By the time Drake slipped back into the University dorms,the night had already deepened. The streetlights casted pale yellow lights through the windows. He pushed open the creaky door to his shared room,careful to make no noise.
Inside, the dorm looked exactly as it had when he left earlier. Caleb was sprawled across his bed with his headphones in, tapping away at his place,while Justin's soft snores filled the upper bunk. Max was back,and was sitting at his desk,as usual,his posture unnervingly straight,his eyes glued to a book.
Drake slipped his backpack down quietly and sat on his bed. A flicker of memory replayed in his head,- his battle with the thugs.
"Long day?" Caleb's voice cut through as he looked down at drake from the bunk. They were double bunks at each sides of the room, Caleb and Drake, Justin and Max.
Drake forced a smile."Yeah,just...got caught up outside."
Max finally shifted,closing his book with a soft thud. His eyes shifted towards Drake.
Drake froze, feeling like he could see through him."Damn, why's he looking at me that way? Creepy." Drake thought.
"The curfew's 11 remember, you're trying to get caught by security already?Campus stress is already enough." Max said calmly.
Drake let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and nodded playing along,"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks"
Caleb gave a light laugh, breaking the tension."Max actually caring about someone?That's rare. You should feel honored Drake."
Justin snorted,he had woken up a while ago,"Exactly, usually we're lucky if we get more than three words out him"
Even max smirked faintly at that.
The conversation soon drifted to small talks.And after a while they retired to bed. Drake pulled out his notebook and scribbled his thoughts.
- it was a risk to use bloodfang again in public, he needed to test it in an isolated place.
- Also the gold bars from that building.
"Right the gold bars",sitting up,he called out a gold bar from the inventory. The heavy block materialized with a faint shimer.
Clink!
The noise was louder than he expected.
Caleb's head popped down from the upper bunk." What the hell was that?"
Drake's heart skipped a beat.He quickly cupped the bar in both hands ,turning slightly so it wasn't visible." Dropped..... Uhh my power bank."
"Your power bank sounds like metal hitting wood?" Caleb frowned, suspicious.
Justin rolled over,propping himself on one elbow. His hair was a mess,but his eyes were sharp." Bro, don't tell me you're hiding snacks in there. Or worse,money from some shady side hustle."
Drake forced a laugh,sliding the gold bar back into the inventory with a thought.
"Relax. Just tech stuff. You wouldn't get it". The two exchanged a look but let it go,going back to sleep.
"That was close". Drake wiped his imaginary sweat. His thoughts drifted back to the gold.
It was enough to change his life." If I don't screw it up" he whispered.
But that was the problem. He couldn't just go into a bank with anonymous bars of gold.
Questions would follow and even the authorities might get involved.
Drake clenched his fists. I need a way to liquidate this carefully. Deciding to search online later he went to sleep.
The following day
Later that afternoon,Drake slipped away from campus,with his hoodie pulled up. The city streets bustled as usual,but his nerves kept him on edge. His phone screen glowed with an address he found after going through obscure platforms.
He arrived at a pawnshop tucked between a laundromat and a boarded up bookstore. The flickering neon lights read: Marcel's Antiques and curios.
Pulling the doors open, he was greeted with the sight of glass cases which displayed watches, jewelry,and even tarnished silverware. The shop also smelled of old wood and polish. Behind the counter stood a stocky man who looked to be in his late forties.His eyes sharp and calculating as soon as they landed on Drake.
"You buying or selling?" The man asked,his voice gravelly.
Drake hesitated,then set down his backpack
"Selling. Something valuable."
The man raised a brow." Let's see what you've got."
Drake had put the bars in his backpack earlier so as not to raise alarms if they popped out of nowhere. With a steady breath, Drake unzipped the bag just enough to flash a corner of one bar. Even that one glimpse made the man stiffen. He quickly motioned drake towards the back room.
The back office was cramped,cluttered with old furniture and a safe in the corner. The man gestured for Drake to place the gold on the desk. When the first bar hit the wood with a solid thud, the man's eyes widened.
"... Son,this is no pawnshop trinket. Where'd you get this?"
Drake's heart thumped."Inherited", the lie came smoothly, though his palms were sweaty."My family left it behind".
The man studied him for a moment,then leaned back." Gold like this? You sure you want to part with it ?"
"Yes", Drake said firmly." But there shouldn't be any records and I want cash only."
The man smirked, scratching his beards."risky business.But doable. I'll pay below market value naturally. Safety costs."
Drake swallowed his frustrations. He had no bargaining position." How much?"
The man scribbled a number on a slip of paper and slid it across the desk.
Drake's eyes widened. Still a small fortune compared to what he had been living on. Enough to cover tuition,his sister's medical bills and more.
After a tense silence he nodded." Deal one bar for now."
The man locked the gold away, then handed Drake a thick envelope filled with cash. The weight of it nearly matched the gold bar itself.
"Come back when you're ready to sell more",the man said,his eyes gleaming." But remember,kid...gold draws attention".
That night Drake sat in his dorm bed, thinking about the envelope hidden in his inventory. It was real cash. He couldn't help the small grin tugging at his lips. The origin system, Blood fang, and now the gold....the world was slowly bending in his favour....
"🩵🩵🩵"