* AMBER ERIN ANDERSON *

"I think this looks good?" Ember and I both looked at the mirror, him staring at himself deeply, eyebrows frowned as I gave his new haircut one last look. Ember didn't give me any specific details -- he simply told me to cut it in a way so that he could blend in with others, without attracting much attention to himself. I thought of all the ways to cut his hair and finally gave him one that suited him: a decent wolf cut with heavy layers around the sides, making his white locks voluminous and ending it before his nape.

I patted the back of his hair, keeping the hair in place as it smoothened upon my touch and gave one last trim at the end of his hair, making sure the ends were even.

"Looks better than before," he looked up, grinning at me, ruffling his hair. "Where did you learn to do these?" He looked around, amazed at all the products I used on him.

"My mom owns a hair salon. Learned it from her," I shrugged, putting away the scissors. "She could've done better than me. She's an amazing hairstylist."

"I would love to meet her," he said, his smile smaller than before. "And your family."

"How was my biological family like, Ember?" I couldn't help but ask, even though it wasn't the right time to ask about this, but I wanted to know about my identity so bad that the question slipped away from my tongue. It was obvious I wasn't from here but from his world and it didn't take me hours to figure out that I was sent here using his Portal Creations.

His Adam's apple bobbed, his smile dropping. "You didn't have a father. Your mother was abusive towards you. She always hurt you and you would run away from home all the time."

My expression remained neutral, my heart tightening against my chest. "Oh," I bobbed my head. "What happened to my father?"

"I don't know," he said, his voice covered in regret and disappointment. "I asked about him to you but you always said he left you and your mother before you were born."

I swallowed, not knowing how to feel about all of this -- I was never an orphan -- I always had parents, I always had a mother and even saw her, I knew my mother but she was unkind towards me, and my father had left me. Was being an orphan better than that? Was me being ridiculed for growing up in an orphanage better than that? Was me being looked down upon by my foster parents' relatives better than that?

"Did I have any siblings?" I asked, my voice suddenly quiet.

He shook his head. "You were an only child," he then stood up from the chair, facing me. "Erin," he stepped closer, his eyes softening. "I know what my mother did to you was unforgivable and no matter how many times—"

"It was not your fault," I managed to say, the words stuck in my throat. "Your mother must have had her reasons for doing what she did. One way or another, she must have saved me and we just don't know about it,"

"I'd have never found my real family without your mother. I would've never met Nathan, my friends, and my brother. She might be the reason I became an orphan here, but she's pretty much the reason I was also able to find a family that loved me," I said, feeling my throat getting sour.

"My mother never forgave herself for what she did. I never saw her smile after that day," he said, his voice meek.

"What happened to your mother?" I asked.

"I don't know," he managed to say, his words barely hearable. "She's dead, but I don't know how, or why. She died a week after sending you here,"

My heart tightened hearing that from him. "I'm sorry,"

"It's alright," he chuckled. "There's still a lot I haven't told you yet, and you deserve to know it all."

"Take your time," I said, smiling. "I'm all ears whenever you're ready."

***

Ember looked like he was about to faint.

He looked around the open area of the amusement park with his eyes wide opened, his head slowly turning. "By the gods," he swore, placing his hand on his mouth and looking at me. "Is this all man made and not created using any sort of magic?"

"Yep," I laughed, watching how he walked slowly, as if even his legs weren't supporting him anymore, as he stopped in front of the rollercoaster, his mouth wide opened, letting out shaky breaths.

"Did the gods make this?" he asked, his eyes trailing at the tracks of the rollercoaster and stopping at the end. "Is this some sort of a transportation? How are you guys not terrified of this creation?"

"Wait until I show you skyscrapers," he clearly didn't hear me, still bamboozled by everything around him, muttering exclamations as a group of girls walked passed by him, probably wondering why a literal grown man was freaking out over a rollercoaster.

They realised I was with him and also gave me a strange look. I shrugged. "What? Never saw a guy liking rollercoaster?" My question seemed to weird them out even more as they frowned and walked away, whispering to one another.

