The Shadow Within Me

Chapter One - Nightmare

Calyx Nyxerian Paraiso

My eyes sprung open, it didn’t surprise me that the shadows were lurking everywhere, it’s like my world was sketched in charcoal. There are no windows where I can peek into to watch if there are still stars, sun, and the moon.

I have never been a fan of darkness, that’s what I was sure of when I was young, but I grew up being used to it because I don’t have any other choice.

Witnessing dreadful, dull colors wherever I glance pisses me off as if I was blind myself, the only companion that I have here is those bats, spiders, snakes, and those crows that I don’t freaking know if they’re around me somewhere.

The darkness continued to embrace me after walking on this familiar eerie path again. Deep inside, I know that this is the place where I was born, where I’ve been living with my so-called mother and my dad.

I was pacing down a dark narrow hallway that I don't know if it has an end, it's making me uneasy as I hear eerie noises from around my surroundings. Where am I? Why am I here again? Take me out from here...

“I don’t like it here,” I blurted out while fiddling with my fingernails, realizing that I wasn’t in my form as an adult, but a child who’s lost in this never-ending darkness.

If silence was the reason why people are deaf then I would probably be one of them now, trying to understand things just by seeing, but how can I do that either? Everything is dark, eerie, and sullen.

“But you like it here,” that voice amplified the ringing static in my ears, using my pale hands to block my ears entirely.

“You chose to be here, Calyx,” that sinister voice made me want to puke as I knelt to my knees because it was painful.

“S-Stop, please I don’t like it here,” I begged, black blood gushing out of my mouth that horrified me for a moment.

The sinister laugh kept ringing on my ears until I felt some warm hands softly nudging my shoulders, waking me up from another nightmare.

“Cal, Cal! Wake up please! Cal! Hey! Cal! Wake up!” she continued shaking my shoulders violently this time.

“Y-You’re having a nightmare again,” I heard her whisper so the lids of my eyes slowly opened, tears were flowing but my expression probably remained blank.

The emerald eyes of my twin sister were filled with worry and grief, f**k it, I’ve got her worried again. She’s the only light I’m clinging onto aside from my Uncle, making her upset would probably kill me.

I don’t know when I got this trait, just right after I saw her back then, my infant memories came flooding, my heart was telling me that she’s my lost twin. I don’t want her to be in danger from that day forward, but dad and her other wife were controlling me.

“I-I’m sorry,” I sighed before motioning my body to level her eyes. I stared at her tummy and it’s bigger than usual, she’s pregnant with Ash Flynn Lux’s twins, “But, I’m fine so don’t worry about me,” I smiled, but she immediately glared at me.

“Cal, please how many times do I have to tell you that you can open up to me? We’re family here,” she argued and I hate it when she uses the term family, it makes me feel guilty as hell.

“It’s been a while since you’ve gotten those nightmares…” she sighed before frowning, “I thought I healed you from that,” she sounded more depressed than usual.

This is why I sometimes hate living here together with them, she always worries about me and it's not good for her to be always like that.

Though I'm not really complaining about how she nags me like that, it just tells me how much she cares for me despite the horrible and good times that we've experienced after all those wars have ended.

"Hailey, come on, I'm alright...plus it's not good for you to worry too much," I stood up before stretching some of my joints.

"You already healed me from that, but those nightmares won't disappear that quickly," I firmly stated, so she frowned at me.

"Cal...nightmares are bad for you, you know that right? You're having panic attacks and I don't like you to see you that way ever again," she mumbled, so I stared at her emerald eyes.

I almost wanted to smile because it's full of worries and love, which I didn't receive from my past step and real parents before.

My feet paced towards her and hugged her side, "Hailey, I know how worried you are for me and I really appreciate it, and as I said, I'm fine," I grunted before scratching the back of my head.

"Nope, no you're not," she insisted, so I sighed while shaking my head at her presence. She never changed, I wonder how stubborn she is towards Ash? I'm glad that he's been really patient with her.

