CHAPTER 22: Is It Really Over?

Jade stormed into the classroom, her eyes blazing with anger and frustration. She had just seen the latest news on her phone and it had set her off. Mae had been trending all over social media in regard to Jade's flamboyant birthday, stealing all the attention that Jade had been expecting for herself.

As she approached Chen's desk, she could feel her temper rising. She didn't care that she was causing a scene in front of the other students; she was too angry to care. "What the hell is Mae doing, stealing all the attention on my birthday?" she demanded, her voice loud and harsh.

Chen looked up at her, clearly taken aback by her sudden outburst. He could see the anger and frustration etched on Jade's face, and he knew better than to argue with her when she was in this mood.

"I don't know, Jade" he said cautiously, trying to keep his voice even. "Maybe she didn't realize battling with the shark would pull such crowd. It was your idea anyway". Chen shrugged, not wanting to let her problem bother him.

Jade snorted in derision. "Of course she knew. She just wanted to steal the spotlight for herself!" Her fists clenched at her sides, and Chen could see the veins bulging in her neck as she struggled to control her rage. "It was all because of you, Chen!" she spoke aloud.

Chen was mesmerized and too stunned to speak "Wh-what did I do?" he asked.

"Ever since you got here, you found a way to turn Mae's life around. I don't know how you did it but I know the fashion idea was all yours, probably." Jade spoke in uncertainty, she grunted and continued with the tone of her voice growing frail "I've seen how you worry so much about her. Look how you pulled that cage up with all your strength, would you have done the same for me if I was dying? Why do you care so much about her?" Jade bewailed.

Chen sighed inwardly, knowing that there was no reasoning with Jade when she was like this. He tried to placate her, knowing that it was the best way to diffuse the situation. "Look, Jade, I'm sorry that this happened. But getting angry and confrontational isn't going to change the fact that she is the top of discussion. I am like that with everyone, not just Mae okay? Forget about Mae for now. If ever you be in distress, you got people to look out for you".

Jade glared at him for a moment, her eyes still blazing with anger. But slowly, the tension in her shoulders began to ease, and she took a deep breath, letting the anger drain away. "You are right Chen" she said, her voice softening. "I'm sorry for losing my temper. It's just... hard to see someone you thought was your friend act like that, you know?"

Chen nodded sympathetically, understanding all too well the pain of betrayal. "I know Jade. But remember, you still have plenty of people who care about you and I'm still that friend, okay?".

Jade smiled weakly, feeling a small measure of the anger and frustration dissipating. "Okay Chenny, If that is the case, I'd need you to prove your loyalty as a friend".

Chen looked up at her, his expression calm and level-headed. "I'm sorry but what do you want me to do?"

Jade's eyes narrowed, and she leaned in closer to him. "I want you to be on my side, Chen" she hissed. "I want you to be my henchman, to do whatever I say. And right now, I want you to be mean to Mae. Make her pay for what she's done to me".

Chen shook his head, a small frown appearing on his forehead. "I'm sorry, Jade, but I can't do that" he said firmly. "I don't serve you, and I won't be mean to someone just because you want me to. That's not who I am".

Jade's anger flared up at his refusal, and she took a step back, her eyes flashing "Fine then." she spat. "If you won't be on my side, then we're done. I don't need someone like you in my life."

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the classroom, leaving Chen alone at his desk. He watched her go, feeling a twinge of sadness and regret.

"Is it really over?" he shook his head in disbelief.

Sighing, he turned back to his work, trying to put the whole incident behind him. But in all, Chen was taken aback by Jade's confrontational attitude towards him. He couldn't understand why she was so angry and demanding, and he felt a surge of anger building up inside him. Taking a deep breath, he stood up from his desk and strode out of the classroom, needing some fresh air and space to clear his head.

As he walked down the hallway, his mind kept replaying the scene with Jade over and over again. He was frustrated and upset that their friendship had ended so abruptly, and he couldn't help feeling angry at Jade's unreasonable behavior.

As he walked down the hallway, he felt a magnetic pull, as if something was drawing him toward a certain direction.

He conformed to his instincts and turned to a corner, where he caught sight of Mae standing by her locker, arranging some textbooks. Something about her calm and composed demeanor made him feel instantly better, and he found himself walking toward her.

"Hey Mae" he said, his voice friendly and warm. "How's it going?".

Mae looked up at him, surprised. "Oh, hey, Chen" she said, her eyes widening in recognition. "I'm doing okay, thanks. How about you?"

Chen smiled, noticing how pretty Mae looked today. "I am alright" he said. "Hey, by the way, have you seen the news? You're trending after your victory over the sharks on the yacht. Everyone is talking about it".

Mae looked perplexed and uneasy "Trending? I don't know about that" she said, shaking her head. "I don't really pay attention to that stuff".

Chen chuckled, knowing that Mae was humble and down-to-earth. "Well, it's high time you get used to it" he said, his tone teasing. "You're already the talk of the town, young lady".

"Thanks Chen, you always know how to make me feel better." Mae smiled, feeling grateful for his kind words.

Chen felt a warm glow of satisfaction at Mae's words, realizing that he had made the right choice in walking away from Jade and standing up for what he believed in.

He couldn't help but notice a small love bite on Mae's neck as they talked. He felt a twinge of jealousy and curiosity as he tried to think of a way to bring it up in conversation.

"Mae, can I ask you something?" he said tentatively, squeezing his pants in his fist.

"Sure, what is it?" Mae replied, looking at him curiously.

"I noticed a mark on your neck. Is everything okay?" Chen asked, his voice tinged with concern.

Mae's face turned pink as she reached up to cover the love bite with her hand. "Oh, that." she said, sounding embarrassed. "It's nothing, really. Just a little something from the birthday party".