"Erin, I can not take in this much-"

"Oh, come on," I slapped his shoulder. "Even I wasn't that dramatic when I was in your place. This is all for fun!"

Ember looked genuinely terrified of his surroundings, swallowing whenever his eyes landed on any rides, be it a small or a big one. "We'll begin with small things, then. I don't want you to have a stroke or something. That'll be a trouble, since you don't existence here."

Nathan and Amelia soon arrived after I explained to Ember that we were not going to die when we ride the rotor and he would be safe. He had asked all sorts of questions about every rides and I was surprised I had the patience to answer him as well. He was doing better than before, his eyes normal and not looking like they were going to bulge out, his body relaxed, his facials muscles not twitching anymore and his mouth shut for once.

"You cut your hair!" Nathan exclaimed as soon as he saw him, immediately letting go off Amelia's hand and doing a weird hand gesture with Ember, and for some reason, even Ember seemed to know that. "Kinda lost your prince-y look, no?" He laughed, both of them chit-chatting, while Amelia and I shared a confused look together, puzzled at how these two were already bonding so well despite knowing each other for two days.

I cleared my throat, getting their attention. "Ember, there's someone you should meet,"

Ember finally decided to look at me and Amelia, realisation hitting his face as he faced Amelia. "You must be courting Nathan, pleasant to meet you. Nathan talked about you a lot last night," he said with a smile.

"Still can't believe you're from an alternative universe and we understand each other," Amelia exclaimed, her expression mixed with surprise and doubts but after a few moments, she seemed to accept it all. "Heard you guys have superpowers or something as well?"

"Not that special when I see you guys achieving things like these," he spread his hands and pointed at the entirety of the amusement park.

"The difference must be crazy, but you'll get used to it. Like Amber did," Amelia said with a reassuring smile. "What are we gonna do today?" She asked us, walking towards Nathan and standing by his side.

"Everything!" I grinned at Ember. "Everything that this place can offer."

Within a few hours, three of us had checked out almost all the rides and were now sitting at a table, refreshments surrounding us as I handed Ember an ice-cream, watching him looking at it suspiciously. I had made him taste countless food and desserts, and he always held a confused look in his face whenever he ate them and ice-cream wasn't any exception.

"This one's sweet, you'll like it," I told him. "It's kind of a dessert and it's pretty cold, too."

He slowly raised the ice-cream to his face, taking a small bite of it as Nathan, Amelia and I watched him with our eyebrows raised, waiting for his reaction.

"Well, how's it? You like it?" I asked, nervous because he wasn't making any kind of reaction at all.

"Can I take a few boxes of these to Elysia?" Ember asked, licking the corner of his lips and continuing to enjoy his ice cream.

***

When the sun set down, the sky returning to its actual state, devoid of any colours at all, Nathan and Amelia left, saying Amelia wasn't feeling well -- but then I saw her winking at me before leaving, and I got what that meant: she was leaving me and Ember alone.

I mouthed a thank you as she wished me a good luck, giving me a thumbs up. They eventually left, and then there was just me and Ember, walking side by side, watching the park slowly getting lit up by various lights. All the rides had strings of colourful lights attached to them, making them all light up when dusk fell down.

It was satisfying, watching them all lit like that one by one, and I wondered what Ember might be thinking about all of this, if this was all too overwhelming for him, if he was able to enjoy today, if he was able to take his mind away from everything he went through the past few weeks -- I wondered if I was able make him happy even for a few moments.

He was looking at the Ferris Wheel, watching it intently, probably contemplating if this was also man-made or not. I'd considered going there, but then I realised how Ember would freak out seeing that thing, so I didn't give it anymore thoughts.

"Do you want to go there? It was my favourite as a child," I told him, admiring the brightly lit Ferris Wheel, slowly circling, people peeking out with grins, children exclaiming surprise and tugging their parents to do the same.

"Is it fun? What does it do?" He asked, his gaze curious, the colourful lights reflecting on his white locks.

