Thanks for staying with me, guys! ^^

TheMultiColoredPencil: hahaha if you feel that way, then I'm doing my job good enough!

And now, onward to the next chapter...


"Neil, can you go to the Clinic and ask Elli for some wormshoods?"

"Clinic?" Neil cringed, "How about Rod instead?"

"He went to the dressmaker's shop to deliver their wools supplies."

Neil looked at the time; it was past 7. Reine should've finished working by now. "Okay, then."

Unlike majority of stores in Elviaros, the Clinic's working hours stretched from 6 in the morning to 8 in the evening, with round-the-clock house call, due to the nature of its profession. Everyone always wondered how Elli, with her slender figure, managed to withstand the workload, being the sole Healer of the town until Reine came about. What was even more impressive was that how Elli's face was never seen without a smile.

Surely it was because of her passion in her job.

Neil opened the door and just like any other store in Elviaros, the bell chimed.

"Welcome to the Cli—"

Both Neil and Reine stopped on their tracks when their eyes met. It had been two weeks since their last encounter in the pasture; and ever since then, Reine simply put the lunch box near him without saying anything as he turned his back on her. This was the first time of them seeing face-to-face since then. Thankfully Reine didn't drop the fresh rolls of bandages out of shock upon seeing Neil.

Elli emerged from the inner chamber soon after, "Who is it, Reine?"

Upon learning whom the visitor was, Elli wasn't surprised at all. In fact, she broke through the tense awkwardness between them with a smile. "Good evening, Neil, how may I help you?"

"Uh… Jessica asked me to get some wormshoods."

"Oh, sure!" Elli turned at Reine, "Can you get them from the usual place, Reine?"

Reine nodded and hurriedly walked to the back of the Clinic, where all the supplies for medicinal herbs was located.

"You can sit down there while waiting," Elli offered. "Or is there anything else you want to ask me?"

Her gaze was calm, yet knowing. Neil cleared his throat, "I thought she worked only until 5."

Elli wasn't surprised at all; she knew that was what Neil was concerned about. Then again, she wondered whether she should tell him the truth:

Reine told her about how Neil left the lunch she left at the Animal Store uneaten. And then the pinkette asked for a longer break, so that she would've had enough time to walk to the pasture; and for that, Reine told her she would work longer hours, even longer than the extension of her break.

Knowing Neil, he wouldn't be so pleased to hear the truth. Especially with the matters with Rod.

As if the Goddess understood her dilemma, Reine emerged from the back with a small basket of the said herbs. "Will this be enough?" she asked as she handed over the basket to Neil.

Neil nodded and he took the basket from her. The moment their skin touched, it was as if they felt the same electrical current running through their skin that both of them pulled their hand back almost simultaneously. Thankfully, Elli's reflex was quick enough to catch the basket.

"Be careful, Reine,"

"I'm sorry…"

Elli smiled and handed the basket over to Neil, "Send my regards to Jessica." She said, "And if you don't mind, since Reine's shift is ending, how about walking her back to her place? The sky is getting dark now… and I think it's going to rain soon enough." She added as she noticed the clouds forming at the sky.

"I will be alright." Reine replied quickly, "I have fire."

"She said it."

Elli sighed. These two could be very difficult at times.

Just then, the door to the Clinic was opened and Rod came in. He seemed to be surprised to see Neil there, "Oh! I didn't expect to see you here!"

"Just doing errands for the Boss." Neil replied curtly.

"Welcome, Rod, is there anything I may help you with?" Elli asked.

"Nah, I'm alright! I was passing through and thought I could stop by and say hi!"

"That's awfully nice of you,"

"If you're really that worried about Reine, why don't ask Rod to walk her back instead? I'm sure he'd be happy to do so." Neil frowned, "Or, in the first place, don't work until late."

Hearing his comment, Reine snapped. "Who the hell you think you are, telling me what to do?!"

Her response was to be expected of a Fire Elementer—majority of them indeed had this kind of fiery temperament in them.

Reine crossed her arms before her, obscuring the marguerite pendant on her chest as she did. "Just shut up and mind your own business!"

Neil made a sarcastic chuckle, "And now you're telling me what to do? You'd better shut up yourself, woman."

In response, Reine made a sweeping movement with her arms and a trail of fire emerged from it. A glow of wine-coloured aura enveloped Neil soon after as he began to barricade himself.

Rod took a swift action by separating them with a wind barrier before putting off Reine's fire by placing it into a vacuum.

