You know that old saying, “Home is where the heart is?” That’s going to present quite a dilemma for Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) on The Vampire Diaries this season.

After saying goodbye to the love of his life Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) in the season six finale, Damon is going to be struggling with figuring out what his life looks like in season seven. How will he cope with life without Elena? What will he do in the 70+ years without his girlfriend?

This season-long journey is one that fans can’t wait to see unfold after executive producer Julie Plec revealed that it will bring back “season one Damon,” and The CW is playing up the hype with the newly-released season seven poster. The key art features Damon and his younger brother Stefan (Paul Wesley) with the tagline, “Heartbreak is eternal.”

Check out the dark, mysterious poster below:

Why are the Salvatores turning their backs on Mystic Falls in the shot? Viewers remember that in the season six finale, the final moments featured a flash-forward to some point in the future, one where the town of Mystic Falls looked completely abandoned. Windows were boarded up, trash filled the streets, and it was completely empty save for Damon standing up high on the clock tower with an angry look on his face as he surveyed the empty town. Matt Donovan (Zach Roerig) was patrolling the empty streets with a tense look on his face.

What happened to the town of Mystic Falls in Elena’s absence? Why are Damon and Stefan leaving instead of fighting to try and preserve their old home? And will Damon find happiness again without Elena?

Find out when The Vampire Diaries season seven premieres Thursday, Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. on The CW, and hit the comments section below to weigh in with your thoughts and guesses!

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IMAGES: Bob Mahoney; The CW