The Shadow Within Me

Chapter Eleven - Wonder

Calyx Nyxerian Paraiso

Peter and the rest of my friends dragged me along with them inside that freaking bright library, seeing lots of arranged books stresses me out. I don't know why though.

Hailey said that it's also my problem for being irritated whenever I see things that are too perfect, I'm pretty sure that I don't have problems like that.

We just ate and pretended to study over there when these three just used it to kill some time, Peter o the other hand was busy talking to his mate the whole time, so we all have different worlds inside of that room

David invited us to leave when he noticed that it's almost time. I almost stopped after we got out of that room. That scent, I couldn't get rid of it even when I tried to forget about it for months after my sister's wedding, but I couldn't.

She's here, what is she doing here? Shouldn't she be resting because of what happened to her a while ago?

I paced quickly towards the hallways and didn't realize that they were following me from behind until Peter noticed her on a small table that's filled with lots of books.

What the hell is she doing? My eyes peered at what she was reading and almost wanted to laugh when I saw that she's studying martial arts. Is this woman for real?

Studying martial arts isn't like that, you should train on the field and break some sweat, she needed that.

"Oh look! It's Crystal! Hi Crystal! Are you alright now?!" Peter called out to her before deciding to run on where she was. She raised her head and was shocked after seeing him there before glancing at me.

Our eyes met and I couldn't help, but get mesmerized by how beautiful her eyes were. Those sapphire-like eyes of hers are like rare gems that I don't see often shining.

She furrowed her eyebrows at me before looking at Peter. Is that how she'll thank me? I gripped my hands and shook my head.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine now, thank you for asking," she nervously smiled at him, so Peter nodded like he's relieved. That's good and she should be.

"That's great to hear, I didn't know that you were studying here! If you told us a while ago you would have joined us in our special room!" Peter beamed, so I immediately was against the idea.

There's a lot of men over there and I'm sure she's not comfortable studying with these noisy people around.

"I-It's alright, I'm fine here," she smiled, it looks like she's worried about something. I don't know why I'm freaking curious.

"Crys--!"

"Quiet, Mr. Hughes," Peter was cut off and they both flinched after seeing Mr. Light on their side, he looked furious like he was warning them before he left them completely alone.

"Dude, calm down, you're going to get us into trouble," David Ronin scolded him, so Peter just scratched the back of his head. He will always be an i***t.

"Sorry about that," I heard Peter whisper before tapping her shoulders. I almost wanted to go there and stop him, but I didn't do it.

"We'll be going now, it's almost time soon, do you want to join us go back?" Peter asked, she looked like contemplated for a moment.

She really looks like they're worried about something before she closes that book that she was holding.

"You guys haven't heard about it, huh?" I heard her whisper even though I'm far away from them.

"Huh? What do you mean? Heard about what?" Peter asked, but she just shook her head and smiled.

It wasn't the usual smile that she uses whenever she's happily talking to her friend, there's clearly something wrong with her.

"Peter, we have to leave now, if she doesn't want to come, leave her be," I firmly said, she was being invited, what the hell is wrong with coming?

Surprisingly, she nodded before gazing at Peter and our group, "I think it's for the best that you guys should go first, you may not want to be with me after you guys come out of that door and went to class," she mumbled before grabbing all the books she read and put them back to where it belongs.

Peter was about to approach her again when his mate stopped him, "Pete, she doesn't want to go," Rayleigh, his mate's name, whispered before looking at that woman worriedly.

"She looks like she's dealing with something right now, she wants to be alone but she appreciates you asking if she's alright, so you're good," Rayleigh comforted Peter, so he just sighed before nodding at her.

We then left her and exited the library, I wasn't too happy with what happened back there. I don't know why I'm curious why she's acting like that.

"She looks oddly upset about something and why is she reading books like that? Did you guys see it?" Razer asked while we're pacing near the hallways, so David agreed with him.

"Maybe she felt really bad on what happened on the fields a while ago," David sighed before scratching the back of his head, "She didn't do that bad, she just lacks confidence and you know, the will on facing that ball," David claimed, so Rayleigh nodded at them.

"She really didn't do that bad, she was nervous, she was homeschooled, right? Maybe that's why she was almost near hyperventilating standing there," she claimed, so Peter nodded at her.

"I'm just glad that she's alright, I don't want students having a hard time inside the University for this year most especially that we're the student council," Peter mumbled, he sounded so serious about this. He changed a lot after what happened a year ago.

"Hey guys, have you heard about the Meadows? They're the greatest warriors and human dragons fighting natural disasters right?" I heard a rumor from a group we walked past and ignored it.

"I heard that their daughter Crystal Raine Meadows was a complete disaster, she fainted at their training in the fields before the last ball could even hit her, she was so horrible!" they laughed, so I stopped for a moment after hearing what they've just said.

On the other side, we've also heard the same rumor that furrowed my eyebrows for a moment, "She must be so ashamed, she's smart but doesn't know how to fight physically, her parents must be so disappointed, it's really a shame to have someone like that from their family," the girl on the other side rumored.

"Oh is that why I've also heard that she's leaving with the Woods? Is it really because she was abandoned by her family?" I heard them laugh, so I don't know why there's a sudden surge of anger that was forming inside of my body. So this was the reason why she's acting like that a while ago.

