Pitch black quiet, like floating in an endless void. I can’t feel my body, I can’t open my eyes. The silence is drowned out by the sound of my heart pounding. Why can’t I move? Suddenly I feel something sharp slowly piercing into my lower back, the smell of iron making me nauseous. I try to scream out, but my mouth won’t move, I can’t make any noise. My heart beats faster as panic takes over and I feel my pulse throbbing in my temples. Another sharp pain fills my senses, this time in my forearm. I want to cry out, I want to run away, but no matter how hard I try nothing happens. I feel like I’m freezing and burning simultaneously. Something appears in the void, a small faint light moving towards me. Faintly glowing silver eyes stare into mine and I feel a sense of tranquillity staring into them. Their gentle light drowns out all other senses, numbing the pain. I want to reach out to them, feeling immensely drawn to them. Just as my pounding heart slows down, I feel something scraping against my collarbone.
Ember’s eyes shoot open as she cries out in pain, her eyes darting around the dark room. It takes her senses a moment to adjust before she realises she is alone. Shivering she tries pulling the duvet closer to her despite how sticky she is from sweat. A pained welp escapes her, her arm aching from the movement. Her breath is unsteady and her voice trembles as she whispers to herself.
“It was just a nightmare…”
She lets out a shaky exhale and looks toward the window. The moon gently peers through the glass, its soft light barely illuminating the room and mildly reflecting off the petals of the potted plant in the windowsill. Ember stares intently into the moon, entranced by the delicate glow. For a moment the rest of the world drowns out around her, all other senses turn off as she simply observes the moon. It reminds her of the eyes from her dream. Her aching body becomes a faint memory, the dark room fades into nonexistence and her mind feels at peace as her breath steadies. She barely registers when the serene scene is replaced by darkness as her eyes slowly close.
The feeling of a gentle touch on her shoulder brings her back to reality. Her eyes squint at the brightness in the room, the sun's sharp rays having replaced the moon's gentle light. Kaylee is next to her, looking at her with concerned eyes. As she becomes more aware of her surroundings, she too becomes aware of the searing pain in her body. She winces at the feeling, to which Kaylee gives her a sympathetic look.
“Are you still sure about rushing this?”
Kaylee sounded cautious as she spoke. She wanted nothing more than for Ember to take her time with this. She especially didn’t want to be the reason she didn’t make it. She feared for the consequences of this. Ember’s expression becomes stiff and her voice is hesitant.
“Yes, I… I need to.”
Kaylee lets out a small sigh, but doesn’t protest. She knew there was nothing she could do to change her mind. She gives a small nod towards Ember as she places her hands on the wound on her arm. Ember gently bites down on her duvet, bracing herself. Kaylee’s eyes flash a light green as they close. Ember lets out a muffled scream at the pain of the wound fully closing under her skin and her muscles regrowing, her other hand clutching to the bed. Every part of her wants to make the pain stop, pull the arm away, run away, anything. Tightly shutting her eyes she focuses on anything else, anything other than the feeling in her arm. The moon… just… imagine the moon. The image is faint at first but slowly becomes clearer. She puts all her attention to it, seeing it in more detail. She relaxes mildly as she keeps all her focus on the gentle light she sees in her mind. The image is suddenly replaced with that of a lightly glowing silver iris. Her eyes shoot open, trying to shake the image, the pain coming back into focus. Just as she is becoming unsure how much more she can take, Kaylee lifts her hands. Ember’s arm still aches, throbbing in pain. She lets out a long deep sigh, tears trickling down her cheeks as she lets go of the duvet in her mouth. She takes shaky deep breaths for a moment, calming herself down. Her wet hair clinging to her face from sweat. Kaylee leans slightly closer to her face as she speaks.
“Are you okay?”
“Y-yeah… I’m fine.”
Kaylee wasn’t stupid, she could tell it was a lie, but she didn’t pry further. She simply rose from her seat and left the room quietly. Just before she closes the door, she peeks her head back in.
“Make sure to rest and eat plenty, okay? I’ll be back again later.”
Ember nods and Kaylee closes the door. She was already dreading it, but she needed to push through. At least that’s what she told herself.
