Now here Ember resides, calmly staring down at me after a relaxing nap. He is comforted by his friends and enjoys our life in the new world. Ember is everything he was not. That is why the boy named him Ember, to show the world what he once was and never will be again.

“You seem soured.” Ember breathed out as his glowing green eyes met mine.

“I’m fine.” I lied, trying to hide my eyes from his.

A gentle wind picked up and tousled Ember’s deep brunette locks about, yet he was unwavered. He smiled lightly down at me and breathed out, “lying seems societal, does it not?”

“I wouldn’t disagree.” I coughed out nervously. “But it doesn’t matter because I’m not lying.”

“Trust in me,” he began, “lying falls beneath your growth.”

My eyes fell to the ground with the weight of deception; however, I knew my lies were only purposed to keep our community safe, which helped me fight the want of revealing my doubt.

“I am not pained by your lies; confess when you feel comfort.” Ember breathed out lightly with a gentle smile painted upon his face.

“I appreciate it, Ember.” I replied as I pushed myself off of the ground and brought my attention to the hazy gleam of the morning sun peeking out from behind the trees. “Hey, do you know where he is?”

“Has he risen in weeks?” Ember questioned softly.

“Not that I know of, I haven’t seen him in quite a while.” I murmured with a sigh.

“Then surpass the woods and seek the rigid ground.” He breathed out.

I furrowed my brow at his response. “He’s in the mountains?”

“I would speculate.” He responded as he lied his body back upon the branch and brought his eyes to the dim sky.

“Thank you.” I chimmed as I hurried through the sunshine’s haze before I could hear Ember’s poetic response.

Briskly I stumbled my way throughout the grand wilderness, passing through the prickly bushes and veering around the soothing creek that passed through our home. My goal had been to find the boy by mid morning; however, I felt as if my mind’s wars were ruling me more than my goal.

How could the boy be hidden upon the mountain top all this time while I, and others, were cast into the wilderness without our guide? He may have brought me to a beautiful new world, but he could not expect me to feel content with living without him. I only lived in this new world because he enticed me to leave the societal world, yet I had spent the majority of my life in this new world without him. Honestly, had I spent much time with him at all?

I still knew not his name, his purpose, his age, his life prior to the new world, or anything that would connect us as friends. Yet here I was, racing through the wilderness looking for this mysterious boy. I spent four years living in a new world for what reason? For him, but why? How did he overpower my thoughts to the point of me willing myself to leave a life I lived for thirteen years?