Ember finally came back in the early hours of the morning and when he did, he saw himself inside a dimly lit room.
"Where am I?" He mumbled and tried to get up but he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head. "Ugh!" He grunted while holding that side of his head.
"You shouldn't move around much," a female voice said beside him, causing him to jolt.
"Who are you?" He asked, frightened.
"Light magic, brilliant glow!" She said and everywhere in the room became as bright as the day. They could now see each other.
'She's pretty' was the first thing that came to his head as he stared at the tall girl standing right beside his bed.
She had a long black hair that reached her waist, an angelic face, and a calm expression. She looked so innocent like a little child.
"My name is Evelyn and I am Zack's girlfriend," she said and Ember's shoulders dropped.
'I better take my eyes off someone else's property' he thought inwardly with a look of disappointment on his face.
"What is wrong?" She asked, noticing the look on his face. "Am I not pretty enough for him?" She asked him.
"No, I didn't say any of that," he replied, waving his hand. "You look beautiful and any one would dream to have you," he added. Inwardly, he hoped that he did not exaggerate his answers that much.
"Hmmm, what about you? Do you dream to have me?" She asked and he was stunned. The question came out of nowhere.
'Is she testing me or something?' he thought and decided to answer wisely. "I don't deserve someone like you," he replied to her.
She squinted her eyes and she gazed at him. 'Not bad,' she thought to herself.
"Sorry but I have to ask..." Ember said. "How did I end up here? I remember that I was in a dark cell so how come?" He asked her.
"You were saved, of course," she replied. "Zack saved you."
"Zack... But ho—"
"You ask too much questions! The only thing you have to know is that he saved your life and as such, you must be grateful to him!"
"I am grateful to him for saving my life but I still want to know how he did it, I'm curious," Ember said and Evelyn shook her head.
"Then you have to wait until you see him," she told him. "Since you are awake now, you must be hungry. I'll go get you something to eat," she said and left the room.
Ember waited for a while before she finally arrived with a bowl filled with food. "Here, you can eat while I go do my thing," she said and left immediately.
After she had left, he carried the food and began to eat. After eating half of it, he noticed that he had almost regained all of his strength.
"Whatever those Inn people did to me must have made me extremely weak," he muttered. "I wonder if they have found that I am missing, what will be their reaction? I do not think they will let me go free."
"It seems you are now fine," Zack said to him, scaring him instantly.
"Shouldn't you make your presence known to me? I almost jumped out of my skin," he complained while holding his chest. Zack flashed him a glare and the latter began to smile immediately. "Well, thank you for saving me but how did you know I was in trouble?" He asked.
"My intels are everywhere. I was informed that you failed the entrance examination and was arrested by those Inn owners for not paying your bill. I would have let you rot inside that cell but on second thought, I decided to come save you," Zack replied.
"Why? Is there anything you want me to do for you?" Ember asked him.
"Huh? Have you forgotten your promise already?" Zack asked in return while glaring at him.
'Promise?' Ember thought inwardly and finally remembered what he told Zack the day before. "Ah, sorry I forgot my promise," he apologized with a fake smile on his face. "Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it."
"Eat up and meet me in my study," Zack said and then left the room.
"He didn't even tell me where the study is," Ember mumbled and sighed. He shrugged his shoulders and continued to eat, after he was done, he came down from bed and left the room.
Before him was a long corridor, dark and quiet. There was light at the end of it so he followed that light and walked until he got to the outside. He looked around the garden that was there until he saw another entrance which he took and it led him to another yard with houses.
The one that looks like the main house was built at the middle while the other houses there surrounded it. He walked to the main house and opened the door, he was greeted by a female servant.
"You must be the new person that master asked me to bring to him, right?" She asked him.
"I think that's correct," he replied.
"Follow me then," she said and turned around. She led him pass the sitting room and through the staircase to a room by the left. "He's inside," she said and turned back.
Ember sighed and raised his hand to knock on the door but just then, Zack spoke from inside.
"Open."
"Oh," Ember sighed and opened the door. "How did you know I was about to—"
"Sit down quietly," Zack said to him, uninterested in his question.
"Okay," Ember mumbled and sat down as commanded.
"Take this box and open it," Zack said and pushed a small box to Ember who took it and opened it. "What do you see inside?" Zack asked him.
"It's a ring with a purple diamond on it," Ember replied.
"Good. Now I want you to deliver it to someone in the capital," Zack said and Ember's eyes widened in surprise.
"Deliver it to someone? How can I do it when I barely know anyone here? I don't even know any place," Ember said with a slight frown on his face.
"I will assign someone to you, she is your agemate but she knows quite a lot of places in this capital. She knows space magic so transportation won't be a problem for you. The only thing you will do is to deliver this object to that person and collect the money, that's all."
"But why do you choose me?" Ember asked. "Are you trying to indirectly dispose me?"
"What do you mean?" Zack, pissed off by the question asked.
"I mean no offense, sir but of all your workers, why do you choose me instead?" Ember asked.
"That's because I don't trust them. This is a magic item that can boost one's magic when used; it is also dangerous. I can't have my men carrying out this message for me, it's too risky, also, the person I'm dealing with now is someone that shouldn't be messed with. You are the only person I can trust at the moment to do this for me, and don't worry, I will pay you well."
"Well sir, I can't promise you a successful job here but I swear to do my best. Let's just say, my life belongs to you now so I won't mess up," Ember replied.
"Alright then, you leave now," Zack said and the door to the room was opened by a young girl. "You are here on time, Amy."
"Sir, is he the one I'll be working with?" The girl asked and glared at Ember. "I don't like him!" She stated boldly.
"I don't care if you like him or not... My business is all that matters so you better don't mess up!" Zack replied to her. "It's time, leave already!"
"Yes, sir!" Amy said and stretched out her hand. The space before them cracked open. "Go in!" She said to Ember.
"Okay," Ember replied and went in, she followed and the space closed up again.
"Brother, are you sure about this?" Evelyn asked the moment Ember and Amy left. She walked out from behind the bookshelf and gazed at the spot Ember had sat down the whole time.
"Only time will tell," Zack replied.