Klaus's eyes remained wide in disbelief as he absorbed Nekro's words. Somehow, the god knew about the girl in white, the one Ace had brought back from the future, something Klaus had desperately hoped to keep hidden from the gods.
"How does he know?" Klaus wondered silently.
A flood of questions overwhelmed him, and his heart raced with fear. What if Nekro was the one? What if he was the treacherous deity?
Without hesitation, Klaus assumed a defensive stance, holding his only uninjured arm out in front of him. "How... did you find out about that?" he finally asked, his expression steeled.
Nekro turned his gaze toward Klaus, his look the most serious Klaus had ever seen. "Ever since you arrived in Under World, you've been burdened by a certain thought," Nekro began. "At first, I believed it was simply grief for the one you lost. But as it persisted, I realized it was something much more critical; something that might require my intervention. And that is why I scanned your thoughts at surface level."
Klaus's eyes widened in realization. He had been so careless since arriving that he had forgotten about that risk; a risk he had been wary of during his meeting with Sol.
Keeping his guard up and his composure in check, Klaus stood before Nekro, whose eyes were fixed on him with a menacing glare.
"I ask you once more, Klaus Walker," Nekro suddenly continued, extending his right hand, "who is that unconscious girl in white?"
As soon as Nekro finished speaking, a weapon began to materialize in his outstretched hand. Slowly, it took shape; a massive scythe with a razor-sharp edge, towering over Klaus at about eight feet.
Klaus could hardly believe his eyes. Nekro was serious about extracting this information. He understood the stakes: if he gave the wrong answer, or the required one, his words had the chance to threaten all of existence.
Klaus also knew he was in no condition to battle a god. With everything he had seen Nekro do, including stripping him of his light speed, he realized he had little chance against any god, especially the god of Death and Souls. Yet, he knew he had no choice but to fight, for reality itself was at stake.
"Klaus!" a sudden voice called out in his mind.
"Quinn?" Klaus wondered, uncertain if he was imagining things.
"Tell him everything you know," Quinn immediately added, her voice resonating telepathically. "And calm down."
Klaus froze, unsure if the voice was a figment of his imagination urging him to reveal the information. Seeing his confusion, Quinn quickly explained, "If there were any risk that Nekro might be the treacherous deity, why would he confront you directly about the girl's existence? Also, you're misinterpreting the situation. You're being cautious about his aggression, when in reality, he's only maintaining his aggression because you're being cautious."
"Isn't that right... Lord Nekro?" Quinn added.
Still confused, Klaus refocused his gaze on Nekro.
After a moment of silence, Nekro sighed. "Smart girl," he finally said, letting go of his weapon before it dematerialized. "It seems there has been a misunderstanding."
Klaus was uncertain of what was happening, yet he remained silent from sheer fear. Noticing his hesitation, Nekro decided to explain further.
"My caution toward your intentions stemmed from the fact that you showed no signs of disclosing any information," Nekro explained. "I was concerned that you were withholding potentially dangerous details."
"But why go so far as to show such aggression?" Klaus managed to ask, his body slowly relaxing from the earlier tension.
"You retained information to ensure that no god would learn of it," Nekro replied. "Isn't that, in itself, a cause for concern?"
Klaus recognized the truth in Nekro's words. "I guess you're right," he conceded.
Soon, Klaus's attention shifted to Quinn, who had been present telepathically during the encounter. "How did you even know what was happening?" he asked her telepathically.
"Shade had me check up on you," Quinn explained. "He said that the shadow he gave you relayed that you were in mortal danger, and he didn't want to transport to you without knowing what was going on. When I checked, I realized you were only sparring with Ash at that point, so I chose not to intervene. I've been on high alert ever since, and when I sensed a change in your emotions, I decided to investigate further."
Quinn's explanation, though lengthy, was sound, so Klaus decided not to press further.
"Still, I'm lucky I did so," Quinn continued, "or you might have gotten yourself killed for no reason."
"I would not have harmed him, Quinn Atlas," Nekro suddenly interjected out loud. "Even if there was a potential threat, I'm not certain I could do that to any of my nieces or nephews. I'm glad it didn't come to that."
"I know that," Quinn confirmed, her voice echoing in Klaus's mind. "My concern was Klaus doing something reckless instead."
Klaus was utterly confused. "Wait, how can you hear her?" he asked aloud, puzzled by how Nekro could pick up and respond to Quinn's telepathic communication.
But as Klaus voiced his question, he quickly recognized its triviality. "Never mind," he muttered immediately, realizing it was simply a god's prerogative. "I guess that was a dumb question."
The sensation Klaus had just experienced was unsettling, but once he regained his composure, he relayed everything to Nekro, from Ace's sudden disappearance to the emergence of the girl in white.