The sound of the door opening woke her up. Was it already time? However, it wasn’t Kaylee who had entered the room, it was Lea. She stands in the doorway for a moment, seemingly lost in thought as if she was trying to find her words. Ember stays quiet, observing her. After a while, Lea finally speaks up with a strict tone.
“Why are you doing this Ember?”
Ember blinks for a moment, letting her question sink in. Her expression grows stern.
“You know why.”
“I don’t actually. I don’t get it, so please, enlighten me.”
Ember doesn’t respond, instead turning her gaze away from Lea, looking out the window. The sun setting in the distance, the sky a gentle shade of orange. As an intense silence stretches over them, she feels emotions rise up in her. She felt conflicted, but one emotion overtook the others. Anger. It started small, but as the silence grew, so did the feeling. Why? Why would Lea ask her that? Her thoughts are interrupted by a scoff at the door. She turns towards it, Lea is looking just as angry as Ember felt. They stare at each other for a moment, before Lea breaks the silence, her voice harsh.
“I don’t know why I even tried.”
As soon as the words had left her, she left the room, slamming the door behind her. Ember was alone, again. She closes her eyes, trying to ignore the anger in her that was still building.
Ember tries to stand, her legs shaky. The other two wounds had been more painful to heal than the first, but she had made it through. Now she just needed to find her footing before she could say she was fully recovered, although her energy still felt depleted. She wouldn’t let this stop her, she was going to power through it. She’d made it through the most painful thing she’d yet experienced and although her body still ached, it was nothing in comparison. As she rises from the bed fully, she can’t hold back the groan that escaped her as she winces from the sharp pain in her lower back. Straining the only recently healed muscles had proven more painful than she expected. After a moment, she straightens her back and tries her best to relax her body. It helps a bit, but she mostly remains tense. With a deep breath she takes a step forward. Her legs feel wobbly under her and she almost loses balance for a moment, but she manages it. I did it! A smile spreads on her face, she feels proud of herself. Before she has a chance to fully admire her own success in this, Mother speaks up behind her.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“You’re shaky, I thought you said you would be ready by now.”
Ember’s smile fades as she turns towards Mother.
“I’ll do better, I just need a moment-”
“We don’t have a moment, I need you to go back tonight.”
Kaylee, who had been standing next to Ember ready to catch her if she had fallen, speaks up before Ember can respond.
“Being able to walk after three days of bedrest and healing is very impressive Ember, you did well. At this rate I’m sure you’ll be okay for tonight, just don’t push yourself too hard, your body is still-”
“Enough.”
Mother’s voice was sharp, her expression stern. She did not appreciate Kaylee’s words. Kaylee avoids her gaze with downcast eyes. Mother crosses her arms as she speaks again, this time towards Ember.
“You need to fix your last mistake, we are behind schedule already.”
“R-right.”
Ember's voice was timid as she spoke. Her stomach turns as she fills with shame. She felt she had let Mother down. She knew she needed to do better, to be better. She wouldn’t let this happen again, she couldn’t. Her mind was running wild, racking her with guilt, but it was interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice.
“You wanted to see us, Mother?”
Lea was standing in the doorway. Ember looks at her as even more emotions swell up, but Lea was fully avoiding looking towards her. Ethen stands next to her, avoiding everyone’s eyes as he fidgets with his hair. Mother turns to Lea.
“Yes. You two need to go with Ember tonight, in case she isn’t alone again.”
Lea’s face tightens, she had been avoiding Ember since their interaction the other day. Neither of them had been prepared to face each other just yet. Ember was feeling overwhelmed by everything, the guilt and shame, the anger and frustration. It all took a hold of her, drowning out the physical pain she felt as she stood on her own legs. I need to get out of here. She turns to Mother with pleading eyes.
“I-I need some air.”
Mother stares at her expressionless, her voice cold.
“So now you can suddenly walk?”
Ember couldn’t help but quiver, but she didn’t answer. After a moment of silence Mother speaks up again with a scoff.
“Fine. As long as you’re ready by nightfall.”
