“Take it easy, Klaus,” Ohema said as she helped him sit up. Despite his lovers surrounding him, Klaus leaned back into his mother’s embrace, resting his head on her chest like a child seeking comfort. He felt safe there, cradled in her warmth.
His two girlfriends could only shake their heads at his antics. They knew how much Klaus loved his mother, so there was no need for jealousy. His bond with her was something they respected, even if it made him a bit of a “Mommy’s boy.”
“So… what happened?” Klaus suddenly asked, breaking the silence.
Everyone had expected this question, but when he asked it, they all exchanged glances, unsure of who should answer. Eventually, all eyes settled on one person—Miriam, who had been sitting quietly at the base of the bed.
Miriam sighed, clearly not keen on softening the truth. “The Dark Order tried to assassinate you, Klaus,” she said bluntly.
“The Dark Order?” Klaus repeated, his brow furrowing. The name wasn’t unfamiliar, but hearing it in this context left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“They are a mysterious organization. Some kind of assassination group that no one knows where they come from or where they are based. They operate through the dark web, so with the right connections, they can be hired for a task.”
“You seemed to have been their target two months ago. Fortunately, you didn’t die. To the rest of the world, you are dead, but only we know you’re still alive. If it were up to me, you’d have been buried deep underground by now, since technically, you’ve been dead for the past 72 days.”
“What? Seventy-two days?” Klaus was taken aback.
“Yes, you’ve been dead for 72 days. Thankfully, your dear mother didn’t want to let go, and your girlfriends felt the same. So here you are, alive, I guess,” Miriam said, a sad look in her eyes.
To an outsider, it might seem like she was disappointed Klaus was still alive. But Klaus knew she felt guilty. She had been right there and could have stopped the arrow from piercing him. But due to her exhausted state at the time, she was a step too late.
“Big sister, it’s not your fault. I’m fine now. So instead of feeling guilty, can you tell me everything you know about the Dark Order?”
Miriam took a deep breath and began, “Nobody can say who they are, where they come from, or even if they are human. From what I know, they are so secretive that they don’t even reveal themselves when they kill. They prefer to stay hidden and strike silently.”
“This was the first time they killed someone in public,” she continued. “Normally, they would have assassinated you in secret. But in this case, they chose a public spectacle. And it worked to their advantage.”
“By killing you openly, their fame skyrocketed. They’re known for one thing: they never miss their target. Killing you was their way of demonstrating to the world that the Dark Order is still very much alive.”
“However, they don’t just pick random targets. Someone must have hired them, and they simply took the job. For them, it’s all business. Like I said, no one really knows anything about them,” Miriam finished her vague explanation, full of hints but lacking real answers.
“I see, I guess they took a swing and missed,” Klaus muttered.
“So, what are you going to do? You should know your rowdy uncles have been causing trouble lately,” Miriam said.
“That’s expected. But what have they been up to these past months?” Klaus smiled faintly. He knew his uncles wouldn’t sit idle. Those brutes are a few screws loose.
“They’ve tried all sorts of methods to track down the Dark Order, but nothing seems to work. They aren’t giving up, though. Just three days ago, they destroyed a small team of Saints who were bad-mouthing you. You should probably let them know you’re okay now,” Miriam added with a strange look.
It seemed like people were pressuring her to keep the five uncles in check. Klaus could only nod. He then turned toward his mother. He looked into her eyes for a few seconds before muttering softly, “I love you, Mom.”
His mind drifted back to the memories of when she didn’t hesitate to sacrifice herself for him. It was the most painful experience of his life. Looking at her now, he didn’t know what he would do if she ever did something like that again.
His mother gently brushed his hair back. “I love you too, my baby. Just stay like this for a while, please,” she said. She could tell Klaus wasn’t going to take the assassination attempt lying down. She wanted to keep him close, even if only for a little while.
“I’m not going anywhere, Mom. After all, I’ve got to enjoy every bit of your body before I head back into the wild,” Klaus grinned mischievously.
“You brat, I’m your mother!” she scolded, twisting his ears.
“Mother with a sinful body!” Klaus yelped, laughing. “I’m going to kill anyone who looks at you weird. This body is only for me to admire!” He glanced at his male friends, who quickly looked away, causing him to smile.
Ohema gave him a silent thumbs-up. No one needed to tell Klaus that his mother had gone through a lot while he was unconscious. The changes in her were likely her way of coping, making sure Klaus woke up happy. And it worked—maybe a little too well.
“You brat!” Klaus felt his head hit the pillow as his mother rushed out of the room.
“You really shouldn’t tease her too much, Klaus,” Ohema said, taking his mother’s spot by his side.
“What happened? She seems different. And when did she become an Ascended?” Klaus asked. Lucy and Ohema exchanged glances before Lucy spoke.
“Klaus, don’t tease her too much. After your incident, your mother couldn’t handle it. She fainted for a whole week.”
Klaus’s heart shook at the thought.
“We were all shaken. But when she woke up, something in her changed. She started using the Mountain Dew you gave her, and strangely, her cultivation began to improve. She’s been blaming herself for being too weak, so none of us stopped her from trying.”
“She hasn’t slept in 72 days, Klaus. Every day, she’s pushing herself to become stronger. Your mother loves you so much. It would be best if you didn’t tease her too much. She went through a lot just to look the part, and she misses you dearly,” Lucy said, her voice filled with admiration.
Klaus smiled faintly as he processed Lucy’s words. He glanced at Ohema, who gave him a slight nod. Despite his aching body, Klaus gently got out of bed and made his way to his mother’s room, where he found her crying. She is a little too emotional, but he didn’t mind.
Klaus wrapped his arms around her. “Mom, stop crying. I won’t let you go through this again,” he whispered.
“No, baby, I should be the one apologizing. I’m practically useless. I couldn’t even protect you,” she said, her tears flowing freely.
“No, Mom. I’m the one who’s supposed to protect you. How about this: until the next Academy selection exams, I’ll stay with you. We’ll spend the best time together like we used to in the slums,” Klaus offered, and his mother smiled at the idea.
“This will give me some time to explore all there is to explore,” Klaus said with a mischievous grin. Though he tried to hide the meaning of his words, his mother caught on and gave him a quick twist to his ear.
“You’ve practically got angels waiting in your room, and you still think teasing your mother is a good idea?” She twisted his ear even harder.
“It’s not my fault you’re this good-looking. Every kid dreams of having a mother like you,” Klaus said, grabbing her arm with a playful smile.
“Tsk, suddenly I wish you hadn’t woken up,” she replied with a grin.
“I can always die again… in your arms,” Klaus joked, his eyes drifting to her chest as he imagined an overly dramatic death between those mountains. He seemed more attracted to those mountains than his own aching body which was healing rapidly from the moment he woke up.
They exchanged glances for a breath moments, before bursting into laughter together.
Still chuckling, he held his mother’s arm, and they walked back to his room.