The flames no longer burnt Aurora Arkov. She kneeled, making sure not to touch her skin, for it would make the burns worse. She whimpered.

‘What do you want?’ She asked softly.

‘I want you to feel what I felt when you turned me into this monster, this beast! I want to shatter your life and let you pick up the pieces! I have observed you every day since the Resistance first started, looking to see any remnants of who you were. However, I found none. You have concealed the beast well.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Let me show you,’ Ember took her hand. Aurora felt the stinging of the burning skin. He helped her to her feet. They walked down what seemed like an endless hallway and stopped at the end. ‘Only you can go in.’ Aurora hesitated but obeyed.

An array of white tiles were on the wall and repeated the same pattern for the whole room. There were large shelves that towered above Aurora. She looked at what was on each shelf. There were hundreds of glass jars. It made no sense. Was it some kind of trick?

‘I am sorry but I do not understand what you want me to do.’ Aurora told the Child of Ash.

‘Find the jar with your name on it.’ Ember gave her clear instructions. She obeyed, after the events of yesterday.

Aurora took down one of the jars from one of the shelves and peered inside. It occurred to her what she was searching for, memories. A pink light almost blinded her as she opened it. Once she knew what it was, Aurora put the jar back on the shelf. It did not have her name on it. She continued searching for it, and there it was, at the very top. The girl climbed up the shelves, grabbed the jar with her name on it, and held it in her hand.

‘Do you mean this?’ She pointed at the jar.

‘Precisely.’ Ember put his hands together. How he would revel this!

Aurora climbed down from the shelves and found a comfortable place to sit. She twisted the orange rim of the jar and then, saw the memories kept in there. Carefully, she placed a hand on the memory.

***

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Aurora was in her mind. A river of memories flowed near her. She picked up one of the memories and observed it. Ember was there but looked younger in the memory. He was holding tightly to what looked like his family, as the Empire burst into his home. Aurora felt confused, these memories were not hers. She put the memory down and took her hand out of the jar.

‘These memories are not mine.’ Aurora made her way towards Ember, showing him the jar. He did not answer, he only laughed.

‘Oh yes they are,’ Ember finally responded, ‘You were the one who sent them there. You were part of the Empire.’

‘That is impossible. I was never part of the Empire, and never will be!’ Aurora denied the accusation without hesitance.

‘Oh dear, you still deny it. You know the scar I showed you? That was from trying to hold back the Sentries that you sent.’

‘That proves nothing. That scar could be there for any reason. I would never do anything like that, you are not remembering the right thing.’ Aurora took the memory jar from his hand.

‘Of course, I remember, I was there that night. It was a chilly night in November, the day after my birthday, the 10th. I painfully remember every detail. My family and I were having steak made from a cow from the forest that my father had hunted in and some black bread. There was a strike of lightning that hit our home when the Sentries arrived. It was a sign from the Dios themselves. They came knocking on the door. My mother and sister knew it was Sentries, so they refused to open the door. It was my father. That stupid bastard, drunk as a sailor, opened the door. If he had not opened the door, I would not have been the Child of Ash. The Sentries took everything from us. My mother knew what was coming, and whisked my sister and me away, but it was no use. The Sentries targeted us. My mother sacrificed herself, which was foolish. She and Father were killed in seconds. Sister could not outrun the Sentries, her magic was weak and uncontrolled. If she used magic, more harm would be done than good. The Sentries chased me out into the forest and tackled me to the floor. I kicked them away and pulled trees from the ground, and threw them at them. They jumped over it. Then, I knew what had to be done. With not much practice, I conjured a fire spell. All it did was weaken me, and so, the Sentries caught me.’ Tears streamed from Ember’s eyes.

‘I am sorry to hear that. If only the Resistance could have saved you.’ Aurora wiped the tears from Ember’s cheeks.

‘The Resistance,’ Ember’s face turned red, ‘Where was the Resistance when my family suffered? Where were they? None of it would have happened, if you had not commanded them to do so.’

‘I do not understand what you mean.’

‘After they caught me, they put me in the Fortress. I was put in the same cell you stayed in when you were captured. One day, I asked them who had sent them there, and to my surprise, it was not the Emperor, but you. At the time, I thought it would be impossible for you to do such a thing, for I was sure that people viewed you as a hero.’ Ember sneered.

‘The Sentries could not have said that. You are insane!’ Aurora tried to run from Ember, but he tackled her down to the ground.

‘You really thought I would let you go? No, I have barely gotten started yet. The pain will only get worse. First, I must give you the truth. He got the memory jar out. Open wide.’ He pushed Aurora’s memories down her throat.

Aurora felt nothing for a few brief seconds. Then, all of the memories she had forgotten played at once. A horrible feeling erupted in Aurora. It was the feeling that she had been wrong. It was she who had sent the Sentries that night. The past had come back to bite Aurora, and the aftermath would be catastrophic.