The morning sunlight streams brightly through Davis's window, accompanied by the cheerful sound of a dog barking in the early hours.
“Yes, yes Skye, I’ll bring you your breakfast” Davis murmured wearily, his eye barely able to open as his hand fumbled for Skye's food.
After a week of rest, Davis's body has finally healed, all thanks to the newfound healing factor he acquired from K. Peering through the window onto the street below, Davis watched as netizens slowly emerged from their houses.
After serving Skye his breakfast, Davis slumped into the chair, his head tilting backward into a comfortable position as his eyes slowly closed. His mind kept drifting back to what happened 2 weeks prior.
[2 weeks ago…]
On the night K returned, his cat form was incomplete, and he struggled to move his body. Although Davis’s mouth keeps preaching that he wishes K would disappear from his life, when he sees K in his weakened state, he can’t help but give him a concerned stare.
“K? Are you alright?” Davis exclaims after seeing his weak body movement
K giggled, his gaze shifting to Davis. “Aww, are you worried about little old me?" He got up, sitting on his leg, his hand tapping his chest pridefully. “Don’t you worry, my friend? I’m as strong as a—” His body dropped back onto the bed, visibly shaking from a rush of pain in his body.
“Okay, I may have slightly sustained a tiny little damage from the fight,” K tried to shake off his pain as his body struggled to get back up.
Davis rolled his eyes and let out a long sigh. “Yeah, sure you did,” he said, his face forming a mocking smirk. "Haha, my friend… yeah, I might not be in the best state at the moment. I... err... " K replied with his trademark smile, but he dropped it mid-sentence, his eyes darting away.
"Davis, I’ll be real with you again. My soul isn’t in a good state, so my physical manifestation is slowly breaking and disappearing. From now on, I won’t be able to see, hear, or switch with you. So, try not to die while not I'm not around." K spoke with a low-pitched voice, his physical form slowly dissipating into nothingness.
From that night onwards, Davis didn’t hear from K at all. K's early wake-up calls and morning greetings were gone. Besides Rowan, who came to visit for a bit, all Davis had for company was Skye, whom he looked after with dedication.
A knock on the door awakened Davis from his sleep. His tired body turned towards the door and he saw Skye eagerly watching, barking to give Davis all the information he needed to determine who it was.
“Please give me a second, Miss, Linda” Davis got up and went to the door. He opened it to see Linda eagerly waiting for Skye. Next to her stood a muscular man, but after Davis glanced at his uniform, he recognized who the man was.
“Miss Linda, I hate to bother you, but I was wondering if you could look after Skye for a few days again,” Davis awkwardly smiled at her as he handed Skye over.
“Not at all, Mr. Davis. Skye has been such a good boy. Plus, having him around makes the customers a lot more comfortable because of his cuteness,” Linda replied, playfully stretching Skye’s face.
Davis waved goodbye to Linda and Skye before gesturing for the man to come in. “Yes, please pack everything up and bring it to the Celestial Academy and this dormitory,” he instructed. The man nodded and began packing Davis’s belongings with the care and efficiency of a professional.Top of Form
The man is a professional moving assistant whom Davis hired to help move all his belongings into his dormitory a few days ago. However, due to the high volume of requests from other students, they are currently very busy at this time every year.
Davis then goes to an appointed location for a long-delayed meeting, The Veltis Patriarch has been waiting for this meeting after the battle.
The results were published during Davis’s stay in the infirmary. Davis was ranked 1st in the written test, followed by Rachel and Kane. As for the practical test, Davis was ranked 2nd after Rowan. Behind Davis were Kane, Aaron, and Rachel…
Davis was escorted to a VIP room by the head butler, Kane Coslei. He sat patiently in the room, but his mind was racing. Though Davis was a business expert, when it came to this sort of situation, K always took the lead. Now, without K to handle the talking, Davis felt a bit nauseous at the thought of conversing with someone like the Veltis family patriarch.
Garrick Veltis entered the room, his aura emanating even more powerfully than when Davis had last seen him during the K's interaction. “I’m glad to see you've recovered from your injury, Mr. Davis,” Garrick said warmly, extending his arm in a friendly gesture.
“A-ah yes sir, I’m thankful for your concern” Davis awkwardly replied while trying to keep a straight face, “Today’s meeting is a very special one, do you know why I’m so happy to see you?” Garrick questions Davis about intention, raising an eyebrow while waiting patiently for a response.
“Is… Is it about our wager S-Sir?” Davis attempted to mimic K’s confident actions from memory, but lacking K’s assuredness, his gestures came across as forced and awkward. Of course, Garrick’s watchful eye didn't miss this detail.
“Ah, no need to be so tense, Mr. Davis,” Garrick chuckled, breaking the tension. “Our little wager is just one part of today's agenda. I'm here because I'd like to present my offer from our previous conversation.” Garrick laughed, shrugging off his earlier awkward movement.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Garrick didn’t know that Davis and K are two separate beings sharing the same body the only logical conclusion to make from Davi’s weird actions was due to his failure to rank 1ft in the practical test.
“If you hear me out, I’ve come up with an offer that I’m sure you’d like Mr. Davis” Garrick confidently spoke of his preparation for this conversation
“Please Sir, the ball is all yours Mr. Garrick” Davis nodded, his eyes intent as he urged the dialogue forward with a subtle gesture
With a snap of his fingers, Garrick summoned his butler, who presented a gold pendant of the Veltis family. “Mr. Davis, this is our family gold pendant,” Garrick explained. “My offer to you is this: by joining our family, you'll gain access to the exclusive perks that come with the territory.” With a charismatic smile, Garrick painted a vision of prosperity and success
Deep in contemplation, Davis requested Garrick to proceed with his proposal. “To begin,” Garrick elaborated, “we will fully support and assist you to the best of our ability. Your needs will become our top priority. Secondly, we will confer upon you a title of nobility from our family, which will greatly benefit you in the long run. And finally, for as long as you remain in Celestia, we will ensure your safety.”
