I don't know maybe it is because I have written female character perspective so less that I am feeling like this or because I have read too many cote and books to think that I should give more time to other characters point of view even if main focus is on protagonist . Either way , I am right now just vibing in sync with Claude. I guess I am feeling feminine. Okay ! Maybe that was kinda awkward way to approach it but I really couldn't find another word as I fiddled in my mental memory . Uh ..it is hard to tell . Well no matter. I am just currently feeling like Claude's Pov ever since she has come back in Volume 4 . She didn't really get much time in first half of volume 4 in my perspective so I guess this is kind of a compensation in some sort of way from me to her character because after Max , I really love her character as a writer. Also few chapters like with fractions are well basically kind of like Slice of Life if I have to describe . I can't just write a world where things happen daily without break . That would be unrealistic too much and timeskip right now would be kinda like using plot convience . I really don't want to do that . Either way , let's just start the story.

29th June ,2011
Wednesday
Claude's POV

Selica had now gone to her room . Well it was empty guest room so we assigned that room to her . After all , she had nowhere else to stay . We were still not unsure about her past clearly but right now would be pressuring that stressed girl into more anxiety . But leave all that for now , I took a deep breath. Max! You didn't even say anything to me after so long . ..aw ! I know we met under fire situation and all but come on !

Well! I was eager to spend more time with him especially after so long . I entered his room and found him leaning back on his chair with closed eyes.

Umm.. should I even disturb him . I don't really want to bother him. But then again he didn't hesitate to bother me with his plan and just roped me into without my knowledge ..well actually Isla let him . Fair is fair I guess as I shook him.

"Do you need something?" Max blinked wondering why I was here . I observed him in objective viewpoint. He was a boy  who was tall as or even taller than boys his age . His silverish black hair was always arranged in a curly manner. I still didn't know the reason why and he didn't bother to tell me so I didn't bother to ask . Though his eyes... they were just a mystery as if only projecting curiousity or mix of some emotions at time with it and yet peering through me like I wasn't even there .

"Yes! I want to talk to you . After all we are meeting after three years . Don't you want to catch up and find out what I was doing and .." As he tilted his head sideways. Kinda adorable . Stop Claude. Thinking about that won't get you anywhere.

"Claude ! I guess I always wanted to know. What is your last name?" He asked simply. Well! He wasn't the first . Lot of people have asked me that .  Though I simply told them I didn't have one . It was quite true that I had no name on legal certificate .

"Don't you already know." I said confused.

"Oh right! Sure. I just thought there would be more to it ." He replied . More to it. Of course not . Max ! It is my name . I am not some mystery .

"Hey Max ! Do you think I am short ?" I asked to lighten the air . I knew of course I wasn't but still wanted to hear Max's opinion for some reason I couldn't grasp on. He bit his lip.

"You look great." He said at last .

"Huh! I look great. What are you saying? I asked about my height.." I barely kept my cheeks from being flushed .

"Well! I guess being nice didn't work . But objectively you are pretty short ." He stated bluntly as I felt a prick in my heart.

"What? Are you sure.." I said again.

"Claude ! You are short. But don't worry . You will be pretty tall next year . " I smiled a bit at him trying to comfort me . "I already know future you after all"  I barely mangaged to hear it . Huh! What does that mean?

Even after catching up on this case , I just feel like I am so distant from him. He talks about things that I don't understand at all . Am I really not able to keep up with him now ?

"Max ! Can you tell me what is holding you back? You want to tell me something don't you so why don't you ? Are you harmed in a way by telling me or do you not trust me ." I uttered sighing sitting down on bed looking down .

"That is not it . I just don't think you would believe me." He replied.

"Of course I would believe you ." I told him . No matter how crazy it seems , you were thr first friend I had  with whom I was able to be my true self . I wanted to say it all but I kept it to myself. It was too embarassing to say.

"Well then ... where to start ." He sighed debating internally .

