Pleasant conversation?

Klaus and Cassia walked through the streets, with Klaus dragging Diego by the leg. Diego was unconscious, his head knocking against the stone road with every step, a dull thud that echoed in the night. Klaus's expression was dark, murderous even, and Cassia couldn't help but give him a weirded-out glance. What had happened to him? He had really snapped this time.

After what seemed like an eternity of dragging his brother, they finally arrived at Klaus's mansion. The grand doors swung open, and the smell of old wood, candles, and aristocratic refinement greeted them as they entered. The living room was elegantly decorated, with fine art lining the walls, flickering candles casting warm light, and an almost unsettling sense of perfection in every corner.

Without a word, Klaus tossed Diego unceremoniously onto a couch like a ragdoll. The brothers Isaac and Noah, who were reading books, glanced up from their pages without batting an eye. They didn't seem at all concerned about the state of their sibling. To be fair, this was probably normal for them.

Klaus flashed a smirk at Cassia, clapping his hands loudly to get everyone's attention. His gaze flicked between his brothers and her, the playful glint in his eyes unmistakable.

"Gentlemen," he announced with exaggerated flourish, "This here is Lady Song of The Fallen, A Cassia." He gestured to her with a sly grin, then turned his attention to his brothers. "Cas, these are my delightful brothers—Noah and Isaac Zakharov."

Cassia, still adjusting to the bizarre atmosphere, gave them a polite nod. The intensity of their gazes, however, left her feeling awkward, unsure of what to do next. It felt like she was under some sort of examination. But before she could process it further, Isaac jumped from his chair with a mischievous grin plastered on his face.

"Ahh, Lady Cassia," he said with a wink, taking her hand with an exaggerated flourish. "I've heard so much about you. Truly mesmerizing, such beauty! I'm Isaac, by the way. Oh, my! I have so many stories about Klaus. Want to hear them?" His smirk was playful, clearly intending to tease Klaus.

Klaus narrowed his eyes, his patience thinning as he approached Isaac and promptly shoved him away with a grunt. Isaac just grinned wider, throwing his hands up in mock surrender.

"I swear, you'll be the death of me," Klaus muttered, but his lips twitched, betraying the amusement he tried to hide.

Noah, ever the picture of grace and nobility, stood from his chair with an elegant poise. He was dressed in a finely tailored suit, the epitome of class. He shook Cassia's hand, his smile warm but polished.

"Pleasure meeting you, Lady Cassia," Noah said, his tone steady and pleasant. "My brother has quite a fondness for you. To the point where he doesn't stop talking about you. You must be a very remarkable person."

Cassia awkwardly shook his hand, her mind still reeling from the strange family dynamic. Klaus, the sarcastic weirdo. Diego, the free-spirited chaos-maker. Isaac, the mischievous instigator. And Noah… well, Noah was the noble, graceful one. It was like a bizarre family of opposites, each person a different kind of madness wrapped up in their own unique way.

Once they had all settled into their seats, a calm, somewhat pleasant conversation began—until they were interrupted by the arrival of Olivia, Liam's lover. Cassia's heart sank as Olivia's figure appeared in the doorway, looking absolutely furious. She glared at them with eyes full of anger and frustration.

"You all promised me freedom!" Olivia spat, her voice trembling with rage. "Let me go! You stubborn, irresponsible, bloodthirsty lunatics!!! Are you—" she hesitated, catching herself in what was clearly a moment of panic, "—are you going to kill me?"

The Zakharov brothers looked at each other, their smirks almost synchronized. Isaac chuckled under his breath, rolling his eyes as he leaned back in his chair, clearly entertained by Olivia's outburst.

"If I were to kill you," Isaac said nonchalantly, "at the time of war, you would have been my first kill."

He leaned back, his smile wide and wicked. "I would have strung you up so your little dead Liam could've seen you, a front-row seat. Quite poetic, don't you think?"

Noah sighed dramatically, his expression one of mild exasperation. Crossing his legs with an elegance that could only come from years of practice, he spoke with a certain weariness.

