The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

"Hey, what are you doing?" Klaus shouted, noticing Queenie glaring at him for the past ten minutes.

"Tell me the rest of the tale," she demanded.

"No can do. I have to save some, or I'll run out of stories to tell," Klaus replied with a teasing smile, still working on modeling the Monastery. "We've got a whole month to ourselves, and I intend to spend every single day of it with you."

"Why?" Queenie asked, genuinely puzzled.

"How else am I going to find my way inside that heart of yours?" Klaus joked, his smile widening.

"Then tell me the rest of it," Queenie insisted again.

"Nope," Klaus said, shaking his head, fully aware that a single swing of her hand could end him. Still, he continued to tease her, knowing she wouldn't really hurt him.

Queenie wasn't unreasonable. Yet, for Klaus to be teasing her this much—the leader of the strongest people on Earth—that was bold. Too bold, even.

But that was Klaus—always daring, always pushing limits.

Queenie crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at him, but there was a softness behind the glare. Klaus couldn't help but smile to himself.

She might be able to tear worlds apart with a thought, but right now, she was just Queenie—curious, a little frustrated, and maybe, just maybe, enjoying the game he was playing.

Klaus might not have noticed it, but the story he just told resonated deeply with Queenie. On one hand, there was the Immortal—strong, cold, and immensely powerful. On the other, the thief—cunning, weak in comparison, yet daring.

And then there was her, Queenie, and there was Klaus. The parallels between the story and their own dynamic weren't random, and Queenie, paying closer attention now, couldn't help but wonder.

'Was it just a coincidence, or had Klaus planned it all along?'

Either way, Klaus had made more than just a minor impact. The story stirred something within her, something she hadn't fully understood until now. As she processed what she had just learned, she realized that perhaps Klaus wasn't the only one waiting for the right time.

Who knows—maybe the timeline Klaus had set for himself, the one where he'd wait until he was strong enough, had just been fast-tracked. If it hadn't already.

"Tomorrow, you're finishing the tale," Queenie said, taking the modeling pen and starting to design flowers on some of the trees Klaus had modeled around the Soul Temple.

"As you wish, my lady," Klaus smiled, feeling both happy and accomplished.

A few hours later, the Soul Temple was complete, and Klaus began modeling streams and rivers around the Monastery. Throughout the process, aside from designing the flowers—an area where Klaus had given her free rein—Queenie couldn't help but be intrigued by the beauty and detail he put into the design.

She wondered about many things, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. The attention to detail, and the realism of the architecture, it was all too stunning for something created purely from imagination.

Queenie loved ancient crafts—adored them, even—so seeing such meticulous care in the design left her wondering what went on in Klaus's mind.

The kid was just full of wonders. He wasn't only strong, intelligent, and charming, but was now also a great designer and storyteller. It was almost too much for one person, yet Klaus was pulling it off effortlessly.

"So far, how much have you accomplished?" she decided to cut through with some questions.

"About 45 percent," Klaus answered.

"45? And it's already this stunning?" Queenie said, clearly taken aback by his answer.

"Of course! I still have to add some statues, a stone tablet with some free mantras on it, the main temple, and the forbidden areas. I have a lot to add," Klaus said, taking his mind back to the Monastery.

Thanks to Fruity spending most of his days lazing around the Monastery, Klaus managed to see a lot of things, and with his photographic memory, even without wanting to remember, the memories burned themselves into his brain.

"You know mantras?" Queenie asked, intrigued.

"I do," Klaus answered without hesitation. If you've been around hundreds of monks and even became a monk yourself, you definitely know a few mantras.

"Can I hear some?" Queenie asked.

Klaus stopped modeling for a minute and then looked at her.

"Queenie dear, you don't hear mantras; you recite them. I can teach you a few, but in return, I want to know more about Earth. And when I say Earth, I mean the hidden things you people don't want the public to know."

"Deal," Queenie answered instantly.

"Wait, what?" Klaus was taken aback by her answer. He expected some resistance, but it seemed there was none.

Thanks to the internet, Klaus had come across some conspiracy theories, and even though he knew most of them were just for clicks, he couldn't help but believe a few. So, seeing someone with the authority to know these things, Klaus was more than willing to try his luck.

But he wasn't sure she would take the bait; however, he underestimated how involved Queenie was with ancient knowledge.

"Alright then, sit down and calm your heart. Then repeat after me," Klaus said, waiting for her to get into position.

"Soma Vira Shanti Hara," Klaus said, reciting the string of words. Queenie repeated after him. He repeated it again and then added a few more words.

Queenie followed him. Then he started saying more and more, and Queenie began to follow. Two minutes later, Klaus stopped saying the words, but Queenie kept mumbling them as she drifted into a state Klaus just couldn't understand.

'Senior, you won't happen to know what is going on with her?' Klaus turned to the senior inside his soul sea.

'It's called enlightenment. Unlike you, brat, some people are more in tune with their souls and the Laws, so it's easy for them to enter this state. And before you ask, enlightenment is when someone reaches a deep understanding or self-awareness.

This young lady is now in a state where she is comprehending something profound. It would be in your best interest not to disturb her or let anything interfere with her enlightenment. She is in a critical stage,' the senior answered.

'So, can I also gain enlightenment?' Klaus asked.

'Focus on forming a Star Core first. You need to become a saint; only then can you start sensing the laws of the elements. For now, there is nothing for you to get enlightened about.' The senior's voice almost sounded like he wanted to laugh at him.

'Okay, thanks, senior.' Klaus was happy because lately, the senior had been teaching him more than he asked for.

'Just hurry up and break through to the Grandmaster stage so you can start cultivating the second stage of the Star Diagram.' The senior's voice faded.

Klaus smiled. Thanks to the first Star Diagram, he managed to become many times stronger due to his reckless action of transforming his energy source from spiritual qi to Star qi.

He had asked the senior many times when he could start the second stage, but all he said was, he had to first become a saint. But it seemed that after his tribulations and training, he could now start that when he became a Grandmaster.

He didn't know what surprises the second stage would bring him, but he was certain it would be a good one. He took his phone and texted Lucil to inform Nari and the Nerds that he and Queenie wouldn't be coming out for a while and that they shouldn't worry about them for the time being.

Of course, his text was as straightforward as it was typed, but Nari, who was now reading the message, held a smile that would haunt Queenie in the days to come.

Klaus went back to his modeling as he waited for Queenie to wake up.