Kings On The Horizon (Vol. 4-6) ✓

226 | Grey

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IT'S BEEN THREE DAYS since the crowning ceremony that was held at the Sinclaire Stadium. After the tiring 5-day reranking, the association gave the students a three-day break, so Max chose this opportunity to stay at home to clear his head before returning to school tomorrow.

     "Is this everything?" Max asks, checking a couple of documents while sitting at the edge of their pool.

     "Yes, Master Leigh. They just need you to sign the proposal, and then we'll send it to Sir Jean for approval," Étienne, Max's loyal butler, explains as he stands behind Max.

     Max stares at the document and reads through it carefully. He could have easily declined this since he was on a break, but since Étienne decided to disrupt his peace like always, Max decided to just take it seriously to get it over with.

     "Looks like this was another wasted attempt. You ruined my break for nothing. I'm not gonna sign it," Max says after reading through the document, making Étienne sigh even though he already expected such a response. "The overall proposal needs a little work, and I can't even understand the data chart. I'm giving them two days to revise everything. If they can't do it, they might as well throw this out and think of a new one. If they're having a hard time, tell them to email me."

     Max handed the document back, and Étienne couldn't help but look at his master with disbelief. If this were the old Max, he would have shouted at Étienne and maybe even cursed at him and the employees who dared give him a shitty proposal. But Max was completely different now. It was clear that he was changing for the better.

     "I'll relay the message as soon as possible," Étienne replies, bowing his head and walking away.

     As soon as Étienne left, Max took a deep breath and stood back up. "I can't even escape work at the company. Maybe I should have just visited yesterday instead of wasting my time at home," Max tells himself as he walks toward the edge of the pool before looking down at the water. He stares at his reflection and then takes a deep breath when he sees the look in his eyes.

     "Have they always looked this troubled?" He then whispers. But while Max was staring, the reflection suddenly changed, and like the time at the restroom, Grey's image appeared in front of him, startling him. Max takes a step back, but as soon as a leaf falls, the water ripples and the image instantly disappears.

     "Shit, Grey. Why are you haunting me like this?"

     The wind blew on Max, almost like someone answered him. But after a while, Max decides to brush it off. He removes his shirt, and right after, he dives in and starts swimming lapses, trying to clear his head after the unsettling encounters he had with his dead friend, as well as the provoking things that Payton told him on the phone.

     What does she know? What is she planning? Why is she doing all this?

     Such questions instantly made Max stop swimming. But as soon as he got up from the pool, he spotted a pair of feet in front of him. He looks up and sees Marcus looking down at him with a bright smile. "Hey, little brother," he greets, showing his hand to Max so he can grab it. Once Max took his hand, Marcus pulled him up and instantly draped a towel around his neck.

     "You seem lively," Max answers as he dries his hair with the towel.

     "Well, even if it's temporary, and even if I know we don't really deserve the title, my brotherhood still became the prince the other day, so I'm a little happy. At least before I graduate, I can proudly say that we ranked up," Marcus explains, making Max smile.