The Shadow Within Me

Chapter Seventeen - Hell

Crystal Raine Meadows

I could feel the sun rays creeping into my room uninvited when my senses felt that it's almost the tick of my alarm. I could feel some warmth on my hand that's trying to wake me up.

My eyelids opened and groaned when I felt my body become heavier than last night before I slept.

"Will this get even worse?" I just sighed and tried to stand up for myself to go to my bathroom and slowly take a bath.

It was hard because every time I overuse my body, the soreness gets more intense. Will I be okay at my training later?

My feet dragged me downstairs and my nose embraced the smell of freshly brewed coffee, bacon, and buttered rice.

It surprisingly made me feel better for a moment, "G-Good morning to the happy family," I greeted before sitting down on my designated seat.

Even sitting makes the soreness even worse. Is there anything that I can't do without feeling any pain today?

"Good morning to our aspiring warrior, it looks like you have a good night's sleep," Ate Kathy greeted while cooking in the kitchen. I don't know if she's messing with me or what.

"Very funny, may I please have my hot chocolate?" I requested and little Trevy tapped my shoulders, so I looked at him.

"T-There! I-I helped make it for you to make you feel better," he beamed, so my eyes widened before kissing him on the cheeks.

"Why thank you, Trevy! It's so sweet of you to help," I patted his head, so he giggled like he was so happy that I complimented him.

The rest of the breakfast was warm and fuzzy on the inside that's making my well-being touched. It didn't take me a while to eat, brush my teeth before grabbing my bag.

"Are you going to be alright? We called a ride for you a while ago," Ate Kathy escorted me to the main doors, so I just nodded at her.

"The breakfast made me feel a little better, I hope I'll be fine later on," I sighed because Calyx doesn't have mercy when it comes to training. I hope he'll give me just a tiny consideration later on.

"Well then, see you later, enjoy your class," she smiled at me before patting my head, so I reflected on it before waving my hand goodbye.

After I mounted the dragon, it swiftly took me to school and I felt like I was going to be asleep again, so I ate some candy.

I managed to arrive safely at school before unmounting the dragon they called for me, it was still early because there were no people around.

So I have decided to go to the gardens to try and relax. I've read that nature might sometimes take your tiredness away.

I sat on the bench that I saw and was thankful for the suddenly cloudy weather. The sun disappeared after I arrived at the school a while ago. It's probably going to rain later on.

My eyes closed and opened again, I almost screamed after seeing a familiar person standing at my front. I clutched my chest while shaking my head.

"D-Do you always do that? Sneak up to someone without making a sound? You're going to give me a heart attack," I complained, but he didn't say another word.

"Like I said yesterday, it's your fault for not having a keen sense of your surroundings, move," he ordered, so I furrowed my eyebrows at him.

"Why would I move? I got here first," I argued before raising my knees to hug them, he avoided my presence after I did that.

"Don't you have decency? I'm a man, I could also see or there's a possibility that I could try to peek at what's underneath that short skirt of yours," he coldly stated, so my eyes widened.

"W-What? I'm not asking you to look at it!" I exclaimed before trying to massage my forehead, my body felt sore and now my head feels like it's exploding.

"I didn't say that, I just said that it's a possibility," he coldly said, so I scoffed. The freaking nerve of this guy!

"I-I'm wearing shorts on the inside, so there's nothing for you to look at, jeez," I felt my cheeks heat up because of the embarrassment that I felt.

"Then move, you're in my space again," he sounded like he's getting mad, but I just glared at him.

"But your name isn't on it, so I'm perfectly sure that I can sit here," I firmly said before hiding my head on my knees. My body is aching and I don't want him to see that I'm hurting like this.

Surprisingly, he didn't say another word until I felt my eyelids were getting heavy, the soreness and tiredness combined as they lured me into sleep.

I don't know how many hours have passed until I heard the bell ring, my eyes slowly opened and realized that I was still in the garden.

My body felt like I was leaning on something a little bit hard and soft, so I raised my head and was astounded when I saw those red eyes looking at me from above. I could feel my heart pounding inside of my chest as we stared at each other intently.

Those were the eyes that I always saw in my dreams or nightmares, reality or not, his red pools of eyes are clearly saying something that doesn't want to get out.

"So, are you finally content with me being your pillow that you're still not getting off after you woke up?" he coldly stated, which pulled me back from reality. I used this guy as a freaking pillow?!

I immediately stood up because of my shock and felt my body sore as I stumbled on some rock on the grounds, "O-Oh, Eep!" I exclaimed and almost closed my eyes when he grabbed my waist.

My body felt something off when he pulled me closer to him and forced my body to face him while he's holding my waist. He smells like the woods and mint, his lustrous hazelnut hair was fixed in a messy way making him look even more attractive. 

Those red pools of eyes gazed at me like he cares about me, but his face doesn't tell me that. He looks like a statue.

What the hell am I thinking?! I just shook my head as I bit my lower lip as he helped me up, I feel like I'm almost out of breath because of that.

