* AMBER ERIN ANDERSON *

I didn't bother to knock the door of Ember's chamber. I simple barged in and though it was seen as a barbaric act towards a Prince,  that was my least of worries right now.

Upon entering his chamber, I didn't notice him, making me about to turn on my heels and leave when I heard shuffling of clothes behind his folding screen. I realised he must be getting ready to meet his father at the court regarding talks about his amalgamation and its final preparation.

I took a deep breath, rubbing my wrist using my thumb. "Ember, are you done?" I tried to keep my voice calm.

In a few minutes, he came out of the folding screen, dressed formally in his clothes, his eyes altered, his artificial hair glowing because of the sunlight seeping from the windows. His eyes landed on mine and his smile immediately dropped when he noticed me fuming in anger.

"You look like you're about to kill someone. What happened?" He stepped towards me.

I wasted no time before grabbing his wrist in front of me and pulling his sleeves, and scoffed when I saw a minus sign — the yièril sign — carved in his wrist, the same size as mine. I let go of his wrist harshly, as I saw all colour draining from his face as he took a deep breath and gave me a small smile, as if preparing himself for this.

"Erin," his voice was quiet, almost like a whisper, the small smile still there as a shield.  "I can explain—"

"You never needed me to break your amalgamation," I finally said, my chest heaving up and down frantically, my headache worsening. "You never needed any of my help!"

"That day in the garden, you told me the real reason you got me here was so I can help you break your amalgamation. It was a lie!" I expected myself to be angry but it was only replaced by pangs of hurt.

"It was just an excuse to make me stay here. Because now that I think about it, I haven't done anything to help you. I have been just tailing you around," I grabbed my hair, biting my cheeks. "I have your powers sealed in me. You just want me for that,"

"You've been looking for me for thirteen years — it makes sense now," I was looking away, suddenly feeling tears forming in the corners of my eyes but I wouldn't show him that.

"Amber—" it was odd, seeing Ember, the Ember who always had the best comeback ready for anyone who was talking down about him, his voice getting fragile and weak as he said my name which was disgustingly similar to his own name.

"You were the only person that I depended on. You were the only person that I could trust. And you couldn't even bother to tell me the truth. The only reason you want me here is just so you can take back your powers,"

I let out a breath, not having anything in me to talk to him any longer. My headache was getting worse by each moment and the last I thing I wanted to see was Ember's face. 

"I want to leave, Ember," I finally said, now looking at him, my tears finally giving up and falling down my cheeks. "I really want to go home now."

The corners of Ember's eyes twitched as I noticed him swallowing. "Erin, I can't let—"

I controlled myself from shedding another tear. "Please, Ember," I couldn't even hear my own voice.

Most parts of myself wanted to leave Ember and this place forever because I was feeling betrayed, used and heartbroken. And then deep down, there was this another part of me, that wanted to stay, that wanted to ask him why he lied, that wanted to ask him for an explanation,  that actually wanted to talk things out because no matter what happened, Ember was always there for me, through and through and never harmed me in anyways.

But he lied to you. And you hate lies more than anything. Right.

"Let's go," Ember broke me out of my thoughts by his quiet voice as he turned on his heels, and I noticed how he brushed his fingers against his left eye. I followed him silently as he walked out of his chambers, his steps slow unusually and his shoulders slumped. "The portal opens only in the meadow. I will create a portal there."

***

I had never seen a meadow before in my life and even if I had, I don't think it would ever compare to what I was seeing now.

To say it was big would be an insult to its size as its size made me and Ember so small, I couldn't even see where it ended. Currently, Ember and I were standing in the middle of the meadow, the wildflowers swaying upon the touch of the cool air, the soft fragrance making me forget all of my pains for a moment, butterflies fluttering their light wings while a passing squirrel caught my eyes, making me chuckle lightly seeing its adorable attempts to hide.

And then I noticed Ember looking at me.

My smile dropped.

I looked away, my eyes landing on the never ending bushes. I frowned when one of them starting moving, but the thought of someone being there immediately left my mind when I thought it could be some kind of animal.

"Well," I said. "Make the portal."

"Erin, please—"

"I don't want to talk," I said, letting out a breath and biting my cheeks hard. I wouldn't be able to control myself if Ember said anything — because I knew I would only end up crying, hitting him, and then eventually, I would forgive him.

Ember was looking awful — it'd been only half an hour but Ember's face was pale, lacking his usual confidence, his eyes were gloomy, all form of light deceased the moment he saw me about to cry, his broad shoulders slumped then before and if I wasn't mistaken, if my deep observation wasn't wrong, I saw his hand trembling just a little as he tried to reach towards me.

He swallowed, his jaw slack. He walked past me and then stood still, breathing deeply, his eyes closed and I noticed the air around us had changed — it was subtle, but still noticeable. The cool air slowly increased, its flow slowly rising and I noticed the wildflowers shaking more aggressively now. The butterflies had gone, along with the squirrel and it was now Ember and I.

The bushes from before moved again.

All my thoughts about everything came to a halt when I noticed glowing crimson sparks appearing out of thin air a few feet away from us, increasing in numbers as Ember continued extending his hands toward them. The miscellany of red particles continued growing in numbers until the particles had taken the shape of a circle door, the interior of it too bright to see what's beyond it.

My mouth was hung open as memories from the first time I had seen this portal came flashing down: me in my balcony as I saw a white-haired guy coming out of that circle, tears running down his cheeks when he saw me, rushing towards me when he saw me losing my balance until the world turned dark.

I walked towards the portal, my eyes wide with anticipation and nervousness. "Will. . . ." I began. "Will I be back home if I enter this?"

Seconds passed and when I realised Ember still hadn't answered, I turned around, my heart tightening when I saw his face. Maybe it was just a trick my mind was playing with me, maybe it was something my brain created because of my headache when I saw a teardrop escaping Ember's left eye but the blinding light of the portal suddenly increased, making me squint my eyes.

"Yes," I heard Ember saying, his voice quiet. "You'll be there. You'll be home."

I turned, heading towards the portal. "Maybe. . ." I said, gripping my clothes firmly. "Maybe if you'd told me the truth from the beginning, I would have been with you right now, having fun and goofing around with you 'cause I actually liked being with you."

I stepped forward and the portal pulled me towards it.