"You might get those twins worrying inside your tummy," I joked, just to put her at ease so she just frowned at me.

"Why won't you just look for your mate?" she mentioned that M word again that I don't like to hear as of this moment. Why can't they understand that I don't have time for that yet?

"She might help you get rid of those, plus! It's almost the time of the year! A new school year is about to come, are you ready to attend it?" she asked, so I complained about her statement.

"Why can't you guys leave me with that M-word? I told you that I don't have time for that," I hissed, which made her laugh.

"Oh really? Then what about the girl you danced with months ago? You looked interested," she commented with that annoying teasing tone, so I just sighed.

She's right, it's been several months. That woman already slipped off my mind, but I can't seem to forget her face.

Her lustrous wavy jet-black hair shines because it compliments her almost sapphire glinting eyes. I can't seem to forget how our eyes gazed at each other the moment we first met. 

She was so beautiful that day, it was the first time my eyes stared too long at a lady aside from my twin sister. I even got to see her long smooth legs and even touch them.

I shook my head, what the hell is wrong with me? I shouldn't think about those things towards a woman who doesn't even know my name.

"See, you're even thinking about her as of this moment," Hailey commented that pulled me back to reality, so I groaned.

"Will you quit it already and just make me some tea or coffee?" I sighed, so Hailey just chuckled before deciding to head out to the flower park village.

Those two really did keep their promise and rebuild this village whom she told me where we should be living from the beginning without all of that chaos that has ended.

Ash invited me to live in this village with them since I'm still uncomfortable sleeping in the dorms alone without my... that stupid M-word.

I exhaled out a lungful of air before reminiscing about those nightmares that I've been having. Something's still inside me and I'm anxious about what's going to happen if that voice continues to talk to me.

Hailey must not know about this, though I'm sure that she notices something. She's about to give birth a few months from now and I don't want her getting worried about me, my future niece and nephew would also worry about her inside her tummy.

I shook my head and decided to take a bath. I have to start training and studying again because a week from now is going to be the start of a new school year, a new beginning where I hope the shadows won't lurk anymore.

Crystal Raine Meadows

“Dance with me, Crystal Raine Meadows,” A man who stood straight on my front had this stoic face, but aside from that, his eyes were glinting in red. 

I should find this horrifying, but I found him ultimately attractive. Who couldn’t? He’s one of the hottest men in this place, it feels like we’re both alone inside this enormous room just staring at each other’s eyes intently.

Shaking my head, I earnestly accepted his warm, almost calloused hands. I don’t want to keep his hands hanging in the air without accepting his request.

He wasn’t giving out any emotions from how he looked at me with that stoic face, but I don’t know why I felt that he was happy and curious after we held hands.

My insides were curious as hell, could it be that he’s my mate? That’s the question that’s been lingering in my mind. His eyes are telling me depressing things that I want to burden him with.

I hate that my mind kept on asking me to reach out to what was wrong, but I couldn't blurt it out of my mouth. Why am I so drawn and worried about this guy?

This again, it’s him. That man who I danced with after the Great Wyrm and the Lost Nyxerian Warrior got married.

It's him, we're dancing around a lot of people but all I could see was him, looking at me intently like he was ready to suck in my soul.

Those pools of red eyes were like a red ocean, luring me in like it was asking me to drown towards something that he's been keeping inside him. 

Why does it feels and looks like he's looking for some help? Why does he look lonely despite how many people were looking at him intently?

"W-What's wrong?" I wanted to ask, but those two words remained stuck in the tip of my tongue like it was voluntarily stopping me from asking it.

I gasped when I felt something slap me to wake me up from that freaking...dream? Or was it a nightmare? I don't know, is that a fantasy? I saw that gorgeous-looking man again. Why couldn't he just leave my dreams be?

“Crystal! Are you dreaming about your mate again?!” I bit my lip before blocking my ears using my bare hands.

Cousin Kathy has probably drunk her microphone this early in the morning, this is going to be another painful morning.

