We are also not sure how the two of them are going to end up, but things have been getting increasingly strange between the two characters lately, and the writers might also be planning a more dramatic turn of events for these characters.
Some fans have pointed out that the show seems to be slowly creeping towards a more dramatic tone in all sorts of directions, and that could give some additional credibility to the rumors of its cancellation after season 7 is over. However, it doesn’t necessarily have to be like that.
It’s also possible that season 7 is going to take it in a new direction, one that’s rather different from what we’ve seen before, and the producers might be trying to experiment with changing the overall style of the show.
If this turns out to be true, then “The Vampire Diaries” could just be entering into a new era of its existence, one that will surprise fans with lots of new exciting developments and plot twists that they’ve never expected to see. This could be the meaning of those rumors about a “darker” transitioning of the story, and it would make sense in light of the overall plot progression of the show throughout its seasons.