Klaus was awakened by his alarm at exactly 9:30 am. The sounds of chirping birds filtered through the window as he stretched out a hand to silence the alarm. He got up, stretched, and ran his fingers through his hair, giving it the usual tousled look he preferred.
As Klaus turned toward the door, memories of the previous night flooded back. His gaze fixed on the drone sitting atop his desk, reminding him of the events that had transpired.
With a sigh, Klaus headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. After brushing his teeth and getting dressed, he grabbed his skateboard and approached the dormant drone on his desk.
Puzzled, Klaus inspected the drone. "What do I do now?" he wondered, searching for a power switch.
"Oh, you're done," a voice suddenly emanated from the drone as it powered up without Klaus doing anything.
The drone then gently floated off the desk, and Link's voice sounded once more.
"Just follow the drone, and it'll lead you to the house."
Klaus exited his house with the drone leading the way to Link's home.
At first, Klaus didn't mind following the drone, but as they reached more crowded areas, he noticed the curious stares directed at him.
It made sense; the drone's sleek, futuristic design was uncommon. Klaus, however, despised any form of attention. Seizing the first opportunity, he asked Link to stop the drone and simply narrate the directions instead. Despite Link's initial complaints about the inconvenience, he eventually agreed.
After several minutes of skateboarding and following Link's directions, Klaus arrived at a gate.
"We're here," Link's voice announced from the drone before it flew over the gate and proceeded ahead. Klaus took a moment to absorb his surroundings, feeling a wave of confusion wash over him.
The gate was towering, but there wasn't a house in sight. Klaus also realized it had been a while since he'd passed any other homes. It felt like the entrance to a secluded estate, far removed from any nearby neighborhoods.
Klaus approached the gate, pondering his next move. As he neared, the gate slowly and silently began to open sideways. He waited until it was fully open before cautiously stepping through.
Once he was inside, the gate closed behind him just as gradually. The eerie lack of anyone in the vicinity surprised him, but he shrugged it off—it didn't even rank in the top twenty strangest things he'd encountered.
Following the path from the gate, Klaus soon noticed a change in the surroundings. Outside the gate, it seemed like an abandoned area, but inside, the scenery suggested otherwise.
Gardens of vibrant flowers flanked the walkway on both sides as Klaus continued. Buildings began to emerge in the distance, signaling the end of the path. The more he saw, the more Klaus realized this wasn't what he had expected.
Rows of garages appeared, each housing some of the most expensive vehicles imaginable, from sleek sports cars to opulent limousines and motorcycles far beyond the means of 99% of the world's population.
Nervousness crept in as Klaus worried he might be trespassing in a place far above his social status. He slowed his pace, considering retreating, when he finally encountered someone ahead on the path.
"Ah," the person, a woman in a black dress, began. "Welcome to our humble abode. You must be Mr. Walker."
Klaus remained speechless but nodded, relieved to know he wasn't in the wrong place.
"Splendid. Master Lincoln awaits your presence at his house," the woman continued before walking ahead, indicating for Klaus to follow.
Klaus followed the woman as they walked forward. The surroundings were a clear testament to luxury and wealth, something even the most oblivious person would notice. Klaus hadn't expected such opulence from any of the demigods, but he never judged them or cared enough to do so.
Eventually, they arrived at the front of what appeared to be the main house. The woman turned to the left and pointed to another house a few feet away.
"Master Lincoln resides in that house. He informed me that he would be awaiting your presence in the living room," she said. Klaus nodded and moved towards the indicated location.
Reaching the front of the house, Klaus knocked on the door. Despite this being a secondary house, its size was unbelievable.
After a few seconds, the door opened by itself, and Klaus stepped inside. The interior had a highly technological look. Roombas were moving around various rooms, and a few drones were flying about.
Klaus walked into what seemed to be the living room, featuring a large screen on the wall, several luxurious sofas, and a coffee table at the center. Link was lying on one of the sofas, engrossed in a television program.
"Finally, you're here," Link said as he noticed Klaus.
"I guess," Klaus replied, walking deeper into the room to take a seat.
Link sat up and stretched, with the screen on his head imitating a booting sound and displaying a loading bar before turning to Klaus, who still seemed slightly in shock.
"Lemme guess, you didn't expect all of this," Link remarked.
"You could say that," Klaus responded, placing his skateboard on his lap.
