Suits and Surprises

The trio exited the underground training facility slowly. Kael limped slightly, Sofie steadying him, her brows furrowed with worry. Klaus walked ahead, silent, lost in thought.

Outside the scorched chamber, Lady Sera's aides awaited with salves and enchanted bandages. Kael waved them off at first—until Sofie twisted his ear.

"Sit. Down."

Klaus gave a small smirk and turned to go.

"I'll leave you two," he said softly.

"You good?" Sofie called after him.

Klaus raised a hand without looking back. "Yeah."

Later, in Klaus's Room

Klaus sat cross-legged on the floor again, curtains drawn as faint golden light filtered through. He slowed his breathing. In. Out. Eyes closed.

The void within called again.

Static.

Silence.

Then—there they were.

The two orbs.

Black like collapsed starlight.

Red, pulsing like a living heart.

He focused on the black one this time. It… stirred.

"Come on… Lunaria said this was a gift," Klaus whispered.

His aura began to flare—soft at first, then violently, uncontrollably.

Suddenly, his body ignited in violet-black flame. The floor beneath him cracked. The black orb vibrated violently—Then slammed into him.

Klaus gritted his teeth, bracing as it merged with his core.

Everything froze.

Then—he felt it.

Something had changed.

He shot to his feet.

"I need to test this."

Back in the Facility

Varion sat cross-legged in the corner, eyes closed, aura pulsing faintly. Klaus entered silently and leaned against the wall—watching as dozens of combat drones emerged from the ground, rushing toward the seated Varion.

Without even opening his eyes, Varion's aura detonated outward—and in a blink, the robots were reduced to molten wreckage.

He stood, brushing off his coat. "What do you want?"

Klaus stepped forward. "Need to test something."

Varion arched a brow. "Use it, then."

Klaus approached the console, tapping several commands. The arena morphed into a storm-laced plain. He selected Grandmaster-tier combatants—each robot imbued with a pure elemental core.

Fire. Water. Wind. Lighting . Darkness

Varion, watching from the corner, scoffed. "Kid… this is just plain stupid. You're strong, but this isn't the same as fighting one freak Nexomorph."

Klaus didn't answer. He walked to the center of the field.

Eyes closed.

Steady breath.

Then—

His eyes snapped open—crimson red. His aura roared to life. The very air twisted

around him, warping, bending to his will. Purple lightning crackled. Black flame twisted upward like a vortex.

The robots attacked—elemental storms crashing toward him from every side.

But Klaus raised one hand.

And crushed the energy with a single motion.

Everything… stopped.

Flames died.

Winds dissipated.

Darkness unraveled.

Water collapsed to steam.

A vacuum of power swallowed the battlefield. Even the arena's mana-reactive floor flickered in response.

Varion stared, stunned.

Not a word came from his mouth.

Klaus stood in the center—untouched—his hand still raised.

He looked around at the utter devastation. Systems shorted out. The ground was cracked. The simulation had failed to even register what just occurred.

He clenched his fist. "I can nullify magic…"

Then he thought "What else can I do now?".

Varion finally approached him, slowly. "What the hell was that?"

Klaus glanced at him but didn't answer immediately.

"I was working on something," he finally said. "And it… obeyed me."

"Obeyed?" Varion repeated, eyes narrowing.

Klaus didn't elaborate.

"You know," Varion muttered, "with power like that, you're more vulnerable than ever."

Klaus smirked, turning to him. "What I seek is not the art of self-defense… but absolute destructive power."

Varion groaned. "Gods above, you're turning into Kuro…"

Then, suddenly more casually, he added, "Anyway… tomorrow's Sofie's birthday. We need to do some shopping."

He raised a brow. "You tagging along?"

Klaus shook his head almost instantly. "Pass. I'm not built for birthday shopping."

Just then, Kael's voice rang out from behind them. "Too bad. You're coming anyway."

---

The trio walked side-by-side through the bustling city, sunlight glinting off silver spires and the chatter of marketplaces echoing through the streets.

Klaus gave Varion a sideways glance. "You know, you're not exactly low-profile. Aren't you the ruler of this entire continent? What's with the cloak and hood? Afraid the people might riot if they saw a Monarch buying clothes?"

Varion didn't respond, adjusting his hood slightly.

Varion didn't even look at him. "Shut up."

Kael leaned toward Klaus, whispering with a grin, "He's changed, man. Ever since he found Sofie again, he's been, like… soft. He even made tea for the house staff yesterday."

"I HEARD THAT," Varion barked over his shoulder.

They stopped outside an upscale suit boutique, glass windows gleaming with mannequins dressed in regal threads.

"Alright," Kael said, rubbing his hands."We're getting proper gear. Birthday prep."

Klaus was already turning to leave. "No. Absolutely not."

Ten minutes later, Klaus stood stiffly in front of a mirror, wearing a deep indigo suit with silver accents — one of the two matching sets Kael had forced on them.