"I believe my brother is trying to say that he won't kill you... for now. But perhaps, Isaac, a different approach? Fewer references to murder this time, hmm?"

Klaus, who had been lounging lazily on the couch with a glass of bourbon, smirked devilishly. "I find Isaac's idea quite charming, though."

Olivia threw her hands up in frustration, her face contorted with anger as she stormed out of the room, her footsteps echoing down the hall as she left in a huff.

Cassia, still recovering from the chaos, blinked a few times. Murder? War? Bloodthirsty lunatics? Wasn't Klaus supposed to be some kind of government agent? She looked at him again, now growing more suspicious. Now that she thought about it… How did Klaus have such wealth, resources, and connections? The Gate Break in this district—could it be that it wasn't a simple accident? Was it possible that Klaus and his siblings had murdered the Awakeneds who ruled this district and took it for themselves?

Her gaze flickered to Klaus's runes. She couldn't see them, but she could see the runes on Isaac, Noah, and Diego—They were Masters—and not just any Masters. These were among the strongest in the world. If there were Saints above them, those were rare and practically untouchable but Saints spend most of their time in Dream Realm. So real power in waking world were mostly masters.

And yet, here they were, acting like it was nothing.

Cassia's mind raced. Was this all a lie? Was Klaus hiding something much darker than the charming, sarcastic persona he wore? Her stomach churned with the weight of the questions she didn't want to ask, but couldn't ignore.

Klaus glanced at her, catching the subtle tension in her eyes. His smirk faded just slightly, his expression unreadable. "Don't worry, Cas. Nothing you can't handle," he said with a wink. But she wasn't sure she believed him anymore. But who was she to judge? She was also killer...

Tatiana watched Olivia storm out, her back stiff with anger and fear. Poor girl, on the verge of tears. Tatiana couldn't help but frown, shaking her head at the spectacle. She was dressed in a graceful green dress, her golden hair tied back in a neat ponytail, the emerald green of her eyes cutting through the room like a blade.

Her gaze swept over the room, and with a sigh, she walked in. Before she could even make it a few steps, Isaac appeared, his trademark smirk plastered across his face, blocking her path.

Tatiana narrowed her eyes, her patience already thin. "Out of my way, Isaac."

Isaac, always the picture of nonchalance, tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling as if contemplating some grand philosophical idea. His hands were casually clasped behind his back, and he stepped forward just a bit too slowly, clearly enjoying the moment.

"Oh, out all night, what a scandal," Isaac mused, his grin widening. "Don't tell me... Ah, I trust you did better than that woman. Jessica, was it? Two beautiful women in the same bed—such a sinful thing to do..."

Tatiana's eyes flashed dangerously, and she hissed through her teeth, the venom in her voice unmistakable. "If you don't shut that mouth of yours, the next thing to come out of it will be your teeth."

Isaac raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed. He loved to push buttons, and it was clear that today, he'd found a particularly enjoyable one. Just as Tatiana prepared to walk past, Diego stirred from the couch, rubbing his eyes and grinning like a mischievous child who'd just been handed a cookie jar.

"Hot as fuck, though," Diego added, his voice still tinged with the grogginess of just waking up.

Klaus chuckled darkly, clearly entertained by the entire spectacle. Noah, ever the stoic, didn't even glance up from his book. His hands moved gracefully as he flipped the page, uninterested in the drama playing out in front of him.

Tatiana, however, was having none of it. She leaned forward, eyes flashing, and her voice dropped to a low, deadly tone. "If you don't stop, Isaac, I'll make sure the only thing you can smile about is how you look without teeth."

Isaac took a dramatic step back, raising his hands in mock surrender, clearly not wanting to push her any further. But Tatiana was already done with him. With a frustrated sigh, she walked past him, settling into one of the chairs with a tired air about her. She leaned back, letting out a long, drawn-out exhale.

Klaus, without looking up from his glass of wine, waved his hand lazily in her direction. The glass floated through the air, landing neatly in her hand as if guided by some invisible force. Tatiana smirked at him, appreciating the gesture but not about to show just how grateful she was.

