Celestial University: A Bully Romance

Chapter 45: Return to Celestial

Sehki and Madam's final bouts of training resulted in learning to retract and fight alongside his shadow now that he could jump, sprint, leap, lunge, roll, squat, and kick more effectively in what few days they had together.

During an attack where she had expected him to cover himself in his shadow to block her heat shaped sword barrage flying in at all angles, he panicked, sliding into his shadow and speeding around the room until he jumped out.

"I can shadow dive?"

"That I can't help you with, you're going to have to figure that out on your own."

The penultimate day he was at the shop, Luan let him take it easy as he helped everyone around the Bistro, while she tested Damien's ability to smell.

Sehki kept on his washed disguise, deciding to use it as his alter ego for now, packing his bags as Ludan gave him all the money he earned.

"Really? But I'm a freeloader. I'm just grateful for all the training."

"Even though it was glorified labor," she joked.

"It helped," hoping back and forth. Bethany was right: his body felt faster, stronger, able to process better. This is what he needed.

Damien jumped inside of his bag, while he called the other workers.

"Nikki, Asa, Elaine, Damocles, Bridget, Rachel, Diaz, Brent, Vicki, Kurenai, thank you all from the bottom of my heart."

Each of them gave their own forms of welcome, with Elaine, Nikki, and Bridget giving him the warmest...and hardest of hugs.

"Can't you stay a little longer. You're like our little mascot."

"Go out there and whoop those fae heir's asses!"

"We hope you find your brother."

"Thanks for all the foreplay script ideas."

He blushed, scratching the back of his head. "I'll come to visit, I promise, and if I win the Mightathlon, I know exactly which company I'm shouting out."

"Still, with a few more weeks-"

"It's okay Madam, you've done so much. Now it's time to put all that training into practice. I'll find some peers to help me practice the other elements more consistently, but," pointing to his shadow bowing. "We'll get there. I'm not alone, and I won't forsake this world again."

After a heartfelt breakfast and his departure, Madam looked at a group picture they all took together, another with her and Calypsa, and one the latter asked of her to keep with him from when they visited with the heirs.

"Eighty-eight legends, please watch over them," she prayed.

Sehki used some of the cash he earned to flag down a Auriga taxi back to Celestial. His first response was to get some food for him and Damien before anyone could ask questions.

Returning to the deciduous forest, perfect for him to hide in the shadows, he hid from his would-be murderer's cronies, finding students in the midst of vandalizing his dorm. Grinning, he slid into the ground, distorting his sound to scare them all into fleeing.

Damien was about to bark when he shook his head. "They're not working on it," staring at the graffiti. Traitor, liar, murderer, criminal, tyrant, and demon king were all present on the walls.

"Well I'll take the last two," deciding on at least one person he was ready to recruit. For now, the two waited until everyone started coming out for class, including the heirs walking together.

"Remember the plan, play dead."

Damien lightly barked as he practiced pulling them both into the shadows, racing through the courtyard near the dining hall and resting him on the road where he lied. The heirs stopped to watch the hound while Sehki popped his head in bushes shaped after a bull to see their responses.

The best way to know if a sociopath has any redeemable qualities is to see if they'll help out a dog in need.

I know that because it worked on me, guilty he was using Damien for that.

Predictably, Rigal brushed it aside and Taylor gave it just a glance Ainsley picked it up, caressing it, but twitched, resting it down before they joined the other two.

And the least empathetic of all, he thought as Xia let open a palm of flame, only to see her checking and waiting, as if she wanted to see if he was alive. Vena and Vital picked Damien up, also using their flames to make fire bones, and small fireballs he quickly tried grabbing for.

"He's okay, and he's so adorable!"

"Can we keep him?"

"You know we can't," he heard Xia say.

"But we're not home technically."

"Just find his owner or something."

Sehki saw Damien jump off their hand and run to him, forcing him to jump out and catch him. "I was looking for you," acting sincere as the siblings showed up in front of him.

"Is he yours?"

That's when he remembered their story about their last pet, watching Damien's head shift to him and them, sighing.

Stupid empathy, fine. "He's um-a stray I found in a bad spot. I've been taking care of him for about two weeks. I'm guessing-"

"Can we keep him," Vena begged. "I mean, just babysit him."

"We can't just take it from him."

Damien started to whimper. Sehki relented.

"Take him. But Damien, if anything happens, you come back to me, okay?"

"Thank you so much," Vena and Vital bursted out loud before making a bunch of dog shaped treats and toys for Damien to follow with, who barked a whip of fire at him before leaving him.

"That's a shame, he seemed into you."

"Thanks," backing away once he recognized the voice. "Calypsa?"

"I didn't know you went to Celestial," flabbergasted to see him again.

What did Asa and Elaine say-right, stay calm and just think of something quick. "I lived off campus for a bit but my partner kinda made it hard to stay there. So um, I kinda worked there to get enough to stay for a bit."

"Glad Madam helped you out. Just remember what I told you."

Don't let anyone walk over you. And that includes you. "Right."