The Shadow Within Me

Chapter Twenty Seven - Unknown

Crystal Raine Meadows

"Hey, are you guys alright?" I asked the moment I got there in their position, so they flinched before looking at me intently.

They looked surprised that I was here, "Crystal, you're here, are you okay?" Liam worriedly asked, so I slowly nodded my head at them, slightly confused.

"Y-Yeah, I am completely fine, is there something wrong?" I raised my eyebrows at them as they gazed at my shirt from the front.

My eyes peered at my shirt and were astounded seeing lots of blood in it even on my arms and legs, so this is why they asked me if I was alright?

"O-Oh um, this isn't my blood, these are the blood of many mortals and human dragons I gave first aid to," I explained, so those two boys sighed in relief.

"We got worried for a moment, don't scare us like that," Liam worriedly said, so I just smiled because I appreciated their concerns and stared at their current conditions.

Liam has scratches and small wounds on his arms and legs while Rowen has a large wound on his arms and legs.

I sighed before glancing at Jenny, who looks like she's stopping herself from bursting out, "You guys are fine, let me do some first aid too," I suggested, so they both just nodded at me.

"Jenny," I called her to pull her back to her senses before she flinched, "Get me some herbs and ointments, I'll give them first aid, they're fine, okay?" I reassured her, so she sighed before nodding at me as she left.

I watched her leave and sighed before scratching the back of my head, I managed to pull her off her overthinking thoughts.

"Thank you, Crystal," I was startled when Rowen spoke, "I don't want her to worry that much, so thank you for being there for her," he sincerely said, so I just smiled.

"Of course, Jenny is very special to me," I beamed before helping them up, "Let's move you guys to a more comfortable place," I suggested, so they just obliged as I took them near a less crowded place.

Jenny immediately came back, so I started tending on their wounds. Luckily, these two guys didn't get much damage, "You two will be fine, you can go to the hospital now and rest," I mumbled before cleaning some stuff that I used for their wounds together with Jenny. Those two looked serious for a moment.

"I don't want to go there, I have to go check up on my family," Rowen tried to stand up, but his body was too weak to do it, so Liam helped him stand up.

"They were taken to the other District," Liam informed, so Jenny frowned before glaring at him. This is not good.

"Will you just rest for hours? We're already worried about you, can't you have some consideration?" Jenny started gripping her hands, she's controlling her anger.

Rowen averted his gaze at her, "I-I just don't want to sit tight here and be worried about their states, I want to see what's wrong with them," Rowen firmly said, so Jenny just stubbornly shook her head.

"Stay here, I'll go check up on them, you stay here and rest with Liam, or we are not talking for many months," she threatened before turning her backs on us.

"J-Jenny! Wait!" I was about to come after her when she stopped and looked at me intently, that's the terrifying Jenny that I know.

"And you, go home, you've had enough tonight, you're tired, so you have to eat and rest," she ordered, so I stopped before playing with my fingers.

"Also," she ran towards me and gave me a tight hug, which surprised me for a moment, "Thank you for treating him and everyone today," she whispered as she ran away from me.

I exhaled a lungful of air before sighing, she was just so worried about everyone today. I hope she'll be fine.

"Don't worry, Rowen, she'll be fine," I glanced at them from behind before smirking, Rowen looked bothered about Jenny leaving, "She'll come back here with information," I reassured him, so he just sighed.

"Now I'll also be worried about her," he sounded upset and stressed out, so I just nodded like I understood what he meant.

"Jenny's so worried about you, she's been fighting off guards here just to check up on you," I informed him, so he stopped before staring at the vast night sky.

"That would be really her," he chuckled before sighing, "I just hope that she won't worry that much, I'm fine," Rowen insisted, so Liam just patted his back.

"She just loves you that much for her to worry like that," he comforted his friend, Rowen surprisingly blushed while shaking his head.

He looked at me this time, "You have to go home too like what she said, we'll be fine here thanks to your first aid," he sincerely said, so I just bit my lower lip before nodding.

"F-Fine, you guys are sure that you'll be alright here huh?" I asked, so they reassured me that they're going to be fine.

I can't argue with them anymore because they keep on insisting my clothes are filled with blood and I have to wash them at home, so I have no other choice but to leave.

It didn't take me a while to get home because I'm just in the center of the Ruby District a while ago. After I opened the main gates, I was greeted by the worried faces of Kuya Draven and Ate Kathy.

"C-Crystal! What happened to you?!" Ate Kathy ran over to check up on me, "Why do you have so much blood?! Are you alright?" she started panicking, so I just smiled before shaking my head at them.

"These are not my blood okay? I-I just helped do first aid there," I thoroughly explained, so they sighed in relief before inviting me inside.

"You shouldn't scare us like that, Crystal, we were so worried about you," Ate Kathy scolded me, so I just bit my lower lip before lowering my head.

"I'm sorry, this won't happen again, it's just that Jenny's mate lives in the Diamond District, so I just have to be there for her," I explained, so Ate Kathy just sighed.

"I see, well, have you seen your parents?" she asked, so I was startled for a moment before shaking my head.

I haven't thought about seeing them there because of what happened a while ago, but they were there?

