Where the dye touched, his silver hair began to darken, the color bleeding through the strands. Silver became grey, grey became brown, brown deepened into the rich chestnut-auburn he had chosen.

The thirty seconds felt long as his fingers massaged the dye into his scalp carefully. The tingling and the warm sensation that the instructions had warned about were there.

When the time was up, he rinsed thoroughly under the shower, watching the water run clear almost immediately. Unlike normal dye, there was no staining, no residual color bleeding out.

The dye had already set.

Neville toweled his hair dry and stared at his reflection.

The silver was gone. In its place was that rich chestnut-auburn shade, warm and natural-looking. His hair still had that wild, slightly messy quality, but everything else looked similar to his original hair, just a little darker.

He could live with this.

Not too far from him, he could still hear Shelly introducing several products as if it were a flash advertisement.

"Stop," Neville finally said, holding up a hand. "Just... stop. I get it. The system mall has everything. Wonderful. Fantastic."

[Shelly is just trying to be helpful! (︶︿︶)] Shelly dejectedly said.

Neville sighed, his irritation deflating slightly. It wasn’t Shelly’s fault. But there was a time and place for this stuff, and now was not that time.

Neville spent the next thirty minutes styling his hair to what he used to look like. He deliberately tousled his hair to look like it could pass as intentional bedhead. He slipped on his nerd glasses, checked his appearance one final time, and nodded in satisfaction.

[You look very handsome, host!] Shelly praised as she floated next to him. [Very natural! Just like how you used to look!]

"That’s good."

Neville glanced at the time displayed on his light brain: 1:30 PM. If he left now, he could make it by the time the workers were back on their workstations. He gathered his things, checked his appearance one last time, and stepped out of the doorway.

Three steps from his door, disaster struck.

Neville’s foot caught on something soft and solid. He went down hard, knees hitting the carpeted floor with a muffled thud that sent pain shooting up his legs.

"What the—" The words died in his throat as he looked down on what tripped him over.

Coiled in a perfect spiral right in the middle of his doorway lay a snake. Not just any snake, this creature’s scales gleamed like polished obsidian.

With the light shining in the hallway, it looked like a plastic snake placed perfectly as a prank. Upon closer look, you could see its body rising and falling as if breathing.

[Oh my!] Shelly exclaimed.

’You’re still here?’ Neville deadpanned.

[You didn’t tell me to go host.] Shelly huffed, indignant—then suddenly gasped. [Is that a snake?!]

’Seems like it.’ Neville answered half-heartedly because it was obviously a snake.

Shelly began her curiosity while Neville observed this little snake with his eyes. It was still peacefully asleep as if he hadn’t just tripped over it. Thinking back, he felt a little guilty about it.

[Based on its color and characteristics, it seems like it was a variation of a Mexican Black Kingsnake. It’s probably a mutated version because this was the interstellar era, but still! That even color distribution was so rare even back on Earth!]

"A—what now?" Neville muttered under his breath, crouching down carefully.

He glanced around the empty walkway. At this hour, most employees were already at their desks or having lunch. No one in sight might have dropped off this exotic pet randomly.

The snake remained motionless. Too motionless.

Was it dead? But he was sure it was still breathing.

Neville leaned closer, squinting.

No visible injuries. No signs of trauma. Just peacefully sleeping in front of his doorway.

Shelly continued to blab, [Mexican Black Kingsnakes are constrictors, host! Non-venomous! Generally has a docile temperament! But, um, that one’s definitely an interstellar variant, so— ]

’Shelly.’

[Just saying! It’s probably safe! ...Probably.]

Neville’s tone dropped a notch. ’Shelly.’

[...Yes, host?]

’Just shut up and go.’

[Right! Gone! Totally going now!]

Shelly’s voice trailed off, suspiciously fast but still muttering under its breath about "perfectly harmless serpents" as the link cut out.

As if sensing that Shelly was gone, the snake’s coils moved slightly. Neville jerked back, nearly losing his balance again. But the creature didn’t strike or flee. Instead, its head that was previously hidden beneath its loops emerged with an almost languid grace.

Both of its eyes opened.

It was silver.

Bright, molten, metallic silver.

Neville’s brain stopped working for a second.

Those eyes looked extremely familiar. Like someone he knew very well.

"No way," he whispered.

Even though there were beastmen in the interstellar era, it was impossible to be him.

Because Grayson was a human.

The snake tilted its head when he spoke.

Could snakes even do that?

Regardless, it looked intelligent for a pet.

Was it a beastman?

Suddenly, it moved. It uncoiled itself and slithered forward.

Neville should have scrambled backward. He should have run at the sight of this snake. He should have done literally anything other than remain perfectly still as the snake approached him.

But those silver eyes didn’t leave his. It mesmerized him like Grayson had always done.

Before he could even process what was happening, he could already feel the cold scales sliding against his skin as the little snake wrapped itself around his leg.

The sensation was nothing like he had expected. Instead of feeling gross and slimy, its scales were clean, smooth, and dry. It felt really pleasant against his pants.

The little black snake made two complete loops around his calf before resting its head against his knee. It raised its little head and stared back at him.

Uwaahh~ How could a snake be this cute?!

It tilted its head again.

And—Cough

Neville snapped himself back to reality and stared at the little black snake on his leg. It wasn’t just the silver eyes anymore, its scales resembled that of Grayson’s hair color.

"So much like him..." He uttered absentmindedly.