Klaus continued to scrub the base of the plate he held, working alongside Shade. It was a Saturday morning, and they had just finished breakfast, so there were a few chores to tackle.

Natalie sat on the couch in the living room, watching television. Her sons had insisted on taking over the chores for the day. Typically, she had to work on weekends, but today was a rare break. Klaus and Shade felt it wouldn't be fair for her to spend the day doing housework.

"Are you sure you guys don't need any help?" Natalie asked, worried.

"We're sure, Mom," Shade replied. "And It's not relaxing if you're thinking about us and not the TV in front of you."

"Fine," Natalie said, defeated.

"Besides," Shade continued, "we're not sure how long we'll be gone, so it's better we help as much as possible."

"Gone?" Klaus asked, stopping his scrubbing to look at his brother.

"You know, for Quinn's training thing," Shade reminded him.

Klaus' eyes widened. He had completely forgotten about the training session Quinn had mentioned at Siren's house.

"You forgot, didn't you?" Shade said, smiling.

"I guess," Klaus admitted, finishing up the plate he was cleaning.

They continued working for a few more minutes until they finished the dishes. Shade began tidying up the rest of the kitchen when Klaus remembered something he needed to ask.

"What about Flage?" Klaus asked. "Don't you have the chance to train with him instead?"

"I would... if I had a way to return," Shade explained.

Klaus looked puzzled. "Why can't you?" he asked.

"Well," Shade began, "when I tried to return a few weeks ago, I realized the coordinates had changed. It didn't allow me to be transported. When I asked VI about it, he said he couldn't retrieve the location anymore."

Klaus was surprised but then nodded, understanding. Given the explanation of Flage's status as an abandoned God, it made sense that he would choose to remain hidden.

"I'm guessing he doesn't want to be found again," Klaus said, receiving a confirming nod from his brother.

As Klaus and Shade wrapped up their chores, Shade suggested they depart for Higher World early. Although the training session was scheduled to start in the evening, Shade saw value in getting there ahead of time for some personal training.

"We might even have enough time to spar against each other before it begins," Shade said with a grin, clearly excited about the prospect of sparring with his brother.

Klaus agreed eagerly, liking the idea. They headed upstairs to shower and prepare for their departure. A few minutes later, Klaus returned downstairs when his phone suddenly rang in his pocket. Seeing Avalon's name on the screen, he answered.

While Klaus talked with Avalon, Shade finished getting ready and headed downstairs, joining his brother and waiting for him to conclude with his call. During the conversation, Avalon asked a critical question.

"By the way, are you free today?" Avalon asked. "This is the only day I'm able to be free, so I wanted to see you."

Klaus's heart sank as he remembered their planned date for the weekend. He had forgotten it was today, especially with his training commitments.

"Unfortunately, I'm not," Klaus said. "But is there any chance you could get another free day?"

"I highly doubt it," Avalon replied. "I've had a lot of back and forth with my parents, and this is the only time they're out of town. They'll be back tomorrow, so I won't be free anymore."

Klaus felt torn. The training in the Higher World was important, but he genuinely wanted to spend time with Avalon. He hesitated, lost in thought, which Shade noticed. Without warning, Shade grabbed the phone from Klaus and spoke to Avalon.

"Don't worry, Avalon," Shade said. "Klaus will be available for your date. I'll cover for him."

Klaus tried to retrieve his phone, but Shade held it firmly.

"It's Shade, by the way," he added.

"Hi, Shade," Avalon replied, smiling at the commotion she heard over the phone.

Klaus finally got his phone back and took a moment before speaking to Avalon again.

"I guess I'll take a rain check on what I'm doing right now to meet you," Klaus confirmed.

"Are you sure?" Avalon asked, surprised but happy.

"Yes," Klaus affirmed, making Avalon smile with relief.

"You can meet me at my house by 3 pm, and we'll figure out what to do from there," Avalon suggested.

"That's fine with me," Klaus replied, a smile growing on his face too.

"Then I can't wait to see you," Avalon said. "And tell Shade I said thank you."

"I will," Klaus responded before they hung up.

As he turned back to Shade, he was met with a cheeky grin from his brother.

"You guys are so cute," Shade teased, earning a frustrated sigh from Klaus.

