Hedda Mikaelson

Chapter 54 - Hedda's Mental Maze

Kol's POV

I nod back to Finn and Ansel with one hand on a fluffy baby pink doorknob. We've entered Heddy-bear's mind and my insides are churning. I can only hope we find her mind intact.

Of course, her eleven year old mind has conjured a long pink hallway, a complex maze for us to work through seeking her out.

"I'll start here," I encourage the two men with me to move on. "I can hear something behind this door."

Without a word they continue walking, on the lookout for a sign, something somewhere, that will tell us she's okay.

I don't know how I'll live with myself if she's not.

I take a deep breath and twist the handle, before stepping into a bright memory.

Our old childhood home fills my vision and I watch as our whole family plays, treating Heddy-bear as a Princess. I should have known this would have been one of her formative memories, I remember the day very well.

Finn and Elijah bicker a little but I see my human self playing with Henrik, Hedda and Rebekah. The shrieks of young children playing fill the room and I smile, reminiscing on a time when I was myself. When I had magic. When I had my little brother.

A time when life was actually good.

Mother comes in and hugs us all, quickly tidying away our toys.

"Hedda," I call out, trying to make contact with her. "Hedda it's me, your Koly. You don't need to hide anymore, you're safe now."

But she doesn't even hear me. Not long after, Father enters and everyone scatters, noticing his bad mood. As soon as he starts to yell, the memory vanishes and I'm left empty, stood alone in a dark, damp room.

Quickly leaving the room, I head for another door, becoming more desperate each time I am unable to find my little sister. I hope Ansel and Finn are having better luck but I do wish I'll be the one to find her safe and sound.

The next memory is conjured up out of thin air again. I watch as Ansel tricks no-humanity Hedda into entering my bedroom. I hate watching this a second time, I've already seen it from the Other Side. Calling out to her she doesn't respond again, so I turn my back and leave.

I'm confident she's not here, she would have heard me otherwise.

I bounce from memory to memory, confronting difficult ones in which Hedda wasn't protected as she should be. I am furious to watch how careless Nik was when creating his hybrids but when I see myself irresponsibly teaching her how to feed from the vein, I turn that fury into self-hatred.

How could I do such a thing to her?
I deeply loathe myself inside and out.

Another door leads me into Hedda's school playground where Davina's cousin Edey performs magic to create a whirlwind of leaves. Hedda and Stella love it but my heart breaks at the reminder that my darling Davina is gone.

I exit the room quickly.

Hedda with Hope is delightful to see, it is clear they are inseparable. Now it makes sense why Hope is so sad without her.

Starting to feel frustrated and under time pressure, I fling open door after door after door. The bitter disappointment doesn't get easier and I wish I had my magic to make this a whole lot easier.

She is not here. She's not there.

She could be anywhere.

Heddy-bear is hiding somewhere I haven't reached yet.