“Of course as a friend, I wouldn’t be so narrow-minded to not let go of our wager,” Garrick assured, implying a friendly gesture between friends. His meaning was unmistakable by joining him, Davis would gain access to everything he desired. However, if Davis declined, he would owe Garrick for the wager that was initiated by K.
Seated in contemplation, Davis meticulously weighed his options. As he considered the potential outcomes, siding with Garrick emerged as the optimal course of action in every scenario he could envision.
He reaches out to grab the gold pendant, but he then thinks of it from another perspective “What would K do in this situation?” He thought to himself as he as his eye meticulously inspected the gold pendant.
Davis recalled a piece of advice from K, “If you're going to do something, do it with 100 percent certainty, even if it’s wrong. Remember, my friend, if you’re going to play for something, then play for the biggest prize of them all.” Reflecting on these words, Davis realized that K had always aimed for the grandest stakes. It was time for Davis to follow suit.Top of Form
After a prolonged moment of hesitation, Davis leaned back, releasing a sigh of relief before bursting into laughter. “Is that all?” he chuckled to himself. “Surely, my friend, you can do better than that, can't you?” Davis spoke with a newfound, unfounded confidence, his mannerisms mirroring K’s attitude, expressions, speech, and self-assured gestures.
As if a switch had been flicked inside Davis’s mind, he no longer concerned himself with weighing the pros and cons. Instead, he resolved to emulate whatever actions K would take if he were in control. “I’m sorry, Sir Garrick,” Davis declared with newfound resolve, “but if you wish to entice me into your faction, you'll have to do better than that.” With a laugh that mirrored K’s dismissive attitude towards massive proposals, Davis made it clear that Garrick's offer held little value to him.
“Look at the time, I should probably get going,” Davis chuckled as he rose from his seat. Garrick and the others were caught completely off guard by his sudden change in demeanor. They assumed he was simply toying with them, but Davis’s smile remained, devoid of any hint of guilt or manipulation. His expression was as innocent as could be.
“Oh, and for the record, Sir,” Davis interjected with a sly grin, “I didn't lose our little wager. You see, I did declare that I would achieve first place during the annual test. However, I never specified which test it was, nor did I ever state that I must secure first place in both tests to win, did I?” His words hung in the air, leaving Garrick to ponder the clever loophole Davis had exploited.
Garrick stood up, probing Davis about his apparent loophole. “If that's the case,” he questioned, “why didn't you claim your prize? Mr. Davis, you’re not the type to let such an opportunity slip away. So, why?” His words were deliberate, aimed at uncovering any fault in Davis's response and prolonging their interaction.
Davis remained unruffled by Garrick's inquiry. With an innocent yet playful tone and expression, he responded, “It’s quite simple. Since Sir Garrick was generous enough to waive the wager for my sake, I’m not so narrow-minded as to cling to such a victory. Consider it my friendly gesture in honor of our budding friendship.”
Davis deftly threw a jab at Garrick, employing the very logic Garrick preaches as goodwill. By fighting Garrick with his own words, Davis left him unable to refute or fully accept them. Throughout the entire conversation, Davis kept his arms mostly behind his back, a subtle yet deliberate stance that conveyed both confidence and carefree in the eye of Garrick and his butler.
Davis continues, his tone thoughtful. “As for your offer... I find myself in a dilemma. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been presented with similar offers by a few intriguing individuals. Now, I’m conflicted about whom I should align myself with.”
His statement was, of course, false. The other faction had only subtly hinted at Davis to join them, unlike Garrick, who had made a clear and direct proposal. However, Garrick wouldn't know this, and lacking any evidence to refute it, he would have to take Davis's words at face value.
“It’s been a rather enjoyable experience, Sir Garrick, but I must take my leave early to prepare for the Academy. Best of luck to you, Sir Garrick,” Davis bid farewell as he strolled out of the room at his leisure.
As soon as Davis was out of Garrick's sight, he released his grip on his arms. It became evident that he had been forcefully clasping them throughout the entire conversation with Garrick. While he displayed admirable confidence akin to K, deep down, Davis struggled to completely suppress the negative thoughts that had arisen during their interaction
Back at the restaurant, Garrick sat, sipping red wine, his thoughts swirling. "What do you think, Kane?” he inquired, seeking Kane's perspective, “It would pose a problem if the other pillars had already made their move,” Kane responded thoughtfully.
Garrick probed further, “And what's your opinion on this matter?”
After a moment of contemplation, Kane replied, “Our best course of action is either to win Mr. Davis over completely or to forgo recruiting him while maintaining our positive relationship with him.”
Garrick let out a long sigh as he thought about his earlier conversation, especially Davis’s weird attitude, “Davis, this boy is very intriguing indeed” Kane Coslei responded, “Indeed Sir, I too felt the sudden shift in Mr. Davis's demeanor”
Garrick murmured to himself, gently swirling the wine in his glass. “It’s almost as if I’m conversing with two different people...” he mused aloud. Turning to Kane, he issued a directive, “Kane, instructed Amy to ensure Davis's safety and to report back immediately if any other pillars encounter him. I have no intention of losing Davis to them.”
Kane bowed respectfully. “Yes, sir. I’ll notify Amy right away,” he affirmed before departing, leaving Garrick alone with his thoughts to ponder the next steps in securing Davis’s allegiance.
As Davis strolled down the street, he felt a sense of ease wash over him. The path ahead led to the Celestial Academy, where he would embark on the next chapter of his journey, honing his skills and expanding his knowledge in the years to come.