The Vampire Diaries fans are eagerly waiting to find out what will happen next in episode 3x22. Spoiler alert! The article will summarize the content of this episode without revealing too much.

In the previous episode, Alaric was transformed into an Original vampire after being killed by Esther, the Original Witch. With his new powers, Alaric becomes a threat to the lives of Elena, Damon, Stefan, and the entire town of Mystic Falls. Meanwhile, Klaus and Rebekah join forces in an attempt to take down Esther and save their family.

Episode 3x22 titled "The Departed" begins with Bonnie communicating with the spirits of her witch ancestors.

She seeks guidance on how to defeat Alaric and Esther and protect her friends. The spirits inform Bonnie that the only way to stop Alaric is to kill him with a stake dipped in white oak ash.

Elena, Damon, and Stefan devise a plan to distract Alaric while Bonnie searches for the stake. They plan a decoy - Jeremy - to lure Alaric away from Mystic Falls, giving Bonnie enough time to find the weapon. Despite their best efforts, Alaric catches onto their plan and returns to the town.

The episode concludes with Damon making a heartbreaking decision.

In order to protect Elena from herself and her newfound powers, he compels her to forget every moment of their love and any memory of his confession. Elena wakes up with no recollection of her love for Damon, leaving fans devastated for the upcoming season.

The Vampire Diaries fans are left on the edge of their seats, wondering how Elena's memory loss will affect her relationships with Damon and Stefan, and what new challenges Alaric's powers as the new vampire hunter will bring to Mystic Falls.