"Thanks, darling," she murmured, her voice tinged with a hint of tired affection.

Klaus, with a faint grin on his face, gave a casual shrug. "What are siblings for, if not to irritate the hell out of each other?"

Isaac, always the troublemaker, scoffed but couldn't help his mischievous grin. "Not everyone appreciates my charming personality," he said, casting a mock pout in Tatiana's direction.

Noah, still with his nose buried in his book, didn't even bother with a response. But he did glance over his glasses, his eyes twinkling with amusement at the chaos unfolding around him.

Diego, now fully awake and clearly amused by the ongoing drama, leaned back on the couch with a satisfied grin. "Ah, sister dearest. Don't worry about it. Sometimes you lose... And than lose again... And again."

Tatiana, taking a sip from her wine, gave him a sidelong glance. "Just wait, Diego. Your turn will come."

Tatiana's gaze drifted over to Cassia, and in an instant, her expression shifted from tired and mildly irritated to one of sly delight. A spark of amusement danced in her emerald eyes as she leaned forward, resting her chin lazily on her palm.

She still vividly remembered the first time they met—how Cassia had been so flustered, so adorably uncomfortable under Tatiana's teasing. The memory alone made her chuckle softly.

"Lady Cassia," she purred, her voice dripping with faux formality. "What an honor it is to finally welcome you to our humble abode. A long-overdue family reunion, hmm?"

Cassia, to her credit, had grown far less awkward in their presence. If anything, she now seemed perfectly at ease, perhaps even enjoying the chaotic energy of Klaus's siblings. After all, Tatiana had already mocked her, the Fire Keepers, and even Nephis herself without a second thought. That kind of boldness was really irritating.

So, with a pleasant smile and the slightest tilt of her head, Cassia replied, "I believe so. But my apologies, Lady Tatiana… It seems you've run into some complications in your romantic endeavors."

Tatiana's smirk froze for a fraction of a second before her expression shifted ever so slightly—her irritation barely concealed beneath a veneer of grace.

Oh. So she's learned how to bite back, has she?

The room went completely silent for a beat, then—

Diego, ever the agent of chaos, whistled low. "Damn. She really said that, huh?"

Isaac looked positively gleeful, his mischievous grin stretching ear to ear. "Oh, I like her," he declared. "Finally, someone with enough spine to poke the bear."

Klaus, lounging lazily on the couch, sipped his bourbon, watching the exchange with a lazy smirk. He said nothing, but the amusement in his eyes was unmistakable.

Tatiana, meanwhile, slowly set her wine glass down, her perfectly manicured fingers resting on the rim. She exhaled through her nose, her smile sharp and dangerous.

"My dear Cassia," she said sweetly, tilting her head. "How absolutely charming of you to take an interest in my personal affairs. I suppose I should be flattered."

Cassia merely smiled, her expression serene. "Of course. It's always fascinating to see a woman of your grace and poise navigate… unforeseen difficulties."

Isaac audibly gasped, clutching his chest like he'd just been fatally wounded. "Ohhh, she's good."

Even Noah looked up from his book, quirking a brow in mild interest.

Tatiana stared at Cassia for a moment longer, then let out a light laugh, shaking her head. "Hah… Klaus, where did you find this one? I might actually like her."

Klaus, amused beyond words, swirled his drink lazily. "Oh, don't worry, she grows on you."

Tatiana smirked, swirling her own wine before taking a slow sip. "Mmm. Like a particularly stubborn rash, I assume."

Cassia simply smiled, entirely unbothered. "How kind of you."

For the first time that evening, Tatiana's smirk turned genuinely approving. "Well, well… I do love a woman with a spine. Welcome to the madhouse, dear."

Isaac threw his arms in the air. "Ahh, a new sister! I love it."

Diego, already refilling his glass, grinned. "She can stay, but only if she sings 'I Like to Move It' with me next time."

Cassia blinked. "… I might have to draw the line there."