As Klaus woke up from his meditation, he was greeted by the concerned faces of Anna and Lily. They gazed at him with sadness, a sight that made him curse his bloodthirsty side for going too far.
He had indeed crossed a line in his battle with the three Legacies. He could have killed them quickly and been done with it, but Klaus wanted to show them—and everyone watching—that he wasn’t someone to be messed with. The message had been sent, loud and clear.
Yet, in doing so, he had caused his friends and lovers to become wary of him. Well, everyone except Hanna, who, for some reason, seemed pleased with how he’d handled those brats.
He’d find out why later.
For now, his focus was on the two ladies in front of him. They looked sad, on edge, and strangely afraid of him, even though they were trying to hide it.
“Come here,” Klaus said, motioning for them to come closer.
They hesitated for a moment, then moved closer and fell into his arms—a familiar gesture, though filled with an unusual concern. When it came to comforting him, they seemed to offer no resistance.
Klaus glanced at Anna on his right and Lily on his left and sighed.
“You ladies shouldn’t worry too much. I’m still the Klaus you know,” he said.
“We know that,” Lily replied first. “It’s just…we’ve never seen you like that before. It was scary, you know—seeing you so emotionless and cruel.” Her cheeks flushed a little as she spoke.
“Cruel… that’s a first,” Klaus murmured with a sigh. Perhaps learning more about his past had its downsides, especially in how it affected others. But he knew it was necessary—for the person he has to become.
As a Paragon, he must face the cruelty of the heavens. If he doesn’t become one himself, there’s no way he will make it to the top.
Just as he has ensured his growth in every reincarnation would go smoothly, the heavens have also been working in the background to guarantee his progress doesn’t go unimpeded. Even if he wanted to be a goody-two-shoes for the rest of his life, the heavens wouldn’t allow it.
Cruelty is the path, and he has just begun to manifest that Paragon aura—the kind that shows he is different from others.
“I don’t know about cruelty, Lily, but I do know that if I did nothing, those three idiots would never stop getting in my way. I know I went too far, but do I regret it? Hell, no.
I am a different person; I am not like everyone else. So if you two want to be with me as much as I want to be with you, then you’ll have to accept me as I am.”
Klaus said without a shred of mercy in his words. He considered using softer words to calm them down but knew this issue would come up again soon enough. Better to make them accept reality now and move on.
As expected, the two ladies turned pale, but Klaus didn’t care. They were still too naïve for the world they lived in.
‘I should change that soon, or they’ll become a burden to humanity,’ he sighed.
He let them have a moment. They needed time to process that the conversation they came for was far more intense than they’d anticipated. After a while, he felt a soft touch on his chest. He looked down and saw Anna gazing back at him.
“Klaus, we don’t hate you. I hope you know that, right?” she asked.
“I know, yes.”
“Then you should know we wouldn’t leave you, no matter what you are or who you turn out to be. We love you very much, and the idea of walking away just because we can’t accept all of you is something we would never consider,” she added, her mood lightening a bit.
Klaus nodded, thinking it would take them a while to fully come to terms with him. But he was wrong—Anna’s next words made his eyes widen.
“We want you to turn us into you. We want to become as ruthless as you.”
“Wait, what?” Klaus was stunned. He had expected them to say something like, “We accept you for who you are and don’t want to be apart from you.” Instead, they wanted to become more like him.
That was the last thing he expected. But did he hate the idea? Definitely not. This was something he’d actually wanted. If the people around him were too soft, it would only bring him unnecessary trouble.
Klaus studied Anna’s face, looking for any hint of hesitation, but there was none. Her resolve was clear, and he felt an unexpected surge of admiration. Lily, sitting on his left, nodded firmly, echoing Anna’s determination.
“So, you’re both serious about this?” Klaus asked.
Anna met his gaze without flinching. Klaus could see the determination in those eyes and for some reason, a certain Ice Princess flashed through his thoughts.
“Yes, Klaus. We don’t want to be left behind or become weaknesses you have to protect. We want to stand beside you, not just as bystanders but as equals who understand your world.”
Lily added, “We’ve seen enough to know what we’re asking for. But if it means we can be a true part of your life—no matter how dark or dangerous—then it’s a price we’re willing to pay.”
Klaus took a deep breath, feeling a sense of satisfaction he hadn’t anticipated. There was something freeing about knowing they wanted to share in his burdens, to face what he faced.
Yet, he knew the transformation they sought wouldn’t be easy. It would demand everything from them—their innocence, their beliefs, maybe even their own identities.
They were raised to believe that a warrior is meant to fight monsters, but they didn’t realize that some of these monsters are their fellow humans. In fact, many of them are even viler than real monsters.
“Alright,” he finally said. “But just so you both know, I won’t go easy on you just because you’re my lover, so be prepared.”
The two nodded, cheeks flushed pink. Klaus leaned in and kissed both of them, deepening their blushes. He watched them with an amused expression.
A while later, Klaus felt two hands brushing across his chest. The two beauties now wore flustered expressions instead of the concerned looks they’d arrived with. Klaus, of course, knew what they wanted, so being a good guy, he gave them what they sought.
After all, they were his women, and though they hadn’t crossed the next line yet, that didn’t mean they couldn’t do some other things.
It was only a few minutes, but Klaus made sure they both enjoyed it very much. In the end, the three of them fell asleep half-dressed, stirring only a few hours later. When he woke up, Lily and Anna were gone. He washed up and went to meet them and his other friends—it was their last day before heading back, after all.