Me, Nik, Elijah, Hayley, and the kids walked into the Compound to see if Vincent could help us. Something was really wrong with Hope and Vincent sent us a message telling us he can fix Hope's problem if we came to New Orleans and that's exactly what we did.

"Our home. Once the pride of our family, now a flophouse." Nik said.

The compound was covered in vines with small bushes here and there. As if Mother Nature decided to build a lake here.

"Indeed, the mighty have fallen." Elijah commented as he stares around the place.

"You would think after kicking us out, Marcel would keep this place clean for random tourists." I said. This place doesn't even feel like a home anymore.

"Where's Vincent?" Hayley asked as she carries Hope inside.

"Right here." His voice came from one of the rooms and he walked to the fountain where Hayley laid Hope on. "Kept my word. Now the only question is whether the not you guys are gonna keep yours. As soon as I'm finished healing your kid, you got to leave the city." Vincent said.

"Well, there's no point of us staying, this city is filled with power craving supernaturals and as much as New Orleans is my home like it is for many others, it sure doesn't feel like a home to me." I said.

Hayley stood up and walked to my side to put a hand in between me and Vincent. "What she means to say is that we're very grateful, just help her and we'll leave." Hayley explained for my behalf. It's not what I meant but she put it nicely than I ever will.

"Just give us what we need, and we will do so, happily." Elijah said.

"Excuse me." Vincent went between me and Hayley to get to Hope. He squatted down to her level. "Okay," he rubbed his hands together and started chanting. Once he was done he stood back up. "Your little girl is purified." He said as he walked past Klaus.

"Thank you." Nik said and we watch as Hayley checked up on Hope.

Vincent took a step back. "Now look, the only gratitude I need from any of you is seeing you leave the city."

"Oh bloody hell, Vincent. We agreed we would leave and now that you healed Hope we will. We don't break our word." I snapped and he held his hands up in surrender before turning back around to leave.

"Go see your daddy." Hayley said to Hope.

Hope took one step towards Nik before a crow fell from the sky in front of her feet. She stopped walking and soon a dozen of crows started to fall all around her. Hayley grabbed Hope by her head to turn her around and check to see what was happening.

"What is this?" Nik asked.

"I don't know." Vincent said.

"Mom. Can you hear that?" Hope asked as she looks around the compound. "It's whispers. Saying a name. Over and over. Kre Nah Han. Kre Nah Han." Hope repeated.

"Vincent what is happening to her?" I asked him.

"It's a nearly forgotten dialect. It's Creole. It means the Hollow. The Hollow is coming." Vincent explained.

I gasped as I took a step back from Hope and I almost lost my footing if Klaus didn't hold me upright.

"You alright, love?" Nik asked and he studies my face. I nodded my head to avoid from talking to much.

"W-We should put the kids to sleep." I said and without questions I take everyone to their rooms leaving everyone to question my behavior.

~~~

Nik came into the room after talking to Hope for awhile before she went to sleep. I eavesdropped into their conversation this morning and Hayley is out trying to talk to Marcel if he knows anything, and Wlijah is going back to Vincent to see if they can figure out how to get rid of the Hollow.

"You wanna tell me what you know?" Nik asked me.

I was staring down at the thousands of people walking the streets having a good time. "I don't know what you mean." I said I don't want to talk about anything because of my history with The Hollow.

I felt his hands grab both my my arms and he turned me around to stare deeply into my eyes. "Phoenix, if you know something that will help my daughter please tell me." He said staring me down waiting for me to say something.

I let a huge sigh escape my lips. I never thought I would have to tell this story again. "I've escaped the Hollow."

"How?"

"I had to fake my death. She was after me and now she is after your daughter. She will stop at nothing to have more power and right now me, Hope, and the rest of our kids are the strongest witches alive." I explained the story in the shortest way possible. I feel my eyes start to sting as all the memories start to appear in my head. "She nearly killed me, Nik." I cried and he then pulls me into his chest as I start to cry. "I'm a vampire-witch hybrid and she almost killed me." I whispered into his chest.

Nik rubbed my head as he was slowly called me down. "We will defeat her." He said then grabbed my head with both hands so he can stare down at me. "Nothing will happen to you or our kids. I'll protect you all, always and forever."

~~~

Elijah called us on Nik's phone and we met up with them in the woods. "Where's Hope?" Elijah asked once he spots us. He walked towards us with Vincent trailing behind a few steps.

"Freya's with her now. She's fighting her." Nik said. He had explained over the phone to Elijah that a the Hollow is a person.

"The kids are attached to that spell: if we save the kids, we save your little girl." Vincent said.

"And the sooner you all can be on your way." Marcel said as him and Hayley walked towards. I rolled my eyes at his comment.

"Clearly, we're skipping all the hugs and hellos. Vincent?" Hayley said. It would be a cold day in hell before I ever greet Marcel.

"Trail leads off this way," Vincent pointed East of us, "so, I guess we, uh, follow the breadcrumbs."

"Tactless savages holding a ghost-raising rave. Best make short work of them. I say we..."

"We split up." Marcel said as he cuts Nik off. "Klaus, you're with me, I'm not letting you out of my sight. Anybody got a problem with that. I don't give a damn." He finish as he tries to walk off.

"I'm coming with Klaus." I stated making Marcel look back at me.

"No." He said. I stare at him angrily as I start to use my powers. Marcel clutched his heart as he fell on his knees. "What are you doing?" He groaned out.

