The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

"You\'re not worried about the trial tomorrow, are you?" Klaus asked in a sarcastic tone, trying to lighten the mood. But Anna didn\'t smile. Instead, she looked at him with a seriousness that made him pause.

"Klaus, do you think I can make it into the top ten?" she asked, her voice steady but filled with uncertainty.

Klaus took a slow sip from his drink, then replied, "Of course, Anna. You can easily make it. Just don\'t overthink it."

His words seemed to lift some of the weight from her shoulders, but they didn\'t erase the doubt from her eyes.

"My sister... she was first in the Regional Trial during her time. I just don\'t want to fall too short," Anna admitted, her tone troubled. Klaus raised an eyebrow, finally understanding why she was so tense. It was about her sister.

"Anna, you\'re not your sister," Klaus said after a moment, his voice firmer. "You\'re your own person. So instead of worrying about living up to her level, focus on walking your own path."

He wasn\'t great at comforting people, and he knew it. His reserved nature didn\'t leave much room for consoling others, especially when it came to women like Anna. He could be bold, even shameless, around them, but this... this was different.

"You say that, but I see the way you look at me," Anna said softly, her gaze shifting. "It\'s not the same way you look at my sister."

Her eyes held a hint of sadness that made Klaus\'s stomach churn. This conversation was veering in a direction he didn\'t want to go. Not that he hated it but he didn\'t want to have that conversation now, especially with an assassin currently held hostage in his room. But Klaus knew this was also a chance to play a small game on her.

He gulped, feeling a sudden wave of discomfort. "Anna, I—" He struggled to find the right words, but nothing seemed right.

"It\'s okay," she interrupted, forcing a small smile that didn\'t reach her eyes. "I just... I don\'t want to disappoint anyone."

Klaus rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the tension rise. "You\'re not going to disappoint anyone. Least of all me." He meant it, but he wasn\'t sure if it was enough to ease her mind.

Anna stared into her empty glass, her fingers tracing the rim. "I just wish I could believe that."

Klaus sighed, leaning back in his chair. This was not the conversation he had expected, and he wasn\'t sure how to navigate it. He wanted to tell her everything would be fine, that she didn\'t need to compare herself to anyone, especially her sister. But the words stuck in his throat, feeling hollow and unconvincing.

Nevertheless, Klaus knew what had to be done. He has been planning on doing that already.

After a moment, he spoke, his voice more serious. "Anna, I don\'t want to sound cruel, but... you\'re being unfair here." He paused, meeting her gaze. "You know I love your sister, and I\'ve never hidden that from you. But between you and me, you know I don\'t hate you, not even in the slightest"

Anna\'s expression didn\'t change, but her eyes held a flicker of something—pain, maybe. Klaus hesitated, searching for the right words, but this conversation was like walking through a minefield.

"It\'s just that... things are different between us," he continued. "I\'ve always seen you as... well, someone I care about deeply. But it\'s not the same as what I have with your sister."

The air between them grew heavy with silence. Klaus hated the words coming out of his mouth, but he couldn\'t stop now, he had already ventured into the delicate part of her heart.

Anna looked down at her hands, her fingers tightly gripping the glass. "So you\'re saying you love me, but not in the way you love her," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

Klaus nodded slowly. "Yeah... something like that." He wished he could make it sound better, but he didn\'t know how. Lucy is her older sister and she is still young.

"I see," Anna said quietly, her shoulders slumping as the weight of his words sank in. "So, I\'m just... second place?"

"No, that\'s not what I\'m saying at all, and you know it" Klaus replied quickly, leaning forward. "You\'re not second place to anyone, Anna. It\'s just... complicated."

"Complicated," she echoed, her voice flat. She took a deep breath, forcing a smile that didn\'t reach her eyes. "Well, I guess that makes sense. Life\'s always complicated, right?"

Klaus winced, knowing how much his words had hurt her, even if she wasn\'t showing it. He hated this. Hated seeing her in pain because of him. But what could he do? The truth was the truth, no matter how much it stung.

"Anna, I didn\'t want to hurt you. I\'m just trying to be honest with you," he said softly, reaching across the table to touch her hand. "I care about you more than you know."

She pulled her hand away gently, shaking her head. "It\'s fine, Klaus. Really. I just... I need some time to think."

He nodded, feeling a sharp pang of regret in his chest as she stood up. Anna gave him one last look, her eyes full of unsaid emotions, then turned and walked back to her room, leaving Klaus alone with his thoughts.

"Little brother, that was cruel," Hanna\'s voice suddenly came from behind Klaus, soft but sharp. "But it had to be said, and I understand why you did it," she added, stepping closer.

Klaus sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I know. But I had to check whether she would have a straight mind and continue her cultivation if something were to go wrong. I don\'t hate her at all, I just don\'t want her to get into something she later might regret.

I have seen how my influence can be on people and I know despite her feelings for me, those influences might be clouding her judgment somehow. If she can get through this, then she will be ready for what comes next"

Since regaining parts of his past memories, Klaus no longer felt young and naïve. The weight of his experiences had aged him beyond his years. Fruity might not be the social type, but he was in the midst of intelligent monks for over 15 years. It has been a long time since I have learned a lot about life.

He was much more mature now. In the past, he wouldn\'t have hesitated to shower Anna with sweet words, comforting her without a second thought. But things had changed. Now he knew what needed to be done for her own good. At least for now, he wanted her to understand some things, even if it hurt.

"Then why didn\'t you just tell her that?" Hanna asked.

Klaus exhaled deeply, rubbing his temples. "Because if I pamper her and tell her all the sweet things, it might get stuck in her head. She might start believing everything is okay when it\'s not. Also, I want to see if she\'s doing all this just to please me or if she truly wants to become stronger—much stronger than she is now."

Hanna nodded slowly, watching her little brother with a thoughtful expression. She understood what he was trying to say, even if it wasn\'t easy to hear.

"And," Klaus continued, a faint smile pulling at the corner of his lips, "if I\'d been all sweet now, it would\'ve spoiled my reward for her after the trial tomorrow."

"A reward?" Hanna raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Yeah," Klaus said, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "I\'ve got something planned. She just needs to prove herself first." He leaned back, letting out a small chuckle. "But she\'ll never see it coming."

Well, that would have been true if not for a certain young lady currently hiding beside the doorway, eavesdropping on Klaus and Hanna\'s conversation. Lily, with a mischievous grin on her face, had overheard everything. She tiptoed away, barely excited, before bolting down the hall and straight into Anna\'s room.

A few moments later, the sad Anna was now smiling, the previous sadness washed away. Klaus\'s mission to test her has clearly failed.