The next day, after finishing their online classes and eating lunch, the six of them strolled along the shore to check out the beach and watch the fishing boats catching fish in the designated zone connected to the city harbor. Gary invited the others to board his family’s yacht and head out to sea. When Dennis passed by the villa from last night, he stopped for a mont and looked back, then continued walking while gripping his smartphone inside his shorts pocket.
He glanced at Daisy Number Seven walking beside him, then took his phone from his shorts pocket and began scrolling through articles about a ntal illness called Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)—a condition where a person has a primary personality and several other personalities with different thoughts, like other versions of themselves or alter egos. The cause is often rooted in severe, repetitive childhood trauma, such as physical and social abuse.
Dennis rembered seeing what happened to Daisy’s sister in the villa yesterday—or perhaps what had actually happened to Daisy herself, considering the sister’s face looked exactly like a fourteen or fifteen-year-old version of Daisy.
"Hmm... there’s a chance that last night I actually saw Daisy and what happened to her... I need to talk to Daisy Number One, the primary, to find out for sure. But I have to be careful; talking about her childhood trauma certainly won’t be easy for her... but there’s no other way besides talking to her one-on-one," Dennis muttered in his heart, clearly feeling a bit disturbed.
"What are you doing, dear? What are you reading?" Daisy Number Seven asked.
Dennis turned and was a bit startled to see Daisy staring at him, leaning her head in to see what he was reading on his smartphone. Dennis imdiately turned off the screen and tucked it back into his pocket, then he took Daisy’s hand and smiled.
"It’s nothing, I was just looking for a list of houses that we might be able to afford," Dennis answered, dodging the question.
"Oh... do you want to move out of our dorm apartnt?" Daisy Number Seven asked, sounding confused.
"Not anyti soon, I’m just planning for the future... five years down the road," Dennis answered, dodging the subject once again.
"Oh, so that’s what you an. Okay, I get it. You really have changed from the version of yourself that had no will to live, haven’t you?" Daisy Number Seven murmured, smiling as she linked her arm with Dennis’s.
"Well... I couldn’t exactly stay stuck in the dark forever, could I," Dennis muttered. "Did you forget that last night you asked to save this world from darkness? That was Daisy’s sister talking through her... or sothing else, I don’t know. And I have no idea if she ant the actual world or herself... though I do know this world is indeed being swallowed by darkness," Dennis muttered inside his head.
They kept walking. Dennis watched Gary, who was walking hand-in-hand with Olivia, chatting with Jason as he walked beside him with his arm around Kimberly in front of him. Then, he looked back at Daisy Number Seven beside him, who was hugging his arm and disguising herself as Daisy Number One.
"Hmm... that ans this evening it’ll be Daisy Number One’s turn—the primary—to co out. I’ll talk to her tonight... it’s not that I want to get rid of the other six personalities... I’m just curious about what happened to her and if I can help her. The other six personalities have incredible powers that could help if I really do have to save this world... who knows. To be honest, I’m too lazy to be thinking like this," Dennis muttered inside his head.
After a leisurely ten-minute walk along the beach, they finally reached the city harbor. They headed straight onto the pier and walked down the dock toward Gary’s yacht. Dennis could see many fishing boats moored along the edge, but there were also plenty of vessels like yachts and small boats used by the wealthy for partying or vacationing out at sea. Then, Dennis turned to Gary.
"Gary, what are we actually going to do out in the middle of the water on a yacht?" Dennis asked.
"Oh... I’m planning on doing so snorkeling to see the reefs, and we can swim in the open water too. Don’t worry, there aren’t any predatory or dangerous fish around here," Gary answered.
"He’s right. In a sea that looks like an aquarium like this one, there aren’t any weird fish. All the fish here are preserved as a food source for humans, so it’s definitely safe. It’s actually quite fun," Olivia added.
"I guess we really are on vacation," Dennis muttered.
"What are you talking about, man? We told you from the start we were on vacation... while training to face the upperclassn when school starts. Besides, starting tomorrow we have two days off for the city’s anniversary," Jason replied.
"Yeah, exactly. Why don’t you just relax? Enjoy our vacation," Kimberly added.
"Hehe... sorry. He’s a bit tense, you guys know that, right? He didn’t have friends before, so all of this is new to him. Please understand," Daisy Number Seven interjected.
"Oh, that’s true. Sorry, man. Bottom line is, just relax," Gary said.
"Okay, sorry if I’m being a bit stiff," Dennis replied.
"It’s no problem, man. The important thing is that we have a good ti now," Gary said.
"Alright, thanks for inviting ," Dennis replied.
"Okay, we’re here," Olivia announced.
Dennis looked over and saw a yacht. It wasn’t massive, but it was plenty big enough to comfortably hold a family of about ten. The design was modern, featuring a wide deck at the bow, a cabin below deck, and a bridge area at the stern with a back deck that was small but cozy. Seeing the yacht right in front of him made Dennis freeze for a second. Then, Daisy leaned in close to him.
"I’ve never been on a boat like this before," Daisy whispered.
"Sa here. In fact, this is the first ti in my life I’ve even seen a yacht up close," Dennis whispered back.
Finally, they stepped onto the deck at Gary and Olivia’s request. They headed straight into the bridge, and Gary imdiately fired up the engines.
"Wow... you know how to pilot a yacht, bro?" Jason asked.
"Well... everyone in my family can," Gary answered casually.
"Wooo... cool... but is it safe?" Jason asked.
"Are you doubting my skills, huh?" Gary asked sharply.
"Take it easy, okay? He’s experienced. I’ve been out with just the two of us plenty of tis," Olivia added, backing up her husband.
"Must be nice, Olivia, having done this before. Later, when you head west to the mountain region, I’ll return the favor and host you there," Kimberly said.
"Deal. I’ve actually wanted to experience farm life like yours," Olivia replied.
Gary began moving the boat after untying the lines that secured it to the pier. After that, the four of them turned to look at Dennis and Daisy, who were being unusually quiet.
"Hey... why are you two so silent?" Gary asked.
"It’s nothing, just taking in a new sensation," Dennis answered with a smile.
"Yep, exactly. Sorry if we’re being a bit tacky, hehe," Daisy Number Seven added.
"Don’t worry about it. This is my first ti on a boat like this too," Jason said.
"Tell about it. I’m just as tacky since this is my first ti on a boat like this; now, if it’s a tractor, I’m on those all the ti," Kimberly added.
"That’s great then; this is a new experience for all of you. Now, let’s have so fun," Olivia said as she pulled off her uniform, revealing the bikini she was wearing underneath.
They eventually relaxed and began taking off their uniforms to show their swimwear. Dennis and Jason walked over to Gary to learn how to control and steer the yacht. anwhile, Olivia, Kimberly, and Daisy sat on the back deck, watching the boat move further and further away from the harbor.
Dennis occasionally glanced back to watch Daisy Number Seven, who was posing as Daisy Number One and wearing only a bikini. Daisy seed completely relaxed chatting with Olivia and Kimberly; she was even laughing freely without a care in the world, certainly not looking like soone who had suffered a trauma.
"Hmm... if she were traumatized by what happened last night, it’s obvious she would be triggered by us going out to sea like this, or at the very least she’d show so sign of it... but she’s perfectly calm... is it because she’s currently using her seventh alter ego, and things would be different if the primary were out? For now, I’ll just leave it be; there’s no need to rush the investigation. But I’m so curious and I really want to help her... even if one day she might hate when she wakes up from her condition... I’ll take that risk," Dennis said inside his head while pretending to learn from Gary and keeping an eye on Daisy.
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