"According to Ace," Klaus explained, "she was the only sign of life left in a world that could only be described as a total wasteland."
"That's impossible," Nekro replied, shock evident in his tone. "Despite the oaths we swore, we gods would never allow humanity to collapse upon itself like that, even if a demigod were involved."
"That's the thing," Klaus elaborated. "The way Ace described it, the way the girl had addressed him, suggests that she was the only life form left... including the gods."
Nekro's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?" he exclaimed softly, clearly finding Klaus's statement inconceivable. "You understand the gravity of your words and what they imply, don't you?"
"Yes," Klaus confirmed. "It implies that the only thing capable of causing such a future... would be a god."
Nekro paused for a good amount of seconds. He understood that for Klaus to say such a thing meant that he was certain enough of his words.
After a long pause, Nekro finally asked, "You haven't told any other god about this, have you?"
"No," Klaus replied. "We didn't want to risk alerting the one god who could trigger such a future and possibly accelerate the process."
"A wise decision," Nekro assured, now understanding why Klaus had been so troubled by the matter.
"Also," Klaus added, "before the girl lost consciousness, Ace mentioned that she warned him not to interact with a certain presence, and it was a presence unlike anything he had ever felt. It nearly drove him to madness."
At once, Klaus finished his explanation, and Nekro's expression shifted instantly; the shock on his face was unlike anything Klaus had ever seen in a god.
"I-Impossible," Nekro muttered, his gaze fixed on Klaus. "Are you absolutely certain about this?"
"Uhh... that's what I was told," Klaus replied, surprised by Nekro's reaction.
Nekro fell silent for several moments, lost in thought. When he finally spoke again, his tone was resolute.
"For now, you demigods must keep this information from the other gods," he advised. "I will investigate on my end to ensure that such a future never comes to pass. I will also monitor multiple possible futures to ensure that the worst do not materialize. But... once that girl awakens, gather as much information as possible about this future. Her presence in what you call the Occurring Timeline is already an anomaly."
Nekro's stern reaction only heightened Klaus's worries. Initially, Klaus had doubted whether to hide the situation from the gods, but now that Nekro strongly advised it, Klaus began to feel uneasy.
"You may return to Main World, nephew," Nekro finally said. "But keep me updated on any new information regarding this matter."
"Sure," Klaus replied after a pause.
As Klaus headed toward the door, Nekro suddenly called out, "Before you go..." stretching his hand toward Klaus.
Klaus felt a brief surge of energy flow through him. "I had to return the power I stripped from you during your spar," Nekro explained.
"Oh yeah," Klaus said. "I forgot about that."
After concluding his conversation with Nekro, Klaus finally made his way back. As he left Nekro's chamber, Quinn spoke to him telepathically one more time. "Wow, you really don't know how to handle these situations, do you?" she teased.
"Oh, shut up," Klaus retorted.
"Woowww," Quinn continued in a teasing tone, "I save your life, and that's all I get for it?"
With that, Klaus departed, and the door closed behind him.
Nekro kept his gaze fixed on the door, watching as Klaus departed, his mind consumed by what Klaus had just revealed. He knew this situation could not be taken lightly and that drastic measures, far beyond what anyone might expect, were required.
After a long pause, Nekro shifted his gaze and suddenly called out, "XVII."
Almost immediately, a voice responded telepathically, "Yes, my Lord?"
"Connect with the demigod known as X," Nekro continued. "Tell him that his presence is urgently needed here in Under World by me."
"Understood, my Lord," XVII replied. "I will contact him immediately."
After severing the connection, Nekro sighed and straightened his gaze before leaving his chamber. The god strode through the Facility, his presence completely imperceptible to the demons roaming the building; no one could see or interact with him as he made his way toward a specific location; deeper than any of the explored floors.
Nekro continued downward for several minutes, passing the last set of guards until he finally reached the lowest, most restricted floor. With a serious expression, the final doors opened for him, and he slowly entered the room.
The room itself was small and shrouded in complete darkness, with pitch-black walls on every side and a single dim light in the center that activated almost on command as Nekro entered.
When the light came on, it revealed a massive block of glass dividing the room in half, separating the entrance from something, or rather someone, on the other side.
Through the glass, Nekro glanced upon a being completely encased in chains; nearly every part of its body was bound by shackles, with chains emerging from nearly every wall section. This being was no ordinary mortal. Though it possessed a human-like form, its height exceeded that of any other mortal at around eight feet, evident even while it sat bound tightly on the ground.
The being's head hung downward, its eyes completely hidden behind a massive shackle connected to a chain that hooked onto the wall. Additional shackles covered its mouth and neck, rendering its face nearly invisible. The only visible feature was its long black hair, cascading over the metal that obscured its face and falling just past its shoulders.
