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The van rattled violently as it sped down the desolate highway, the tires kicking up dust in the fading twilight. Inside, the Hargreeves siblings were a chaotic blend of relief and dread. Just moments ago, they had narrowly escaped a town swarming with armed men—an encounter that had left them shaken to the core.
“I can’t believe we got out of there,” Diego gasped, his voice barely cutting through the roar of the wind. He rubbed his hands together, still feeling the adrenaline pumping through his veins.
Luther, sitting next to him, nodded, his wide eyes reflecting a mixture of disbelief and lingering fear. “It was a miracle,” he murmured, trying to convince himself as much as his brother.
In the back of the van, Klaus lay slumped against the wall, his pale face illuminated by the dim light. A bullet wound marred his chest, but he seemed oddly tranquil despite the blood seeping through his shirt. He often came back within seconds after getting shot—yet, the uncertainty hung heavy in the air.
“What the hell is wrong with these people? Why were they trying to kill us?” Allison's voice trembled as she clasped Klaus’s cold hand, a mix of concern and frustration etched across her face.
Five, his hands gripping the steering wheel, frowned deeply. “I don’t know. I don’t know what kind of timeline we’re in,” he said, his brow furrowing as he glanced in the rearview mirror.
Viktor leaned forward, anxiety evident in his tone. “Could it be the Commission? Maybe we weren’t supposed to get our powers back.”
“Don’t think so,” Five replied sharply. “I doubt they exist in this timeline.” His gaze remained fixed on the road, but the tension in his voice hinted at the severity of their situation.
“Can it happen?” Lila interjected, her eyes darting between the siblings, her mind racing with possibilities.
“It wasn’t just a timeline thing, remember?” Five continued, his voice taut. “Oblivion was a universe reset. It’s more complex than time travel.”
“Great,” Viktor groaned. “We could barely handle time travel. Now it’s universe resets? Jesus, when did everything get so complicated?”
Allison felt herself drifting into the whirlwind of their conversation, still clutching Klaus’s hand. A sudden dread crept in, an icy grip tightening around her heart. “Guys!” she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. “Is it normal for Klaus to stay dead this long?”
The question hung in the air like a thundercloud. “Wait, is he still dead?” Diego asked, the worry etching deeper lines into his forehead. An uneasy silence fell over the van as they all exchanged terrified glances.
“Klaus? Klaus? Come on, man, you’re scaring us!” Luther’s voice was a mix of urgency and fear as he leaned back to check on his brother.
The seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity, their anxiety mounting as they waited for a sign of life. Just when the tension reached its peak, Klaus jolted awake with a piercing scream, the sound echoing off the metal walls of the van.
They all let out a collective breath of relief, laughter mingling with their tension. “Klaus, you scared the shit out of us, man! What the hell took you so long?” Diego exclaimed, half-laughing, half-crying.
“Sorry, sorry,” Klaus gasped, struggling to catch his breath. “I got held up.”
“Held up? By who?” Allison pressed, her brow furrowed with concern.
“By Five,” Klaus said, his eyes darting to Five in the front seat.
Five shot him a sharp look. “What do you mean by me?”
“Not you, Five,” Klaus clarified, his expression turning serious. “The one who built the Commission.”
The words hung heavily in the van, causing the air to thicken with tension. Five’s grip tightened around the steering wheel, and he slammed on the brakes. The sudden halt sent everyone lurching forward, their bodies colliding against the seats. “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY?” he yelled, fury and disbelief surging through him.
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The Hargreeves siblings returned to their lair, the weight of their recent escape still hanging heavily in the air. Shadows danced across the walls as they settled into their familiar space, but the tension was palpable.
“Are you going to explain?” Five demanded, eyes narrowed at Klaus, who was still trembling, an unusual sight given his history of dying and returning. He pressed his fingers to his temples, wincing as a painful headache pulsed through him.
“Aspirin first, please,” Klaus managed, his voice shaky. He swallowed the pills with a desperate gulp of water, letting out a long, shuddering breath.
“I died, as usual,” he began, his voice barely above a whisper. “But this time, there was this old man. He grabbed me by the collar and started yelling.”
“What was he yelling about?” Allison asked gently, concern etched across her face as she watched Klaus struggle through the pain.
“He said we messed up monumentally,” Klaus gasped, trying to steady himself. “That we were never supposed to go to Oblivion and let Reginald reset everything. He mentioned something about a bunker.”
“Operations bunker,” Lila and Five echoed in unison, their expressions a mix of shock and realization. “He exists. He gets to exist in the afterlife because of the operations bunker. I can’t believe I never thought of this before.”
“Five, what the hell are you talking about.?” Asked Diego, slightly frustrated.
“I’ll explain later, now tell me Klaus. What else did he say?”
