(A/N):
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Rafale entered his dorm room with his decision weighing heavily on him.
He went straight to the washbasin, turned on the tap, and splashed cold water across his face again and again.
"____"
The shock helped steady his nerves,
But when he finally lifted his head,
The mirror gave him no comfort.
Yellow gleam flickered in his eyes—
Wolf against man, instinct against doubt.
He clenched the edge of the basin,
Then forced himself back toward the bed.
From his pocket,
He drew out the folded parchment Aponi had given him.
The strange letters stared up from the page, curling like smoke, daring him to speak them aloud.
"____"
Rafale sat there in silence, the ritual heavy in his hands, his heart pounding against his ribs.
He didn't notice the footsteps approaching until the door opened.
Klaus stepped inside, casual confidence in every movement.
He hadn't come for Rafale at all—
His plan tonight was far more social.
After one of his conversations with Jojo,
The idea of gathering allies through something as simple as friendship had struck him as… intriguing.
A party.
Something loud, something unforgettable.
He intended to invite Alaric, Bonnie, Damon, and Caroline personally since they were acquaintance.
But instead of going there to find one of them,
Klaus's sharp eyes landed on Rafale,
Hunched on the bed, yellow-eyed and clutching a parchment scrawled with symbols that practically hummed with dark energy.
A slow, amused smile curved across Klaus's face.
"Well now,"
He drawled softly,
"what have we here?"
Earlier that day,
When Klaus first arrived at the Salvatore Boarding School,
He had every intention of heading straight to the headmaster's office.
Hope had told him he'd likely find Alaric there,
Along with the others he planned to invite—
Bonnie, Damon, Caroline.
But as he passed by the cafeteria,
Something caught his eye.
"____"
A boy sat near the window, locked in a curious stare with a wolf lingering just beyond the treeline.
It wasn't an ordinary encounter—
The air between them was tense, sharp, like a challenge unspoken.
Klaus slowed, interest sparking in his chest.
'Well now… what's this?'
Before he could even decide whether to move along,
The boy abruptly rose from his seat.
Without hesitation, he slipped outside, eyes fixed on the wolf as if under some spell.
Moments later,
The wolf bolted toward the woods,
Its movements deliberate—
Almost like bait.
And the boy took it.
Right before Klaus's eyes,
The boy shifted, his body breaking and reforming into that of a young wolf.
With a raw growl,
He lunged forward and gave chase,
Disappearing into the treeline after his quarry.
Klaus's lips curved into a knowing smirk.
Smirk~
"Bold little thing,"
He murmured, amusement threading through his voice.
"Today's generation does have teeth after all."
Intrigued, he abandoned his original plan and followed at a measured pace, slipping into the woods with the silence of a predator.
Whatever game was unfolding here,
Klaus wasn't about to miss the ending.
Through the trees, Klaus slowed his steps, keeping to the shadows.
His sharp eyes caught sight of the boy again—
Only this time, he wasn't alone.
A girl no older than the boy stood before him, her presence far too steady for a child.
There was a strange energy about her,
An old weight carried in young eyes.
Klaus tilted his head, curiosity piqued.
'Well, that's no ordinary child.'
From his vantage point,
He could hear every word as the girl introduced herself—
Aponi—
And spoke of another boy, Landon.
The pieces fell together quickly.
This one—
Rafale—
Was the brother of the boy the school had locked under watch.
And here he was, being told that if they didn't act tonight,
Landon would be lost forever, imprisoned in some other world.
Klaus's mouth curved into a wry, humorless smile.
'Alaric, you fool. You've got one brother under surveillance and you've left the other roaming free? Careless doesn't begin to cover it.'
He leaned lightly against a tree, arms folded, savoring the irony.
'Idiotic, really, even by your standards.'
The girl pressed something into Rafale's hands—
A folded sheet, inscribed with markings of ritual.
Rafale accepted it, though hesitation lingered in his eyes.
When Aponi turned and slipped away into the night,
He remained still for a long beat, staring down at the paper as though it might bite.
Confusion clouded his features,
But eventually he tucked it away and trudged back toward the school, his shoulders heavy with uncertainty.
Klaus let him go, his smirk deepening.
Smirk~
"A ritual, a secret, and a boy too young to understand the weight of either,"
He murmured.
"This will be… entertaining."
He lingered only a moment longer before vanishing from the woods,
Already considering how best to make use of what he'd just witnessed.
By the time Klaus returned to the school, dusk was setting in, shadows stretching long across the stone walls.
Students scattered across the courtyard in little clusters,
Their laughter and idle chatter drifting in the air.
