* AMBER ERIN ANDERSON *

Life became normal quicker than I expected.

Nathan helped me find a job, and I was doing good at it as well, wasn't messing up every five seconds and also had a good time there with the people around me. It got tough at times, managing it all, but I adapted eventually. Nathan and I talked about what happened with me sometimes and it felt like explaining a dream to him, as if I was making things up because even I couldn't believe what I went through.

But then I would think about Ember, and suddenly, it'd all feel real to me.

I hadn't forgotten what he'd done, how he had lied to me the entire time about his motives and broken my trust. It was not okay of me to leave him like that, without giving a chance to explain himself but it got too much to handle for me -- I felt it too much -- thinking how he'd lied to me -- I couldn't tolerate it and I couldn't show him how much agony it'd caused me even though it shouldn't have. Ember and I had nothing to do with each other, and yet his actions affected my emotional state more than any person in my life.

I tried to spend my days not thinking about what might be going there -- how he was doing, if he'd regretted what he did, if he managed to cancel his wedding with the plan he made, if everyone was safe, if his father wasn't being harsh to him, and if his friends were also doing alright because I didn't fare goodbye to any of them -- I simply left without any notice. I tried to not think about them.

But then it was times like this, when I would be alone in my apartment, done with all my hobbies and works, when Nathan would be out with Amelia, when I would be in my bedroom, staring at the ceiling,  tears rolling down my eyes from staring too much that I couldn't stop thinking about Ember at all. It was times like this, when he'd simply reside in my mind, taking no leave and I'd finally realise that Ember had never left my mind, he was always there, ever since I'd left and I simply kept myself busy until I couldn't.

And so, I would lie in my bed, caressing my Mark, looking at the hirèij sign, wondering if I would ever be able to see this sign glow again. It was stupid of me to expect this I knew, but a part of me wished, really wished to give Ember a chance to explain himself, just so I could give my heart some rest but I had told him right into his face that I didn't wish to see him ever again. There was no hope of seeing him again and he also told me that his Portal Creations weren't reliable, he didn't know much about it and it didn't work always.

I swallowed, not even realising when I really had tears streaming down my face, not because of staring too much but for another reason and I hated that. I hated how I was still thinking about Ember's idiotic grins that he'd pass at me, how he'd held my hand, how absolutely clueless he was sometimes, how he always had a solution for everything and how he didn't hate life for what it did to him, how he was always hopeful and how I was always his first priority.

And then he ruined it all.

And then he ruined it all.

His powers were sealed in me and that would always be why he'd keep me safe.

I wiped my eyes using my arms and sat upright. It was unlikely of Ember arriving here -- it was almost impossible, considering the reliability of his Portal Creations and it was waste of time to think about him constantly when I couldn't even do anything about it. I had to think for future now -- I had a life here -- a real life with people that I loved and cherished. And I had to focus on them.

But Ember—

My wrist itched, my heart picking up and beating fast, making me look at it and that was when I saw it glowing, with the brightest colour of golden, like the sun in summer as I watched in awe, particles flowing out of there, making me grab them. I rushed to my balcony, almost stumbling on the way, instantly gaining my balance. I grabbed the railings, standing right in that place, from where Ember first appeared and I waited, with my heart beating quick, my breaths heavy, my grip on the railings firm.

It was as ethereal as before: a single crimson speck spawning in the air, slowly doubling and tripling and then continuing to grow until a huge melange of different shades of red specks had formed, circling around. The medley of specks formed a door of circle shape, more specks forming and causing the door to enlarge itself even more. The red particles stopped increasing and the only thing I could see was the illumination from the portal, making me close my eyes due to its intensity.

I remained silent, and so did the environment around me. I waited, holding my breath, squinting my eyes and then I finally heard footsteps walking out of the portal, stepping into my balcony, the brightness finally slowing down, causing me to open my eyes.

His wrist was still glowing as mine, I noticed and just when the portal started to shrink, the glow followed the same procedure. Ember stood there, in front of me, his hair longer than before, but beautiful. He hadn't blinked ever since his eyes set on me, and neither did I. His attire screamed the fact that he just eloped his own wedding: the long earrings hanging from his earlobes, the giant gemstones attached in his chest clearly troubling him to even breath. It hurt my eyes looking at all the brooches lined below his shoulder.

"You look. . . " I finally spoke. "Very decorated."

His grey eyes softened and I wished I hadn't missed them. "Erin. . ." he said, his voice a mere whisper. My eyes caught the crimson and golden specks merging, a medley of gold and red vanishing, but doing it all together.

