Klaus woke up, slowly opening his eyes. It seemed to be morning, though in the Higher World, with its perpetual daylight, it was hard to tell. His clock read 7:30 AM, which was enough of a clue for him. He winced at the throbbing headache, pressing his hand against his forehead to dull the pain.

"I really need to stop waking up like this," Klaus muttered to himself, his eyes still heavy with sleep.

Usually, the bright light was a struggle every morning as he tried to adjust, but recently, it seemed less bothersome. As he managed to sit up, a realization hit him: he was naked. This familiar scenario filled him with a sense of dread. Hesitantly, he turned his head to the side to see if someone was next to him.

"You've got to be kidding me," Klaus groaned, spotting a girl beside him.

His raised voice stirred the girl, who let out a groan of her own before turning towards him. Her black hair made it hard for him to recognize her at first, but he realized that there was only one demigod with such distinct hair. His eyes widened as she spoke.

"Oh, morning, papi," Iris greeted, sitting up and rubbing her eyes with the side of her hand.

"How the hell did this happen?" Klaus demanded, trying to get out of bed before remembering his state of undress.

"Oh please, I've seen it all yesterday. Very impressive, by the way," Iris teased as she stretched. "So, what don't you remember?"

"Everything. And put some clothes on, for Gods' sake," Klaus snapped, turning away as he realized she was also naked.

Iris sighed and reached for her underwear beside the bed, while Klaus did the same for his clothes.

"Well," Iris began as she dressed, "we drank, got fucked up, and you suggested we head to your room. And here we are. That's the basic summary of what happened."

"Please don't tell me we did what I think we did," Klaus said immediately.

"I mean, I was just as messed up as you, but yeah, I remember that happening," Iris replied, meeting his gaze.

Klaus felt a surge of conflicting emotions. He wanted to be angry, but the only person he could blame was himself. Iris had been just as wasted as he was. He felt the need to clarify his intentions, to make it clear that what happened was a mistake and that he never meant for anything like this to occur between them.

"Look, Iris, you have to understand that what happened wasn't my intention," Klaus began as Iris stood up and continued dressing. He waited for her response, bracing himself for her reaction. What she said next took him completely by surprise.

CONVERSATION

Iris: Oh relax, papi. I don't even swing that way.

Klaus: What?

Iris: Yeah well, between you and I, I'm more into chicas than chicos.

This news came as a complete shock to Klaus, especially considering who was saying such.

Klaus: Wait, are you serious?

Iris: Yup.

Klaus: Then why do you try to seduce every guy you see?

Iris: Why else? Cuz it's fun.

Klaus: You're weird, you know that?

Iris: Yeah well, you just slept with this weirdo.

Klaus: Please don't remind me.

Iris then proceeded to laugh as she continued her dressing up.

Iris: You get really tipsy when you're drunk, don't you?

Klaus: Guess I have to work on my tolerance on that.

Iris: Mr. MVP and his weakness is a bit of alcohol. Kinda funny, isn't it?

Klaus: *sighs* I guess.

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A few seconds passed as Iris continued to dress. Meanwhile, Klaus's thoughts drifted back to his conflict with Rose. After what had just happened with Iris, he realized he couldn't justify the anger he'd felt toward Rose.

"Guess I'm no better than she is, huh," Klaus whispered to himself softly.

"You mean Rose?" Iris responded, having overheard him.

"You know about that?" Klaus asked, surprised Iris was aware.

"You're also very talkative when you're drunk," Iris replied, confirming how she found out before continuing. "So, are you gonna apologize to her or something?"

"I guess," Klaus responded, feeling the weight of his own hypocrisy.

"Quinn wasn't kidding, you really love saying that," Iris remarked as she finished dressing and headed for the door. "Anyway, this was fun. Let's do it again sometime."

"Really?" Klaus asked in annoyance, but Iris just laughed as she left the room.

After Iris was gone, Klaus decided to take a shower before heading back to Main World. Once he was done, he dressed up and headed out of his room, locking it and taking the key to the lobby of the building. There, he was met with Rose, who seemed to be the last demigod at the apartment alongside him.

"Hey, Klaus. Didn't expect you to still be here," Rose started.

Klaus felt the need to be honest with her about what had happened. After greeting her, he told Rose about the night with Iris. Her expression showed sadness, but she tried her best to remain calm.

"Oh wow," Rose replied. "I didn't expect that."

"I felt you had to know, and I just want to say that I'm sorry for overreacting the way I did," Klaus continued, hoping his apology would make things right.