How can someone be so loud and have the energy of a hyper dragon that has drunk something odd from the Crystal Cove?

"Ate Kathy," I buried my head on my bed before hiding it underneath a pillow, "Will you stop pestering me this early in the morning?" I complained, but my sheets were pulled causing me to scream as I fell out of the bed.

"O-Ouch! My butt!" I almost cried and felt the raging stare of Ate Kathy on the door that she was leaning on too.

"You wake up too late! That's what you get from studying too much! Why don't you train that frail-looking body of yours first thing in the morning to get some pure vitamins from the sunlight?!" she ordered me this time, so I just sighed.

My parents moved me to her because they have the same problem with me. I excel at paper exams and everything else, but the thing I lack, which is the most important one, is my physical ability as a future warrior.

I'm still considered as a Mortal since I haven't found my mate yet, at least, that's what I've been keeping on telling myself.

"What's going on here? Is there something wrong?" Kuya Draven, her husband, invited himself inside of my room and stopped after witnessing what's going on.

He chuckled before raising both of his hands, "Oh, I see, I'm going to go out here and feed our little boy some lunch, enjoy your lunch girls," he stated like he was trying to avoid confrontation with his wife.

"W-What? It's lunch already? Oh no! I have to meet up with Jenny this noon!" I exclaimed before deciding to run out of my room, avoiding Ate Kathy entirely.

Ah-te or Ate is what I call her, it's a word used to respect someone older than you in the Ruby District back in my parent's place. It's the same as Ku-ya or Kuya when I call Kuya Draven.

"Hey! Don't think you could avoid me that easily, young lady! You really have to train your body! Your new and last school year will start in a week!" she yelled, but I didn't bother minding her as I invited myself inside of the bathroom, doing rituals like I'm in a hurry.

I have to meet up with Jenny today! We haven't seen each other ever since that chaos happened a year ago, the whole Dragon Realms was just starting to recover.

She wasn't even at the greatest wedding that has happened just a few months ago! I really have to meet her at the Library of Draconis University.

After finishing my morning rituals, I decided to slip into my comfortable clothes and brought a leather bag with me just so I could put some books, pens, and some educational books just so I wouldn't bore myself when I went there too early.

"Crap! I forgot to call in some small dragons to take me there," I exclaimed, but tried to calm myself down as I had decided to take a stroll towards the enchanted forest.

"Nevermind, a stroll with nature wouldn't be too bad, plus, if I tell Ate Kathy I took a walk today, she would be extremely thrilled," I comforted myself before deciding to go downstairs.

"Good morning people of this house!" I greeted them, so Kuya Draven and their child, Trevain, peered their eyes at me intently.

"Raine!" The 7-month old boy cheered as he decided to run towards me, it's incredible that he can walk and speak well despite his small body and he's not even one year old yet.

Kuya Draven and Ate Kathy decided to name him Trevor Hex Woods, it's a pretty cool name that probably Ate Kathy found on the pocketbooks she read that I've suggested.

"Trevy! You're just like your mother, so full of energy in the morning!" I teased, so he giggled like he's happy being related to his mom.

"W-Where is Raine you going?" he asked, though sometimes he talks in third-person view, I'm sure he can change it after some practice.

"Out, on a walk!" I proudly said, so Kuya Draven stopped like he's surprised at what I have just announced.

"Kathy would be thrilled hearing that," he teased, so I laughed before taking some bread and butter.

"Yeah! I'll be back before the sunset," I bid them goodbye and left their house, we're currently living in the Ruby District.

But I heard that they're planning on moving to the flower park village, where the Nyxerian Warrior, who is Ate Kathy's best friend, is living over there together with her family.

It's a village that was once destroyed and it looks like it's really special for those legendary people that they've decided to rebuild all those houses there again.

I took out my map and decided to walk around towards Draconis University, "Jenny, I can't wait to see you," I mumbled as I read those markers and pointers that I drew on the map.

To be continued...