Time

Antarctica, Present Time

Klaus stood silently, his expression unreadable as he stared at his siblings. The battle raged across the icy continent, howling winds and distant roars echoing through the frozen wasteland. Both the Song and Valor clans had already arrived. He was a bit late, but that was fine.

He had stabilized his condition. More importantly, he had come to understand a great deal.

His spirit creatures… were no longer spirit creatures. Nor were they tied to his soul any longer. Now, they were independent beings, fully capable of existing without him.

That revelation was both comforting and slightly awkward.

Klaus had grown used to their constant presence, their voices, their quirks. They had been a part of him for so long it felt strange to think they no longer needed him. And yet, there was relief in knowing they would endure even if he didn't.

Still, the most fitting place for Chaos Creatures, formerly spirits, was his Chaos Sea. Within it, their recovery was faster. Their strength, resilience, and essence regeneration were all dramatically amplified. In the Chaos Sea, they were at their peak.

But things had changed.

They could no longer return to the Chaos Sea freely. That link, once instinctive and automatic, was now locked. If they wished to return, they needed his permission. Only Klaus could open the gate.

It was as if the Chaos Sea had grown more… divine. like his sovereignty inside was absolute. As if he was only one who could make logic out of that illogical space... Well, It wasn't even space. Space-time already collapsed in Chaos Sea.

It felt more like a realm now than a simple soul sea.

There were other things, too. Subtle at first, but undeniable. Klaus could feel it more clearly than ever before: the profound sense of wrongness that had been haunting him was no longer a whisper. It had become sharp, present, and impossible to ignore.

He felt incomplete. As simple and as disturbing as that.

He didn't know why. Consuming the Drop of Ichor should've fixed that. It was supposed to elevate him beyond his limits, to make him whole.

But instead… it did the opposite.

As if the Ichor had peeled back a veil and revealed the cracks in his being. As if it had opened his eyes and said, "Look. You are flawed. Not just damaged but fundamentally wrong."

So what now? He had transformed his spirit creatures into fully autonomous Chaos Creatures. Complete beings in their own right. And yet, he remained incomplete?

Now that was an amusing thought.

Still… he had other options. Other paths to explore.

"Nik? What are you doing?"

Tatiana's voice broke through his thoughts. He blinked, then turned to her.

"Nothing much," Klaus murmured, shaking his head. "How's the situation?"

The Driver sighed, leaning back in her chair and casually resting her boots on the table like a street thug.

"Well, Valor and Song are at each other's throats. Tatiana's been busy stirring up conflict between their soldiers, just enough to deepen their animosity. Meanwhile, Isaac's been working his magic, boosting our luck across the board. So yeah… I'd say we have all the advantages. For now, anyway."

Klaus nodded, then snapped his fingers.

"Nik? What are you doing?"

He raised an eyebrow as Tatiana repeated the same question. Word for word, at the exact same moment. A nearby clock ticked backwards by a few seconds.

Time had reversed.

He had finally done it.

He had unlocked time.

It was a disturbing, terrifying power… and yet, the rush that surged through him was intoxicating. As he stared at his clenched fists, a dark smile curled across his lips. He felt euphoric... no, invincible.

Who could blame him? He had been chasing this power for years. Desperately trying to unlock it, failing over and over again. Now he knew why.

He had lacked Chaos.

Without the chaos within his blood, without his Lineage, it had been impossible. But now? With Chaos pulsing through his veins, the barriers that once confined him were gone.

Finally, he stood above time.

Well… almost... Okay, not really.

For now, he could only rewind five seconds into the past. A short leap. A mere ripple. But it was enough to prove the foundation had been laid.

Was he a regressor now?

Maybe.

Slowing his perception of time no longer tore at his mind like it once had. More than that, he could slow others as well. That alone was terrifying in combat.

But stopping time entirely?

Not yet.

Time, like space, was a sinister power. Dangerous and unforgiving. Even regressing by a few seconds caused faint fractures to spread across his Chaos Cores.

Each use eroded his soul.

In other words… Time was power. But time was also death.