"Well why don't you just start at beigning of it all." I advised him.

"Sure. If you say so, so it all began when I was bored and i entered Wonavilla hostel in 2011 for first time . There I saw a girl . She had a habit of looking down on others . Her name was Kate . I met a friend called Axel ....." He began as I listened intently . This was gonna be long one . But no matter how long it takes , I am gonna stay until end listening to you Max .

"Wait ! You are telling me someone was fixing the horse race ?" My interest piqued up .

"Yes ! But I wasn't sure . I was basically just wanting something to be there" He replied .

"Of course."

My eyes widened as he told me about his plan , him meeting Selena and then figuring out from single momentary exposure that she was lying. It seems he had improved his skills a lot better than I had during these three years.

"Wait ! She abducted you ?" I shouted.

"Sheesh! Don't scream ." He complained as I apologized.  Then he told me that how they waited forming a group with her not so boyfriend Jason and tried to catch her. I was really concerned at Kate being thrown off the window . What was that girl 's deal ?

But I still didn't understand how he was talking about it all . I mean these events obviously didn't happen in month or so .

"Hey Max ! But haven't you already crossed like into ..." I began as he put his finger on me to quiet me . I barely managed to hide myself from getting flushed at abrupt action. Then he carried on about how he caught Selena by manipulating teachers to create a situation to force her to confess . I was just amazed. .

"After that , I got famous at least a bit in papers . Basically usual stuff happened. Then we come to year 2012." He raised his eyes as I sat up straight in anticipation . So we were already at new year.  I still didn't understand what was the deal with this. I mean he was here in 2011 . Is he able to see future ? I mean ..no ! That would be quite absurd. Ah ! Never mind . I am sure Max will explain in time to me . He better.

"Well how to summarise it for you." He wondered putting his hands on chin .

"Max ! You don't need to summarise. I can listen to all you have to say ." I quickly said then looked away .

"Oh ! Well sure . So basically IAW, catfight .. let's see." He began.  I kept my
cool all the time but I was so hyped when he mentioned about entrance of Man in Shadows. And what was max thinking getting sick ? Seriously he needs to take better care of himself. I was really sure to know that Max really had been leading a life in aspect so dissimilar to my own.  Me on other hand was just going to boring school. I was really quite preturbed to know he was being ignored by his friends for so long but I was really nonplussed when he mentioned me coming there . Though I was bit confused and vague about the part when I left with him after  planting a fake evidence in hands of man of shadows. Wait ! Don't tell me I did something to make him flustered... meaning ..no way .

When he told me that Man in Shadows was none other than Mr Vincent Rodger , the man framed for killing two elders part of experiment conducted by founder of Wonavilla hostel by the organization to whom Isla belonged to and puppetered us all. I am so in awe and yet confused.

Max said that basically in 2013 , me and him got bit closer in normal perspective , solved a national case related to document that could implicate french and english govt and saved Kate's father who was about to be a scapegoat for it which also attracted lot of global attention and target on him from criminal world. I was really quite worried but he told me that" I am here so don't worry"

Then in 2014 , he told me that he was first a bit down as he was not sure he would get a mystery more interesting or significant but he got over it due to me , Cistella , his new roommate and did i hear it right , Clare - trial girlfriend . He sure forgot her in 2013 summary . No matter . It was nothing as it turned out .I was glad that I was depended upon in his story.

Then he started to build an organization to collect information in secret . He needed someone and what the...

"Wait! Selica ...how did she escape in your story from Isla?" I saud aghast as Max sighed telling me that even he doesn't know and Isla was actually pretending to be a normal student there from 2012 . What ....the...i am at loss for how to contemplate. Then he continued telling me how he formed a bond with Selica hiding from me at which I pouted . He then said it was necessary measure so as not to trouble me . Sure . Then I found out that there really was someone sent by French govt to protect him and I really liked the way he approached the situation. Hmmm !I could definitely take note from it. He described my entrance in Selica's room one morning after we decided to start a detective club as rather troubling but really it was his fault for falling carelessly in sleep in a girl's dorm . Granted! He was allowed but still..