After deciding to stay in Main World, Shade said his goodbyes to Klaus and their mother before departing for Higher World. Klaus, on the other hand, decided to wait until it was time for his date with Avalon. He headed back upstairs to his room, trying to kill time until the afternoon.

As the hours dragged on, Klaus grew increasingly bored. He didn't want to interrupt his mother during her rare day off, so he chose to stay in his room. But the waiting felt endless, and he doubted he could last until the time for their date.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Just as Klaus thought he might succumb to the boredom, his phone rang again. He quickly checked the caller ID, hoping it was Avalon. Instead, he saw the familiar image of Link, which dampened his mood slightly. The sight of the saved image always managed to annoy him.

"Yo, Klaus," Link said as soon as Klaus answered, "I heard you weren't going for the training stuff."

"I'm not," Klaus replied. "And how do you already know that?"

"Anyway," Link continued, ignoring the question, "I thought maybe you could come over and we could play some video games. We can use this chance to finish the level we were stuck on."

"Sure," Klaus agreed, realizing he couldn't endure another two hours of boredom before his date.

Klaus was a bit surprised that Link wasn't attending the training session either, but he decided not to ask about it. He got up from his bed, said goodbye to his mother, and headed over to the Atlas residence.

Upon arriving at Link's house, a drone directed Klaus to the living room. As he entered the room, he heard Link's footsteps approaching. When Klaus turned to greet him, he noticed that Link was wearing a bathrobe, fresh from a shower. But it wasn't the bathrobe that shocked Klaus the most.

"What's up, Klaus," Link began, his voice sounding different.

Klaus turned towards Link, seeing him using a towel to wipe his face. Initially, it seemed normal until Klaus realized Link didn't have his signature mask on, exposing his face.

Before Link could fully remove the towel from his face, Klaus quickly averted his gaze. Link stared at Klaus in confusion, puzzled by his reaction.

"Uhh... What are you doing?" Link asked, noting Klaus's odd behavior.

Klaus remained silent, trying to avoid seeing Link's real face for the first time. Realizing this, Link's confusion grew.

"You realize I'm not ashamed to show my face, right?" Link said. "That's not exactly why I wear the mask."

"It doesn't matter," Klaus replied, still turned away. "It'll just ruin the immersion."

Link raised an eyebrow but decided not to press further.

"Suit yourself," he said before pointing at the coffee table beside Klaus. "Then could you hand me the small metal square on the table beside you?"

Klaus picked up the strange black metal object, handing it to Link without turning to face him. Link sighed softly before placing the object on his nose.

The object began to morph and change form, nanoparticles spreading over Link's face. As it transformed, it gradually revealed Link's signature head mask, fitting perfectly as it always did.

When Klaus finally turned back, he saw a booting sequence displayed on the screen of Link's mask, followed by the familiar digital face Link used to display his expressions. Link's real face remained a mystery to Klaus, but that was how he preferred it.

With his mask back on, Link went to his room to get dressed while Klaus headed to the gaming room. After a few minutes, they regrouped and prepared for their gaming session. Curiosity continued to gnaw at Klaus as time went on, and he couldn't hold back the single question in his mind any longer.

"Why exactly did you choose not to go for the training?" Klaus asked.

Link's mask displayed a stern expression for a second as he took a moment before answering Klaus.

"I'm currently working on something very important," he said. "Something more important than going to Higher World right now."

Klaus was puzzled by this cryptic answer. But before he could inquire further, a sudden gust of wind and a loud sonic boom interrupted them. As Klaus turned, he saw Ace casually walking towards them, carrying a bag with some items in it.

"Sorry, Link," Ace began, glancing at the contents of the bag. "They were out of strawberry flavor, so I had to get chocolate."

"Aww man, seriously?" Link groaned. "The chocolate doesn't even come close to the strawberry."

Ace shrugged, knowing there was nothing he could do about it. He reached into the bag and tossed a chocolate drink to Link. Klaus watched, bewildered, as Link returned his attention to the monitor in front of him.

"What's going on?" Klaus finally asked. "You're not going to the training either?"

"Nope," Ace replied nonchalantly, smiling as he moved to an empty gaming setup.

