𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡'𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲, 𝑘𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑘𝑎𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑜𝑛

18. chaos in first class

As the elevator doors opened at the hotel's top floor, Aurora's mouth fell open in awe. The lobby was a glittering spectacle of marble, crystal chandeliers, and plush carpets that seemed impossibly soft under her shoes. Her eyes darted everywhere, catching every small detail—the gold-accented rails, the panoramic city view from the floor-to-ceiling windows, even the faint scent of something impossibly luxurious that made her nose twitch in delight.

"This... this is insane," she muttered to herself, unable to stop her hands from flitting from the railing to her hair to her bag. "I feel like I've walked into a magazine. Or a movie set. Or... basically a dream that costs more than my entire life back home."

Klaus glanced at her from a few steps ahead, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. "I trust you'll behave," he said dryly, though the slight quirk in his tone suggested he was enjoying her reaction.

"Behave? Me?" Aurora gasped dramatically, clutching her bag strap. "I might faint from the sheer opulence, Klaus. And then you'd have to carry me to your... palace?" She waved vaguely toward his suite down the hall, already sensing the ridiculous size of it from the hallway.

The door to Klaus's room opened, revealing a space so large it seemed almost unreal. High ceilings stretched overhead, elaborate tapestries adorned the walls, and a massive bed sat in the center like a throne. Aurora's eyes widened even further. "Wow. I guess you really... need a personal army to maintain this, don't you?"

Klaus smirked, a faint sparkle in his eyes that made her slightly uneasy. "Curiosity seems to be your strongest trait," he said, stepping aside. "Be careful it doesn't get you in trouble."

Aurora's hands fluttered as she stepped inside, unable to resist poking at the corners of the room. "Trouble? Me? Never. I'm the pinnacle of innocence and good behavior. That's why I'm here, really. To... inspect things. And make sarcastic comments." She spun on her heel, only half-joking.

Stefan, standing just outside the doorway of his own room, pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly trying to resist both his amusement and irritation. He had already seen Aurora charm and annoy Klaus simultaneously—he had a feeling this was going to be a long stay.

Aurora drifted toward Klaus's desk, examining the papers neatly stacked and the pens lined up with military precision. "Oh, wow," she murmured. "I didn't think anyone could be this organized. I... can I touch one? Please? Just one? For science?"

"You'll find everything you need," Klaus replied smoothly, leaning back in a chair. His gaze lingered on her longer than she expected, a subtle attentiveness beneath the sarcasm.

Aurora darted toward the window, pressing her hands against the glass. She took in the view of the city below, the tiny dots of headlights moving through the streets. A pang of longing hit her heart. Lucy, Mateo, Gabrielle, Derek... and the others—Talia, Elena, Bonnie—they were all far away, and she hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye. Her chest tightened, and for the first time in a while, the humor that usually protected her cracked slightly.

She muttered under her breath, just barely audible, "Missing everyone... stinks. But... at least I can annoy Klaus while feeling sad. That's something, right?" She sighed, leaning against the window, allowing the bittersweet mix of homesickness and humor to settle over her.

Stefan, noting her pause, stepped up beside her and offered a small, reassuring smile. It was quiet, almost imperceptible, but Aurora caught it. She allowed herself a brief moment of comfort, the warmth from his presence washing over her. She exhaled slowly, letting her chest relax just a fraction.

"You know," she said after a moment, her voice bouncing between humor and melancholy, "if I survive this hotel stay, I might write a whole guidebook: 'How to Live in a Klaus-Sized Room Without Losing Your Mind.' Tip one: don't touch anything. Tip two: never underestimate the power of sarcasm."