As Nekro advanced further into the room, the being slowly lifted its head, acknowledging the presence of a guest. "Ah... Nekro," the being intoned, its voice resonating through the space as it communicated using its mind.
Its voice, undeniably masculine, betrayed a nature more male than one might have assumed. "Who would have imagined you'd visit me more than once in a decade?" the being continued.
Nekro's expression remained impassive as he moved closer to the glass, his stern gaze fixed on the unknown prisoner. "You already know why I am here... Limbo."
Klaus opened his single eye as he materialized at his normal spawn location back on Earth. The vast night sky, reminiscent of Under World, made it clear that it was already the middle of the night.
He had chosen to return directly to Earth instead of going to Higher World, prioritizing checking on the situation with the girl in white first. The transportation process had hurt him a bit, his arm was still in a sling, but after a few moments, he managed to steady himself.
Taking a step, Klaus arrived at the door of his home in a fraction of a second. There were only a few humans outside at that hour, making it easier for him to enter without drawing attention.
Once inside, Klaus quickly ascended the stairs and made his way to his room. There, he was greeted by Shade, Riley, and Ace, who were seated around the room and near the bed where the girl in white still lay unconscious.
Noticing Klaus's arrival, the group turned toward him. "You're back," Shade said.
As Riley fixed her eyes on Klaus, they widened in shock when she saw his battered state. "Oh my gods!" she exclaimed in concern. "What happened to you?"
"I'm guessing it's from your fight with Ash?" Shade asked.
"Drake as well," Klaus explained. "Actually, more from him than the other."
"Damn," Shade murmured.
"Some spar that was for leaving you looking like this," Riley added, worry evident in her tone.
"I'd say you should see the other guy, but..." Klaus continued, his tone hinting that the beatdown was one-sided. "Regardless, I'm fine. So don't worry about it."
"Still," Shade said, "considering it was an all-out brawl, it's crazy that you're even still alive."
"I guess," Klaus replied.
Soon, Klaus's attention shifted to Ace, who sat in a corner with his gaze fixed on the ground, appearing emotionless. Klaus's expression softened as he noticed how low Ace was.
"You're usually more lively than this, you know," Klaus said, catching Ace's attention.
Ace looked up at Klaus. "O-Oh, my bad, haha," he muttered, forcing a smile.
Klaus felt a pang of regret. He had never seen Ace without his usual smile or in a good mood ever since they met. But after Ace's brief encounter with the future, Klaus's fears only grew regarding what the demigod had witnessed.
"Are you sure you don't want to get some rest?" Klaus asked Ace.
"Nah, I'm fine," Ace assured him. "I already got enough rest that moment after I returned."
Ace's expression grew even more subdued as he added, "Though... I'm not sure I even can, knowing what I felt in that moment."
"Don't worry," Shade interjected. "It'll take some time, but I'm sure you'll adapt. We always do."
"This time might be different," Ace said softly. "But... I hope so."
"While we're on the topic of rest," Riley interjected, "you should also get some sleep, Klaus. I'm assuming you hadn't rested in Under World, so the last time you got any sleep was during our training session."
Klaus knew Riley was right, but like Ace, he felt he couldn't close his eyes with everything he knew weighing on him. Still, all his reasoning faded when he suddenly met Riley's warm, cheerful smile as they exchanged glances.
After a brief silence, Klaus quickly diverted his attention from her. "I-It's no big deal," he stammered. "Also, I still have things I need to do right now."
Klaus then walked away from Riley's gaze, leaving her looking slightly confused.
"What do you still have to do?" Shade asked from the side, his tone filled with concern.
"I... still have to go to Higher World," Klaus explained. "I have to meet my dad and thank him for all his help. I rushed here immediately to make sure everything was okay, but I'd feel terrible if I didn't go and thank him."
Shade raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Are you sure?" he asked. "You were the one who mentioned the risks of staying around a god. Are you sure you want to take said risk?"
Klaus remained silent, his eyes never meeting Riley's, who stood by his side. "It'll be fine," he finally said as he began to exit the room. "I'll be back soon."
"A-alright," Shade stammered as he watched Klaus close the door behind him. He then turned to Riley briefly. "That was weird, right?"
"Yup," Riley agreed. "Also, is it just me, or do his clothes look different from when he first left?"
Klaus made his way out of the house and toward his transportation area using his Burst Speed. He leaned against a wall and sighed heavily, gazing up at the night skies above.
"What is wrong with me?" he muttered softly.
Leaving again felt unfair. Klaus regretted not being there to help watch over the girl once more and having to burden them with the task. But for some reason that he couldn't explain, he felt like he just couldn't stay there.
Gathering himself, Klaus finally placed his palm on the poster and activated his transportation, eventually moving to Higher World.