Rose felt a pang of disappointment, but she realized Klaus didn't really owe her an apology, given her own actions towards him were far more egregious. His calm demeanor about the situation made her feel even worse.

"Thank you, Klaus. But truth be told, I don't deserve the apology considering what I did. Plus, it's not like we're dating or anything," Rose managed to say, though her smile felt forced. Klaus felt the weight of her words but decided to let it go.

After their conversation, Klaus and Rose made their way to the transportation podium to return home. There, they encountered Ace, who seemed in no hurry to leave Higher World.

"Yo, what's up, K?" Ace greeted Klaus.

"K?" Rose teased, laughing as Klaus sighed.

They chatted for a bit before Klaus broached the question on everyone's mind.

"Why are you still here, Ace?"

Ace paused before responding with a smile. "I'm sure you caught my fight with Link. Showed me I'm too slow so I'm sticking around to train and get faster."

Klaus was surprised by Ace's determination, seeing him in a new light. "That, and I'm pretty much on my own. Home's pretty much wherever I am."

Rose's concern peaked. "What about your mom?"

Ace's expression shifted. "It's complicated. Long story short, I'm kind of on my own."

Both Klaus and Rose felt a bit of sympathy for Ace upon understanding what he meant. Ace noticed their concern and brushed it off, laughing as he asked them not to worry. They chatted a bit longer, during which Klaus scribbled something on a piece of paper.

Eventually, Rose headed for the podium and disappeared, leaving Klaus alone with Ace. Klaus approached the podium, but before he departed, he tossed the piece of paper to Ace.

"Just in case you get bored in Main World," Klaus said, his voice trailing off as he vanished.

Ace unfolded the paper and found an address scribbled on it, realizing Klaus' intent.

"I guess he does have a good heart after all," Ace murmured to himself, pocketing the paper before darting back to the apartment building, disappearing from sight.

Klaus reappeared in the familiar alleyway, his usual entry point into Main World. The throbbing headache, which always accompanied the transportation, was gradually becoming more tolerable. The noise of cars and people bustling around signaled that it was still afternoon, the sun high in the sky.

Wasting no time, Klaus headed home. He knew his mother would be worried since he had been gone for about ten days. Shade had left Higher World before him, so Klaus was sure his brother was already there. As he entered the house, his mother turned to him and rushed over, enveloping him in a tight hug.

"How have you been, Klaus? I hope you're alright," Natalie said, her voice filled with concern.

"I'm fine, Mom," Klaus replied, trying to extricate himself from her embrace.

From the kitchen, Shade chuckled at the sight of their mother holding Klaus so tightly. Natalie eventually noticed Shade's amusement and let go, laughing and apologizing at the same time. Though she still looked worried, the relief of seeing both her sons safe and unharmed shone through.

After a lengthy conversation and catching up, Klaus finally retreated to his room. He sighed deeply as he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind awash with thoughts.

He reflected on how much he had accomplished in just a few days and wondered if he could have achieved even more with additional training. The MVP title, awarded to him, gnawed at his thoughts. Did he truly deserve it?

"Why me?" he pondered, recalling the feats of the other demigods, even those not considered the strongest like Riley and Quinn.

As he delved deeper into his thoughts, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen to see the name: "Karma."

The timing of the call seemed oddly convenient, given he hadn’t received any calls while in Higher World. Curiosity piqued, he decided to answer.

"Hello?" Klaus said as he picked up the phone.

CONVERSATION

Karma: NightShade. How've you been?

Klaus: Good... I guess.

Karma: Glad to hear that. I apologize for not calling all these days. I had to go on a trip and I just got back a few hours ago.

Klaus: It's fine.

Klaus didn't mind the lack of contact so it wasn't an issue to him at all.

Karma: Anyway, I called because I want to meet up with everyone to discuss some things. Do you think you can make it?

There was no reason for Klaus to decline since there wasn't anything he was doing at the moment.

Klaus: I guess.

Karma: Great, I'll send you the address of the location and we'll meet up there.

Klaus: Sure.

After ending the call with Karma, Klaus received the address. He gathered his things, got dressed, and picked up his skateboard before heading out of his room.

"Mom, I'm heading out for a bit," he called outside his mother's room.

"Okay, Klaus. Don't be out too long," Natalie responded from the other side of the door.

"I won't," he assured her before leaving the house.

Skating through the city in the afternoon sun, Klaus couldn't rely on his abilities to get there faster, so he made his way to the address at a normal pace. When he arrived, the semi-abandoned building gave him pause, but he pushed aside his skepticism and went in.

Inside, Klaus' eyes widened in surprise at the sight before him.