Kael stood beside him in the second, matching grin for grin. "We're lookin' sharp."

Klaus scowled. "I hate this."

"You look good though," Kael said, pointing to the crowd behind them.

Several ladies near the fitting area were blushing furiously, some hiding behind clothing racks, others pretending to browse while stealing glances at Klaus's tall frame, sharp jawline, and disheveled, dark hair.

One accidentally knocked over a display stand.

Klaus sighed. "This is why I don't go out."

Kael smirked. "You're welcome, ladies."

Varion, now in a more traditional black-and-gold high-collar coat, grunted from the corner. "We're not here to flirt. We're here for Sofie."

"Ohhh, look at Dad Mode," Kael teased.

Kael dragged Klaus from rack to rack until they settled on two tailored suits—midnight blue with subtle silver embroidery.

"Matching," Kael said proudly. "Intimidating, but stylish."

Klaus held the suit up, unimpressed. "I look like I'm about to give a speech at a funeral."

"Exactly," Kael grinned. "We're here to murder expectations."

Varion, now fully changed into a black-and-gold high-collar coat, gave the mirror a sharp glance. "We're done here."

Kael saluted mockingly. "Yes, Commander Dad."

Varion didn't even bother trying on anything.

Instead, he stood with arms crossed near the entrance of the store, grumbling something under his breath as Kael and Klaus finished getting fitted. Every now and then, a passing attendant would try to get his measurements, only to be waved off with a glare sharp enough to cut cloth.

Eventually, the tailor bowed out in defeat. "Sir, may I at least offer—"

"No," Varion snapped. "I'm wearing what I always wear. Which is dignity."

---

The sun had just begun to set as the trio made their way back, casting a golden glow across the skies. The moment they arrived at the Ignar estate, Klaus stopped dead in his tracks.

The entire yard was lit up.

Streamers draped along the high archways. Lanterns floated overhead, glowing in vibrant pastel colors. Rows of wrapped gifts lined decorative tables, and workers darted about placing plates, arranging decorations, and shouting things like "The cake must be kept away from the phoenixes!"

Kael whistled. "Well… someone went all out."

Klaus blinked slowly. "Is this… all for tomorrow night?"

He didn't get an answer.

Because the next moment—

Sofie sprinted across the yard.

She didn't stop to explain anything. Didn't wave. Just launched herself forward and threw her arms around Klaus, planting a quick kiss right on his cheek.

Klaus, still stunned from the light show, just blinked again. "Uh—"

"Welcome back," Sofie whispered.

Behind them—

Varion's soul left his body.

His mouth fell open. His hands clenched at his sides. His eyes ignited with lightning fury.

"WH—"

Kael was already there, both arms up, holding his dad back like a man defusing a bomb.

"NOPE. No fire. No melting the ground. This is not a duel. This is a romantic moment, sir. Breathe. Through. It."

Varion snarled. "I will disintegrate him. I will erase his entire upper torso and blame it on a solar flare—"

Klaus, still holding Sofie, glanced over with a dry look. "You vaporizing me before or after dessert?"

Sofie laughed and turned to Klaus, brushing some hair from his face. "Shocked?"

Klaus looked at the glowing estate, the floating lights, the calm music drifting from the rehearsal band out back, the way everything felt… warm.

"…Yeah," he admitted. "I didn't think I'd ever experience something like this."

Sofie smiled, stepping in front of him with both hands behind her back. "Well… now you have."

Klaus let out a quiet breath, his voice almost softer than the wind. "Yeah."

Meanwhile—

Varion was still being held back by Kael, who had now wedged one foot behind him for leverage.

"I swear," Varion growled. "If she kisses him again, I'm nuking the gazebo."

Kael patted his father's shoulder with a sigh. "Just think of the paperwork, Dad. Be strong."

Later That Night…

The estate had fallen quiet.

Stars shimmered overhead, and the hum of crickets echoed through the gardens. Rooms dimmed one by one. Sofie had bid Klaus a sleepy goodnight with a forehead kiss before retreating to her room, leaving him alone in the hallway under the soft blue glow of the estate's arcane wall lights.

He didn't return to his room.

Instead, Klaus turned down the side corridor, boots silent on polished stone as he made his way out past the rear gardens. Past the stone steps. Toward the Ignar private training hall.

The door slid open with a low hiss.

The facility was dark, vast, and empty. A single spotlight above the center of the chamber clicked on, casting a pale white glow. Klaus stepped into the circle of light, the rest of the hall swallowed in shadow.

He exhaled slowly.

Lightning sparked faintly from his fingers.

Wind circled his feet.

No words.

No thoughts.

He clenched his fists.

The silence hung thick—until Klaus exhaled sharply and muttered to himself:

"Alright…"His gaze narrowed.

"…let's see what else this new power can do."