"Pixel," Link started, "help our guest with his stuff."
"Understood," a voice responded from nowhere before a drone swooped in and landed in front of Klaus.
"May I assist you with your board and shoes?" the drone asked.
Klaus removed his shoes and placed them alongside his board on the flat surface of the drone. The drone then lifted off and flew out of the room.
"So, what do you want to do now?" Link asked Klaus as soon as the drone departed.
"Wasn't this your idea?" Klaus retorted.
"Fair enough. I have some PCs upstairs. Wanna play some games?" Link suggested.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Seeing no better option, Klaus agreed.
Link led Klaus into a large room dimly lit with LED lights along the walls. The room housed about five different PC setups equipped with the latest hardware, along with several console setups. Klaus was initially surprised, but having already decided to expect the unexpected, he quickly adjusted. Before long, Klaus and Link were deeply engrossed in their game.
Link had chosen an online first-person shooter game. Although Klaus wasn't particularly invested in or good at video games, he decided to give it a shot. As they played, Klaus gradually got the hang of it.
At first, he struggled to move the mouse accurately due to his lack of experience. However, after a few minutes of practice, he began to get the hang of it. His heightened senses and quick reflexes helped him transform from a complete novice into someone who was accused of hacking due to his rapid improvement.
"Damn, you pick up quickly," Link commented.
"Shut up and focus," Klaus shot back, surprising himself with his unexpected interest in video games.
Link laughed, recognizing that Klaus was genuinely invested.
They played for a few hours, with Klaus constantly competing for the top spot against Link and ultimately losing. Their opponents either raged in the match chat or simply quit in frustration.
Klaus noticed that many players, both on their team and the opposing team, recognized Link's username, Codex, and claimed to be huge fans. Link had mentioned earlier that he wasn't streaming to avoid stream snipers, ensuring a smooth experience for Klaus.
This made Klaus realize how significant Link's online presence was. It was clear that Link hadn't been exaggerating. However, Klaus wasn't someone who cared about online fame, which explained why he didn't recognize Link when they first met.
After a few hours of gaming, Klaus and Link decided to call it a day.
"Wow. Looks like you have a hidden passion for video games," Link remarked as he got up.
"I guess," Klaus replied, surprised by how much he had enjoyed it.
A drone flew in, carrying a tray with beverages. Link grabbed a soda, while Klaus opted for water.
"Water?" Link asked.
"I'm not really a fan of sodas," Klaus explained.
"You know, we demigods have perfect metabolisms. Most things don't affect our physical condition," Link said.
"I never said that was the reason," Klaus replied, opening his water bottle and taking a sip.
Feeling refreshed, Klaus considered leaving, but Link suggested they watch a movie first. Link led him to a massive theater-like room in the basement. He suggested an action movie, and Klaus agreed, as he rarely watched anything.
The movie started, and while Klaus didn't love it, he didn't hate it either. A few minutes in, a voice sounded from the door.
"I never thought anyone would accept Link's offer, let alone you, Walker."
Klaus turned to see who had spoken. As the person walked into the room, he recognized them.
"What are you doing here, Quinn?" Link asked, pausing the movie and turning on the lights.
"I heard you had a friend over, but I didn't expect it to be someone I found interesting," Quinn replied.
She approached the duo and waved at Klaus, who gave a slight nod in return.
"So, what do you want to do now?" Link asked, clearly frustrated by her intrusion.
"Well, if you must know," Quinn began, "I have a ton of questions and interesting conversation topics for Klaus here, so the movie will have to wait. Plus, he didn't seem that into it. Right, Klaus?"
Both Link and Quinn looked at Klaus, awaiting his response.
"Does it matter?" Klaus said, unsure how to react.
Quinn smiled, interpreting his answer as agreement. She took a seat near them and launched into a series of conversation topics.
CONVERSATION
Quinn: By the way, I've always wanted to know how your Solar Ball ability worked completely, Walker. Care to share the knowledge?
Klaus: You realize we have an upcoming tournament soon, right? So what's the point in feeding you information?
Quinn: Fair point, but I doubt knowing how your ability works would give me any form of advantage against it, don't you think?
Klaus: I guess not.
Quinn: Great. So care to explain?
Klaus: *sighs* Well... keep in mind that light particles, or photons, have relativistic mass, which is mass gained when an object is in motion. Though you probably already knew that.
