The Genius Mage Was Reincarnated Into A Swordsman Family

Chapter 116: The Haunting of Klaus

It had been three nights now. Three long, agonizing nights since the nightmares began. Klaus sat up in bed, staring blankly at the wall in front of him. His body ached from exhaustion, but his mind was too restless to allow him peace. Sleep had become a battleground—his dreams, no longer just the whimsical illusions of the unconscious mind, had turned into something much darker.

They felt more like memories.

Each night, the same horrifying scenes played out: seas of blood, crumbling cities, and the haunting pleas of people he didn’t know but somehow felt responsible for. Faces that blurred together in fear, eyes wide with terror, hands reaching out in desperation. The woman—always that woman, kneeling at his feet, her tear-streaked face begging for mercy.

"Please... spare me."

Klaus closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to shake the voice from his mind. No matter how hard he tried, the words wouldn’t leave him. He could still feel her desperation, her despair, as if the moment had been etched into his soul.

Beside him, Dudu stirred, sensing his distress. The small black dragon had been his constant companion during these sleepless nights, its presence providing some comfort in the midst of the chaos swirling inside his mind. Dudu nudged Klaus with its snout, letting out a soft growl as if to reassure him.

Klaus sighed and gently stroked the dragon’s head. "It’s getting worse," he muttered, his voice hoarse from lack of sleep. "These dreams... they feel too real, Dudu. Like I’m reliving something I’ve forgotten."

The dragon’s golden eyes flickered with understanding. Though it was still young, there was an intelligence behind its gaze that made Klaus feel as though Dudu knew more than it let on.

Klaus lay back down, staring at the ceiling as fragments of the latest nightmare flashed in his mind. This time, the woman hadn’t just pleaded for her life—she had cursed him.

"You’ve already killed everyone. Why should I be any different?"

The words had echoed in his ears, and as much as Klaus had wanted to stop it, his body had moved on its own. His fingers had clicked, and her head had exploded in a gruesome burst of blood and bone. He had woken up drenched in sweat, his breath coming in sharp gasps, his hands trembling.

But it wasn’t fear that had startled him awake—it was the overwhelming familiarity of it all. The feeling that this wasn’t just some random dream his mind had concocted. This was something else. Something from his past. Something he had done.

Dudu let out a low growl, drawing Klaus back to the present. The dragon, sensing his unease, nudged him again, urging him to stay grounded. Klaus appreciated the gesture, though it did little to ease the gnawing feeling in his chest.

"I don’t know what’s happening to me," Klaus admitted softly. "These nightmares... they’re not just dreams, are they?"

Dudu tilted its head, as if contemplating the question. After a moment, the dragon let out a soft, almost melodic hum, as though it were trying to communicate something to Klaus.

Klaus frowned, sitting up again. "You know something, don’t you?"

The dragon remained silent, but its eyes told Klaus everything. Dudu had always been more than just a creature born from the black egg. It was ancient, wise in ways that even Klaus couldn’t comprehend. And in the three days since the nightmares began, Klaus had noticed that the bond between them had grown stronger. He could feel Dudu’s emotions, its thoughts, as if they were linked by more than just the contract.

"Is this... is this connected to you?" Klaus asked hesitantly. "To our bond?"

Dudu blinked, its gaze unwavering. Then, in a slow and deliberate motion, the dragon gave a slight nod.

Klaus’s heart skipped a beat. "So these memories... these nightmares... they’re mine, aren’t they? From before?"

The dragon remained still, its eyes glowing faintly in the dim light of the room. Klaus could feel the weight of the truth pressing down on him. The memories were his. They had always been his. But they had been locked away, buried deep within him, until now.

Klaus let out a shaky breath. "Why now? Why am I remembering all of this?" Explore more stories at empire

There was no answer. Dudu simply curled up beside him, its warm body pressed against his leg. Klaus appreciated the gesture, but it did little to dispel the growing dread inside him.

For three days, he had been haunted by these visions. He had tried to ignore them, dismissing them as nightmares brought on by stress or fatigue. But each night, they had grown more vivid, more visceral. And each time he awoke, the sense of familiarity had become stronger.

He couldn’t deny it anymore. These weren’t just dreams. They were memories—fragments of a past life that had been hidden from him.

But why?

Klaus clenched his fists, trying to steady his breathing. His hands were shaking again, just as they had been in the dream when he had looked down at the blood that stained them. He had killed in those memories—slaughtered without mercy, without hesitation. It wasn’t him... and yet it was.

"I need to understand this," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I need to know who I was."

Dudu looked up at him, its gaze soft but piercing. The dragon’s presence was calming, but Klaus knew that even Dudu couldn’t provide him with the answers he sought. Those answers were buried deep within his own mind, waiting to be uncovered.

But how? How could he unlock the rest of those memories? Was there someone who could help him? Or was this something he would have to face alone?

Klaus got out of bed, pacing the small room. His mind raced with possibilities, each one more troubling than the last. If these were memories, then who had he been in the past life he didn’t remember? A killer? A Demonic human? And why had those memories been sealed away?

The questions swirled around in his mind, but none of them came with answers.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. His grandfather, Roman Lionhart, could have answers. They both looked like their founding patriarch, Klaus heard some echoes from people saying, that they inherited more true blood. So Klaus thought that those memories could be related to the Lionhart family.

Klaus felt a flicker of hope. Perhaps Roman could help him understand what was happening. Perhaps he held the key to unlocking the truth behind these memories.

"I need to talk to my grandfather," Klaus muttered, more to himself than to Dudu.

The dragon tilted its head in curiosity, watching as Klaus began to gather his things. He quickly dressed, his mind set on the course of action. He would confront Roman, and demand answers if he had to. He couldn’t live like this—tormented by memories that weren’t entirely his own. He needed clarity. He needed to know the truth.

As he finished pulling on his boots, Klaus glanced down at Dudu. "You’re coming with me, of course."

Dudu let out a low growl, hopping off the bed and padding over to Klaus’s side.

Klaus took one last deep breath before heading toward the door. He was no longer afraid of the nightmares. He would uncover the truth, no matter how dark it might be.

"Let’s go find some answers," Klaus said, his voice steady as he opened the door and stepped into the unknown.