Klaus opened his eyes, waking from his slumber. He sat up slowly, taking in his surroundings. The late return from Higher World the night before, after his intense brawl with Rose, had led to a late wake-up.

For a few minutes, Klaus stared at the ceiling, contemplating his plans for the rest of the day. Nothing concrete came to mind. His nature of being a demigod began to feel monotonous to him. Or rather, it made him painfully aware of how dull his life truly was.

How had he been living like this? Silence and solitude had always been his refuge. But becoming a demigod had changed him in ways he never anticipated. He now cared about people outside his family, had friends, and experienced moments of genuine joy, smiling and even laughing on rare occasions. These new feelings made him realize that his previous life, once satisfying, now felt incomplete. This new life felt better.

Klaus held on to his chest in slight pain while he glanced at the ceiling, trying to drown in his thoughts. But it felt strange and uncomfortable, unlike before. Giving up, he turned his head to the nightstand where his phone lay.

He reached for it, picking it up as he lay back down. As he scrolled through it, he noticed a message from Avalon, sent earlier that morning while he was still in Higher World.

"Hey, just wanted to check up on you to see if you had completed what you left to do successfully."

Klaus stared at the message, comforted by her concern. It surprised him that she had sent it so early, but the thought warmed him.

"Yeah. Thanks for checking up on me," he replied, setting the phone beside him.

Moments later, his phone vibrated with Avalon's reply.

"I'm glad to hear that <3."

He stared at her message for a long time, his mind swirling with thoughts he couldn't quite articulate. As he pondered how to respond, he saw that Avalon was typing again.

"You know, we should plan a date for next weekend. My week is going to be very hectic, but I think I should be able to get a free day. And since yesterday was cut short, I'll make sure we can have that day to ourselves. And just the two of us this time."

Klaus couldn't help but smile as he read her words. Warmth spread through him, filling the emptiness he had felt moments before. He continued to stare at the screen, savoring the moment, before finally typing his response.

"I'd like that," Klaus wrote back, feeling a sense of contentment he hadn't experienced in a long time.

As Klaus continued to stare at his phone in silence, Avalon started typing again. He waited patiently until her new message appeared.

"Also, my parents will be out of town during the weekend too. So we can stay up and do anything for as long as we want."

Klaus's eyes widened in surprise at the message, but after a moment, he smiled.

"I can't wait," he replied, choosing not to read too much into her words.

He set his phone down, still smiling, and lay back on his bed. With no chores left to do and the day stretching out before him, time seemed to crawl. Nearly half an hour had passed since he woke, but it felt longer. The silence was broken by his phone ringing beside him.

Klaus reached for it, curious about who could be calling. To his surprise, the screen displayed "Link Atlas" and a waving headshot of Link's helmet-covered face. Klaus stared in confusion before finally deciding to answer.

"Yo, Klaus. What's up?" Link's voice greeted him as soon as he picked up.

"Why the hell is your number saved on my phone?" Klaus asked, bewildered. "And why is there a picture of you as well?"

"Not important," Link dismissed. "You might need to meet up with us somewhere."

"Why is that?" Klaus raised an eyebrow, even more confused.

"It's kind of important," Link replied. "I can't go into detail right now, but your attention is needed. Unless you've got something to do right now?"

Klaus thought for a moment before sighing. "Fine. Where exactly?"

"I'll send you the location on your phone," Link said.

"Alright," Klaus responded. "I'll be there in about an hour."

After ending the call, Klaus began to prepare for his outing. He showered, brushed his teeth, did his hair, and dressed quickly. Slipping in his contact lenses, he made sure he was ready before heading out.

Heading down the stairs, Klaus noticed the quiet emptiness of the house. His mother was at work as expected, and Shade had gone out with friends, leaving Klaus alone. He grabbed a snack from the fridge, retrieved his skateboard, and headed out to the location Link had sent.

As Klaus skated towards his destination, he appreciated the simplicity of the moment. The sun was out, making it impossible for him to move at his usual light speed, but this didn't bother him. Sometimes, he found it satisfying to keep a normal pace, letting the wind gently brush against his skin. His days often blurred into nights, both filled with the same mundane routine, so this change of pace was welcome.

The urban landscape gradually gave way to more trees and open fields. Buildings became sparse, and Klaus realized he was venturing further from civilization. Eventually, he arrived at a house, secluded amidst fields and small trees, miles from any other structure.