"What's the deal with this, guys?" Rod asked, obviously concerned.

Reine's face was already red with fury at that moment. She then snatched her long coat and walked outside, not bidding anyone good bye in the process.

As she paced back home, her thoughts raced alongside her steps.

What the hell is his problem?! Why is he being so annoying?! He doesn't even know whom I'm doing all this for!

Then she paused.

Why… why am I doing this for him?

She then remembered Gwen's argument of how dragons could feel something towards humans in one of their earlier discourses.

Do I… feel something for Neil?

It was then her chest began to feel heavy. She then remembered how she had almost burned him earlier on. Her head was heavy… enough to stop her on her track.

Maybe I should talk to him…

Reine turned on her heels.


"What the hell is your deal with Reine?" Rod asked as both of them entered their house. "You should be thankful Elli isn't mad or anything!"

Neil walked towards the dining table as Allen—who had come home earlier than them—emerged from his bedroom. "What's happening?" he asked.

Rod turned to Allen, "Listen, Allen, just now Neil and Reine almost burned the clinic down to ashes all of the sudden!"

Allen turned at Neil who put on his poker face.

"You should really watch your mouth, Neil. You can be so terrible towards her!"

Neil raised his hand, "Just shut up, Rod," he said.

"But why—"

"You dare ask me why?!" Neil finally raised his voice in a mix of frustration and exasperation, "Why are we even talking about that fire girl?! As if it's so important!"

"Neil." Allen called, a tone of urgency in his voice.

"She is nothing!"

"Neil!"

It was then the brothers finally noticed the figure that on their doorway. Her scarlet eyes switched between the brothers, confused, then a glimpse of sadness sneaked in.

She had heard everything.

"Reine!" Rod called out as she swiftly turned on her heels and ran away.

Rod dashed out right after the girl, and Neil almost followed suit if it wasn't for his realization that Rod was already on his way.

"You're not gonna chase her?"

"That's none of your business," Neil replied sharply under his breath.

"I know you're an elder brother," Allen said, his hand on his hips in his usual pose. "But this time it is a woman we are talking about. A creature with feelings of her own. She is not another toy or snack of yours that you can hand over that easily."

Neil turned and walked to his bedroom, "I am a difficult person," he said, "She will find happiness more easily with Rod."

"You are not the one to judge where her happiness lies, Neil." Allen reminded him, before his blue eyes turned sorrowful as he recalled Gwen. "She chose her happiness. It is with her the choice rests."


It started drizzling by the time Reine reached the cliff. When she heard the sound of another footsteps.

"Reine!" Rod called desperately.

Rod halted a few metres away from her, panting. "Let's go home, Reine. I'll walk you back."

Her chest felt heavy. Her head was weighed down with an invisible boulder only she could feel. And it was only because his words.

"Is this… is this how nothing feels?" she asked, clutching her chest desperately in a vain attempt to take away whatever it was that weighing her chest. "This isn't nothing…" she murmured, "because it feels like… everything was being stuffed into my chest. I can't take this anymore… I can't!"

Reine raised her head and looked at Rod. "Tell me, Rod… is this how nothing feels?"

There was a pained look on her face. And that became the source of his pain.

"Tell me, Reine… what is it that my brother has while I don't?"

Suddenly the rain poured on them in the form of thin, sharp sheets of water. Running down her cheeks, the rainwater appeared to be tears she couldn't shed, as if the sky was crying for her sake instead.

"Why… why, Reine?" he asked.

Rod took a step forward and Reine—acted instinctively—took a step back as she swiped her hand across her face, creating another trail of fire. Rod quickly deflected the fire, redirecting it to a nearby bush.

But this brief moment had distracted Rod long enough that he didn't notice Reine's feet was slipping off the cliff. It was her cry that snapped him back, and when he stared at where she had stood before that, she was gone.

"REINE!"

A strike of lightning flashed through the darkened sky. And then the thunder came in.

It was a warning for Rod.


Neil went inside his room and sat down on the edge of his bed, staring at the candle on the nightstand.

He thought of Allen's words:

It is with her the choice rests.

It was then the wind forcibly opened the window, and killed the flame right in front of his eyes.

Then the lightning, and the thunder.

He stared at the now extinguished candle.

He felt something was amiss.


What will happen to Reine?

And how this triangle will be resolved?

Stay tuned for the next chapter!

Thanks for reading and don't forget to drop your review! ^^