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Chapter 19: Saved

The smoke parted as the once proud theater crumbled to dust. Johnny and the others were thankfully dragged out by the water just in time. That's when he started counting heads— including the bears— and noticed three more people were missing. He couldn't care less for Mike, and maybe a little for that guy Aeon, but Crystal is still nowhere in sight.

He passed by the sulking koala to look for her, "Crystal?... Crystal?! Crystal, where are you?!"

This alerted the other contestants and they started the search party, not caring for any potential harm that may fall on them.

"Crystal?!" Meena carefully trudged on the damaged site, fearing that her best friend could be anywhere under them. Her weight as an elephant could easily crush her. Along with her was Ash who had started looking through the pile of debris as she is the smallest one around.

"Crystal?"

"Crystal, sweetie, please answer!" Rositta and Gunther looked to the part where the stage should've been.

Under enormous amount of cement, Crystal coughed up all liquid that entered her lungs. Her throat was on fire as well as her nose, a few particles scattered and clouded her vision, yet she could hear a few people call out to her from out the slab of concrete that threatens to crush her any minute now.

"...Are you okay?" Crystal was too distracted with the fact that she's trapped under a lot of rubble to notice the other person lying horizontal on her stomach. Aeon coughs a few times, still locking his eyes only towards her face, "You're... not hurt are you?"

She feels the urge to blurt a sarcastic remark as she always had, but analyzing the situation they were in, it was best to keep that one to herself, "Yes. I'm fine." Crystal tried to look past the broken stairs that had acted as their shield and gasp in horror and blood seeped through her fingers. She looks at Aeon who merely smiled at her. "Are you bleeding?"

"I don't know. I kinda... don't feel anything down there at the moment."

"Crystal?!"

Her eyes snapped above her to the silhouette that loomed over the gap. Seconds later, she found her lungs tighten at the realization of how dire this moment has been, screaming with all of her voice to get the attention of that person that is just above the surface. "HEY! I'M RIGHT HERE!"

"Crystal!" Johnny comes into view, but at the same time, that rapid movement cause the area to shift, making Aeon groan at the weight that he tries so hard to endure. "H-H-Hold on. I'll get you out of there!"

"Hurry up!" she glances back at Aeon who's eyes starts to droop in exhaustion, "Aeon, come on, stay awake."

"Have you.... thought of me as manly... for once?" he asks.

The realization dawned on her as he uttered those words. This time she kept an open mind, she needed to. He was merely chained in an unrequited love for her that he'd risk anything to get her attention. She knew that and yet she thought it was childish of him to do so. Crystal forbade herself to love other people, she kept him at arms length without ever actually pushing him out of that circle. He allowed himself to be a slave for a chance that she'd look at him in a different light.

"O-Of course. You... You saved me. And I owe you one, so just-just stay awake until you can come up with something for me to repay you with."

He chuckles, an enlightened smile adorning his features, "I'll think hard on that one....I promise." Aeon felt his head getting lighter and lighter, until his eyes were too heavy for him to continue.

"Aeon?.... Aeon?!" Crystal's voice rung in his ears at the last few seconds of his wake.

Crystal was joined by Johnny and Miss Crawley to the hospital, waiting for the doctors to announce Aeon's condition. Crystal had a good reason to, he needed someone to act as a family since everyone is in prison. Johnny was worried, both for her and him, he had removed most of the concrete with his bare hands and had been the one to get Aeon to the stretcher. Crystal was already patched up, but Aeon needed an immediate surgery for his broken right leg. Miss Crawley is here mostly for moral support, at the same time she's shouldering the responsibility whilst Buster Moon had not been feeling himself enough to face anyone as of moment. The least she can do is make sure that there were no casualties. As for Mike, no one knows where he had hid himself. It was probably better if no one knew.

The doors open and the doctor comes out of the icu, "Are you the patient's family?"

Crystal stands from her seat, "Y-Yes. I'm his sister."

'Sister?' Johnny immediately threw the thought out the window to focus on the situation.

"I see. Well, he's lost a lot of blood, but he'll live. Unfortunately, his fibula bone down to the foot was crushed under the weight. I'd hate to inform you that it needs to be amputated."

"Can I see him?"

The doctor pursed his lips before he could elaborate further, "You will. But he needs some time to rest first."

Miss Crawley sighs in relief, thanking the heavens that this person is going to live. Johnny as well. It's the numbing happiness that subdues his mind in a puddle of nothingness.