● Amber Erin Anderson ●

When I woke up, it wasn't the moonlight that greeted me but was the sunlight which crept its way to my face through Ember's room's enormous window and the fact that I wasn't feeling sick anymore, my fever was gone, my headache was gone and I felt energetic was shocking for me.

I jolted up, again hoping it was all a very very bad dream and I was back to my apartment. But my hope died when I saw the familiar face of Ember looking at me with a heart warming smile--just like how he did yesterday-when we met first time.

"It's you again," I sighed.

"Good morning," he yawned as I noticed the dark circles beneath his crystal clear eyes, which showed he was too busy taking care of my sick self that he barely got any sleep.

"Let me check your fever," with that being said, he didn't hesitate to lean closer to me, push aside my bangs and press his warm hand against my forehead. "It's lesser than yesterday," he sighed in relief, moving his hand away and causing my bangs to take its rightful place.

He was about to say something when I noticed something strange about him: his eyes. They were no longer brown -- they had completely changed and were as grey as clouds, and so clear and crystalline, they almost reminded me of the boy with mirror eyes.

"What the heck happened to your eyes?" I exclaimed, shocked. "Are those contact lenses or something?"

"Contact lenses?" he made a confused face and shook his head as if that was the first time he heard that word. "Remember renèi Possessor? Zenix is a Body Possessor; he can alter people's eye features," he said as I ran a hand through my face, remembering everything that happened yesterday.

"So, this is your original eye colour?" I asked, pointing to his ethereal eyes with my index finger.

He nodded and I let out a laugh. "This is all unbelievable. Next thing you're gonna say is that I'm in another world or something," I laughed again.

Ember adjusted in his position. "Yes, so, about that, Erin," he began, bobbing his head.

My eyes went wide, realising where this conversation was heading towards. "No, no, no, no, no, no," I chanted, immediately getting off of the bed, my head feeling lighter and less painful.

"Erin-"

"I'm in another universe, aren't I?" I placed my hand in my mouth, connecting everything and coming to only one conclusion: this was an alternate reality.

"Yes, you are," he sighed and I collapsed on the bed, not being able to grasp the current situation.

I'm in another world, I am not on planet earth, I'm in another world.

"How-" I began, licking my lips. "How did I come here? Did you kidnap me?"

"I opened a portal to your world and as for kidnapping you, no, I don't think I did that,"

"You can create doorways to another worlds?" I asked, bewildered. 

"It's not that reliable and that was also my first time but yes, I can," Ember confirmed, nodding his head.

"Oh, my God," I said, running a hand through my hair. "This is all too much for me. I'm going to be sick."

Just exactly when I was about to ask him why I was here,  my eyes landed on Keith who was sleeping soundly in the couch, drool coming out of his mouth. "Is he sick or something?"

"He was healing you last night,"

"Healing me?"

"Remember there were two kinds of Ezèrian? Gifted ones and the average ones?" Ember asked, his eyes in the same place as mine.

Realisation dawned upon me. "He's a Gifted Ezèrian? and his special power is being a Healer?"

Ember nodded and continued. "One of the major cons of being a Healer is that it consumes most of your energy while using it and leaves you exhausted for the whole day. Which is the reason why Keith is sleeping like this," he pointed towards Keith who was sleeping like an infant in the couch.

"And I called him a timid little boy,"

Ember's eyebrows rose as he said: "He's anything but that - he can pretty much blow up this whole palace with half of his power,"

"Damn," I nearly gasped. "Ezèrian are damn powerful,"

"They're the strongest Power Holder for a reason," he chuckled lightly.

"What about you? What kind of Power Holder are you?"

He didn't answer to that question.

***

After an hour, I was ready as a Special Maid at the Elisora Palace and was practically following Ember everywhere he went because apparently, that's what Special Maids do-follow their master like a tail and obey every word of them.

Ember was going through countless scrolls and papers and honestly, I was getting impatient and worried about what might be happening in 'my world'.

"Ember, when am I leaving?" I asked as his eyes remained to that one particular old tarnished scroll.

"Leave what?"

"Leave this place! I've to go home."

"You can't leave."

"Why not? I actually don't care about your opinion. I will leave."

"Then why're you asking me?"

"Because you're the only person I know!"

"But you just said you don't care about my opinion,"

"Ember!" I stomped my foot on the ground in annoyance.

"What?" he turned around from facing his table and faced me. "Erin," he began. "I spent thirteen years of my life just to figure out how I can see you again. I can't take the risk of sending you there again. I'm not even sure if I can open a portal again," with that being said, he returned his attention to his work, leaving me speechless.

After a minute of silence, I finally spoke. "Then tell me this: why did you bring me here?"

"To see you, of course,"

Lie.

I stepped closer to him, gripped his arms and made him face me. "Well, now you've seen me. Is it enough? Can I go now?" I smiled sheepishly.

He remained silent and continued boring his fake eyes into mine before clearing his throat.

I smirked and spoke again. "So there's another reason for me to be here, right?"

"There are many reasons why I need you, Erin," he finally said.

I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What could you possibly want from a Naught?"

"Too many to count," he smiled softly, dimples drilling holes in his left cheek.

"Tell me one of the reasons, then,"

He glanced at me, took a few seconds before answering and this time, it didn't seem like he was lying. "To break my amalgamation."