An Ember's Tale

Chapter Twenty-Eight

 Ember didn't want to open her eyes. She didn't want to see what nasty thing laid before her in the white void. She would have just instead kept her eyes shut and not look out at some other family member who died horribly because of her. Part of her thought that if she could keep her eyes closed long enough, her dream would go away.

But it was nothing more than naive and wishful thinking.

Her eyes softly opened when she felt something cold beneath her feet. She looked around, but she wasn't in the white void. She was on a rolling green hill that looked over a vast sunset full of bright yellow, orange, and pink. A soft breeze blew, rustling the leaves around her. She breathed in the smell of honey, vanilla, and everything sweet.

Most of her dreams had been faded and blurry, but everything was so clear. Down to the finest detail as if a meticulous and rigorous artist had painted it. She even began to believe that it wasn't a dream, and she let herself get lost in the beauty surrounding her while she smiled.

Ember looked down to see she was wearing a faded pink dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves that flared out at the ends. The bodice was more of a rose color, but the skirt flowed out into several layers of silk as the rose color faded out to a pale white at the end. Flowers covered the skirt of the dress as petals fell whenever she moved. Ember looked down to see her hair had the same flowers intertwined in her hair. She looked as if she was the heroine in an epic romance. One that made hearts melt and break all at once.

Ember turned around, and that's when she saw him.

Mark was standing at the top of this hill, leaning against a thick tree with a wide smirk. His eyes flashed when he saw Ember that caused her heart to skip a beat. He looked tragically perfect in the golden light of the fading day. He was wearing a faded, green suit, and in his breast pocket was a large, dark crimson rose.

He almost looked too perfect that it almost pained Ember to look at him.

Suddenly, Ember found herself forgetting about the heartbreak he had caused her. Every fight. Every argument. It all disappeared in her head that was filling with nothing but sweet bliss. She found herself beginning to run toward him as her bare feet dug into the dirt. She reached the top of the hill with a wide grin on her face as Mark stopped leaning against the tree and walked over to her.

"Mark I-" Ember began, but her words grew lost when Mark wrapped his arms around her. He looked into her eyes longingly, the way Ember wished he would do when she awoke, to the point where it cracked her already shattered heart.

She breathed in the breeze that blew again, and in an instance, the pain was not only gone but forgotten. Her mind was fuzzy like the air around her, as a small smile suddenly appeared on her lips.

Ember's eyes grew wide when she was suddenly very conscious, with Mark's large hands moving to her waist as he pulled her even closer. Her eyes looked up and into his flashing gaze. Everything about that moment was so perfect that she wished more than ever it was a reality. At least, at that moment, it was Ember's moment always to remember and hold with her.

At least, at that moment... Mark was her's.

Mark leaned in close to her as his smirk widened. His lips hovered above hers as his hot breath fanned her cheek. Her breathing grew shallow, but her smile widened until she was grinning as more of the wind filled her senses.

"Ember..." Mark whispered to her softly.

Ember's eyes widened in realization.

She pushed Mark away as he almost looked disappointed at her. The wind suddenly stilled as the cloudiness in her mind disappeared.

"Mark never calls me that."

"What are you talking about, Ember?" he asked her as his face twisted in confusion.

"You're not Mark," Ember told him as she began to back away from him. "This isn't real."

A deep, cold, empty laugh boomed above them. The world around Ember began to fade and give away to the white void once again as Mark disappeared in front of her. The flowers in Ember's dress and hair began to wilt and fall to the floor, while her dress turned into an inky black color. The sweet breeze had disappeared, and all Ember could smell now was the deep, pungent smell of death.

The shadow appeared from the previous night. He rose from the ground as dirt and ash circled him. He was hardly a memory now. His cold blue eyes were staring straight at Ember as he approached.

"I'm surprised," the shadow said in a taunting tone. "I had your deepest desire projected for this dream, but to my surprise, it wasn't getting your brother back. It was Mark- feeling the same way you feel toward him. How- tragic."

"You don't think I know who you are?" Ember spat as the shadow stopped in front of her. "Akull."

The shadow laughed. "I was wondering when you would figure that out. I was hoping it would have been last night, but I suppose the suspense makes our meeting much more... dramatic."

Ember scowled as the shadow began to circle her. He was studying her. Her every move, her reaction, and most importantly, her fear.

"I'm not afraid of you."

A deep chill went through the void. It crept up Ember's spine and made her body still. She felt cold. Dreadfully so. It was a cold that made every possibility of warmth and light seem hopeless.

"Ember, Ember..." the shadow stopped right in front of her face. She could now see the cruelness and twistedness in his eyes. She could see blue flames beginning to form in his eyes until it consumed them. "You should be."

"I'm done playing your twisted game," Ember told him in a stern tone that she didn't even recognize.

The shadow laughed emptily once more. "Don't you realize Ember-" the shadow waved, and suddenly a map appeared of all the Seven Islands.

The map looked painfully realistic as it projected on the floor. It even showed the flashing storms on the Electric Island and how the Air Island floated in the sky. Ember then saw the ship that she was on, sailing to the next island.

"The game has just begun, Ember."

Ember's eyes widened in shock.

Akull had known where they were this whole time.

The only advantage they had was the element of surprise, but they no longer had that advantage or any advantage for that matter. Everything she had worked so hard for. Getting passage, collecting the jewels, avoiding the General- it had all been for nothing.

Ember felt pure dread go through her as tears began to form in her eyes. It was a terrible feeling. Feeling completely useless, but she had already failed before she had started her journey. Not just her.

She had failed. Not only herself but her brother.

"I look forward to seeing you soon!" the shadow called as it began to fade away. "I hope you don't take too long. Someone is just dying to see you again."

"No!" Ember protested as she reached out to grab the shadow.

But it was too late.

The dream faded with the shadow's dark, cruel chuckle as the white void began to crumble around Ember. But Ember just stood there- with wide eyes as she tried to comprehend everything she had just learned. All that went through her mind was how she was going to save her brother now.

The floor beneath Ember gave away, and she plummeted into a dark abyss.