"Not that fun like the other rides. You just sit there and enjoy the view. I find it fun 'cause it's relaxing. Wouldn't recommend it if you're scared of heights, though," I said and then realised being afraid of heights was the last thing among Ember's list of fears because that was what Ember and Keith did all their lives -- fly using Keith's air manipulation skills.

"Let's go, then. I want to see how far I can see," he said, already walking towards the ride. I was surprised seeing his lack of hesitation, but happy nonetheless.

Ember was terrified.

Even before getting in our seat, I'd asked him multiple times if he really wanted to do it, considering how he had reacted when he was close to the Ferris Wheel. But he'd brushed me off with an awkward laugh, saying that was nothing for him and he could actually do it uncountable times. I'd shrugged my shoulders, knowing very well this would be the case and now we were sitting parallel to one another, him shaking his legs and looking everywhere frantically.

"Who is controlling this thing? Are you sure they are fully skilled and an expert at this? They won't lose their energy, right?" he asked, genuinely worried.

"No, it runs on a machine," I emphasised, smiling tightly. "You've done this all your life and you said you wouldn't be scared—"

"With Keith! I trust my life with Keith!"

"And you can trust this one, too!"

He grumbled, leaning back, running a hand through his white locks, pushing them away from his eyes. "I will trust you."

The Ferris Wheel creaked, slowly moving itself, all the cages dangling steadily. The speed increased by each second and Ember tried his best to not scream his lungs out. He looked out, his gaze wandering and then looked back at me. He looked relaxed now, his facial muscles not stiff anymore. The glinting blue lights fell on his face, making it hard to see how the corners of his lips curled up slightly.

"I understand why this was your favourite," he said, his head tilted, the side cuts of his hair following the tilt. "The world looks beautiful from up here." He let out a sigh, his smile intact. "It's refreshing being here with you. I know you don't remember, but we used to watch the stars together when we were kids."

"What happened?" I asked, my voice quieter than his, watching the details of his face, how my question changed his expression.

"My mother erased your memories, made me open a portal and sent you here,"

"It sounds funny when you phrase it like that," I laughed, not finding the words to properly react to this.

"It is true," he said, shifting in his seat. "I'm a Gifted Ezèrian -- a Portal Creator and a Fire Manipulator. My father wouldn't have accepted me as his son until he had turned me into a renèi Possessor. My mother couldn't let that happen. She was a Gifted Ezèrian herself. She was a Protector of Soul and a Fire Manipulator. She knew she could protect me, so she decided to use her powers,"

"Your father's a dick," I expressed, rolling my eyes. I'd have gotten a death sentence for saying that in Elysia. "And a shitty dad."

He laughed. "My mother's Gifted powers had limitations, like all the other Gifted Ezèrian. Most gifted powers are related to spells and her one was no exception. The Protection Spell required two things: complete absence of power from the body of the individual who's being spelled. And half of the Spell User's life, which was, my mother," Ember explained, his face serious.

"But your mother died a few weeks after the Spell was cast, didn't she? Meaning she didn't even live the other half of her life?" I asked, confused.

"You're right about that. I still don't know what happened, and my father never conducted anything to know exactly what happened,"

"And how did I come in this picture?" I finally asked and braced myself for the answer. I'd come to know a lot of things about myself lately, but still not the full story but here it was right now, right in front of me.

"Your body was eligible to hold in all my powers," he said, his eyes softening, filling with guilt for something that he didn't do. "My mother knew about you because you were all I talked about with her and she must've sent her men to find about you. When she found out your body is surprisingly eligible with my powers and it'd barely harm you, she went to your mother, to ask for help,"

"Your mother, the Queen of Elysia went to my mother to ask for help?"

He hesitated, and nodded.

"And what did my mother say to that?" I asked, my panic suddenly rising seeing how uneasy he had gotten suddenly, swallowing.

"Ember, what did my mother say?" I asked again, my voice pressed.

"My mother's initial plan was to seal my powers in you temporarily, until I hit a certain age and then take it back from you, with conditions and rules, of course, but your mother didn't agree to that," he said, letting out a breath, his gaze softening once more, with sorrow and layers of guilt. "She told my mother she could have you for your entire life if my mother paid exactly what your mother wanted."

