Chapter Text
Klein slowly awoke from his deep sleep, confusion lingering in his hazy, blurry mind. He stretched languidly, twisting this way and that as his stiff joints cracked, easing the pins and needles buried deep within his bones. Rolling onto his side, he nearly slipped off the edge of the bed before grunting with a humph, and shifted back towards the center.
He hugged the blanket tightly to his chest and stared dully at the underside of the top bunk, wondering just how did he managed to sleep so soundly last night? Then he huffed, amused at his own questioning thoughts. It had been a long time since he'd last enjoyed such a peaceful sleep, that's all.
He remained lying there, somewhat lazy and unhurried, humming a tune his mother used to sing to them when they were still small. Ah, he complained to himself softly, I really need to get up and study. Yet the warmth and comfort pinned him to the bed like glue, leading him to indulge the moment with a quiet, unspoken satisfaction.
It took a while, but Melissa's daily schedule finally forced him out of his bed with a pained, unwilling grunt. He shivered as the cold air meets his skin and seeped through his clothes. Oof—so cold this early in the morning, he complained silently. His gaze lingered longingly on his blanket and pillow, tempted to crawl back under and laze around all day. In the end, he shook his head sadly, and stretched his arms high above his head.
"Klein?" Melissa asked just as the door creaked open.
Klein glanced back at her, puzzled, catching the faint note of admonishment in her voice. "Did you burn the midnight oil again?" his little sister asked, clearly unamused.
Klein frowned slightly, miffed by the accusation. I didn't do it all the time, okay? He grumbled inwardly. Shaking his head, he replied with an exasperated smile. "No, I just woke up. Did you sleep well, Melissa? I slept so soundly last night that I couldn't help staying in bed a little longer, that's all."
Melissa hummed in response. "I did," she said, then frowned slightly. "Klein, I know you're worried about the upcoming interview, but you can't ruin your health," she scolded.
Klein's expression slowly turned sheepish, even as he complained inside his heart about being lectured when he hadn't even stayed up late last night. I wasn't being unhealthy at all. No, I wasn't! "I know," he nodded at Melissa's words, a perfect contradiction to his inside thoughts. "I'll keep that in mind."
"That's good, then," Melissa said, nodding at Klein's words. With that, the good-natured conversation came to a premature end as she prepared for school.
Klein was idly flipping through his journal when Melissa returned. He glanced up just in time to see her shuffle towards the sink. "Already washed up?" he asked with a smile.
Melissa hummed in response, but didn't answer, busy brushing her teeth. Seeing this, Klein lowered his gaze and continued turning the pages, rereading the notes. A vague sense of unease tugged at his gut, as though he were missing something, yet nothing appeared to be out of place—aside from the line on June 26th... Are these strange things real?
Klein let out a quiet sigh. Perhaps he was just being paranoid. The Fourth Epoch notebook was undeniably mysterious, but its contents could just as easily be explained as folklore, myths, and legends. There was nothing strange about that. History is filled with questionable discoveries. After all, people in the past believed in all manners of things, and that includes the supernatural. I wonder how Naya and Welch are doing, he thought guiltily. It really wasn't proper social etiquette that he'd gone home so early last night. I wonder what they've discovered without me...
Klein set his notebook aside, his spirits sinking. Gazing out the window, a faint wave of nostalgia crept in—only for him to frown a moment later. Hm, I feel like I've forgotten something... Probably not that important if I forgot about it?
Distracted, he pulled out their father's silver pocket watch and turned it over in his hands, fiddling with it restlessly until he paused, realizing he wasn't actually sure how to wind it. How did this go again...?
"I think the pocket watch's broken," Klein said to Melissa, glancing up just in time to see her spat out the remaining toothpaste into the sink. She rinsed her toothbrush before fixing him with a judgmental stare, one edged—this time—with clear exasperation. Without a word, she took the watch from his hands and wound it with practiced ease. She listened for a moment as the church bells outside chimed the hour, then returned the watch to him without any ceremony.
