Let's Kill Each other

Klaus didn't wait for the ship to reach the temple. He went ahead, leaving Kai, Effie, and the Fire Keepers behind. Days of traveling aboard the flying vessel, doing nothing but meditating, had restored him to peak condition. His essence was fully replenished, and his body was no longer fatigued.

So, he vanished from the ship—stepping through an etherial door that folded space-time in on itself. He moved with urgency, reasonably so. He didn't know if he would arrive in time, but when he did, he was immediately halted.

Standing at the temple's edge, Klaus cursed under his breath.

The Night Temple was a breathtaking yet eerie sight. A magnificent structure, it jutted downward from the underbelly of the floating island, an inverted cathedral of black stone suspended above a fathomless abyss. Its foundation—now its highest point—loomed above, while seven belfries descended into the void, each held by a short chain that bore a massive bell of tarnished green copper.

But Klaus couldn't enter.

The temple had been sealed—most likely by the Masters stationed there, desperate to contain Mordret after his escape. That was a problem. Only Saint Cormac had the authority to break the seal.

Behind him, a skeletal figure in flowing robes emerged from the shadows of his soul sea, manifesting into reality with eerie silence. The Lich stepped forward, bony fingers outstretched, its empty eye sockets filled with ancient knowledge and quiet amusement, glowing with blue flames.

Klaus took a step back, watching as the spirit placed its skeletal hand against the temple's surface. The runes inscribed into the black stone pulsed, resisting at first, then flickering. The Lich's hollow grin widened as it began to rewrite the script of the seal, bending its nature to his will.

The sigils of restriction, imprisonment, and confinement slowly unraveled, twisting into new glyphs—ones that spoke of release, opening, and destruction.

Klaus grinned. "Efficient as always."

He joined the effort, weaving his own mastery into the spellwork. With his ability to manipulate space-time, he exerted pressure on the seal, forcing it to weaken further. The invisible dome encasing the temple trembled, its integrity failing. Then, with a sound like shattering glass, it broke apart—fragments of the spell dispersing into the void.

A pulse of power swept through the air.

Klaus stretched, rolling his shoulders as he turned to the Lich, giving it a light pat on its bony shoulder. The spirit's skeletal visage shifted, its toothy maw forming something eerily close to a smirk.

Then, emptying one of his core completely, Klaus reinforced his body and struck the air with his fist.

Cracks spread through the atmosphere like lightning. The temple groaned in protest, its very foundation trembling. A cataclysmic shockwave erupted outward, washing over the structure like an invisible storm.

And then, the Night Temple began to break apart.

____

Cassia's eyes widened as debris cascaded down from the crumbling Temple above. She, Sunny, and Mordret circled the collapsing bell tower, which groaned ominously, threatening to crush the walls of the Temple. The ruins of the once-sturdy structure were now a maze of destruction. Would they be buried alive? Only time would tell. As the dust finally settled, a sigh of relief escaped them, but it was short-lived. The brutal reality of their situation hit them again. It was still Mordret they had to face.

Her pulse quickened, the tension tightening in her chest. The Temple was falling apart, but it wasn't the falling structure that terrified her—it was the creature in front of her. Mordret hadn't been defeated. Not yet.

Cassia wasn't sure what had happened to cause the temple to collapse. All she knew was that this was the break they desperately needed. Her heart raced as she scanned the ruins, knowing that if she hesitated, this window might close just as quickly as it had opened. She could feel the urgency gnawing at her insides. Her legs screamed to flee, but her mind battled against that primal urge, still uncertain of what was truly happening.

But then, a voice sliced through the confusion.

"Let's go, Cas!"

Sunny's shout echoed through the ruins, snapping Cassia back to reality. With a sharp intake of breath, Cassia followed, her body moving on instinct as her rapier hummed in the air, protective and poised for whatever might come next.

To their surprise, Mordret didn't chase them. Instead, he stood still, eyes fixed on the sky, an uncharacteristic nervous smile flickering on his lips. He took a step back, and a low, amused chuckle escaped his throat. His gaze danced between them and the sky above, as though something unseen had caught his attention.

"So you come... Oh, my!" he said, his voice thick with mocking amusement. "Don't tell me you forgot about Cormac, now. Well, what can I say? Never did I expect you to arrive. But I wonder... why, old friend? It's clearly disadvantageous for you to come. Now Valor Clan will notice you. So, what convinced a madman like you to rush to your death? Hmm?"

Cassia's heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening in realization, while Sunny's brow furrowed in confusion. Neither of them could comprehend what was happening. Something had changed. The tension in the air thickened as they stood there, caught in the web of Mordret's cryptic words.

A sudden shadow loomed above them, and before they could react, Klaus plummeted from the sky, landing with a soft thud. He stretched with a casual, playful smile on his lips. His black coat billowed around him, his white shirt untucked, the top buttons left undone. Over his shoulder rested a bloody spear, its color an unsettling red, deeper than the blood it had drawn. His presence was almost serene, like a young tree standing tall in a windless night, calm, calculating, and somehow… ominous.

"Hmm... That's true," Klaus said, his tone light, as if the life-or-death stakes surrounding them were nothing more than a casual conversation. "But I can't allow you to kill her... and him, too, I guess... old friend. The contract is fulfilled, and there's no need for me to help you now. As for Cormac... well, I wouldn't worry about him. though... We can make another deal. I can help you escape, but you will spare them."

Mordret chuckled, his sharp laugh echoing in the ruins, a sound both cruel and full of dark amusement. He leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed as if they were nothing more than two old acquaintances having a friendly chat over tea.

"Tempting proposal," he mused, "but I have to disappoint you, brother. I have to kill them. They know too much about me now, you see? Not to mention... I need a body." He paused, a mischievous gleam appearing in his liquid silver eyes. "But I can tell you a secret if you tell me something."