"Wait, why?" Klaus pressed.

"Well... uh... I'm helping Link with something very important," Ace said as he took his seat.

Klaus remained baffled until Link interjected.

"He's lying," he said. "He's just lazy and doesn't want to train."

"What's your problem, dude?" Ace retorted with a crooked smile. "I'm simply just trying to take care of my body. Besides, I'm sick."

"We can't get sick," Klaus pointed out, clearly unimpressed by their actions.

"You don't know that," Ace replied after filling his mouth with a strawberry drink he had concealed in the bag.

At this point, Klaus decided he didn't care about their reasons. He just wanted to pass the time until his date. He turned his attention back to his monitor but felt compelled to ask about one more person.

"What about Trent?" Klaus inquired. "Is he here too?"

"He probably went to Higher World," Link said as he began queuing them into a match. "Honestly, I haven't even seen him all day, so I'm not sure."

With that, the demigods were placed into a match queue, prompting Klaus to focus on his screen, pushing aside any lingering questions.

The three demigods immersed themselves in their game, time slipping away unnoticed. Their focus remained unbroken as they played intensely, the room filled with the sounds of their virtual battles.

After what felt like an hour, Ace finished his drink and felt the need to replenish his supply.

"I'll be back," Ace announced, rising from his seat after a set. "I need to find more of these drinks."

Pausing briefly, Ace had a thought before continuing. "Maybe I'll find some in Toronto," he said before darting away, leaving a loud sonic boom in his wake.

Klaus and Link continued gaming, the competition heating up as they both played with utmost intensity. Suddenly, Klaus's phone alarm went off, but engrossed in the game, he quickly silenced it without checking. He intended to see what it was for after the match.

Moments later, Klaus emerged victorious in their current spar, prompting two contrasting reactions as they both rose to their feet: Link's frustration and Klaus's snarky smile.

Standing up, Klaus finally checked his phone, realizing it was fifteen minutes past three. He was late for his date with Avalon.

"Oh damn, I have to go," Klaus said, placing his phone into his pocket.

"Of course, you choose to run off right after you win," Link grumbled, still smarting from his loss.

"I have a date," Klaus explained.

"Sure you do," Link responded sarcastically. "I guess I'll just stay here like the loser I am, wallowing in defeat while you enjoy the time of your life with your girlfriend."

Klaus chuckled at Link's frustration, finding it amusing, but he knew he had no time to linger. On his way out, he decided to stop by the water dispenser to grab a quick drink.

"Are you kidding me?" he heard Link yell in the distance, smirking at the thought of Link's frustration for losing the match.

Upon arriving at the dispenser, Klaus placed the cup beneath the spout, watching as water began to pour into it. He stood in thought for a moment, his eyes fixed on the stream of water.

Suddenly, Klaus noticed something strange. He couldn't move. Confusion washed over him as he realized the water wasn't moving either, frozen in place along with the rest of the world.

"What is happening?" he thought, bewildered.

It dawned on him that this immobilization only occurred when his Perfect Precognition ability activated, which usually happened automatically in times of peril. The realization hit him like a bolt.

"This means..." Klaus thought, struggling to comprehend the situation.

He couldn't move his body or even his eyes; his gaze remained locked on the still water. Unfortunately, only his mind could perceive the world at the speed of light due to the sun's presence.

Klaus knew that if his ability had activated, there was a genuine threat he needed to understand. Reluctant to deactivate his power, he tried to figure out what was going on. Suddenly, at the corner of his vision, he noticed something very strange. There was another shadow beside his own on the ground.

Initially, this didn't alarm him until he realized the shadow's figure was unusually large, indicating the presence of something over seven feet tall.

Baffled and alarmed, Klaus's mind raced, trying to piece together what was happening. Panic set in until he got an idea. He could use the water's reflection to see who, or what, was behind him.

He focused on the water, attempting to use its surface to reflect the image behind him. The reflection was blurry, but as his focus sharpened, he noticed sharp teeth surrounding the maw of the figure in the water's reflection. This was when it finally dawned on him.

A creature over seven feet tall, with vicious teeth circling its mouth.

"Is that..." Klaus thought, realization hitting him hard. "A Monster?"