Poisonous Crystal Scales

Crystal eyes

The boy stirred, his eyelids fluttering open, revealing a pair of striking blue eyes that seemed to shimmer in the moonlight. Slowly, he sat up in the bed, but the movement caused him to wince as a sharp pain shot through his abdomen where his wound had only just begun to heal. He pressed a hand to his side, feeling the tenderness of the injury, but no words came to his lips. His throat was dry, his voice trapped somewhere deep within him.

Scarde, who had been watching the entire scene unfold in a state of disbelief, stood frozen in place. His breath caught in his chest as the boy's eyes locked with his. Those eyes-deep, clear, and almost otherworldly-held Scarde captive. He couldn't look away, feeling as though he was being pulled into their depths, losing himself in the mystery of the boy who had so suddenly and strangely entered his life.

For a moment, the room seemed to fade away. The soft glow of the moon, the faint chime of the wind, even the cool air of the night-all of it felt distant, as if time itself had paused. All that remained was the boy's gaze, and Scarde found himself speechless, lost in those mesmerizing blue eyes.
The boy's eyes were unlike anything Scarde had ever seen. They were a brilliant shade of blue, deeper than the clearest summer sky, yet filled with a cold, ethereal glow like the light of distant stars. Around the irises, flecks of silver shimmered faintly, giving them an almost hypnotic quality, as though they held the secrets of an ancient world long forgotten. The way they caught the moonlight made them seem alive, shifting between shades of ice and ocean, glowing with an inner light that was both captivating and unsettling.

As Scarde stared into those eyes, he could feel a strange pull, as if they were drawing him closer, urging him to understand something beyond his grasp. The intensity of the gaze was overwhelming, and for a brief moment, he felt as though he was standing on the edge of a great unknown, looking into the vastness of those blue depths, searching for meaning.

The boy blinked slowly, and the spell seemed to break, but the image of those eyes lingered in Scarde's mind. There was something ancient, something timeless about them-an untold story hiding behind that gaze. It was as if the boy carried the weight of countless lives in his eyes, each one waiting to be revealed.

Still unable to speak, the boy gazed back at Scarde with a mixture of confusion and pain, his lips parting slightly as if to say something, but no words came. Scarde, his heart racing, found himself unsure of what to do, his mind still caught in the haunting beauty of the boy's eyes.

Scarde cleared his throat, his voice soft and cautious as he finally spoke, -Are you alright?-

He waited, holding his breath, expecting some sort of response. But the boy didn't answer. His gaze remained fixed on Scarde, but it wasn't quite focused. Those brilliant blue eyes, which had so entranced Scarde moments ago, now seemed distant, almost vacant, as if the boy's mind was somewhere far away, lost in thoughts too deep to reach.

The silence stretched on, unsettling. The boy's face was calm, but behind that calmness was something unreadable, as though he was trying to grasp a memory just out of reach. Scarde could see the faintest flicker of emotion in the boy's eyes, but what it was, he couldn't tell. Fear? Sadness? Something else entirely?

Scarde felt a shiver crawl up his spine. He leaned in slightly, his voice softer, more urgent this time, -Can you hear me?-

Still, there was no response. The boy just sat there, his body present but his mind seemingly elsewhere, his empty stare piercing through Scarde, leaving him with a growing sense of unease.

Then the boy looked at him again, this time as if he truly noticed that Scarde was speaking to him. Slowly, he raised his hand, his long, snow-white hair slipping off his shoulder with the movement, revealing the long, pointed elf-like ears that had been hidden beneath the strands. His gaze was steady, almost distant, as if he was contemplating something beyond the present moment.

Scarde tensed slightly, his heart quickening as the boy's hand inched closer toward him. The movement was deliberate, slow, and almost cautious, as though testing the air between them. His fingers reached out, not towards Scarde's face or shoulder, but down towards his pants, his expression still unreadable.

Instinctively, Scarde's hand twitched toward the pocket where his crystal pocket watch lay, the comforting weight of it grounding him. Yet something held him back, an odd sense of calm amidst the strangeness of the moment, as if whatever was happening was not a threat, but an invitation. He remained still, watching the boy closely, waiting to see what would come next.

The boy's eyes flickered with a brief tremor as he noticed Scarde's hand resting over his pocket. His thin, delicate fingers moved closer, his long nails brushing just above the fabric, hovering near the pocket. He hesitated for a moment, his pale face tilting up to meet Scarde's gaze, silently asking for permission, seeking an unspoken agreement to take what was inside.

His body was twisted in an odd position, sitting upright but with his legs stretched behind him, his posture balanced precariously. One hand rested on the edge of the bed for support, while his impossibly long hair hung in the air as he leaned forward. The strands swayed gently, catching the soft light of the room as they dangled down, framing his ethereal features in an almost surreal way.

There was a quiet intensity in the boy's eyes as they locked onto Scarde's, his movements slow and deliberate, as though he feared startling him. Time seemed to stretch in the silence, a moment suspended between them, waiting for Scarde's answer.

Scarde gave a slight nod, his eyes never leaving the boy's face. He watched as the boy's slender fingers gently reached into the pocket and pulled out the crystal watch. The boy's touch was careful, almost reverent, as if he understood the importance of the object he now held.

Settling back into a proper sitting position on the bed, the boy cradled the watch in both hands, his long hair once again spilling over his shoulders. His movements were slow, delicate, as he turned the watch over, studying every detail of its intricate design. The crystal caught the soft light of the room, casting faint reflections that danced across the walls.

His expression remained calm, but there was a deep concentration in his gaze as he traced the curves of the watch with his fingers. Scarde could see the boy's curiosity mixed with something else-perhaps understanding, or recognition. It was as though the watch held a meaning that only the boy could decipher, a connection between them that Scarde hadn't fully grasped yet.

Then, suddenly, the boy flung the watch open and shattered the frame with a swift motion. It was deliberate, an act of intent. The crystal fell from its casing, landing softly in the boy's lap. As it did, the moonlight streaming through the stained-glass window cast a mesmerizing array of purples and blues across the walls and ceiling, swirling like ethereal patterns in the dim light.

The crystal glimmered, its facets catching the soft glow and reflecting it in an enchanting display, as if the very essence of the night sky had been trapped within. The colors danced around them, creating a magical ambiance that transformed the space into something almost otherworldly. Scarde watched in awe, captivated by the beauty unfolding before him, feeling as though he had stepped into a realm where time and reality intertwined in a kaleidoscope of wonder.