"Are you always like this? Tripping yourself over or something that can be avoided?" he asked, I don't know if he's annoyed or just asking me that question.

"I-I don't know," I replied, so he finally let go of my waist that allowed me to breathe fine, "I-I'll be going now, the bell rang," I informed and instantly left that garden.

I could feel my cheeks heating up because of what happened back there, what the hell is wrong with me?! 

Why am I feeling so strange despite how my body hurts right now? I just can't believe that I used him as a pillow and I don't even know how long I was leaning on him! 

B-But, why didn't he push me away if he didn't like it? Why did he wait for me to wake up? Does he intend to embarrass me? I just shook my head and tried to tell myself to focus on today's class.

I didn't realize that I had arrived in our classroom while thinking all of the things when Jenny called and jumped towards me.

"Good morning to my sweet girl! Did you eat breakfast?!" she asked while trying to shake my whole body. She's so hyper today.

"O-Ouch! J-Jenny, my body hurts," I pouted at her, so she stopped before taking a good look at my body.

"Oh right, you had hell training yesterday and today as well, right?" she beamed, so I just frowned at her.

"You sounded happy that I was suffering," I just sighed, so she giggled as she escorted me to my chair.

We talked about a lot of things about what happened last night when she met Rowen's parents, even if she didn't tell me the whole story, I could tell that everything went well and I'm very happy for her.

"Good morning ladies," Rowen greeted and placed his arms around Jenny's shoulders before kissing her forehead.

"Good morning especially to my beautiful mate," he sweetly stated, so Jenny blushed which made me shake my head while laughing.

"You two sure do want to tell the world that you're in love," I teased, so they both just smiled at me.

"If I have to, I'll do it for men to avoid looking at her, she's mine," Rowen possessively stated, so I shook my head.

"Oh please, don't make me gag," I complained, so they both just laughed at my response before proceeding to our seats.

William arrived not long after him as he greeted us a good morning, everything was well this morning despite my body until someone slammed their fists on my table that startled me for a moment.

"Well, look at our straight-A student weakling," I glanced at Clara and she's just smirking at the sight of me. The class suddenly became quiet after she approached me.

"Will you leave her alone, you freak?" Jenny sounded like she was ready to attack, but Rowen and I stopped her. I really love that girl for being so protective of me.

Clara looks like she didn't mind her as she remained focused on me, "Did you skip class yesterday on the fields for us to avoid seeing your stupidness and clumsiness?" she asked.

A few kids in our class laughed at what she said, which made me grip my hands. What's so wrong with that? Aren't they happy that I'm not there?

"Unfortunately no, I have some other things to do that Mr. Light specifically told us to do yesterday and I'm not sure if I'm obliged to inform you that just to defend myself," I stated that to shut them up, she looked highly pissed and grabbed the hem of my uniform.

"Hey! That's too much and way out of line!" Jenny shouted like she was warning them, but Clara once again didn't mind her as she focused on me.

"She's right Clara, don't make me force you to let go of her even if you're a woman," Liam warned together with Rowen on his side.

What the hell is her problem with me? I didn't do anything for her to treat me poorly like this, she continued glaring at me until she smirked.

"Oh, does that mean the rumor about you being tutored is true?" she curiously asked, which made my eyes widened.

How the freaking hell did she hear about that? I heard her laugh so loudly before pushing me harshly back on my seat.

Some of the students were gossiping about me again. This is getting tiring, my body hurts and it's almost the start of the class. I don't have time to deal with this.

Clara was about to say another word when she grunted and was tripped over by someone, "When I say move out of the way, move," I flinched after hearing that cold voice.

We glanced at the front and saw Calyx who looks highly pissed at what he's seeing on the front, my heart pounded for a moment, my heart has been reacting too much at the presence of this expressionless guy.

"C-Calyx, I-I was just giving her a lecture because she needed to hear it," Clara explained, so I furrowed my eyebrows at her.

Lecture? Wasn't she insulting me a while ago? I just sighed and shook my head. I could feel numerous eyes looking at me from behind.

"I don't care, just get out of my way," he paced towards the back of our tables before glancing at Clara again.

"And you're not a professor here to lecture someone, know your f*****g place," he fumed before slamming his bag on his desk.

Even though I wasn't looking, I could feel that he sat comfortably on his chair. Clara, on the other hand, looked like she was embarrassed as she glared at me and left with her underlings.

"Are you alright, Crys? You look pale," Jenny tapped my back, so I flinched before nodding at her.

"Y-Yeah, I just don't feel really well," I informed her, so she pouted before combing some strands of my hair.

"If you can't take it, go to the infirmary alright?" she suggested, so I just smiled before nodding at her as we listened to Mr. Light who just arrived in our classroom.

"Good morning students, I'll be checking the attendance, and let's proceed to class," he announced before writing something on the blackboard.

I wanted to dance because of joy because our topic is about physics today, but my body hurts like hell. I just shook my head and listened to class.

To be continued...