Chapter 34

The revelation hit Erik like a sudden gust of wind, the force of it making his thoughts race. Noxia's obsession with chaos, her relentless drive for power—there was something personal behind it all. It wasn't just about magic or domination; it was deeper, more insidious. But what was it? What was the connection between Noxia and the Mikaelsons that he hadn't yet uncovered?

He couldn't shake the feeling that he was on the cusp of understanding something that had eluded him for centuries. Something that would change everything.

Erik walked the halls of the manor, his boots clicking softly against the polished floors, each step bringing him closer to the one person he knew would have answers: his mother. She had always been the center of their family's mysteries, the architect of their fate. It was time to confront her once again.

He found her in her study, as he knew he would. Esther Mikaelson, their matriarch, sat at her desk, a stack of old tomes in front of her, her face lit by the glow of a candle. Her silver hair framed her face like a halo of wisdom, but behind her calm demeanor lay a mind sharper than any blade. She was the mother of the Originals—the woman who had shaped them all, who had given them their power, and who had made deals that had bound them all together in ways they couldn't fully comprehend.

"Mother," Erik's voice was steady, his presence filling the room. "We need to talk."

Esther looked up, her expression unreadable. "Erik," she said, her voice warm but distant. "What brings you to me tonight?"

He didn't sit. Instead, he leaned against the edge of her desk, his gaze piercing. "I've been thinking. About Noxia. About everything she's done. And it occurred to me that there's more to this than just her quest for power. There's something personal. Something that ties her to us."

Esther's eyes flickered for a moment, a brief moment of vulnerability passing through her. It was gone before Erik could fully register it, but it was there—he had seen it.

"I see you've been thinking deeply," she said, her tone measured. "But you've yet to fully grasp what's at stake."

"Then help me understand," Erik pressed, his frustration rising. "Help me understand why she's doing this. What does she want from us? From me?"

Esther stood, her movements deliberate, as if considering her next words carefully. She walked toward the window, her back to Erik as she gazed out over the land that stretched beyond the manor. "Noxia is not what she seems. She was never just a rogue witch—she was always meant to be something more. Something far darker."

Erik's breath caught in his throat. "What do you mean?"

Esther turned to face him, her eyes glinting with a mixture of sorrow and resolve. "She is your aunt, Erik. A child born of my sister, Dalhaila. The first-born witch of each generation was always meant to bear a particular burden. Noxia was the one who came before you. But her fate was twisted—her power, corrupted."

Erik felt the ground shift beneath him. His heart pounded in his chest, and his mind raced to process what he was hearing. Noxia, his enemy, was his aunt? How had he never known this before?

"She was taken away when she was young," Esther continued, her voice softer now, tinged with regret. "My sister made a deal with Dalhaila—one that bound our bloodline in ways I could never have foreseen. Noxia's power was never meant to be contained. She was meant to be the key to unlocking something greater. A power that could change the world itself."

Erik's mind spun. His aunt—Dalhaila's child. The deal. The cursed power. It was all beginning to make sense, but it was also more complicated than he had ever imagined.

"And why didn't you tell me this before?" Erik demanded, his voice rising. "Why didn't you tell any of us?"

Esther's gaze softened, and for the first time, Erik saw the weight of her choices etched clearly on her face. "I couldn't. I had to protect you. To protect all of you. Noxia's power, once unleashed, would have been too great to control. Dalhaila knew this, and so did I. I kept her away from you for your own safety. And when you were born—the first-born of the Mikaelson line—I knew the burden would fall to you."

Erik's head was spinning. The power of the first-borns. The connection between him and Noxia. It all tied back to his mother's deal, to a choice she had made long ago. And now, Noxia was here, seeking something from him. Something that could destroy them all.

"So, what now?" Erik's voice was tight, the weight of the revelation pressing down on him. "What does she want from me? Why is she so determined to destroy everything we've built?"

Esther hesitated, her eyes searching Erik's face, as if weighing the truth in her mind. "She wants your power, Erik. The power of the first-born. The power that was denied to her. She believes that if she can merge your bloodline with hers, she can unlock something even greater than what you or I have ever known. And that, my son, is something none of us can control."

Erik felt the chill of her words settle deep in his bones. Noxia's hunger for power was far beyond anything he had imagined. She wasn't just seeking to destroy; she was seeking to ascend—to take control of a power that could unmake the world.

He turned away from his mother, his mind racing, his thoughts scattered. The stakes were higher than he had ever realized. Noxia wasn't just a threat to him and his family—she was a threat to the very fabric of existence itself.

"I won't let her do this," Erik said, his voice low, filled with a dangerous certainty.

Esther didn't speak for a long moment. When she did, her voice was almost a whisper. "You may not have a choice."