Margaret's words hung in the air, an echo of hope in the midst of despair. "From the ashes of destruction rises the seed of restoration."
Upon hearing this, Keira hastily wiped the hot tears streaking her face and rose to her feet. Her gaze hardened, settling on the prone figure of Klaus. She was trying to decipher the cryptic message her aunt had just delivered.
The implication was clear: even in the face of utter devastation, there was the promise of rebirth and growth.
"Klaus... is he still alive?" Keira's voice wavered, a fragile blend of fear and hope. As she turned towards Margaret, her gaze was filled with a desperate plea.
Margaret nodded, a gesture that should've brought comfort. "Indeed, he is." Yet her voice bore an undercurrent of concern that gnawed at the edges of the newfound relief.
Keira, however, clung to the thread of hope Margaret had provided. Her eyes, still shimmering with unshed tears, now reflected joy.
But as Keira basked in the elation of Klaus's survival, Margaret's voice broke the silence, tinged with a hint of anger. "His body is undergoing changes," she uttered, her words hanging in the air like a premonition.
Keira's mouth opened slightly, ready to voice her thoughts, but Margaret swiftly interjected, cutting her off. "Which body technique did you choose to teach him, Keira?" Her voice carried an undeniable edge, revealing her underlying concern.
Keira swallowed hard, her throat constricting with unease. "Titan Sutra," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
A heavy silence descended upon the tranquil garden, filled with tension. Time seemed to stand still as Margaret's unwavering gaze remained fixed upon Klaus, her face etched with a stern and inscrutable expression.
The look on Margaret's face caused Keira's heart to flutter with unease. Her aunt's stern expression seemed to promise an impending storm, and Keira couldn't shake off the feeling that Margaret was on the brink of an outburst.
Much to her surprise, however, the expected wrath never came. Instead, Margaret erupted into laughter, her hand clapping rhythmically against her thigh as a genuine smile spread across her face.
"Wonderful!" she exclaimed, her laughter echoing through the quiet garden.
Turning towards Keira, Margaret flashed her a thumbs-up, her stern demeanor replaced by a look of approval. "I thought he might seek you out after the incident with Valeria, but I didn't expect you'd impart something as valuable as the Titan Sutra to him," she said, her voice laced with surprise.
A tide of relief washed over Keira, causing a rough smile to bloom on her face. "It would have been a disservice to his potential if I had given him anything less," she replied, her gaze settling on Klaus. "The Titan Sutra is a perfect fit for him."
Her eyes locked on Klaus's unconscious form, Keira found herself nodding, silently reaffirming that her decision was the right one.
"Indeed, the Titan Sutra suits him," Margaret conceded, her laughter fading into a thoughtful hum. "Given his exceptional bone structure, he may not even need to harness mana to defend himself."
Keira nodded in agreement , the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. The Titan Sutra demanded exceptional physical prowess, a brutal 'do or die' approach. But she was confident that Klaus would rise to the challenge, justifying her decision. And as she watched him, she couldn't help but feel a sense of profound relief wash over her.
A sudden wrinkle creased Keira's brow as a sudden thought struck her. "Why aren't you upset?" she queried, her voice laced with confusion.
"The Titan Sutra is a royal family secret, known only to a select few. If anyone outside were to learn it, they'd be hunted down and eradicated without a second thought," she elaborated, her words barely a whisper.
A chilling scene from the past resurfaced in her mind, a stark reminder of the grim fate that befell a mage who dared to wield a royal technique. His life had been brutally snuffed out, his family's fate no less tragic.
Margaret turned to face Keira, her expression unreadable. "Perhaps I should be," she admitted casually, the hint of a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. "After all, it seems you've marked Klaus for death."
Keira's eyes widened in surprise, her mind reeling as she tried to decipher whether Margaret was jesting or earnest in her accusation. "I...," she stammered, struggling to find the right words.
A soft chuckle escaped Margaret's lips. "I'm merely jesting, Keira. Don't worry, Klaus is one of us," she reassured, her tone light and teasing.
Keira raised an eyebrow, sensing an undercurrent of hidden meaning in Margaret's words. She was about to probe further when the sight of Klaus stirring caught her attention.
"He's awake," Margaret announced.
No sooner had the words left her lips than she vanished, leaving no trace of her presence, save for a whispered, "I was never here."
Slowly, Klaus pushed himself into a sitting position, his hand clutching his throbbing head. As the memories of the recent events rushed back, his eyes widened in shock. The pain was still fresh, a stark reminder of his ordeal.
His gaze wandered around, taking in the surroundings, until it landed on Keira.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice a soft whisper in the quiet garden.
Klaus's gaze shifted inward, his eyes tracing the contours of his own body, as if searching for a physical manifestation of the changes that had taken place within him.
A gentle nod followed, and with a newfound vitality, he rose from the grassy ground. His fingertips grazed his rejuvenated form, and a smile blossomed across his face. "I feel amazing," he exclaimed, his voice tinged with delight.
Keira's relief was palpable as she witnessed Klaus's elation. A smile of her own bloomed across her face, erasing the lingering shadows of worry. Finally, a sliver of hope emerged from the darkness that had clouded their lives.
"That's enough for today," Keira declared, her voice voice gentle yet firm. "We can resume the rest of the training tomorrow."
Klaus's smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a deep frown etched on his face. "Why?" he questioned, his voice tinged with disappointment.
Keira hadn't anticipated such a response. She took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts before she replied. "We have covered a substantial amount already. The first stage of the Titan Sutra is the body tempering stage, where you must refine your body with the elements of nature."
She paused, her eyes meeting Klaus's with a mix of concern and determination. "You have already undergone the tempering process with one of the elements, and I believe it is best to allow your body time to adjust. Pushing further at this stage could do more harm than good. It is crucial that you familiarize yourself with your revitalized form before we proceed."
Reluctance etched itself onto Klaus's features, but after a moment of contemplation, he offered a firm nod. "Very well," he said. "I shall see you here tomorrow."