After that, they discussed their plans. what needed to be done and how they would accomplish it. There was a mountain of tasks ahead, alliances to manage, enemies to watch, and pieces to move across the board.

But Klaus wasn't in the mood to oversee any of it.

"If that's all," he said coolly, rising to his feet, "I'll take my leave. There are some matters I need to attend to."

The others exchanged shrugs and nods, accustomed to his abrupt exits. A moment later, Klaus vanished from the conference room.

The air outside was biting cold, but it didn't bother him. He stood at the edge of a snow-covered cliff, staring at the vast white expanse that stretched endlessly toward the horizon. The wind howled softly, but here, in this still moment, it felt almost peaceful.

He exhaled slowly and sat down.

Then, from a single drop of water on the frozen ground, a man emerged. Fluid and effortless, as if molded by the world itself. He stepped out with calm grace and halted several feet away, eyes locked on Klaus's motionless form.

A quiet chuckle escaped his lips.

"If it isn't the Smiling Man…" he said, voice light and vaguely amused. "It's been a while, little brother."

Klaus glanced at him, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he gestured toward the seat beside him.

"Don't you ever consider joining the Ascendancy?" Klaus asked casually.

Mordret remained silent for a while, then sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"I'm not certain yet. Being part of Song has its advantages. They're still my best shot at killing my father."

Klaus stared at him, then shook his head with a smug, self-satisfied smile.

"Amateur."

Mordret raised an eyebrow at that and chuckled softly. This time, it wasn't one of his usual fake smiles but genuine.

"Well, I guess I'm still an amateur in this game. So, why don't you give your older brother some tips about being an orphan?"

Klaus nodded, his expression growing more amused.

"Join my side, and I might consider it."

Mordret sighed helplessly and took the warm coffee Klaus handed him, not even bothering to ask where he'd pulled it from.

"Maybe someday. Not yet. Still... I enjoy your company. It reminds me of the past."

Klaus shrugged, though his displeasure was still evident.

"Ah, what kind of situation have I found myself in? My friends and siblings are at each other's throats, while I, always the peaceful one, am stuck trying to mend broken relationships… A tragic fate, truly."

Mordret's lips curled into a faint smile as he sipped his coffee.

"So, what do you plan to do? Will you still honor the contract with Ki Song, even after her betrayal?"

Klaus grinned as he tied his hair into a knot and leaned back.

"Of course. I always honor my contracts. What I'm more curious about is what you'll do. Hmm… Never mind. Whatever happens, as long as you don't harm the people I care about, then it's fine. You understand that, right?"

Mordret let out a resigned sigh.

"Fine. I agree to that. Still… I feel a bit lucky. No matter what I did, you still welcomed me back."

Klaus's expression darkened, his gaze growing sharp and cold.

"Don't abuse my kindness. You're still my brother, no matter what you do. Even if, one day, I have to kill you… i am the only family you truly have. So don't ruin that, big brother."

Mordret's expression turned unreadable. A strange, inexplicable emotion flickered in his silver, reflective eyes but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"I'll keep that in mind..."

Klaus nodded in approval and stood up, stretching with a wide yawn.

"Well, you can look forward to the battle. I have a surprise for you."

Mordret raised an eyebrow, curiosity sparking in his gaze.

"I hope it's a pleasant one."

Klaus grinned, crossing his legs as he hovered in the air.

"No worries. It'll be delightful. Truly, I promise you."

***

READ THIS:

Hey guys,

I know it's been a while since the last chapter came out. It's not like me to skip a day, I know but it is what it is.

I've started working on another fanfic called Shadow Slave: Error. Trust me, it's peak.

Don't worry, I'm not dropping this story. I'm just a bit exhausted. I've written nearly two hundred chapters in four months, and honestly… my brain's kind of fried.

So I'm taking a short break, maybe a week or two to clear my head and work through some plot ideas and upcoming developments.

In the meantime, check out Error if you haven't already. It's more lighthearted, focused on comedy and adventure rather than the usual tragedy, politics, and war. I think you'll enjoy it.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading and as always, enjoy!

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