I felt a stab in my heart, digging deeper and deeper, choking my words. "She. . . she sold me?"

He barely nodded, coming closer and taking my hands and I realised how they'd began to tremble. Do you tremble even when you're not scared?

"Erin—"

"What did she want? What did my mother want?"

He hesitated again. "Coins. Silver coins."

Silver coins. Not even gold. She sold me for silver coins. I was worth of silver coins.

"What happened next?" I took a shaky breath, my eyes stinging from the tears forming in my eyes.

"Your mother didn't want to have to do anything with you. She told my mother to take you, do whatever we want to do with you. And my mother did. She took you, and began the procedure. I remember everything about that day. How you hadn't even flinched when my powers were being transferred to you. It was nothing for you," he said, his hands placed on mine, his thumb grazing the back of my palm. "When it was done, my mother put the Protection Spell on me."

"She made me open a portal before everything and after she erased your memories using a Memory Eraser, she told you to step into that circle and said you will find better people there, who will see your worth more than a few coins. You had already forgotten about me by then, so you didn't look back at me and entered the portal," it still didn't seem real to me, none of it did -- how my own mother sold me for a few coins, how I literally had Ember's powers within me, how I was not even on this planet a few weeks ago and how I was finding out about myself now.

But then I remembered the day I first came to the orphanage, with no memories of my whereabouts, or my parents, how I didn't even know what my last name was, how I had a mark on my wrist which glowed, and it all made sense to me -- whatever Ember was saying.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice low, the guilt still lasting, even stronger than before. "You had to go through all that because of me."

I took his hands in mine, squeezing it lightly. "Why're you apologising? None of it is your fault,"

"Still. It was unfair to you. My mother erased your memories without your consent, made you go somewhere completely unknown," he said, his shoulders slumped and I realised we were still in the Ferris Wheel, at the highest point of it, where everything seemed small and only we mattered.

"She took a huge risk. But I'm alive and I was adopted by the best parents anyone could've ever asked for. In a weird way, I'm grateful to your mother. I'm sure my previous memories were unpleasant, except for the time I spent with you, but even then, I don't ever want to know how my own mother had sold me. I wouldn't be able to take that,"

"I understand that," he said, bobbing his head. "I love my mother, but I haven't forgiven her for what she did to you."

"I forgive her," I smiled, surprised how quick that had come out of my mouth. Ember's mother's actions were not right but when I placed myself on her shoes, I got why she did what she did. She was being a mother, and that was all to it, no matter how unfair she had been to me but even then, I would thank her, because without her, I would have never found my real family.

Ember's eyebrows rose, surprised. "You don't have to—"

"You were her son, Ember," I said, smiling. "She would do anything to protect you. That's what mothers do, don't they?" Ironic coming from me, when my own mother couldn't care less about my life. Was she even alive now? Did she ever think of me when she saw something made of silver?

"Erin," he swallowed, his eyes tired and softening, moonlight kissing his pupils, making his eyes more grey and I never realised how beautiful they always were.

His father always tried his best to cover his identity, but how could he ever hide this? The look of endearment that he always held whenever he looked at me? That look of hopelessness and life that he held in his grey clouds? That look of guilt that he would bear for me when he didn't do a single wrong thing? How could anyone hide the way how his hands always comforted me when they shook with the tiniest of fear? How could they hide how Ember had always tried his best to reach me, since he was a kid?

Ember said something but I wasn't sure I heard it as I was watching the way the words came out of his mouth, how his lips formed the words that I still couldn't catch properly. All I knew was that I'd lifted myself up from my seat, moving closer to him, tucking my hair behind my ears and moving more close to his face, until our lips were inches apart and I could feel heat seeping in my cheeks.

Ember stayed still as a rock, not even blinking, his pupils dilating, his ears so red I almost laughed.

"Amber—" his voice went down when my lips met the place which formed my name.

A/N: this one is really unedited, so i apologise for anything that didn't make sense. but i hope i was able to get the main point done: which was revealing amber's true identity. thanks sm for reading ! <3