déjà vu V

4Words could not decipher the nature of this creature with its terrifying trance Its form shrouded in darkness, a dreadful sight, a sentinel of shadows, a spectral being. It slithered with a sinuous, serpentine grace. Its ebony scales like a void's embrace. And its teeth, like hastily sewn in the night, gleamed menacingly.Yet, amidst this horrifying visage, a stark contrast emerged—a mask, intricate in design, a labyrinth of lines, and an enigmatic sign. The mask resembled a hive of secrets, a cryptic maze etched onto its flesh. Its skin, a fleshy robe of deepest black, unleashed an aura of vile malevolence that tainted the serene shelves, the books, the walls, as it prowled the white marble floor in its grim thralls.Fear seized me as white mist escaped its maw, and this creature, dangerous and enigmatic, filled me with raw awe. Its monstrous visage, a mask not of grace, but a sinister emblem in that unholy space, haunted my thoughts. With every step, it conjured dread, as if harboring vile secrets within, a guardian not of mysteries, but of terror, in that otherworldly realm where day met night.The beast wavered in the darkness, its form so intense that it defied comprehension.As it approached, a menacing aura enveloped me, and I couldn't help but wonder what monstrous being had appeared before me."Piiiiiii!" The beast's high-pitched chirp pierced the air, a chorus of avian notes, and a cacophony that overwhelmed my senses.As the creature's deafening cry reverberated in my ears, I was seized by a paralyzing fear. What in the world was this abomination?My mind struggled to comprehend the grotesque being that confronted me. It defied the conventions of fantasy creatures, its form grotesque and peculiar, like an oddity of nature.This entity lacked a conventional head; instead, a mask adorned its upper body, akin to an animal's torso. The shrill cry emanated from a vertical slit that traversed from its front side to its back, giving the impression of legs on either side.Adding to its eerie presence, a black mane adorned its back, spreading at an astonishing rate, like a ravenous black flame consuming the pristine white of the library. It filled the space with its shadow, and I recoiled in shock. The stench of rotting flesh that emanated from the creature filled my senses, while the surroundings darkened far more rapidly than I could have imagined. The term "Klaus" flashed through my mind, a name that seemed to resonate with this sinister presence—the beast known as Klaus.In other words—a monster, one born from the new world, had appeared—the Klaus. As the realization struck Blur, the upper body of the beast turned toward him, its predatory intent unmistakable. Its legs moved methodically as it approached, a creature of menace and power.The beast, shrouded in black, was closing in rapidly, but Blur remained perfectly still. It wasn't that he had resigned himself to face this overpowering threat without resistance—quite the opposite. He focused on controlling his breathing, attempting to conceal his presence from the demon beast, even though he wasn't hiding behind anything. In most situations, such an attempt would be futile, but not against the Klaus.The beast halted a few yards away from Blur, leaving him guessing at its thoughts behind the mask that took the place of its head. It hadn't immediately moved to strike him, not due to doubt or hesitation, but simply because it wasn't certain of Blur's presence.For Blur, this encounter was entirely alien—he had no prior knowledge of Klaus or any visual reference to guide him. All he had were the words of the cat, which advised him never to fight a Klaus. Encounters with new enemies often led to his hopeless demise, and his only recourse was to rely on the cat's knowledge to decipher how to deal with them.As he gazed upon the enigmatic beast, Blur's mind raced, searching for a means of survival. Why hadn't it attacked immediately? Was it deriving pleasure from this delay? No. Was it a sadistic streak? No. The Klaus actions weren't driven by cruelty—it simply couldn't perceive him.The Klaus lacked eyes or a conventional head, and the cry that emanated from it seemed to originate from the mask affixed to its upper body. It appeared to be blind, possibly in process of evolutionary adaptation over time—a creature of darkness losing its vision through evolution. Whatever the reason, this limitation played into Blur's favor.Maintaining absolute silence, Blur moved his arm with minimal motion and hurled a book in his hand. The book, of normal size, traced a gentle arc above the Klaus mask before landing with a thud on the white marble floor behind it."Piiiiiii!" The Klaus reaction was dramatic. It spun around and pounced upon the book, landing with a burst of sound, crushing it tenaciously. Black dust rose into the air, and the Klaur's darkness seemed to deepen further as it continued to stamp and destroy the book in a frenzied display of aggression.Blur couldn't be certain if the Klaus would eventually leave the area, or if his escape was just a brief respite. But he understood that this was a golden opportunity he might not get again.With utmost care, he picked up a book from his left and tossed it in the opposite direction. The Klaur's attention shifted to the book instantly, tearing into it with merciless vigor. Black dust and debris from the book filled the air as it wrought destruction.Its piercing whine pierced the silence as Blur cautiously turned his head forward. The place from which the beast had emerged, a passage, lay just a dozen yards away. He locked eyes with a set of piercing blue orbs staring back at him
—102.
Number 102 leaned slightly out beyond the bookshelves, fixated on the Klaus, holding her breath as she watched Blur's audacious experiment. Thankfully, the Klaus remained oblivious to her presence, and her view from her seated position revealed the Klaus peculiarities without tempting her to make a risky call.Nevertheless, they found themselves in a frustrating predicament, unable to take any action from where they stood.Meeting Number 102's gaze, Blur silently implored her to remain a silent spectator. He couldn't convey many details in that moment, but the fear in her blue eyes suggested that he had successfully communicated his intentions.He couldn't help but fear what might happen if the Klaus happened to notice her, but that was a worry for after he had navigated the current peril he found himself in.The Klaus stood unwaveringly in the center of the library's white marble floor, shrouded in a darkened aura resembling a cavern's darkness. Blur knew he had to move to escape its senses, but the question remained: should he run away or run alongside Number 102?—Save me.