"Have you cancelled your wedding?" I asked, swallowing the lump in my throat because I wouldn't do it -- I wouldn't show him that he'd been on my mind ever since I lost sight of him, I wouldn't tell him that I had just cried because I wanted to see him once again.

"No, Erin. This is not what's important right now," he said, his words quick. "I must tell you . . . I must let you know . . ." His eyes were wide and desperate as he stepped closer to me. "That I never wanted use you. I could never. The whole world could stay mad at me for as long as it wants but not you,"

"I know I lied to you and I will apologise for that. It was my fault, I know. I broke your trust, I know but not because I wanted to use you for my own benefit. I lied because I—" he swallowed, his voice breaking, his eyes dilating. "Because I was scared you would leave like this and I couldn't let that happen -- not because I needed you to get my powers but because Erin," he paused and looked at me. "Because I didn't know if I could ever see you again. Because my Portal Creations take too much time and it consumes almost all my energy and I didn't know it would ever work and I—"

"Ember," I took his hands, caressing the back of his palms using my thumb. "Calm down," I said, giving him a small smile. "I am here, and I'm not going anywhere."

"No, but you are—"

"I wasn't in my right state of mind back then. I was half drunk and I also didn't give you a chance you talk as well. I acted quite irrationally, didn't I?" I laughed.

"No, you were right to do what you did. I would do—"

"I know," I said, letting go off his hands once I realised he'd calmed down a little. "And now you have told me the truth as well and I'm sure there's still a lot of things you haven't told me yet," I tilted my head to a side, waiting for an answer.

He stared at me for a while, not saying anything and then he bobbed his head. "Yes, there is. There is a lot," he said. "And there will be only truths this time, no matter how afraid I am of the consequences."

***

"Holy shit," was the first thing that Nathan uttered when he saw Ember.

"A pleasure to meet you as well, Nathan," Ember smiled at him, his dimples digging holes in his cheeks.

"So, this is that species from your 'another world'? And what what is he doing here?" Nathan asked, frowning, giving Ember a look. "And why is he decorated like a Christmas tree?"

"It seems like you know plenty about me," Ember said, giving me a side look.

"Oh, I have heard all sorts of things about you," Nathan dragged a chair and sat on it, facing Ember and carefully scrutinising his appearance. "All bad, bad stuffs,"

Nathan gave me a perplexed look when he noticed the food served in front of Ember. "You literally couldn't stop cursing him a few days ago and now you're serving him dinner?"

I looked away, preferring to look at the walls and their structure, finding them pretty intriguing.

"Well?" Ember's deep voice made me glare at Nathan, flipping him off.

"Like I said, I was pretty angry that day," I shrugged.

"No, I am sure you—"

"Nathan, can you please bring something to wear for Ember? He's not comfortable wearing . . ." I paused, looking at his attire. "Whatever he's wearing."

"You mean, my clothes?—"

"Yes. Now, go," I gave him a tight lipped smile as he slowly walked away, giving both Embr and I glares.

I sat beside Ember, pouring juice in his and my glass. "Do you feel tired? From using your energy and all?" I asked, passing him his glass.

"A little, yes," he said, tucking a strand of hair behind his ears, which no longer had his earrings as he had taken them off, along with all the other accessories. He only had some rings attached to his fingers for now, all of them made of gold.

"Your hair has grown a lot more than before," I pointed out, resisting myself from letting my hand go through his hair. "It's almost reaching your back now."

"Do I need a haircut?"

"I could give you one, it will help you blend in more well when you go out," I said, wondering what kind of haircut would suit him.

"You will give me a haircut?" He looked at me, smiling, and my cheeks grew hot when I realised he was pretty much teasing me right now.

I rolled my eyes. Take rest tonight." I smacked his arm, standing up and deciding to call in sick for tomorrow and stay home as it'd be risky to leave him alone, considering how he was new to everything around him. He laughed, and I realised I'd missed that as well -- how his laugh would make me warm inside. I had never realised those things until now.

"You still haven't told me how you cancelled the wedding." I pointed out, ignoring the redness I could feel in my cheeks.

He remained quiet, deep in thoughts, clearly zoning out. "Ember," I shook his shoulder gently. "Did something happen at the wedding? Did your plan work?" I asked, having a bad feeling about his silence.

"I did cancel the wedding, yes but I had to use another plan," he said, and I already knew where this was heading towards.

"What? What did you do?" Panic rose within me and I waited for an answer.

And he said exactly what I was fearing.