“He asked me to conjure him,” Klaus continued, his eyes darting around the room.
“Great! Let’s do it,” Diego said, his enthusiasm momentarily cutting through the tension.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold your horses. It’s not that easy,” Klaus shot back, a wry smile creeping onto his face despite his discomfort.
“What do you mean? You’re sober, right?” Allison asked, her voice tinged with worry.
“It’s not that. I’m sober, but it’s more complicated than just summoning someone,” Klaus replied, the smile fading.
“Care to explain?” Luther prompted, crossing his arms.
“Okay, first of all, I just died. I’m weak,” Klaus said, rubbing his temples. “And second, he’s in the void. He’s passed on.”
“What does that even mean?” Five asked, confusion clouding his features.
“Look,” Klaus said, frustration creeping into his tone, “there’s no handbook for this, alright? From what I’ve gathered, it’s not a normal conjuring. We need a proper séance to bring him back.”
“Wait, like an actual séance? With boards and everything?” Lila asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Can we maybe do this tomorrow?” Klaus suggested, still cradling his head in his hands. “I’m not exactly in the best shape to handle a spirit summoning right now.”
Five let out a heavy sigh, the weight of their day settling on his shoulders. “You’re right. It’s been a long day. Let’s regroup and talk about this in the morning.” He pointed at Klaus with a determined look. “Get some rest, my friend. We’ll need you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Klaus replied, his voice trailing off as he leaned back, closing his eyes against the swirling pain in his head.
..............................................................................................................................
The morning sun streamed through the windows of the lair, casting a warm glow over the siblings as they gathered around the table for breakfast. The air was thick with unspoken tension, each one still reeling from the revelations of the night before.
“Will someone please explain what the hell the Operations Bunker is?” Allison asked, her frustration bubbling to the surface.
“It was the founder’s room in the Commission,” Five replied tersely, irritation lacing his words. “And apparently, I was the founder himself.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down there, cowboy. You created the Commission?” Diego's eyes widened in disbelief.
“Not this version of myself, but yes, one version of me did,” Five clarified, running a hand through his hair.
“Like, past version, future version, or some sort of alternate universe thing?” Viktor asked, trying to wrap his mind around it.
“I don’t know. Remember when I said I met another version of myself who told me not to save the world?” Five replied, his tone turning more serious.
“Yeah, vaguely,” Luther said, recalling the bizarre encounter.
“Well, it was him. When Lila and I went to the Commission with those briefcases, we learned about the Grandfather Paradox and stumbled into this place called the Operations Bunker. He said it was a sort of panic room, completely paradox-free.”
“Wait, what about paradox psychosis?” Luther interjected, his brow furrowing.
“I could feel the outside world, but not inside the bunker. He died before explaining everything, so I’m still pretty clueless. With the reset, I thought that bunker went down with everything else, but apparently, he died and went to the afterlife.”
“Void,” Klaus interrupted, raising his head from the table. “It’s called the Void, Cinco.”
“Whatever. We need to talk to him,” Five said, shaking his head. “So, Klaus, how does this whole thing work?”
“As I mentioned yesterday, I don’t have a handbook on this. But a séance is definitely required,” Klaus replied, his voice steadying.
“How are we going to do that?” Lila asked, her eyes glinting with curiosity.
“We need a quiet, dark space filled with radios and lots and lots of candles,” Klaus explained.
“Alright, tell us everything you need. We’ll set it up in the basement,” Lila said, determination etched on her face.
“Sounds like a plan,” Klaus replied, a hint of relief washing over him as they began to work together, the gravity of their mission settling in.
Klaus meticulously set up the table in the dimly lit basement, incense wafting through the air as he arranged candles in a circle. The room took on a misty quality, shrouded in a dark aura that made the atmosphere feel charged with energy.
“Are these actually required, or do you just want to feel like a psychic?” Allison asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Ah, a bit of both. It helps guide me during the soul searching,” Klaus replied with a cheeky grin, flicking the matchstick to ignite another candle.
“Soul searching?” Diego raised an eyebrow. “How does this work?”
“Okay, here’s the deal. There are souls in the Void and souls in the world. The ones here don’t require much effort; I can see them and materialize them without a hitch. But the ones in the Void? That’s a different story.”
“How different?” Five pressed, his arms crossed as he observed Klaus’s setup.
As Klaus continued lighting candles, he glanced back at his siblings. “Do you have any idea how many souls are in the Void? It’s crowded, mi hermano. I need to pinpoint their locations to conjure them.”
“But you saw him?” Five asked again, his brow furrowed.
“He found me; I didn’t find him,” Klaus replied, his expression serious. “It doesn’t mean I know where he resides.”
“So, it’s like this world?” Lila asked, her voice tinged with apprehension.