Klaus picked up his skateboard and walked up to the front door, admiring the well-crafted house despite the location. The surrounding silence was calming, providing an oddly satisfying contrast to the bustling city life he was used to. He searched for a doorbell but found none, so he opted with a knock. After a few seconds, the door slid open slowly and silently, eventually revealing a drone on the other side.

Recognizing it as one of Link's drones, Klaus followed its lead into the house. He took in the surroundings, noting the lack of personal photos but sensing it was a family home. The drone guided him to the living room, where he found Link, Ace, Trent, Quinn, and, to his surprise, Siren.

"Siren?" Klaus wondered to himself before realization dawned on him.

Siren noticed his arrival and greeted him with a wave. "Hey, Klaus, welcome to my home," she said, her voice altered behind her suit as usual. "My mom headed out, so I asked if I could invite some close friends over."

Klaus was genuinely surprised to be included. He hadn't expected Siren to consider him one of her close friends. After a bit, Trent turned to Siren, inquiring what her intentions were.

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"Well, now that friend Klaus is here," Trent began, "what's next?"

Klaus looked around, confusion etched on his face. "What's going on?"

"Siren said he wanted to tell us something important," Ace explained. "And he also said your presence was necessary to do so."

Klaus turned to Siren in surprise. "You needed my attention?"

"Yeah, kinda," Siren replied. "Basically for emotional support."

Everyone seemed puzzled by Siren's words, but Klaus had an inkling of what might be coming. After a brief moment of silence, Siren walked ahead of the other demigods, addressing them with determination.

"I think it's finally time I do this," she said, coming to a stop before them.

"To do what?" Quinn asked, her curiosity evident in her bright smile.

"To reveal myself," Siren declared.

The demigods' eyes widened, realizing this was a bigger deal than they had anticipated.

"I want to reveal myself," Siren began again, "but I don't think I'm ready to do it for everyone just yet. So I want to reveal myself first to people I feel comfortable with."

Klaus and the others stayed silent, their attention riveted on Siren. She took a deep breath before explaining a crucial requirement.

" Though I can only do it if there is no sound," she explained.

All the demigods turned to Link, who looked bewildered by their stares.

"What?" Link asked defensively. "Do you guys take me for a loudmouth?"

"Your drone, idiot," Klaus said. "And yes, we do."

Link glanced at his drone, which hovered beside him, emitting a low technological hum.

"Pixel," Link called out, and the intelligence responded promptly.

"Copy. Initiating silent mode."

With that, the drone immediately ceased all emanating noise. Link turned his attention back to Siren, along with the rest of the demigods, waiting for her next move.

The house was already very silent, a necessary condition for Siren to potentially remove her suit within its confines. Taking a deep breath, Siren stood before her friends and began to remove her helmet.

All the demigods watched intently, curiosity and anticipation evident in their expressions. After a few seconds, Siren fully removed her helmet, revealing auburn hair and a feminine face that completely contradicted their expectations.

This was the first time all the demigods present, except for Klaus, had seen Siren's true face. The revelation that she was a girl took them by surprise, and Ace gasped slightly in shock.

Hearing his gasp, Siren immediately clutched her head in pain, reacting to the sound due to the nature of her ability.

"Oh, sorry," Ace whispered, quickly covering his mouth, realizing his words would only make it worse.

Siren's pain visibly intensified, and she continued to hold her head and squint in agony. Link shot Ace a stern look, making him realize the extent of the distress he had caused. Returning his focus to Siren, Link silently stood up and approached her.

Link was mesmerized by her beauty, unsure which was more surprising—her appearance or the fact that she was not a guy. As he drew closer, he caught her attention. She managed to open one eye and look at him. Using sign language, Link communicated with her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Siren took a moment to regain her composure, softening her pained expression. She forced a smile and replied in sign language as well.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she responded.

"You know, Ace can be a dumbass most of the time," Link continued, causing Siren to smile.

"I know," she replied, her smile prompting one from Link too, through his display.

Ace watched the two demigods, puzzled by their silent conversation. He wanted to ask but recognized that now was not the time, so he remained quiet.

After a few more seconds, Link addressed Siren again in sign language.

"You look really pretty, by the way," he said, making Siren's smile even wider.

"Thank you," she responded. "I have to put my helmet back on now so the others can understand me."

Link nodded, understanding her as she began to place her helmet back onto her head.

CONVERSATION

Quinn: You realize I can understand sign language, right? So it's not exactly a problem for me.

Siren: I'm not surprised. But I'm more worried about the rest.

Trent: Well, I'm fine. I seem to have understood everything you both said.

