Confrontation p2 the liar, manipulator, the bastard

The silence stretched between the two brothers like a taut wire, the atmosphere thick with unspoken words and simmering tensions. Each held the weight of centuries of loyalty and betrayal in their gaze, an unyielding contest of wills as they searched for the slightest sign of weakness. The flickering candlelight cast shadows across their faces, amplifying their expressions—Elijah's stoic intensity and Klaus's predatory amusement.

Neither relented, and the stalemate held until a familiar smirk played across Klaus's lips. The moment felt electric, charged with the potential for conflict. Finally, Klaus broke the silence, his voice calm, yet it dripped with venom that made Elijah's stomach churn.

"You're pathetic... brother."

Elijah narrowed his eyes, masking the unease that roiled beneath his composed exterior. He had anticipated Klaus's wrath, hoping that in his fury, he might inadvertently reveal something—some fissure in his carefully constructed façade. Instead, what unsettled Elijah was Klaus's unnerving calm. He knew all too well that Klaus was a greater threat when he was composed; his unpredictability was a far more terrifying force than his outward rage.

Klaus sat down on his chair behind his desk, while keeping and eye on Elijah, he moved his hand under the table where he could sense a dagger was still in place as he had left it.

"For centuries, you have claimed to seek my redemption," Klaus began, his tone unnervingly calm as he poked Elijah in the chest, targeting his emotional weak spot. "You stood by my side through the darkest and bloodiest of times, all in the name of guiding me back to the light I once held... the light you believe I lost." As Klaus spoke, Elijah's gaze faltered, the pain and regret evident in his eyes.

Seeing this, Klaus pressed on.

"And now, when I have finally begun to take steps beyond myself—beyond my hunger for power, beyond my insatiable need to be feared—you choose to stand against me!" His words were both wounded and accusatory.

Klaus pointed accusingly at Elijah, whose stoic demeanor cracked with every word. Klaus continued, his voice rising in intensity.

"You hurl baseless accusations at me, claiming I had secret knowledge of a pregnancy that should never have been possible! You believe my grand plan involved Hayley being seized by the witches and held hostage? That I orchestrated the ordeal with Tyler, who left Mystic Falls long before anything transpired between Hayley and me! Let me remind you, brother, I wasn't even in the city when Tyler arrived in order to turn the city against me" His fury escalated, and his eyes shone with an emotion that was both righteous and raw. "When rumors emerged about my intentions for the child, what was I doing? I was occupied with bringing back our brother, so our family could finally be whole again!"

By now, Klaus was shouting, the small flicker of anger inside him having grown into an uncontrollable blaze. "And do I even need to mention that, against every instinct I have, I allowed the Crescent Pack curse to be lifted, knowing that Hayley's betrothed was the Alpha? I had to hold myself back from tearing him to pieces!"

In a swift, forceful motion, Klaus pinned Elijah against the wall, his eyes glowing an unnatural yellow, dark veins emerging across his face like dark tendrils of his volatile state.

Elijah held his gaze torn between regret, turmoil but still refused to back down, as he recognized what his brother was attempting to do, yet could not help question himself if he may have been mistaken.

Klaus let go of his brother and took a few steps back. "But then again, no matter what I do, how could I ever measure up to the Noble and Honorable Elijah?" Klaus said, his tone filled with pain and sadness. "After all, standing next to you, how can I be anything more than the lesser brother, a liar... a manipulator... a BASTARD." The words came out with a mixture of bitterness and resignation.

"That is absurd, brother. I have never—" Elijah tried to interject, his voice steady yet laced with urgency,

"And yet here you stand, taking the word of a vengeful, FILTHY witch!" Someone points a finger at me and ofcourse you just fall in line... but then again, Klaus voice now calm ever. - Maybe this is what you want after all, for me to be this monster, because if i am not... who are you?

Elijah furrows his brows as he tries to decipher his brother meaning. "What are you saying?" Elijah demanded, stepping forward, his voice low and steady. "You think I want you to be a monster? You think I want any of this? I want you to be better, Klaus. I want you to find redemption and peace, not to drown in your own darkness!"

- Yes! because if i am not it is you who is drowning, what ever shall you do if there no more redemption to seek, no monster to keep in check, what will become of you existense? Klaus anger was not replaced with mockery. '' perhaps you find a bar to drown your pointless existence, who knows, you may even come across a pretty blonde bartender.

Elijah's composure wavered at Klaus's words, the accusation striking at the core of his insecurities. He knew Klaus's taunts were designed to provoke, yet the underlying truth in them was undeniable: his life had been dedicated to guiding Klaus toward a path of redemption, and without that purpose, what was left of his own identity?

"Perhaps you're right..." Elijah replied, his voice barely above a whisper as he looked down.

Klaus was taken aback by this. He understood the game he was playing, but he didn't expect Elijah to submit so easily.

Elijah lifted his head and stared Klaus dead in the eyes, his stance firm and his expression unreadable. Klaus narrowed his eyes in suspicion, feeling a growing unease.

Elijah moved toward Klaus in slow, calculated steps, bridging the gap between them. There was newfound resolve in his demeanor, a shift that Klaus hadn't anticipated. When Elijah spoke, his tone was steady.

"Perhaps you're right about almost everything you said... almost. You see, brother, it is not the accusations of the witch that I place weight upon, but rather the questions beneath these accusations that have long plagued my mind."

"And pray tell, what are those questions?" Klaus asked, his unease deepening at his brother's calm exterior.

"Who are you?"