Legacies:The Malivore Legacy.

I had spent most of my life being told that I was dangerous. It wasn't exactly news. My name is Hope Andrea Mikaelson, and in the supernatural world, a name like mine came with a history people preferred to whisper about. My father was Klaus Mikaelson. My mother was Hayley Marshall. My family was complicated enough to fill several lifetimes, and considering some of my relatives had actually lived for centuries, that wasn't an exaggeration. So when people looked at me, they didn't always see a girl. They saw a legacy. A vampire. A werewolf. A witch. A Mikaelson. A threat. The funny thing was, I had never asked to be any of those things. I had simply been born. And somehow, that had been enough to make my life complicated. The Salvatore School was supposed to make things easier. It was a school for supernatural children—witches, vampires and werewolves who needed somewhere they could learn what they were before the outside world taught them to fear it. From the outside, it looked almost ordinary. Almost. The old building stood behind iron gates, surrounded by trees and enough history to make the place feel older than it actually was. Students crossed the grounds carrying books, arguing with friends, sneaking around when they weren't supposed to and pretending that their biggest problems were exams and relationships. They weren't. At this school, a bad day could mean accidentally setting your classroom on fire. Or turning into a wolf. Or waking up with someone else's blood on your hands. Normal was relative. I had never been particularly interested in being normal anyway. I walked through the courtyard with my hands tucked into my pockets, ignoring the looks that followed me. Some people stared because they knew who I was. Others stared because they didn't. I preferred the second group. There was something comforting about being judged by people who didn't know the whole story. Across the courtyard, Lizzie Saltzman was arguing with someone. Probably Josie. Probably about something Lizzie believed was extremely important. The twins were different in almost every way, but somehow they were inseparable. Lizzie noticed me first. Her expression changed immediately. "Hope." I stopped. "What?" She gave me that look. The one that meant she had already decided something was wrong. "You're doing it again." "Doing what?" "That thing where you look like you're planning someone's murder." I glanced around. "I'm literally standing here." "Exactly." Josie appeared beside her, looking considerably less amused. "Leave her alone, Lizzie." "I'm trying to help." "You usually make things worse." "I prefer the term memorable." I couldn't help the small smile that escaped me. That was the problem with this place. Sometimes it made me forget. Forget that my family had enemies. Forget that monsters were real. Forget that there were people out there who would happily use me to hurt my father, my friends or anyone else I cared about. For a few minutes, I could almost pretend I was just another student. Almost. Then I saw him. Landon Kirby. He was standing near the entrance with Rafael. I'd seen Landon before, of course. But there was something about him that had always bothered me. Not because he was dangerous. Because I couldn't figure him out. And I hated things I couldn't figure out. Rafael noticed me watching. His expression hardened. Landon followed his gaze. Our eyes met. For a second, neither of us moved. Then he looked away. Interesting. I started walking toward them. Rafael immediately stepped between us. "Hope." I stopped. "Rafael." His jaw tightened. "You don't need to get involved." "That's usually what people say right before something becomes my problem." "It's not your problem." I looked past him at Landon. "Then why are you acting like it is?" Landon shifted uncomfortably. "I think we should go." Rafael nodded. They started walking away. I watched them disappear through the doors. Something was wrong. I just didn't know what. And that was usually how these things began. A strange feeling. A secret. Someone lying. Someone running. Then everything falling apart. I should have learned by then that when my instincts told me something was wrong, I should listen. Instead, I followed. Because curiosity had always been one of my worst qualities. And because, whether I wanted to admit it or not, I had a feeling Landon Kirby was about to become very important to my life. I just didn't know how much. Not yet. But I would. Soon enough, everyone at the Salvatore School would learn the same lesson I had spent my entire life learning. When you're a Mikaelson, trouble doesn't have to find you. Sometimes... you find it first.