"Don't lie to me that it was a scratch from the sharks. It was a boy from the party, isn't it? Isn't it?" Chen interrogated firmly, feeling a pang of disappointment. He had just harbored a secret crush on Mae, but he had never acted on it, knowing they can't be together if he wants to succeed in his mission".

"Yes..." Mae said, looking down at her feet. "It was a boy from the party. I won't lie to you, he's really sweet and kind to me."

Chen nodded repeatedly, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside him. He was happy for Mae, but also a little bit sad that he had missed his chance with her.

"Now you allow boys harass you at parties? When did you grow into an adult?" Chen nagged.

"I'm sorry dad, but I'm 18. Am I not allowed to have a boyfriend?" Mae's words taunted Chen.

"Well, that's great" he said, forcing a smile. "I'm glad you're happy."

Mae looked up at him, her eyes full of compassion. "Chen, are you okay?" she asked, placing a hand on his arm.

Chen nodded, feeling a lump form in his throat. "Yeah, I'm fine" he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just a little tired, I guess."

Mae looked at him skeptically, but didn't press the issue. "Well, if you ever need to talk, you know where to find me" she said, conveying a hospitable smile.

As she turned to leave, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. There he got lost in her eyes, seeing how her purple pupil glowed in the light.

Chen stared at Mae, his eyes fixed on the purple glow in hers. He recognized that the Amethyst was inside her, and he was starting to panic. How could he extract the gem from her without hurting her?

He tried to think of a way out of this mess, but his thoughts were jumbled and chaotic. He wondered if he would have to kill Mae to get the Amethyst, or if there was some other way to extract it without harming her.

As he looked deeply into her eyes, he noticed that the purple glow in her eyes was starting to fade. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a sense of relief. Maybe the Amethyst was leaving her body on its own?

Chen hesitated for a moment before finally blurting out, "I don't know if this is weird, but I noticed something about your eyes. They have this purple glow to them. Do you know what that's about?"

Mae's eyes widened in surprise, and Chen could see the purple glow in her eyes growing stronger. "Um... Um..." her voice shaking slightly. "There is nothing weird about my eyes" She receded from his arm, shielding her eyes with her hand.

Chen felt a shiver run down his spine as he remembered Master Yuze's dusty old spell books. He had been searching for a spell to help him find the Amethyst, and he had finally succeeded. And now, Chen was staring at it, in Mae's doe eyes.

"I see..." Chen said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Well, it's beautiful. And you are too, Mae. I mean that."

Mae smiled, looking grateful and touched by his words. "Thank you, Chen" she said. "You're a---"

Mae was still talking when she saw Liang walking by the hallway. She immediately tensed up and tried to hide behind Chen, causing him to turn and face Liang.

As Liang walked past them, he pretended not to seem to notice Mae's presence at all, which made her breathe a sigh of relief.

"Why is she hiding from me? Does she remember what transpired between us?" Liang wondered.

Mae turned to Chen, seeing the questionable expression on his face, she tried to explain why she was so nervous.

"The thing is... you see... I was with Liang the other night" Mae said, sounding embarrassed. "And, well... we had a little something together. I just feel weird seeing him again so soon."

"Oh so it was Liang at the party" he thought. Chen felt a pang of jealousy again as Mae spoke, but he tried not to show it. Instead, he listened attentively as she continued.

"But you know what? Liang is actually really sweet" Mae said, smiling fondly. "He rescued me from the sharks and took care of me on the yacht. I don't know what I would have done without him."

Chen's heart sank as he heard Mae's words. He knew that he was the one who had rescued her, not Liang. But he didn't want to ruin Mae's good impression of Liang, so he kept his mouth shut.

"Wow, that's amazing" Chen said, trying to sound sincere. "He sounds like a great guy".

Mae nodded, still smiling "Yeah, he really is. I'm lucky to have met him".

Chen felt a twinge of sadness as Mae talked about Liang, but he knew that he had to be happy for her. After all, she was his friend, and he wanted nothing but the best for her.

"Yeah, you are lucky" Chen said, smiling back at her. "But you know what? I am lucky to have you as my friend".

Mae's face lit up as she heard Chen's words. "You're a great friend, Chen" she said, hugging him warmly.

Chen hugged her back, feeling grateful for the warmth and comfort of her embrace. Even if he couldn't have Mae as his girlfriend, he knew that he would always cherish her as a friend.

The school bell ran and the students settled in their classrooms.

As Chen sat in class, he couldn't help but worry about the Amethyst and what his master might do to Mae.

"No, no, no. I didn't sign up for this" Chen's mind troubled. "Could it be the end of it all? Sheesh!"

Chen was well aware of his master's reputation for being ruthless and making devilish decisions, and the thought of what he might do in this situation made him even more nervous.

"Does it mean I have to kill her to get the Amethyst. How would it be for her to lose her sight instead? Hmm... That would be much better. It's up to Mae now to decide whether to lose her sight or her life". He felt a surge of satisfaction, thinking that he could somehow spare her life.

Chen didn't want to take any chances. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He knew that he couldn't panic, not now. He had to come up with a plan, and fast.

"I have to see master quickly. How do I get out of this mess without hurting Mae. It would be painful if I have the only option to kill Mae just to get that purple crystal stone." Chen let out a deep, long breath, shaking his head. He was so consumed with his thoughts that he didn't even notice the teacher tutoring the class.

Liang's ears had been twitching the whole time, he tuned out the lecture, instead, listening in on Chen's thoughts.

"This lousy human knows about the Amethyst? How could it be? Who is he working for? I must find his master" Liang thought to himself.