Started With An Ember

The Dead Sun Ruins

Ember slowly sat up. She felt light, and had the mind set that anything was possible. And right now she needed to get to the Dead Sun Ruins. She knew with Futura as her guide, she wouldn't get lost.

She could hear Futura's voice telling her which way to go.

Ember squeezed through the skinny passageway that she was in. On the other side was a jungle. There was a skinny path high above the ground, surrounded by tees and vines. Birds were squawking, and it was all gorgeous.

"Beware of the fake paths." Futura whispered. Ember wasn't sure where his voice was coming from, but she didn't really care.

Ember knew she was supposed to be following the path that went straight, but she could see a couple other paths that looked just slightly more inviting.

Then she saw a path with light hitting it in just the right place. The path glowed, and Ember could feel it calling to her, telling her to walk upon it. Ember drifted closer to it. She was almost on it.

"No!" Ember shouted to herself aloud. "I MUST follow the straight path."

She got back on track and successfully ignored the rest of the distracting paths.

"No one ever has the strength to resist that path." Futura said. "Ember, do you see how strong you already are?"

Ember nodded. She now had more confidence in herself. She could defeat Dune and Darkett. She could.

"You have reached the Dead Sun Ruins,Ember Anala. I'm sure we will meet again, but goodbye for now." Ember felt Futura leaving. She didn't know where he was leaving from, but that was beside the point.

Ember walked straight into the Dead Sun Ruins. It was simply an ancient civilization. It was known for its phenomenal architecture and technology.

Sitting down on a large stone, Ember pulled her bottle of water out of her pack. She sighed as the water trickled down her throat. It tasted so good.
Ember didn't know how long she sat there, but it must have been a while.

"Ember, what is wrong with you?" A furious and disheveled Violet screeched. Violet was followed by Lucas, looking the most angry Ember had ever seen him.

"You just decided to leave us and not come back? What is wrong with you? If you didn't want our help, you should have just said so!" Violet took a breath and continued. "Lucas refuses to talk to you, and once we're out of here, you're on your own. Just thought you should know." She then proceeded to sit down as far away from Ember as she could, without losing sight of her. Lucas looked at Ember with disgust and followed Violet. Did they wait for her explanation? No. Of course not. Did they trust her at all? Nope. Not a bit.

Whatever, let them be buttheads.

Ember had things to do, and worrying about Lucas and Violet was not one of them.

Ember pushed herself off the ground, and started searching the Ruins.

When she found it, she gasped. Then, she screamed.

There were heads. Three of them. Detached from bodies, with their eyes wide open.

Ember stumbled away from them. She fell to the ground, and something sharp pierced her head. She screamed again. She saw a boy waving his arms and weird colors coming from his hands. People falling. Dying. The boy was torturing children. He looked like Darkett, but it wasn't Darkett.

The images suddenly stopped, and Ember found herself on the ground, curled in a ball.

Lucas and Violet weren't even paying her any attention. They didn't care.

Lucas glanced back at her, and saw how horrified Ember looked, but he didn't have a chance to have a reaction.

A loud booming noise filled the air.

Darkett dropped from the sky, except he wasn't alone. Another boy that looked very similar to Darkett was with him.

"I told you I'd be back, Em." Darkett grinned. He and the other boy rushed to her, and despite her futile fighting attempts, they bound her arms behind her, and the nameless boy lifted her into his arms.

They shot up towards the sky with Darkett following close behind.