The sound of birdsong drifted through the trees that bordered the Salvatore estate, mingling with the faint rush of the nearby stream. Mystic Falls was alive in spring — flowers blooming, people pretending, secrets tightening like ropes behind every smile.
Malik moved through it all like a blade in silk.
He had spent nearly two weeks in town, and the quiet was starting to itch beneath his skin.
Salvatore Manor – Parlor Room
Malik stood at the piano, fingers gliding lightly across the keys. The melody was slow, haunting — not learned, but remembered. Emily used to hum it when he couldn't sleep.
"You play?" came a voice behind him.
Stefan.
Malik didn't turn. "Only when I'm thinking."
Stefan stepped closer, his boots soft on the rug. "You're always thinking."
"Better than being asleep."
A small silence passed between them.
"I don't like the noise," Malik said quietly. "The way people talk here. The lies they tell with a smile."
Stefan sat across from him. "It's how the world works."
"It shouldn't be."
"You'd get along with Damon more than you think."
Malik gave a dry smile. "He wants the world to burn."
Stefan raised a brow. "And you don't?"
"No," Malik said. "But I wouldn't mind watching the ashes settle."
Back Garden – That Evening
Katherine lay in the grass like a queen ignoring her throne.
Malik stood nearby, arms crossed.
"Why do you keep staring at the sky like it owes you something?" he asked.
She glanced over with a smirk. "Because it does."
"I think you just like pretending to be mysterious."
"Oh, I don't pretend," she said, propping herself up on her elbows. "I am mysterious. I've lived through fire, war, betrayal, and heartbreak."
"You've lived through running."
Katherine's smile faltered.
Malik stepped forward. "Emily told me everything. How you escaped with her help. How you ran from the Original hybrid. How you still run."
Katherine stood slowly. "I'm not afraid of Klaus."
"No," he said. "But you're afraid of being caught."
For a long moment, they said nothing.
Then Katherine surprised him.
"I was supposed to die," she said, voice lower. "In a forest. In a cage. Alone. I lost my child. I lost everything. And when Emily saved me… she didn't just save my life. She gave me a chance to be more."
Her eyes met his. "You of all people should understand that."
Malik didn't respond. He turned and walked away.
But he understood more than she knew.
That Night – Salvatore Cellar
Damon poured two glasses of bourbon and passed one to Malik.
"You've been quiet," Damon said.
"You've been drunk."
"Same thing, really."
Malik took the glass. "Why do you let your father talk to you like that?"
Damon scoffed. "Because it's easier than killing him."
"You hate him."
"Every breath."
"Then why stay?"
Damon leaned back. "Because Stefan needs me. And because Katherine's here."
Malik studied him. "So it's all about someone else."
Damon's smile was bitter. "Aren't most of our worst choices?"
Malik looked down at his drink. "I think I'm starting to like you."
"Careful," Damon said. "That sounds dangerously close to a compliment."
Two Days Later – Bennett Cottage
Emily was kneeling in front of her altar, muttering under her breath. Candles flickered in a rhythmic pulse, casting shadows against the walls. Malik stood by the door, arms folded.
"You're warding again," he said.
"Protection doesn't sleep," she replied without looking at him.
He moved closer. "You're nervous."
"I'm cautious."
"You're scared."
She looked up, eyes tired. "Katherine is playing a dangerous game. She's feeding. She's compelling. She's not hiding it well."
"She's not trying to," Malik said. "She wants the Council to act."
"Why?"
"To force her hand. To make herself the victim again."
Emily stood and faced him fully.
"She'll turn them," she said. "Stefan and Damon."
"I know."
"She might offer you the same."
Malik was silent.
Emily softened. "What will you do, Malik?"
He stared into her eyes. "I'll do what I always do."
"Survive?"
He shook his head. "Choose."