The moment the door swung open, Klaus staggered into the room, collapsing onto the bed with a sigh of bone-deep exhaustion. His body crumpled onto the firm mattress, a symphony of bone and sinew conducting a crackling overture beneath the worn cotton sheets.
As the echoes of their brutal training session echoed in his head, relief surged over him like a cleansing tide.
Inhaling deeply, Klaus sat upright, his breaths slow and measured. Exhaustion that had etched its way onto his features was rapidly being replaced by a smile, deep and genuine.
"That was amazing," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
His hand curled into a fist, the power thrumming through his veins more potent than it had ever been.
The harsh regimen Keira had put him through, every bruising blow that had threatened to shatter him, had borne unexpected fruit.
Klaus felt as though he was undergoing a transformation. His muscles hardened, his stamina amplified, his body adapting to the unyielding punishment.
During a fleeting moment in their visceral dance, he had felt an attack from Keira that should have brought him to his knees barely graze him. It was as if a feather had lightly brushed his skin.
"Klaus."
The sound of his name snapped him out of his reflective state. Turning towards the door, he recognized the person. "Margaret," he murmured.
In response, she dipped her head, a gentle nod. Margaret stepped into the room, a constant smile playing on her lips. She looked at him, her question hanging in the air, "How was the training?"
Klaus responded with a nod, the simplicity of the gesture saying more than words could.
As she sauntered towards the desk, her pencil skirt hugged her figure, accentuating her grace and maturity. Her smile broadened at his response, a silent acknowledgement of his growth.
She reached the desk, her gaze sweeping over the books strewn across it. Her eyes lingered on the deciphered tome amidst the clutter, curiosity flickering in them.
After a moment, she returned her attention to Klaus, the unspoken conversation continuing in the silence of the room.
Margaret broke the silence, her voice a soft whisper in the quiet room. "Since it was my suggestion that led to your duel with Valeria, I feel compelled to offer my assistance. So, tell me, Klaus, what do you need?"
Her gaze locked onto Klaus's, her expression an open invitation, her demeanor a promise of unfettered support.
Klaus fell silent, lost in thought. It wasn't until several moments later that his eyes sparked with realization. He strode over to the desk, rifling through its contents until he found what he was looking for; a beast core nestled within the drawer. Holding it out to Margaret, he declared, "I need your help to absorb this."
Margaret's gaze fell onto the gem-like object in Klaus's hand. She drew a deep, calming breath, not entirely surprised by his request. Absorbing beast cores had always been a peculiar fascination of Klaus's.
"Alright," she agreed, her tone steady and sure.
Taking the beast core into her own hand, she instructed Klaus to place his hand on it. His face lit up with a child-like excitement as he complied, a stark contrast to the gravity of the situation.
He eagerly placed his hand on the core, his eyes closing in anticipation.
"I understand your enthusiasm, Klaus, but you need to focus on the beast core," Margaret advised, her voice stern yet nurturing.
At her words, Klaus's demeanor shifted. The excitement that had been etched onto his face moments ago was replaced with a calm focus. His senses honed onto the beast core, attuning to the energy beginning to seep into his body.
He fell into a tranquil state, his mind clear and poised.
The energy from the beast core began to circulate within him, coursing through every vein, every cell. It flowed from his fingertips to his toes, permeating his bones and organs.
It was as if Klaus was a vessel, filled to the brim with the energy from the beast core.
A wave of ecstasy washed over Klaus as he succumbed to the thrill of the beast core's energy.
His strength surged with each passing moment, a rising tide bolstered by the core's power. But as abruptly as it had begun, the flow of energy ceased. His eyes snapped open, mirroring his surprise.
Margaret caught his startled gaze, her voice a soothing balm amidst the storm of his confusion. "Hey, relax," she advised. Her tone was gentle, but laced with an underlying caution.
Klaus scrutinized her, his brow furrowing in a deep frown. He bit his lower lip, a silent indicator of his puzzlement. His gaze wandered back to the beast core, his frown deepening.
The energy resonating from the core was unlike anything he'd ever experienced - both in quality and quantity, it surpassed any he'd previously absorbed. The sensation was nothing short of exhilarating.
His eyes flicked between the core and Margaret, before he finally expelled a resigned breath. "Okay," he conceded, slowly retracting his hand from the core.
Margaret flashed him a reassuring smile. "Good," she affirmed, nodding in approval. "You're already having con-" Her words cut off abruptly, her sentence left unfinished as Klaus's hand reached out to cover hers.
With the beast core as the medium, energy began to flow from Margaret into Klaus. The transfer was rapid, a torrent rushing to fill the void left by the core's power.
It happened in the blink of an eye - before Margaret could react, she felt her strength drain away, her energy vacuumed out of her. Her eyes twitched involuntarily, a last sign of resistance, before she crumpled to the floor, her body succumbing to the sudden exhaustion.
At the soft thud of Margaret's body hitting the floor, Klaus's breath hitched. "I have a problem," he murmured, his voice a low echo in the room.
His gaze lingered on Margaret's prone form, a stark picture of concern etched onto his face.
Carefully, he scooped her into his arms, her body light and frail. He settled her onto the bed, the sheets folding gently around her. Her peaceful visage held his attention for a moment longer before he turned away, retreating to the chair that sat vigil before the desk.
"Silentium noctis, umbrae custodes."
Klaus's voice filled the room, the words from the book in his hands wrapped in an aura of latent power. As he began to decipher the incantation, his world narrowed to the aged pages before him.
The room, Margaret, everything else faded into the background, his focus laser-sharp on the mystical text that held the answers he sought.
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