Then, turning her attention to Kol, her tone was equally stern, "And Kol, stay away from the doppelganger. No more reckless actions." 

Orion, catching a whiff of a familiar scent - Hayley's - left the heated family discussion and followed the trail to Klaus's room. Finding Hayley asleep, he nudged her awake with curiosity and concern. "Wakey, wakey, cousin. What brings you here?"

Startled awake, Hayley rubbed her eyes and recognized Orion. "Orion," she murmured, still groggy. She gathered her thoughts and explained, "I've been trying to find Freya and you. You both vanished; the last I heard, you were in Mystic Falls. I ended up sleeping with the British guy at a bar, and, well, here I am." 

"Dirty Blonde, lean, with feather tattoos?" Orion sought confirmation, his brows furrowing slightly as he pieced together the information. 

Orion quickly returned to his own house, leaving Freya and Hayley behind. He sat down in his living room, deep in thought. He knew that essential events involving the Originals were about to start, especially since Hayley had already become involved with Klaus. 

Lost in his thoughts, Orion was startled by a knock at the door. He opened it and found a middle-aged man with a dazed expression. The man looked at him intently.

"Are you the Tribrid?" the man asked, his voice monotone. 

Orion, slightly taken aback, nodded and scrutinized the stranger. "Yes, I am. Who are you, and what do you want?"

The man, without answering, quickly reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a letter. "This is for you," he said, handing the letter to Orion.

Before Orion could ask further questions, the man turned abruptly and ran off into the traffic, disappearing from view. Orion closed the door and read the letter 

Orion, with a sense of growing unease, unfolded the letter and began to read the scrawled handwriting:

"Hello Tribrid,

You've been ignoring the attempts I've made to contact you. I've tried to be patient, but your continued disregard has forced me to take drastic measures. Your Grandmother, Sheila Bennett, and sister, Bonnie, were easy targets. The group of vampires and werewolves you associate with proved to be weak. 

The letter continued with a chilling postscript: "To prove we mean business, check the back of this letter."

Orion, with a sinking feeling, turned the letter over. On the back was a horrifying image: Bonnie, bloodied and bruised, her body lying heartlessly. The sight filled him with a mixture of horror and rage. He then read the remaining part of the letter:

"This is your warning, and it's the only one you'll get. Unfortunately, you couldn't protect your sister. Don't worry, we still have her body. Her heart is on its way to you. Act fast because your grandmother isn't doing well." 

Overwhelmed by the shock and horror of the situation, Orion began to panic. He struggled to breathe and felt a sense of helplessness. Anger flooded him for not being there to protect his family, anger at himself for not having protection, and sadness set in. Tears started to prickle at his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. 

As Orion grappled with his overwhelming emotions, his uncontrolled magic manifested physically. The house trembled in response to his inner turmoil, and the weather mirrored his distress outside. Dark clouds amassed in the sky, the wind intensified, and thunder rumbled ominously. As tears streamed down his face, the rain began to fall heavily, as if nature was grieving with him.

Feeling a deep sense of guilt and sorrow over Bonnie's death and Gram's being in danger. Orion's emotions reached a breaking point. In a moment of intense anguish, he let out a powerful scream, a raw expression of his pain. This scream unleashed a surge of magic so potent that it caused a widespread blackout, plunging the area into darkness.

Standing amidst this storm of his own making, Orion's tears mixed with the pouring rain.

Feeling overwhelmed by his pain, Orion chose to shut off his emotions. This decision led to the disappearance of his sadness, anger, and tears, leaving him feeling nothing but numbness.

Freya and the Mikaelsons hurried into Orion's messy house. Freya immediately noticed Orion's tear-streaked face contrasted with his emotionless eyes.

Concerned, she approached him and gently touched his face, searching his eyes. "Don't tell me," she whispered, fearing the worst.

Orion, with a hollow smirk, stepped back from her touch. "Oh, I did," he said flatly. "I've turned off my emotions." His voice was empty, matching the dullness in his eyes, 

"Why?" Freya asked, her voice laced with concern.

Orion's response was flat, devoid of emotion. "Bonnie's dead," he stated.

Freya reached out to him again, her voice soft but insistent. "Orion, I'm so sorry. But shutting off your emotions won't bring her back. It only numbs the pain temporarily."

His gaze distant, Orion replied mechanically, "Numb is better than pain. I can't deal with it right now."

Resolved and detached, Orion said, "Get out of my way. I need to find who did this."

The Mikaelsons blocked him, but Orion was not willing to wait. Used his magic to hinder them. With a wave of his hand, he magically snapped their necks, leaving them unconscious.

He then turned to Freya, who was pleading with him. "I'm sorry, Freya, but I can't stay," he said calmly before he put her to sleep. 

Orion ran to the witch's house at vampire speed and called out for Bonnie. After a few moments of tense waiting, Bonnie appeared before him. Without emotion, Orion asked bluntly, "Who did it?" 

Still in shock and struggling with her ordeal, Bonnie replied, "I don't know, Orion. They drugged us; it was all a blur. The pain was unbearable, and they kept asking questions I couldn't answer. Mom was there, but she was different, distant. I begged her to help us, but she just stood there, watching us with cold eyes. It was like she wasn't even the same person." Bonnie's voice trembled as she cried. 

Orion stood there, observing Bonnie's distress. Part of him wanted to offer comfort, but at the same time, he didn't care. Without a word, he turned and swiftly left the house. Behind him, Bonnie's cries of his name echoed, but he didn't stop or look back.

Orion left the witch's house and dialed Cal on his phone. After a few rings, Cal picked up.

"Prepare for war," 

----------------------- 

LMK, which version do you like? 

- This chapter 

- Last chapter 

( Personally writing this, I like this version better)