With that done, Melissa turned away to gather her clothes for the day. Klein blinked at her retreating back, feeling vaguely wronged, before shaking his head in weary amusement at his sister's antics. Well, he reflected wryly, at least she isn't giving me that look. The one she reserved for people she thinks had gone mad and should go to the asylum for medical purposes. With that thought, Klein returned to organizing his notes more carefully. Suddenly, a realization struck him. Antigonus... Didn't Mr. Azik have a book on the Fourth Epoch? Maybe he could borrow it for a while...
But then his eyes fell on the blotchy page before him, more specifically, on the ink smeared across the paper. Oh no... he thought regretfully. On the bright side, he'd only written a little. Preferring clean, legible notes, he tore the page away and began rewriting the information neatly.
"Still studying?" Melissa peeked over his shoulder. "Looks really interesting."
Startled, Klein smudged the ink across the page again. He stared at the mess, a little forlorn. "Melissa..."
She quickly covered her mouth, guilt flashing through her eyes. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to startle you."
Klein shook his head and tore another page from his notebook. "It's alright... it's just a little mess." Ah, my notebook... he thought, a pang of exaggerated heartbreak tugging at him.
"... Don't forget to rest," Melissa said with a gentle, apologetic smile. "Don't work yourself too hard, okay?"
Klein nodded, letting her words sink in. "Okay," he agreed softly. Quietly, he watched Melissa move between his bedroom and hers, assembling an outfit that suggested they were more financially stable than they really were. He studied her slightly faded dress. She really needs new clothes... he thought. Maybe we could find her another one. There's got to be something cheap at a thrift store somewhere...
Melissa finished tidying herself up, her hair neatly tucked beneath one of their late mother's bonnets. She then slipped her worn, black leather gloved over her hands and wrists. Klein's old school bag hung on a hook, already packed with books and the bits of tinkering materials she would need for her classes.
"Ah," Melissa said suddenly, her hand on the doorknob. "I forgot to tell you." She turned to Klein, her expression firm. "Don't forget to buy bread today. Eight pounds should last for a while."
"Sure," Klein replied, already running the day's expenses through his mind.
"Eight pounds," Melissa repeated, emphasizing each word. "Remember Klein, eight pounds!"
Exasperated, Klein agreed again. "Yes, yes. I know." I'm not exactly a child, you know... he thought, a little embarrassed at being called out. But really, it wasn't like he's forgetful all the time... Dutifully—contrary to his thoughts—he repeated Melissa's instructions, "eight pounds."
"That's good," Melissa nodded, satisfied. "Have a nice day, Klein. And don't forget to rest, alright?"
Exasperated yet warmed by the reminder, Klein smiled. "You too, Melissa. Have a good day."
With that, she left. Klein, now alone in his room, frowned as he stared out at the blue sky. It's quite sunny today... should I visit the university for a bit? Maybe I can ask Mr. Azik about the Fourth Epoch notebook.
Suddenly in good spirits, he changed his clothes, but noticed too late that he was dressed far too formally for a casual visit. Embarrassed, he swapped into something looser yet still appropriate for such an occasion. Standing in front of the mirror, he caught sight of a faint, round scar at his temple. Where did that come from? He touched the other side. Hm, there's one here too... How mysterious. He didn't remember how either had appeared. Probably nothing.
Shaking his head, Klein left his room and began descending the stairs—then quickly realized he'd forgotten his hat. He returned to retrieve one of his favorites. Three steps down, he remembered he should take some money so he wouldn't have to detour home for the eight pounds of bread. Back upstairs again, he collected some of their savings.
Satisfied, Klein shut the door with a firm thud. Halfway down the stairs, a sudden thought made him freeze. Did I lock the room? He couldn't remember. With a groan, he went back and locked it, glaring at the door as if it had personally insulted him. Did I forget something else?
A few moments later, realization struck. Where's my pocket watch? Klein groaned. Okay... maybe Melissa was right to worry about me being forgetful. Klein swore he wasn't usually this unreliable. It's like I banged my head or something... come on, collect yourself, Klein Moretti! By the time he finally stepped out into the streets, a slight weight of gloom had settled over him.