His gaze swept casually,
But it wasn't Rafale he spotted first.
Instead, on the far side, perched carelessly on a bench, sat Demon.
A half-crushed tin of beer dangled from his fingers, froth still clinging to the rim.
He tilted the can back lazily, all the while stealing sidelong glances at a female student seated a few rows ahead.
The girl was bent forward in an awkward angle, rummaging through her bag, entirely unaware of his lingering stare.
Demon's expression shifted between fascination and the awkward guilt of being caught if he looked too long.
"____"
Klaus nearly chuckled aloud.
Chuckle~
'Pathetic.'
Just as Demon's eyes began to glaze with that soft, distracted look,
The world in front of him darkened—
"____"
Blocked by the last face he ever wanted to see.
"Enjoying the view, are we?"
Klaus drawled, his mocking smirk cutting sharper than any blade.
Smirk~
Demon froze, his hand still gripping the tin.
His shoulders stiffened as his eyes dragged upward, landing on Klaus's infuriatingly smug face.
"You've got to be kidding me…"
Demon muttered under his breath,
The beer suddenly tasting sour in his mouth.
Of all the nightmares he could imagine, running into Klaus—
Even sober—
Was the one he'd never wish for.
Klaus only leaned closer, smirk widening.
Smirk~
"Oh, come now. Don't look so sour. I thought I'd join you—old friends catching up, hmm?"
Demon set the tin down with a loud clank, his jaw tightening.
Clank~
"____"
"What do you want, Klaus?"
He asked, voice low and sharp,
Though his eyes betrayed the irritation of a man whose peace had just been shattered.
Klaus chuckled, leaning back as if they were two friends catching up at a bar rather than two enemies who once wanted to kill each other.
Chuckle~
"What do I want? Oh, nothing much. Just happened to notice you enjoying… extracurricular activities."
His eyes flicked meaningfully toward the girl,
Who had since left without either of them noticing.
Demon's lips curled in a scowl.
"You're not funny."
"I wasn't trying to be,"
Klaus replied smoothly, then leaned in close, his words a whisper laced with venom.
"But let me remind you, Demon… when I show up, it's never by accident. You should know that by now."
The mocking smile stayed,
But his eyes darkened, predatory and cold.
Demon stiffened, fingers flexing as though resisting the urge to lash out.
"You're playing at something,"
Demon muttered.
"Spit it out before I lose patience."
Klaus smirked wider, clearly savoring his discomfort.
Smirk~
"Patience… oh, you'll need plenty of that in the days to come. I just thought I'd be courteous enough to give you a front-row seat."
He straightened, leaving Demon with those cryptic words,
The weight of his presence lingering long after he walked away.
Looking at the smirk plastered across Klaus's face,
Demon could only curse silently in his mind.
If a single insult slipped past his lips,
The psycho in front of him would snap his neck without hesitation.
So he clenched his jaw and stayed quiet,
Letting Klaus play out his little game.
Klaus leaned back, voice smooth and taunting.
"You know, Damon, you and your little group have been so diligent about keeping eyes on one brother… and yet you've completely forgotten the other. Rafale, isn't it? Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across him sharing secrets with a rather mysterious little girl in the woods."
Damon stiffened, but said nothing, his silence only feeding Klaus's amusement.
"____"
With a laugh, Klaus reached out and tapped Damon's forehead as if mocking a child.
"Tsk, tsk… nearly forgot about the boy myself, but I do so hate leaving loose ends."
Straightening, Klaus let the smirk deepen, his eyes glinting with cruel anticipation.
"Now then… why don't you be a good lad and point me toward the boy's dormitory?"
Damon's fists tightened under the table,
"_____"
But he said nothing.
He only gestured in the direction Klaus demanded, watching with a sinking feeling as the Original rose with unhurried confidence and began striding toward the dorms.
For a split second Damon sat frozen, his eyes following Klaus's retreating figure.
"____"
'Is it really a good idea to let this psycho stroll into a school dormitory?'
His face darkened as the thought turned ugly.
What if the kid mouthed off to Klaus?
What if Rafale's roommates tried to play the tough guys, thinking they could stand up to a stranger?
He could almost see their smug little expressions… right before Klaus snapped their necks like twigs.
"Damn it,"
Damon muttered under his breath, draining the last of his beer as if it could wash the dread down his throat.
Shoving the can aside, he shot to his feet.
With a sharp shake of his head,
Damon banished the thought of sitting this one out.
He couldn't risk a bloodbath.
Even if the brat wasn't his problem, Klaus was.
He hurried after the Original, boots echoing on the polished floor as he closed the distance.
"Klaus!"
