GUYS FIVE!!!
KLAUS MIND WAS RACING, a mess of thoughts and anxieties, but he had to do this. He had to try, if only to make sense of the madness surrounding them.
But then, in the middle of his concentration, there was a loud
SNAP!
Klaus flinched. He didn't even have to look up to know it was Sunny with her camera, snapping away happily as if there wasn't anything serious going on. She was always taking pictures lately, a habit that Klaus usually found adorable—except for right now.
"Come on now, Reggie," Klaus muttered to the urn, trying to refocus. "Any time now, please."
SNAP!
The sharp click of a camera shutter rang out, cutting through the quiet room. Klaus flinched but tried to keep his focus. "Clear thoughts," he whispered to himself, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Daddy! Look at this picture I just took!" Sunny's bright voice called out as she bounded over to him, holding her camera up proudly. Her excitement was infectious, but Klaus couldn't afford to be distracted right now. Not when he was this close.
He glanced at the photo, forcing a smile. "Oh, very cool, Bunny," he said quickly, his mind already drifting back to the task at hand.
SNAP!
That sound again. It was grating, pulling him out of his thoughts every time. He could feel his irritation building, but he tried to keep it in check. He needed to focus. He needed to clear his mind and reach out. He narrowed his eyes on the urn again, almost willing his father's spirit to appear. "I just need to sober up!" he muttered to himself, lightly slapping his face as if that would help clear his thoughts.
SNAP!
This time, Klaus couldn't hide the tension that was tightening his chest. He clenched his teeth, trying to breathe through the irritation, but it wasn't working. The snapping was driving him nuts, each one like a needle in his brain.
"Sunny, baby," he finally said, his voice strained but still gentle, "can you please take your pictures elsewhere? Or, I don't know, maybe just take a little break for now?"
Sunny looked up at him, her expression puzzled. "But why, Daddy? "
"Because daddy can't focus with all the...the..." Klaus tired to muster up a word. "the snapping!
Klaus instantly regretted the sharpness in his tone as soon as the words left his mouth. Sunny's face crumpled, her big eyes filling with hurt. Her lower lip quivered, and Klaus's heart sank. He reached out, trying to soften the blow.
"Hey, Bunny, I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I'm just trying to... do this thing, okay? It's not you, I promise," he said, his voice gentler now, but the damage was done.
Sunny ran down the hall, her little heart pounding in her chest. She hated when Daddy got mad at her, even if it wasn't really her fault. She didn't understand what was so important about that urn; she just wanted to show him her pictures. She loved taking pictures, especially of her dad, and she thought he'd be happy to see them. But instead, he'd yelled at her, and now she just wanted to hide.
She rounded a corner and skidded to a stop, nearly bumping into someone. She looked up, her eyes widening as she realized who it was. Diego. He was standing there, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, looking as intimidating as ever. Sunny felt a shiver of fear run down her spine. She remembered the stories Klaus had told her about Uncle Diego—how he was the best with knives, how he never missed a target. And now here he was, towering over her.