My dragon is livid and I don't know the reason why, "Is this why she doesn't want to go with us? What's going on?" Peter asked, they've also heard and noticed the rumors around our surroundings.

"I think this rumor came from our class, who else would've heard this aside from our section?" David Ronin stated, so I couldn't help but approach those girls and grabbed the hem of their blouse.

The girl looked so terrified of what I did to her and her friends tried to stop me from holding my hand, "Don't touch me or I'll kick you," I coldly stated, so they gasped and cried. I'm causing a commotion again inside the hallways.

"Calyx! Dude! Calm down!" Peter tried to stop me, but I wanted to hear an answer. I'm too furious to deal with things calmly.

"Where did you hear this rumor?" I coldly asked while pulling her near me, "Answer me quickly or I don't know what I'll do with you," I threatened, so she whimpered before shaking her head.

"W-We don't know, we just heard it circulating the cafeteria," she shakingly said, so I gripped her hem even more tightly.

"So you just heard it, then why are you talking like you've proven all of those things that you've heard?" I hissed before pushing her away from me. She was catched by her friends who looked like they're shaking in fear.

"If I hear any of you spreading rumors like that I'll haunt you all into your houses and dorms," I raised my voice inside the hallways before walking straight back into our room.

"Dude, would you please approach someone not attacking them like that?" Peter scolded me behind my back, I'm not surprised that they already catched up on me.

"It's also the first time I've seen you defend someone like that, Crystal must be really special to you," David Ronin claimed mysteriously, so I glared at him.

"What did you say? Do you want me to break your bones?" I threatened, so David laughed while raising his hands.

"I'm not afraid of you Calyx, you know that dude right? We're just saying that you're changing a bit ever since this new year started and don't make me forget to mention that you're always arguing with Crystal," he stated, so I shook my head and just opened the doors of our room.

It was loud when we're at the door, but it quieted down after we entered. My eyes peered at that woman's friends and it looked like they're expecting her to come and worrying about her.

That William beside that man named Rowen pisses me off, he has this vibe that I couldn't help but be furious about him.

"Don't worry," Peter immediately went to their side and tapped their shoulders, "She's on the Library and about to come here," he reassured them so Jenny sighed before thanking him.

"T-Thank you, I'll fetch her myself," she stood up, her mate Rowen came with her and William then followed them from behind.

They must have been looking for her since a while ago, why did she leave without telling them? She looks like she likes to worry people around her so much. I hate women like that, she's acting like a very important person.

After the rest of the group was seated on our respective chairs, we watched how her friends left to fetch her. I don't know why I felt relieved seeing them go after her.

My mind is confusing me sometimes and I have to cool it down, a lot is going on and it's just the first day of classes.

"Phew, I can't believe that we already have this kind of trouble and it's only the first day of classes," Peter sighed on my side as his mate comforted him on the other side.

"There will be a lot more trouble that we will be going to handle from now on, plus, we have our friend here that is also the root of some of our other problems," David Ronin stated, so I glanced at him and he's just smiling at me.

"I just hope the issue about Crystal would die down, I've heard about the Meadows too, they're very influential in the whole district," Razer claimed. 

"Oh right, they're very skilled in fighting off our natural disasters here," David agreed with him, so they started talking about power and influence again.

I turned my head around and stared at the front where I could see the podium. I've never heard about the Meadows, there's only one girl that is a Meadows and she's been on my mind lately.

Back there at my sister's wedding, I thought that was the only time that I'll interact with her, we both felt it, but I'm still not sure about it, maybe I was just mesmerized because of her eyes.

Shaking my head, I relaxed my palms on my desk as the door went wide open and it revealed to us her and the rest of her friends.

Her glinting sapphire eyes became anxious as she felt the stares of the people inside our classroom. I wanted to stomp my feet seeing her like that.

Rumors filled up the class and I became irritated about it, "Peter, do something about the noise or I'll break something here to quiet them down," I threatened, so they stared at me as Peter stood up.

"Everyone, please quiet down or I'll list names that I'll be sending to detention later, it's just the first day of class, please behave yourselves," Peter firmly stated, so a lot of students looked at us from behind.

"Our president is right, please quiet down everyone because it's already past lunch, you don't want our section getting seen in the bad light right?" said David Ronin, who is the vice president of the council.

They were so influential that a lot of students voted for them because of their skills and knowledge. Some of them quieted down and some were bold enough to continue what they were doing, I couldn't help but slam my palms on my desk before standing up.

I raised my hands and set those things that I'm seeing on the desk of the people on fire that didn't listen.

A commotion was created once more and I could feel my friend's face-palming themselves from behind. Screams of women were to be heard as I heard some of them were panicking.

"He said quiet down, didn't he? Can't you follow simple instructions? Is that how you were all raised?" I furiously stated.

"Dude, you should've calmed down and didn't set things on fire, you could've hurt someone," David Ronin sighed, but I didn't mind him before pacing towards the main door of our classroom.

"Don't list me on detention, I'm going there now by myself, stupid class," I fumed before slamming the door behind my back.

To be continued...