“Yes and no. That’s a topic for another day,” Klaus said, focusing on his preparations.
“So, you need an address or something?” Luther inquired, genuinely curious.
“Kinda,” Klaus said, surprising them all with a newfound confidence. It was rare for him to delve so deeply into the intricacies of his abilities.
“I’m searching for their energies. Every soul has a unique signature. To find him, I need to really look.”
“What are we supposed to do?” Viktor asked, his eyes wide.
“You just sit and try not to scream,” Klaus said, a playful glint in his eye.
“Scream? Why?” Viktor replied, nervousness creeping into his voice.
“Before entering the Void, I have to sift through the souls still tied to the earth. They can be... a bit scary and gnarly.”
“Gnarly?” Diego echoed, intrigued.
“Most of them still carry their death wounds, their scars. The worst part is they’re angry and scared—souls that can’t let go of this world or their loved ones. It’s like being stuck in limbo.”
“Like Ben?” Viktor said, a shadow crossing his face.
“Like Ben,” Klaus admitted, sadness threading through his words.
“That sounds horrid,” Lila said softly.
“It mostly is,” Klaus replied, his gaze turning contemplative.
“So, you see those ghosts... every day?” Allison asked, her tone a mix of disbelief and sympathy.
“My entire life, baby,” Klaus shot back with a snark, trying to lighten the mood.
“But wait, you said you need a séance. How did you bring me back in Oblivion?” Luther asked, genuinely puzzled.
“Because I was with you. I knew your energy and your location. It was easier,” Klaus explained, his tone turning serious again.
“ALRIGHT, ENOUGH CHIT-CHAT,” Klaus interjected, his voice firm. “Just be quiet. It’ll get messy, and it might take a while. It may not even work.”
“What if you don’t find him?” Five pressed, concern creeping into his voice.
“Well, we’ll try again. We’ll keep trying until we find him,” Klaus assured them, steeling himself for what was to come.
“Here we go,” he said, closing his eyes as he began to focus, the flickering candlelight casting eerie shadows around the room. The siblings watched, breathless, as the air thickened with anticipation and the unknown loomed just beyond the veil.
As everyone settled into their chairs around the table, Klaus sat down on the floor. Their only job was to remain silent. He crossed his legs, positioned himself, and placed his hands on his knees. Taking a deep breath, he held it in for a moment before exhaling slowly. Visibly, he seemed to sink into a state of calm. No one spoke, but they all shared the same thought: a sense of fear had gripped them, and it was clear they were all scared.
After a few deep breaths, Klaus opened his eyes. They glowed a vibrant green. None of them had witnessed this before.
Slowly, Klaus began to rise off the ground. Their eyes widened in fear. Suddenly, the candles flickered violently, and the room was filled with a chilling atmosphere. In addition to their trembling from fear, they could see cold vapor escaping from their mouths. The radios Klaus had set up crackled to life, the sharp frequencies unsettling them. Five glanced at the radios, noticing they were working erratically. The cold vapor, the radio static, the flickering candles, and Klaus—hovering with glowing eyes—was more than enough to terrify them.
Objects around the room began to levitate. Pens, papers, and metal items floated in mid-air. All their eyes were drawn to him. They knew this was Klaus's power, but they had rarely seen him use it. Even as a child, Klaus had shied away from his abilities.
Suddenly, the room filled with whispers. It sounded like a multitude of people speaking, but none of it was comprehensible—voices of men, women, children, and even babies tangled together. Their skin prickled with fear. Out of nowhere, the room became crowded with figures—not ordinary people, but spectral forms bearing wounds, gashes across their bodies, axes embedded in their skulls, throats slit... young and old, they filled the space. At least twenty souls floated in the room, appearing as if they were flickering in and out of existence.
The moment she saw them, Allison covered her mouth, nearly screaming. She caught herself just in time. Five, seated across from her, gestured for her to remain calm. Trembling, Allison nodded in agreement. Fear gripped them as they exchanged terrified glances, taking in their surroundings. The radio buzzed, candles flickered, heavy incense filled the air, and the spirits exuded pain and fear. No horror movie they had ever watched could compare to this.
Suddenly, the vibrant souls transformed, shifting to a bright green glow. They resembled glowing orbs, and their wounds disappeared. It became clear to everyone that Klaus had entered the Void. The spirits were now calm; the screams faded away. The whispers turned quieter, more serene. It was as if they had stepped into a joyful gathering. A wave of relief washed over them.
At that moment, the radio erupted with an erratic frequency, drowning the room in static. The flames of the candles flared up, the whispers ceased, and the objects settled back into place.
“Hello, Stranger.”
The voice was familiar.
The glimmer in Klaus's eyes faded.
“There he is.”