"The Hunters: Phantom" is the starting novel of a new arc, this time written by a ghostwriter. It begins with Meredith Sulez's fiancé-to-be Alaric Saltzman returning from Japan with a fellow researcher Celia Conner. Since the Guardians changed the realities of Fells Church (so that all the evil that Klaus, Katherine, and the kitsune twins committed never happened), Elena is no longer dead and she is able to see her Aunt Judith and her sister Margaret again. Alaric and Celia arrive by train just after her name is mysteriously spelled out in blood. Other names begin to appear first Meredith, then Damon, Bonnie, Elena and Matt. Damon manages to escape from the Dark Dimension after it is revealed that the embers of the star-ball Elena destroyed revived him after his death in The Return: Midnight. Stefan begins to suspect Caleb Smallwood (Tyler Smallwood's cousin) of committing the crimes after he finds out that he still remembers the original timeline with Klaus and Katherine. Stefan tries to kill Caleb but is unsuccessful because Elena intervenes. Stefan and Meredith interrogate Caleb only to realize that he was not causing the accidents around Fell's Church. Simultaneously the bodies of Matt, Bonnie, and Elena have all been taken into the Dark Dimension where Damon is trying to hunt the villain. Damon reveals that the monster is an Original Phantom and that it feeds on your emotions the same way a vampire feeds on blood. After the Phantom is summoned to Fells Church, Alaric tries to use old magic to cast the phantom out, however the Phantom is able to play on peoples minds and forces Stefan and Damon to battle. They eventually cast the Phantom out after revealing all of their jealousies and burning down the garage in the process. They prepare to attend Dalcrest college in the coming fall.