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Chapter 1

Dear Diary,

Last night, I had a terrifying dream

Everything was as it had been just a few short hours before I was back in the Vitale Society's underground cha me captive, his knife cold and steady at my throat Stefan and Da for the moment when one of them would be able to dash in and save me But I knew they would be too late I knew that, despite their supernatural speed, Ethan would cut my throat and I would die

There was so much pain in Stefan's eyes It broke my heart to knowithout Stefan knowing that I had chosen him, only him - that all my indecision was behind us

Ethan pulledas a band of steel across e of the knife bite into my flesh

Then without warning Ethan fell, and Meredith was standing there, her hair streaeful goddess's, her stave still raised froh his heart

It should have been a moment of joy and relief In real life, it was: theto live, when I was about to find myself safe in Stefan's arms

But in the dream, Meredith's face was blotted out by a flash of pure white light I felt , my e away, and so its place

In the heat of the battle, I had let et what James had told me: that my parents had promised me to the Guardians, that I was fated to become one of them And now they had come to claim me

I woke up terrified

Elena Gilbert paused and lifted the pen froe of her journal, reluctant to write anywhat she was most afraid of into words would make it feel more real

She glanced around her dorone while Elena slept Bonnie's covers were flung back, and her laptop was gone froly organized, showed evidence of how exhausted Meredith ht Ethan and his vampire followers had been left on the floor Her weapons were strewn across the bed,va them to sleep

Elena sighed Maybe Meredith would understand how Elena felt She knehat it was like to have a destiny decided for you, to discover that your own hopes and drea in the end

But Meredith had ea hunter ofthe innocent safe