Trent's words felt odd, but Klaus' words that came after felt stranger to them.

Klaus: I'm fine as well. I can also understand sign language a bit.

The demigods glanced at Klaus in shock for a few seconds, causing him to explain himself.

Klaus: *sighs* I learned it a long time ago because I had free time to.

Quinn: Honestly, knowing you, I'm not exactly surprised by that.

Ace: So I'm the only one who didn't understand anything at all? Can someone tell me what they said then?

Link: Hang on. So why exactly does your voice sound masculine?

Hearing Link's question, Siren reverted to her natural feminine voice and addressed them with it for the first time.

Siren: This is my real voice. I used the other one subconsciously when I first showed up to Higher World.

Ace: So no one's gonna tell me what they were saying before?

Siren: I had panicked because I was a bit shy about myself. But after making a lot of friends, I do regret lying to everyone.

Trent: You don't have to worry, friend. As a person with no ID, I understand how it feels to lack confidence in yourself so it doesn't bother me at all. And I'm sure everyone will respect your decision as well.

Ace: Have I somehow lost the ability to be understood?

Upon finishing their conversation, Link noticed that Klaus's reaction to Siren's revelation was different from his own. It dawned on him that Klaus wasn't surprised at all.

"Wait, you knew?" Link asked in shock. "And you didn't say anything?"

"It's not exactly my secret to tell, is it?" Klaus responded, his expression as indifferent as always.

Link turned to Quinn, hoping for some clarity, but he saw that she wore a knowing smile, much like Klaus's expression but not as apathetic.

"You knew too?" Link exclaimed, even more confused.

"I mean, are you truly surprised by my knowledge?" Quinn said to her brother with a gentle smirk.

Quinn's familiarity with Siren's identity caught both Klaus and Siren by surprise. They stared at her, awaiting her explanation. Realizing their curiosity, Quinn sighed softly before elaborating.

"When someone speaks to me telepathically, they use their natural voice so I can tell the gender and age range of the person," Quinn explained. "I noticed you were a girl since the Cosmic League, given we were on the same team. But I understood you were keeping it a secret for a reason, so I chose not to address it."

Quinn's explanation made sense to everyone, prompting a grateful smile from Siren. She appreciated Quinn's respect for her privacy.

The demigods chatted among themselves for a few more minutes, covering various topics until Quinn remembered something important she wanted to discuss.

"By the way," she began, "I'm planning a sort of training session for all the demigods next week. It will be an opportunity for us to gauge our standing among ourselves and see how we can help each other grow."

The demigods seemed on board with her plans, showing no objections. They then turned to Klaus, who appeared uninterested. However, after a few moments of silent staring, which seemed to be a recurring theme among them for the day, he sighed and agreed to participate.

The group hung out at Siren's home for a few more hours as the sun set, casting a warm glow into the night. Eventually, Siren's mother returned, meeting the other demigods for the first time.

The demigods continued their conversation with Siren's mother, who expressed heartfelt gratitude towards them for taking care of her daughter. She shared how happy she was that Siren had found such good friends among the demigods, especially after being alone for so long. For the first time, she revealed Siren's real name, Piper, to the rest of the demigods, which Link complimented as a beautiful name.

As Siren's mother observed the group from the dining room a few minutes later, she teared up, overwhelmed with happiness to see her daughter so comfortable and accepted among her peers. The positive energy and smiles shared between the demigods and Siren warmed her heart.

Klaus noticed her emotional state and turned his attention back to their conversation, understanding the challenges Siren's mother must have faced with everything concerning her. He respected the unwavering love she had for her daughter, recognizing the strength it took to support her through everything.

As night deepened, the demigods began to prepare for their journeys home. Siren's mother had fallen asleep on the living room couch, so they quietly decided not to disturb her with goodbyes. The group began to leave, with Klaus lingering behind, wanting to speak with Siren briefly before departing.

"Your mom really loves you, doesn't she?" Klaus said, picking up his skateboard.

"Yeah, she does," Siren replied. "She's one of the reasons I'm still alive and what I live for."

Klaus appreciated the bond between Siren and her mother, smiling at her genuine words.

"Make sure to take care of her, just as she does for you," Klaus said, finishing his preparations to leave. "And let her know we're all thankful for her hospitality."

"I will," Siren replied, "for both statements."

After their goodbyes, Klaus finally headed home. The night skies allowed him to move at the speed of light if he wished, but he chose to skate instead, deciding to savor the night air and the gentle breeze he had so often overlooked.