Damon called, voice edged with forced calm.
"Hold up. You don't exactly blend well with the whole schoolboy aesthetic. Let me—"
He caught up and fell in stride beside him,
"—escort you before you terrify half the campus. You want Rafale? Fine. But you're not turning this place into your personal hunting ground."
Klaus's smirk widened, the kind of grin that told Damon he'd only managed to make himself more amusing.
Klaus didn't even slow down, his smirk curling deeper at Damon's words.
That look alone made Damon's stomach knot.
"____"
He knew the hybrid was already picturing all the ways this could go wrong —
And enjoying every single one of them.
Damon clenched his jaw.
Bantering wouldn't save anyone this time.
If anything, it'd only feed Klaus's twisted sense of humor.
"Fine,"
He muttered, throwing up his hands.
"You want the kid? I'll take you."
Falling into step beside him,
Damon led the way through the winding halls, his mind racing with every possible disaster.
'One wrong word from Rafale… one cocky glare from some other student… and we'll be scraping blood off the walls before breakfast.'
They climbed the stairs to the boys' dormitory wing,
Damon's pace slowing ever so slightly.
He glanced at Klaus out of the corner of his eye, hoping for even the faintest sign of mercy.
But Klaus only looked ahead, calm and predatory —
Like a wolf on the scent.
At last, Damon stopped before a wooden door marked with the dorm number.
His hand hovered over the handle.
"This is it,"
He said, voice low.
"The boy's inside."
Klaus's eyes glinted with dangerous amusement.
Damon, on the other hand, could only steel himself for the fallout.
The flashback ends...
His eyes narrowed at the sight of a stranger standing before him —
A tall man with an unsettling presence.
Rafale instinctively shifted, his fingers crumpling the ritual paper in his hand.
"____"
He quickly stuffed it into his pocket before the man could get a clearer look.
"Who are you?"
Rafale asked, his voice edged with suspicion.
The stranger didn't answer right away.
Instead, a dark chuckle slipped past his lips, low and mocking.
Chuckle~
The sound carried more menace than any threat could.
Klaus.
Without waiting for permission,
Klaus moved closer and sat down beside him, lounging as if the dorm belonged to him.
His sharp gaze never left Rafale.
The door creaked again, and Damon stepped into the room, his face tight, every muscle tense.
He didn't say a word.
Klaus leaned back, lifting his hand and holding it out toward Rafale, palm open —
Like a king waiting for tribute.
His smirk deepened, daring the boy to defy him.
Rafale stiffened, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists.
"____"
The stranger's laughter echoed through the dorm, far too loud, far too amused for the suffocating tension that wrapped the room.
"Hand it over,"
Klaus drawled, eyes gleaming with cruel delight.
"The ritual paper."
The words struck like lightning.
Rafale froze, his breath catching in his chest.
'How does he know?'
His mind raced, suspicion and fear wrestling inside him.
Slowly, he shifted into a guarded stance, every muscle braced for an attack.
But Klaus didn't lunge.
He didn't even blink.
Instead, he tapped his own chest with one finger, wearing the serene smirk of a man who believed himself untouchable.
"Careful, boy,"
Klaus said, his tone mockingly wise, like a sage handing out divine truths.
"The last thing you should ever do is trust women. Especially the ones who come to you first."
His voice dropped, silky and dangerous, every word pressing against Rafale like a coiled threat wrapped in fatherly advice.
Damon, watching from the door, felt his jaw tighten.
He knew Klaus wasn't just talking.
He was warning.
Rafale's lips trembled, his hand still hovering near his pocket.
Klaus leaned closer, his smirk widening as if he could taste the boy's fear.
Smirk~
"Ah… so that's what she told you,"
He drawled.
"That she'll help you save your poor brother from the Prison Realm. That all you need to do is trust her. Do her little ritual. Hand her the key."
Rafale froze, his breath catching.
'How—how could this stranger know that?'
Klaus tapped his own temple knowingly, eyes never leaving Rafale's face.
"They always come with honeyed words, boy. Promise salvation, promise reunion. But tell me…"
His grin sharpened.
"…did you ever stop to ask why she cares so much about your brother? Or do you really think a woman like that would risk everything for your sake?"
The boy's jaw clenched.
His heart pounded in his ears.
"____"
Damon, standing near the door, could see Rafale faltering under Klaus's words.
He quickly stepped forward.
"That's enough, Klaus,"
He warned, voice low.
But Klaus only laughed, tilting his head back.
Haha~
"No, no. Let the boy think. It's better he learns the truth now—before he gets himself killed chasing after shadows."
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(Author's POV)
(A/N):
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