Klaus raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued, though his smirk remained devilishly devious. "I wonder... that would be?"

Mordret chuckled, his voice dripping with a dangerous amusement. "Well, our dear Sunless is a Divine Aspect user... Isn't that a surprise?"

For a moment, the air went still, as Cassia and Sunny stared at Mordret, stunned. But Klaus's reaction was… unexpected. He stared blankly at Mordret, shaking his head in a slow, disappointed motion.

"Do you think I wouldn't notice the smell of Dreamspawn on him?" Klaus replied, voice laced with disdain. "I already checked, and I already know about his aspect as well. That's even more of a reason why I can't let you kill him."

Mordret blinked, taken aback. for the first time, looked slightly off balance. He hadn't expected Klaus to be so... unphased. The revelation didn't faze him at all. In fact, he looked almost irritated that Mordret had even mentioned it.

"I see... Oh, my!" Mordret laughed, his tone dripping with mockery. but there was no hiding the murderous intent simmering beneath. "Now that's a surprise. Still, I want some tips. Can't you give your big brother some advice?"

Klaus grinned wider, his eyes glinting with mischievous delight. He leaned on his blood-red spear casually, as though the impending violence was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. "Hmm... Go to Ravenheart. Disappear until you recover. And don't get in my way or I'll obliterate you. How's that sound for advice?"

Mordret's smile remained, though there was a new edge to it, something cold and calculating that hinted at a simmering rage beneath the surface. His golden-glowing saber thrummed to life in his hand, and the light from the blade cast an eerie glow over the crumbling ruins.

Klaus let out a laugh, almost too innocent for someone standing at the brink of a battle. His voice, light and carefree, carried an unsettling sense of finality. "I guess we have to start killing each other."

Mordret nodded thoughtfully, as if they were discussing what to have for lunch rather than the impending battle. His liquid silver eyes remained fixed on Klaus with cold intensity, an unspoken agreement that things were about to escalate, one way or another.

Sunny and Cassia had learned a great deal from their conversation. So Jet's friend had been a Divine Aspect user... and the Oldest Dream himself?

Sunny's eyes darkened, a storm of anger and resentment boiling beneath the surface. So Klaus had manipulated him. Played him like a pawn to serve his own ends. Sunny despised being deceived, and this left a bitter taste in his mouth. All Klaus had left behind were scrolls and notes—not nearly enough to force his hand. Not enough to make him dance to Klaus's tune. Yet, they did. Klaus exploited curiosity.

But now was not the time for reckless vengeance. Reason, for once, took precedence over bloodlust. He couldn't win—not here, not now. He looked around grimly, swallowing down a flicker of fear. If Klaus was capable of such destruction... then Sunny stood no chance. Not without Saint and Serpent, and with his two loyal shadows injured, he was left exposed. Powerless.

Yet, despite the deception, Klaus was still on their side. For now.

Sunny turned his gaze toward him, his expression dark. Someday... someday he would make Klaus pay. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow—but that day would come.

Cassia remained silent, her face unreadable. Yet she exhaled, ever so slightly relieved. Even if she wanted to strangle Klaus, now was not the time. So he was the Oldest Dream. The same elusive scholar whose records lay scattered across the Chain Isles. And yet... could she truly judge him? After all, she, too, was lying to Klaus. What a twisted irony. Their relationship was built on deceit, secrets, and lies.

A flash of movement snapped her from her thoughts. Klaus and Mordret circled each other, tension crackling between them like a drawn bowstring. Then, in the blink of an eye, they clashed.

Spear met saber, the shriek of metal against metal ringing through the ruined temple. They moved with a grace that belied their lethal intent, both striking with cold, calculated precision. No wasted movement. No hesitation. Only efficiency—two killers determined to end each other.

Sunny watched, his keen gaze analyzing every shift, every strike. He had only ever met two people who were true killers in the way he was: Jet and Nephis. But they were different. Jet was brutal, savage and bloodthirsty. Nephis, on the other hand, was refined—disciplined. A warrior through and through.

Sunny? He was something else entirely. Deception and misdirection were his weapons. He mirrored others, twisting their own battle arts against them. He struck from the shadows, manipulating the battlefield to his advantage.

Now, as he observed Klaus and Mordret, he could see the vast difference in their fighting styles. Klaus wielded his spear with undeniable mastery, using every advantage it offered. The weapon's reach allowed for swift, deadly thrusts from a distance. Deflecting a spear's strike with a one-handed saber was near impossible. Even if Mordret managed to parry a blow aimed at his head, the follow-up thrust could still pierce his chest or abdomen. There were few ways to counter it. And Klaus knew this. He pressed the advantage relentlessly.

Nephis had once told Sunny that the sword was the king of weapons. But watching Klaus, he wasn't so sure anymore. A spear might lack the sword's versatility, but in the hands of a master, it was deadly—almost unbeatable.

Then, the darkness of the ruined temple was shattered by a sudden, radiant light.

A magnificent phoenix descended, its form wreathed in brilliant blue flames. Hemera. Her talons reached for them, snatching both Cassia and Sunny into the air. Panic surged through them as fire engulfed their bodies, but then they realized—her flames weren't searing flesh. They were healing.

The warmth seeped into their wounds, knitting flesh together. The exhaustion that weighed them down melted away. Their very essence felt replenished, growing more potent with every passing second. Their fears, their doubts, all of it was washed away in a tide of courage.

Sunny and Cassia stared in awe at the wondrous bird. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful being they had ever seen.

With a powerful beat of her wings, Hemera soared into the night, carrying them to safety as Klaus had commanded. Her blazing form illuminated the darkened sky, a beacon against the abyss.