I was again surprised to find out that detective who died here was the one who contacted him there on Isla' s orders to accelerate him into building up his organisation and even sent him any anonymous letter challenging him . It really fitted her childish behaviour. At first, she acts on sole purpose of winning and her goal when she pushed Mac and Selica towards building up the network but then tried to hinder then , deliberately drawing attention towards her and playing games with him even if that delays her objective. She was .. just contradictory to her goal and her behaviour despite her prowess but then again most people are in this world.

I was glad to know that after all the excitement and everything , Silva still advised him to enjoy his birthday . Knowing him , he still wouldn't have bothered much . My ears pricked up when he mentioned the firing and was shaking him frantically as he ran out with assailant behind him without any help and cover.

He looked tiredly "will you let me continue. I am getting tired  " So I relented and then was relieved to find out that he had a plan but will was quite appalled at him not hesitating to stab his enemy . Not many people can do that or would from moral standpoint but then again, Max .

As I took a cup of coffee from kitchen and sat down , he also looked like he was just done now .

I wondered how the story would end.

"So I basically got choked to death in same night  then." He said calmly as he took his coffee . I think I would have choked to death on my coffee right now to death if he didn't hold my back .

"Agh..uhm...What." I stared blankly .

"I am not lying." He answered.

"Uhmm.. what do I say.  I don't know. You died and you are here talking to me . Hey , are we both in purgatory? How did I die? Don't tell me ... I died by truck accident. Really! That would be worst." My mind went into panic.

"Claude ! Claude !.... Clarence.." He whispered as I came back to senses. Clarence was the name Max first refered to me when we first met as he thought for sure "Claude" was a name I picked up from french royal history books . I wasn't very pleased but here it did the trick.

"You aren't dead. Now " He told me to take deep breath and then again continued. He told me that he made a deal with Thoth, Egyptian god of wisdom
who was interested in him that he would be sent back in time to date he wanted and if he managed to stay alive till a certain date in  May 2014 , he would get his wish of complete destruction to which I looked a bit glum but then thought I would want that too if I died too rather than being born again with no memory and trace of my past identity but rather forced to become like that manipulated by enviornment around me . I asked him if he would stay alive after May 18,2014 if he survived or get his wish immidiaetly after that date to which Max said "No! If I reach May 19,2014 ,  I will only die and get permanently destroyed after my natural death like all other humans. At least that is what I think . Probably."

"What do you mean by "probably?"

"Well! I may have forgot to clear that up with Thoth. I was kinda in a hurry. " He bit his lip looking bit .. flustered. No ! You don't get to be flustered and get away with "screwing up your existence because of impatience".. well it is all set in motion already now .

"So ..you have been holding all this much yourself ever since you came here ! I am really glad you told me , Max ." I took his hand .

"Yeah ! It did feel good to tell all this to someone . Just needed one more person to know all that i experienced . I mean it would be pretty regretful for me if I lost the bet and no one knows about all this." He said in low tone .

"You won't, Max .I have known you since childhood and after listening to all your and our exploits in your experience , you will survive ." I hugged him as he was bit taken aback but resigned himself to it .

"Don't forget to rely on me though this time or I would be mad ." I warned pulling back as he gave a slight smile "sure"

"Will you tell this to Selica?"

"No! Selica I knew was hiding things from me but still I knew she was with me and well I felt a certain sense of trust around her. This Selica had been in Isla's clutches for who knows how long. Her fearful nature towards strangeness and all is justified....." He looked at me.

"But she is prone to irrational actions and she may have aversive reaction to all of it so you want to build up trust with her first and then proceed right?" I finished for him as he smiled "exactly! You get it, Claude "

"Indeed"

Au révior readers ! Keep posted for the next chapter.