Quinn: Yeah, but keep going.
Klaus: Anyway, I gather over trillions of photons from the surrounding area and compress them in a rotational motion using photons that I create myself. This way, when the ball comes into contact with something, it has a noticeable effect, given that objects absorb light.
Quinn: Ahhh... so the ball itself isn't the reason for the impact, but rather the speed of the trillions of photons inside that gather that much momentum and disperse upon contact?
Klaus: Basically.
Quinn: Damn, that's beyond genius. The fact that you came up with that is genuinely impressive.
Klaus wasn't one to respond to flattery so he just remained silent after Quinn's statement.
Link: Though, you mentioned earlier that you also create your own photons, and from scratch, I presume. So how much exactly do you make?
Quinn: Look who's invested in the conversation.
Link: Oh, shut up.
Klaus: Well, not a lot, to be honest. I only create the photons that make the exterior that compresses the other present particles into a ball. This is why I'm able to hold the attack and also why the other untapped particles in the area don't affect it. Also, manipulating light isn't too tasking, but creating it from scratch is what takes a massive toll on my stamina.
Quinn: Guess that explains my next question on why you always look so exhausted after every solar ball.
This conversation gave Link and Quinn a better understanding of Klaus' offensive ability, but Quinn still had a few more questions.
Quinn: Also, I heard that you move insanely fast at night, and I can believe that after what I've seen from your reaction speed with Ace and a few videos on your battles. Care to elaborate on how?
Klaus: Not completely sure about that myself, but what Sol said was that I can't just manipulate light, I also can acquire all its properties when I'm the strongest light source present.
Link: Wait, so that means that you're...
Quinn: ...as fast as light. Damn.
Klaus: I guess.
Link: Thanks for cutting me off, by the way.
The group chatted for a while, sharing details about their powers and getting to know each other better. Klaus wasn't deeply invested in the conversation, but he listened and contributed when necessary. They also discussed the upcoming individual tournament and the need to continue their training.
Klaus thought he might not return to Higher World due to his lack of interest in the tournament, but Quinn advised him otherwise.
"If you plan on continuing as a demigod, it's better to lose with style than embarrass yourself by not showing up," she said.
During the conversation, Klaus remembered something that had puzzled him when he arrived at their home.
"By the way, it seems like it's just you living here, Link. Do you mind explaining why?"
Link and Quinn exchanged a glance before Link responded.
"It's complicated," he said, the expression on his mask changing.
"He's not exactly on speaking terms with our mom," Quinn interjected.
"Hey, it's not your story to tell," Link protested.
"Yeah, well you were taking too long," Quinn replied.
Link sighed and turned back to Klaus. "Well, she's right. My mom and I had a heated argument about my decision to play games full-time, so I moved out. I originally wanted to get a new place, but Quinn suggested I just build a separate home on the lot for various reasons."
"Family name, I assume?" Klaus asked, understanding their last name was possibly very powerful.
"That, and to soften the blow of me moving out on my mom," Link clarified.
The explanation made sense, showing why he was so close to the main home but never showed any sign of going there during Klaus's visit.
"Believe it or not, Link hasn't even locked eyes with our mom in about two years, let alone stepped foot in the main house," Quinn added, indicating the depth of the rift.
"But do you ever miss staying there?" Klaus asked suddenly.
Link paused before answering. "I'd be lying if I said I don't."
Sensing the topic might be too heavy, Klaus decided to change the subject to avoid making things uncomfortable.
After a few more hours of conversation, the day gradually turned into night.
Klaus retrieved his things from Link's drone, said his goodbyes to the Atlas twins, and headed home. As he passed the main gate of their residence, he quickly arrived at his own house.
Realizing he hadn't expected to stay so long at Link's place, Klaus hadn't brought his house key. After knocking for a few minutes, Natalie finally opened the door.
"You're back," Natalie said.
"Yeah. Sorry, I didn't expect to stay this long, so I didn't take the key," Klaus explained.
"Oh, it's alright. I don't mind," Natalie responded with a smile. "I just thought you had gone to see your dad again."
Klaus took a moment, knowing he would have to leave her again eventually if he wanted to return to Higher World. For now, he decided to leave the topic behind and assured her he would let her know when. Then, he helped her with the laundry that was piling up.
After finishing the laundry and taking a shower, Klaus finally headed to his room and straight to bed.