C7

In his underground lair, the Master read aloud from the ancient Writings of Aurelius to his minions, the torchlight casting eerie shadows on the stone walls."And there will be a time of crisis, of worlds hanging in the balance. And in this time shall come the Anointed, the Master's great warrior. And the Slayer will not know him, will not stop him, and he will lead her into hell. As it is written, so it shall be. Five will die, and from their ashes, the Anointed One shall rise. The Brethren of Aurelius shall greet him and usher him to his immortal destiny."The Master's followers listened intently, knowing their mission: to bring about the rise of the Anointed One, who would help the Master escape his underground prison and bring chaos to Sunnydale.Meanwhile, Brooke Sanders, the Slayer, was navigating the challenges of high school. She was thrilled when the sensitive and handsome Owen Thurman showed an interest in her. Brooke tried to impress Owen with her newfound enthusiasm for poetry, something she had never really cared for before. She even managed to fend off Cordelia Chase to secure a spot at Owen's table in the cafeteria. Owen, charmed by Brooke's efforts, asked her out on a date to the Bronze that very evening.However, Brooke's excitement was short-lived. Giles, her Watcher, had discovered a symbol on a ring they found in the cemetery. This symbol matched one from a prophecy about the Anointed One, who was supposed to rise that very night. Despite Brooke's protests and her eagerness for her date, Giles insisted that they spend the evening patrolling the cemetery. Brooke reluctantly agreed, but her mind was clearly elsewhere.Hours passed as they sat by the graves, waiting for a vampire to rise. None did. Giles, convinced his calculations were correct, finally conceded and called off the stake-out. Brooke rushed to the Bronze, only to find Owen dancing with Cordelia. Heartbroken, she left without confronting him.At the same time, a van carrying passengers to Sunnydale crashed after encountering a vampire on the road. The vampires swarmed the wreck, attacking the passengers, including a man who had been quoting religious prophecies. This man, Andrew Borba, was among the five who died in the crash, fulfilling the first part of the Master's prophecy.The next morning, Owen asked Brooke out again and gave her a pocket-watch to ensure she wouldn't be late. Brooke, eager to make up for the previous night, agreed. Xander Harris, Brooke's friend who harbored a crush on her, was left stewing in jealousy.That evening, just as Brooke was preparing for her date, Giles arrived at her house with a newspaper detailing the van crash and the deaths of the passengers, including Borba. He was certain that the Anointed One would rise from this tragedy and planned to investigate the Sunnydale Funeral Home. Brooke, however, insisted on going to the Bronze, leaving Giles to check the funeral home alone.At the Bronze, things quickly became complicated. Cordelia attempted to interrupt Brooke's date, and Angel, the mysterious vampire with a soul, also showed up, adding to the tension. Xander and Willow, who had followed Giles, burst in with urgent news: Giles was in trouble at the funeral home. Brooke, realizing the seriousness of the situation, tried to ditch Owen, but he insisted on coming along.At the funeral home, Giles was trapped by vampires as he tried to investigate. Xander, Willow, Brooke, and Owen arrived just in time to see Borba rise as a vampire. The fight was chaotic, with Owen knocked unconscious in the melee. Enraged, Brooke fought fiercely, eventually sliding Borba into a burning furnace, destroying him.Owen, thrilled by the night's events, wanted more of the excitement he had experienced. But Brooke, understanding the danger, broke up with him, realizing he would only get himself killed if they continued seeing each other.Giles tried to comfort Brooke, sharing his own childhood struggles with his destiny as a Watcher. They both took solace in believing they had thwarted the Master by preventing the rise of the Anointed One.However, in his underground lair, the Master welcomed the true Anointed One—the young boy from the van crash—into his fold. The prophecy had been fulfilled, and the Master’s plans were still very much in motion.