With that Ember takes a deep breath, preparing herself. She takes one step, then another. It was shaky at first, but she found her footing well enough to walk normally. Lea is quick to move out of the doorway to allow her to pass, still avoiding her eyes.
As Ember stepped out into the garden, her legs were begging for her to stop. Just a few more steps. It took some effort, but she reached the small bench and quickly let herself collapse on it. Her heart was beating hard in her chest and she could feel her pulse in her neck. She felt nauseous, she wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready at all. She could barely walk down the stairs, how was she supposed to make it to the forest? How was she supposed to even use her power right now? She wanted to scream, to cry out, but she kept it inside. Afterall, she could feel she wasn’t alone. Although she couldn’t see him, Ethen’s presence was easy to recognise by now. Knowing he was there was almost calming to her. She knew he would watch out for her, even if she wasn’t meant to know he was. She takes a deep breath. Focusing on Ethen’s energy is a good distraction for her, it made her racing mind quiet down. She sits in silence, observing the clouds in the sky. Deciding to simply rest in the gentle spring breeze as long as she can, gathering as much strength as she could before nightfall.
Ember looks towards Ethen and Lea behind her. They both nod and without another word they all make their way into the forest. The uneven ground was unforgiving on her sore body, but she didn’t slow down. She wouldn’t let anything stop her from completing her task. Her deep breaths fill her lungs with the cool night air and earthy smell of the forest. The occasional leaves brushing against her skin as she pushes through the heavy vegetation. The journey felt longer than last time, but they had made it. Ember takes a sharp inhale at the sight, freezing in place. Memories of the fight flood her mind, making her wounds sting. For a moment she felt almost as if she was reliving the moment. Her body screams out for her to go back, for her to leave. A sudden touch on her shoulder brings her back to the present, making her slightly jump. Ethen looks at her concerned. She takes a moment before sending him a weak smile as she whispers.
“I’m okay…”
He doesn’t believe her and she knows this, but after a moment he takes a step back, letting his hand fall off her shoulder. She takes a few seconds to calm herself, trying to push her worries aside, before she presses forward. Ethen and Lea both stay behind, hiding amongst the denser trees. Ember focuses for a second, sensing for any sign of life nearby, but nothing. She looks over her shoulder and speaks in a hushed voice.
“We’re alone.”
Not wanting to waste time, she takes a deep breath and gets on her knees, her fingers slipping through the thick grass. Once she has her hands completely flat on the ground her eyes close. For a moment, a single heartbeat, she feels as if she could sense the entire forest, sensing every single tree, every leaf, the water flowing through and natures gentle breath. She opens her eyes, focusing only on the foliage she can see as her eyes start glowing brighter. Her body fights against her, trying to resist the action. With a groan she put more weight on her hands, her eyes flickering brighter. Her arm twitches in pain under the weight. Power starts surging through her body, slowly growing. She keeps it building, feeling it swirl through her, growing each passing moment. Her body weakens as the energy builds, pleading for her to stop. She chokes on a cough for a moment, trying desperately to compose herself. The taste of iron fills her mouth. I can do this, I need to do this. Her body starts shivering, making her feel like she might collapse any moment. The realisation hits her, she can’t keep this up much longer, she needs to let it go, now. She sends the whirling energy through her body and out her hands with an agonising scream, the glow in her eyes almost burning. The ground and trees in front of her almost vibrate for just a second before everything in her sight erupts into flames. The golden glow dims and is drowned out by the reflection of the soaring fire in front of her.
She stares blankly at the fire that spreads before her, her body refusing to move. A yell in the distance brings her back to reality. Frazzled, she tries to stand, barely turning around before her legs give under her. She hits the ground hard, panic fills her, but no matter how much she tries her body won’t move. The sudden sensation of a tight grip on her arm makes her let out a small noise as she looks up at Lea, who is quickly dragging Ember to her feet. With gritted teeth she forces her legs to move despite the pain. Her vision gets more blurry with each step as they run away from the fiery scene behind them. Suddenly everything goes dark and she stumbles to the ground.
“Ember!”
Lea’s voice sounds distant. Ember's eyes slowly close as the world spins around her. She feels her mind growing distant followed by a faint feeling of heat and being lifted off the ground.