"Marcel there are times where you forgot who exactly I am, so, let me quickly remind you of that. I am Phoenix. I am a thousand year old vampire witch hybrid my power is a 1000 times stronger than any witch alive. What your feeling right now is me slowly turning you back into a regular vampire. Challenge me again and I won't hesitate to take everything away from you." I threatened him before I stop the spell completely.

Marcel got back up on his feet, looked at me angrily, then continued to walk off.

I looked over at Elijah who nodded at me before him, Hayley, and Vincent left.

~~~

"I assume you embark upon this journey out of the kindness of your heart?" Nik asked as the three of us walked the trail.

"There are kids in trouble. Yours included." Marcel said as he looks at our surroundings.

"It's a bit late for you to suddenly care about my child, given you left my other half of kids motherless for five years." Nik rebuttal.

"Well, speaking from experience, I figured I was doing her a favor." Marcel said as he looked at us over his shoulder.

"That doesn't really give you the right to do so. We all know your story Marcel. Born enslaved by your own father, your mother died from a fever, then after you turned you made your father carve his own heart out. You basically had no parents till you were adopted by Klaus. Just because you don't want kids to end up like you doesn't give you the right to decide for them." I said as I step over a piece of log.

"Careful. Lest your insults mar an already tentative peace." Klaus added.

"All right, listen, I don't care about our peace, all right? I care about finding these missing kids and wiping out the messed up people who took them. Root out the problems, make them go away. That's what you do when you're the king." Marcel boasted.

"All I see is a petulant prince." Nik insulted. To pretty much sum up Klaus and Marcel's relationship is them arguing over who's actually a king. I wish I can blow my brains out right now.

"Always with the insults. You never do learn." Marcel said.

"On the contrary. My time with my kids clarified my priorities. My concerns are with my kids. And as for you, I can imagine no better revenge than leaving you to the endless struggle to prove yourself my better, than have my lovely hybrid fiancé, strip you of your power so you can be reminded of how useless you really were." Nik stated before me and him took the lead.

~~~

It was dark now. We finally got to the end of the trail and it lead us to some memorial. A group of men stood in front of bodies wrapped in cloth and I am going to assume those are the kids that went missing.

I watch as a human walked up to the five men and stood in front of their leader. He held up some necklace to him.

"Now that you've returned, brother, you may join us as we claim our power. Our rightful place. And lay waste to all who would deny our master. Are you prepared to prove your loyalty to the Hollow?" The leader asked.

"I know what I have to do. I'm not afraid." The human said.

"We should begin." The leader stated before he pulled out what looks like a machete.

I gasp as I turn away. "Nik, they're just children." I whispered.

"Enough with this circus of sadists." Nik said. He turned his head to the right and grabbed a decoration that was apart of this ritual. He pulled his arm back before harshly throwing the sharp object into the leader's chest.

The remaining four pulled out their knives and me, Nik, and Marcel attacked them. I got to one who tried to slice me but I grabbed his arm and brought his neck to my mouth and drunk from him. After a bit I snapped his neck and drop his body.

I look over to see the same human that showed up use the necklace to pull Marcel towards him. I see Nik and we nodded towards run another agreeing on a plan. I sped over and held the human still. Nik came over and held his neck. "You can't stop what's coming." He said before Nik snapped his neck.

All of a sudden something came over me and I pass out onto the ground.

I woke up in the same place but everything around me was pitch black with the only light around me being blue. Small pieces of dust was all around me like it was snowing (I have no clue what to call them) I quickly sat up and see Klaus and Marcel sitting on their knees like they were in a daze.

"Where are we?" Marcel asked then he looks at the big mask on the hill where the blue light is coming from.

"Don't look into the blue light." Nik said.

I went to crawl away it felt like I was being held in place. The more I try the more I get frustrated and I'm starting to cry. "Please get me out." I cried. I can't be here again. She'll kill me for good for running away.

"Nix" I hear Klaus say my name but I ignore him, too focused on trying to escape.

"What is this?" Marcel said and he was staring deeply into the light.

"No, shut your eyes." Nik told him again.

"Please!!" I screamed out. I can't go through this again. I blinked my eyes and the blue eyes and black sky disappeared. I'm back in the real world. I quickly got up and sped to a nearby tree so I can get away from whatever that thing was.

"Nix you okay?" I hear Hayley ask me. I look over to see her laying next to an desiccated Elijah with a flimsy stake of wood in his heart.

"No, no, no, I am not okay. I can't go throw this again. The Hollow almost killed me. Physically and Mentally." By now tears were falling down my face and I didn't really care if they saw me like this. "I can't be here no more."

I watch as Nik and Marcel walked over to us. Nik tried to grab hold of me but I just whooshed away back to the Compound.

~~~

I was sitting in the window looking up at the moon. I looked over towards the candle that was next to me and watch it lit itself on fire on and off before it stays on. I hear the floor creak and see Nik walking over to me and sat down in front of me.

I looked down at my lap to avoid staring at his eyes. I don't want to see disappoint after I ran away. Nik grabbed my chin to force me to look at him.

"I know you went through a traumatic experience going against the Hollow. I understand you don't want to go through it again. But your family needs you to fight. To fight to stay alive. Fight for your kids. Fight for your family." He paused as I picture everyone in my head that he was talking about. "Fight for me." He spoke lowly to me.

Everything he was saying is true. If I run I'll leave my family in danger. Back then I didn't have anyone, but now I do and I need to make sure they stay safe.

"I'll fight."