"N-No, I didn't see them," I stuttered, so Ate Kathy just stared at me. She looks worried about me more this time.

"That's good I guess, or else you'll be not having breakfast again," she reminded me of my horrible past, so I just looked at her intently.

"B-But, I-I... I'm much better than before," I firmly said while gripping my hands, but Ate Kathy just shook her head at me.

"Clean yourself up, we'll be having dinner okay? Trevy's already asleep," she informed me, so I have no other choice but to clean myself.

It took me a while to remove some blood on my arms and legs. It stinks, but I'm just glad that I helped a lot of people today.

After taking a bath, I ate dinner together with Kuya Draven and Ate Kathy who's scolding me about a lot of things, but I didn't mind because she's just worried about me.

That night was not peaceful because Ate Kathy didn't leave me alone until she assured herself that I'm alright. Kuya Draven came to save my butt and drag Ate Kathy inside of their room.

I stayed in my room to think about a lot of moments that have happened tonight. I'm just so glad that I helped a lot of people today and...didn't see my parents.

Before I could dwell more on that, my mind reminded me of what happened between me and Calyx a while ago. I couldn't help but blushed as I was reminded of how he stared at me a while ago.

It wasn't cold and overbearing, his stares felt like he was curious about me, it's just weird how oddly I try to understand him sometimes.

Shaking my head, I stood up and went to my study table to check on the big red book I borrowed from our legends.

It's the advanced book of the dragon languages, I just shrugged and decided to study that night because I couldn't sleep.

***

Three days have passed, classes are still not advised to be upheld, so Calyx decided to take advantage of it as he sent a bird to give me a message the night that I've decided to study the languages of dragons.

"Let's train before classes start again," that was the message that I have received, there's no name on the front even at the last part of his message.

But I could tell who it was, given how cold it felt. Plus, he's also stupid enough not to put someplace where we could meet, so I assumed he probably wants to train at the enchanted forest before.

And I was right at the enchanted forest meeting place. It's been three days since I've been starting to train for the whole day and surprisingly, something's changing a lot.

"Woman, try to jump at that root, hey woman!" I think I'm starting to be better, unlike the first time I tried this.

"Hey, woman!" Plus, I think Calyx and I are starting to get along well, though I'm still not used to his cold attitude.

I didn't hear what Calyx said and tripped that root, "A-Ahh!" my face hit the ground as I grunted because of pain.

"Now that's your fault, you're not paying attention again," he hissed before deciding to offer his hands to help me up.

"You'll be dead if you keep not paying attention to what's right in front of you," he scolded, so I just sighed before accepting his hands.

The sparks bothered me for a moment, but I didn't mind it as I immediately brushed off some dirt and dust on my training clothes.

"Can't we have a little rest? I've been running for like five hours already," I complained, but he didn't mind me as he went to Flash's place.

That small red dragon is watching us train while he's resting, so I paced over there and squatted to level his eyes.

"Hey, how are you?" I asked, but Flash didn't answer me, so I shook my head before deciding to use the language I learned last night.

"Hey, how are you?" I stated in a different tone, so Flash's eyes widened. That expression is so priceless!

"You can speak dragon language?" I almost flinched when Calyx asked, so I relaxed for a moment before answering him.

"Only a few, but I can read ancient scripts with dragon languages well now," I gloated, so he raised his eyebrows like he's amused at me.

"I see," he replied before fixing some of his stuff, being alone with Calyx for three days feels like it's been forever.

He's not the type to talk a lot, but if I did something wrong, he points out a lot of mistakes that I did. He's surprisingly trying to get along with me too.

Even if he doesn't tell me, I could tell that he's trying to be nice, which I highly appreciated. He's not that bad at all, he just has some issues in life.

"Why do you not live with your parents?" I stopped when he asked that question, so I slowly looked at him and he's just staring at me intently while holding a bottle of water in his hands.

"I-I...why do you want to ask that?" I curiously asked because it's unusual for him to ask such personal questions.

"I've seen them back there in the Diamond District, they look nothing like you," he claimed, so I raised my eyebrows for a moment.

Is he one of those people who's going to judge me because of my parent's abilities that I don't have? I don't know why I suddenly got uncomfortable for a moment.

"I-I just don't want to, I don't want to be with them, we're really different because of their abilities huh?" I nervously claimed before looking at him, so he glared at me.

"No, they're pretty much cold unlike you, you're aura is different from them, you're like the sun because it's warm," he mumbled, so my eyes widened.

H-He wasn't talking about the abilities? I just sighed in relief before shaking my head, "Says the one who's the blizzard himself," I commented before smirking.

"So you also had a family problem huh?" he claimed before drinking his bottle of water, so I wondered for a moment.

He had a family problem before? I stared at him intently, that's right, he has a lot of issues I haven't heard about.

I was about to ask a question when he stood up and placed the bottle near the stone, "Let's go train, we don't have all day," he persuaded before sprinting towards the tracks he set up for me.

I secretly smiled before following him from behind. I clutched to my chest, these unknown feelings inside of me are pushing me to get to know him better. I just shrugged and focused on our training.

To be continued...