An Ember's Tale

Chapter Thirty-Eight

 Ember was back in the white void.

She didn't even want to look up to what awaited her. She was done. Exhausted, in pain, and on her last leg, she didn't have the strength to witness anything else. All she wanted to do was to disappear and never be seen again.

What strength did she have left? What will did she still possess?

She had failed her brother. She had failed herself.

Ember chose to believe in some fantasy full of bliss and happiness, but she should have known by now that her life was full of death and misery. She could never be happy, but still, a part of her believed that she could.

She couldn't make that mistake again.

Her eyes still slowly opened, as if she wasn't even in control of her body anymore. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, but her vision was immediately consumed by the bright, blinding light of the void. She didn't even remember falling asleep, but she guessed her strength draining from her had caused her to pass out.

Ember looked down to see she was wearing a white dress held up by two thin strips. Separate, white, sheer sleeves were tight around her upper arm, while they flared out at her wrists and dropped down dramatically. The dress itself was plain and simple but elegant and tight as it slowly flared out at the ends.

She looked to see her feet were bare, with nothing but a golden ankle bracelet. Ember looked down and still saw Akull's mark on her red arm, causing her to roll her eyes. Her skin was still raw and burnt from the brand, but Ember could no longer feel the pain. She guessed it was from the dream she was in, but her dreams had always been far more than just common scenarios that played out in one's head.

Ember then heard screaming.

She looked up to find she was no longer in the white void but what seemed to be Mark's childhood home. It was fully restored to all its former glory. It was a large mansion with a white porch and bright yellow walls.

Ember was standing on a lush hill full of wildflowers with many arrays of colors and bright grass that swayed in the soft breeze blowing around her.

She looked over and saw two figures carrying a screaming baby in their arms. She assumed that the baby was the young couples', but she couldn't have been more wrong as she approached.

"Make the wretched thing shut up," the woman said in disdain as she glared at the baby as the couple approached the house. "If I would have known she would be this annoying- I wouldn't have taken her in the first place!"

Ember could now see that the woman's hair was a bright white color, with dull brown eyes. She wore a striking blue dress that Ember was sure she wouldn't be able to fit through the small doorway with.

"I'm trying!" the man gritted. He had piercing purple eyes that seemed all too familiar to Ember. His black hair matched his suit he wore that seemed far too elegant and expensive for just carrying a baby into their mansion.

Ember followed them inside of the house as the baby continued to wail. She looked up to see the foyer was grand with several chandeliers and luxurious wallpaper that made the whole room seem bigger. The marble floors sparkled as if they had just been waxed that matched the large staircase. Ember couldn't believe it was the same mansion she had seen in destruction just days before.

"Mark!" the man barked.

A young boy who looked to be around the age of four rushed down the stairs. Ember felt a gasp escape her lips when she noticed the boy and his features. His bright white hair shone in the golden light, while his purple eyes flashed when he saw the couple holding the baby. He was wearing faded brown trousers that looked to be a part of a suit. His white shirt was tucked into them, with maroon suspenders that were falling off of his shoulders.