The time has come for the flash-forwards in "The Vampire Diaries" season 7. The next episode of the series, which is titled "Days of Future Past," will now be bringing fans up to the mark on the events that were foretasted in the previous installments.

The vampire drama has been showing glimpses of what's to come for the characters and this very future seems to have finally arrived. In the upcoming episode, Rayna will, at long last, catch up with Stefan. The vampire huntress has been restlessly tracking him down.

A lot of innocents have been killed in Mystic Falls in her bid to get to him and it looks like she will finally succeed in the next "The Vampire Diaries" season 7 episode. The promo for the installment teases that Rayna will talk Stefan into turning his back on his brother.

"The only way for you to be free is to let Damon go," Rayna tells Stefan in the "The Vampire Diaries" promo. When asked if he is finally ready to leave Damon behind, Stefan responds, "Yes," but he doesn't look all too thrilled with that answer.

In the previous "The Vampire Diaries" season 7 installments, Stefan was always on Damon's side. He assiduously cleans up after his messes, gets him out of trouble he often personally instigates and always tries to talk some sense into him. It looks like Stefan has decided to save his skin this time.

Ironically, just as Stefan appears to have stopped rooting for Damon to get better, the older Salvatore comes to his brother's aid during the time he needs him most. When "The Vampire Diaries" season 7 returns, he sets out to save Stefan from Rayna, with Valerie helping out.

"Now is when you prove who you really are," Valerie tells him as they rush to Stefan. "I will figure this out!" Damon then declares, in a bid to convince himself that he is indeed capable of becoming a hero to his brother as much as Stefan has been to him. In the end, it seems like the younger Salvatore is the only one who can push Damon to be the best he can be.

Unfortunately, to know how this all goes down, fans will have to wait until next month for the new episode. "The Vampire Diaries" season 7 episode 16, "Days of Future Past," will air on April 1.