Preparation

Effie looked at Kai, her expression pensive. The situation was spiraling fast, and Klaus was another unpredictable factor in the mix. But there was no other way—Effie needed to challenge her second Nightmare. Her body was a prison, and frankly, it was exhausting and infuriating.

She had tasted freedom on the Forgotten Shore. That strength she wielded in the Dream Realm was exhilarating, ecstatic, liberating. But here, in the waking world… she was crippled. What use was enhanced strength or skin of steel if she couldn't even move without someone's help?

No. That had to change. She had to challenge her second Nightmare. She had to become a Master.

Before she could dwell on it further, Klaus stormed out of the house, his expression dark. Without a word, he grabbed Effie and tossed her into the PTV like a duffel bag.

"Hey! I'm being kidnapped! Kai, do something!" Effie yelled, flailing.

Kai sighed, rubbing his temples, and climbed into the PTV as well. "At this point, I just go where life takes me."

Klaus gunned the engine and sped off toward his mansion, jaw clenched. The situation was royally fucked. Mordret was on a killing spree in the Night Temple. If he didn't act fast, things would only get worse.

As he drove, his mind raced through possible scenarios, but only the worst ones seemed realistic. First, Mordret would slaughter everyone in the temple—already bad enough—but at least Cassia and Sunny might escape. Best-case scenario. Second, Mordret would kill everyone and notice the scent of Dreamspawn on Sunny, connecting the dots and deciding to kill both him and Cassia. There was no way he wouldn't pick up on something that obvious.

Klaus knew the truth, though. The Dreamspawn scent on Sunny didn't come from Asterion—it came from Nephis. That's why he had approached Sunny back in the Academy. Sunny had nothing to do with Asterion. After Nephis became a Sleeper, he had wiped out all of Asterion's followers he imprisoned. That left only one possibility—his sister, the Hollowborn.

And Mordret… he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to kill them. Worse, wearing Sunny's body would be the perfect way for him to escape. Sunny had shadow-related abilities—concealment, mobility, scouting. The perfect tools to stay hidden from the Valor Clan.

So yeah. The situation was really fucked up.

Kai glanced at Klaus, his expression a mix of confusion and concern. "Klaus… what exactly happened?"

Klaus grinned, but it lacked its usual arrogance. "What happened? Oh, nothing much. Just that our dear friends managed to screw up spectacularly. Like, world-ending levels of fucked."

The PTV screeched to a halt in the garage. Klaus hopped out and immediately turned back to his vehicle, placing a hand on its hood with a fond smile. Then, without hesitation, he pressed a kiss to the metal.

"Okay, if I don't make it back, know this… I always loved you, Lightning McQueen."

Kai and Effie stared at him, utterly dumbfounded.

Before they could react, Klaus grabbed them both, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished from the car. When they reappeared inside the mansion, five sleeping pods stood in the room—originally meant for Klaus, Diego, Noah, Isaac, and Tatiana. But now, since four of them were already Masters, the pods were free to use.

Klaus wasted no time. "We're going back. We leave for the Night Temple right now. I'm not waiting for Tyris."

Kai and Effie exchanged looks, their humor fading as the weight of the situation settled in. They nodded, expressions solemn.

Without another word, they climbed into the sleeping pods and closed their eyes, plunging into the Dream Realm once more.

_____

The Zakharov siblings were searching for Klaus. Noah made his way to the room where Klaus's sleeping pod should have been—and frowned. Raised by Wolves and Nightingale? What the hell were those two doing with his brother?

His sharp eyes scanned the room until they landed on a letter sitting on the table. Suspicious, he picked it up and read:

__

"Hey there, dear family.

Thing is, I'm gonna do some dumb shit, so I'll get straight to the point. I'm planning to kill a Saint. Cool, eh? Anyway, on the table, you'll find some papers. They contain detailed instructions on what to do. I've already planned it all, so just follow them. Send Diego for that job, and as for the rest of you… Please save my ass.

Luv you,

Santa Klaus :)

__

Noah stared at the letter, blankly processing the absolute audacity of his brother. Then, with a heavy sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"My brother is a virtuoso of being a pain in the ass for the family, hmm?"

His expression remained composed, but his patience was running dangerously thin. Of course Klaus would dive headfirst into reckless insanity and leave them to clean up the mess. That was just how things worked in the Zakharov family.

Shaking his head, he turned toward the wardrobe and began dressing. As always, he chose a tailored suit—an absolute necessity for a gentleman, no matter the occasion. And judging by Klaus's antics, serious negotiations were on the horizon.

As he adjusted his cuffs, he glanced at his reflection. His composed, refined demeanor remained intact, but beneath it, a darker emotion simmered. A flicker of frustration, tinged with something almost feral.

Wearing fancy clothes wouldn't hide the blood he'd spilled.

Bloody hell…

---

Name: Noah Zakharov

Aspect: Ghastly Requiem

Aspect Rank: Supreme

Flaw: Beyond Grave

True Name: Ferryman

Attributes:

[Noblesse]

[Ghost King]

[Gravekeeper]

[Guide of the Damned]

Aspect Abilities:

Dormant: Gatekeeper

Awakened: Rot

Ascended: Undead Domination

Noah exhaled slowly, looking at his runes. He needed to ascend to Sainthood, and soon. But that could wait.

For now…

It was time to cause some trouble.

Loyalty was a funny thing. Noah had learned one undeniable truth in his life—loyalty couldn't be controlled. No matter how much you gave, no matter how kind or generous you were, it never guaranteed that others would return the favor.

Someone could be everything to you, yet to them, you'd be nothing.

True loyalty wasn't convenient. Either you were loyal, or you weren't. Many people liked to believe they could turn loyalty on and off like a switch. But real loyalty? The kind the Zakharov siblings had for each other? That was unwavering. It endured time, pain, and suffering.

The Great Clans never understood that. Their so-called 'loyal subjects' weren't devoted to them—they were devoted to their own survival. Their faith in Supremes was nothing but a transaction. The same went for the Fire Keepers and mundane people. They didn't worship Changing Star out of love or belief in her cause. They needed a savior. A beacon of hope. She was simply the most convenient choice.

And Klaus? People followed him out of fear. He had built an empire not through virtue, but through ruthlessness and deception. He manipulated the Clans, instigated conflicts, shattered families—all for his own gain. Noah had seen the horrors his brother wrought. He had even helped him.

But it didn't matter.

Klaus was his brother. And family looked after each other—always and forever.

So if anyone dared to lay a hand on Klaus, or any of his siblings…

They wouldn't live to see tomorrow.

Even if Noah had to spill innocent blood again to make it so.