Amber‘s eyes remain still, unfocused as they stare at the ceiling, a line of sunlight shining through the gap between the blinds and the window. He inhales as his eyes focus slightly, shifting to look at the table beside his bed, a meal set atop it. His left arm begins to rise, slowly growing closer to the food as Amber takes a shuddering breath. His hand then passes over it, grasping onto the crown which sits behind. He lifts it, pulling it towards himself. He presses it against his chest, lying on his side as he stares into the distance.

  “I just wish… that you would talk to me. I would put on the crown, but even just thinking about it fills me with… a feeling of dread.” he takes a slow, shaky breath, golden electricity flickering through his irises. “You’ve… I… I know that I can’t give up, Fuerza… I… I want to, but this is… my… purpose now… my responsibility. I don't know if you can hear me… or if you even care, but… I want… I want to know a few things.” Amber rolls over, turning to face the window, the crown clutched tightly in his hand.

  “When you can, I want you to tell me… what I am… and why I’m the only one able to use the crown. I also need to know… why you haven't been talking to me. You did it before, but now, I… I don't even feel your presence.” he closes his eyes, a tear running down his face. “I just… You’ve become my purpose… my only purpose…” he then loses consciousness, his grip on the crown becoming loose.

  Lana sits across from Maxwell, looking up at him as she takes a slow breath.

  “Do you… think he’ll be okay? I left him some food, but he hasn’t talked much since we’ve gotten back,” Lana mutters, glancing at the hall behind her. Maxwell then sits back.

  “His arm should be fine. I don't know how, but whatever caused the burns is nowhere to be found.” Lana turns back to him, her ears twitching.

  “I thought it would have been, well… he described electricity, and I thought electricity could cause burns.”

  “It can, but electricity strong enough to create those kinds of burns would also be strong enough to stop his heart.” Lana’s face takes a worried expression as she glances at the hall again.

  “Well, he… also… he’s been getting worse… he didn't even notice me bring him food, he was just staring at the ceiling. Do you think he’s going to be okay… mentally?”

  “Honestly, I don't know. I’m not a psychiatrist, I never studied mental illnesses.” Lana grips the cloth of her pants, taking a shaky breath.

  “I don't know what I'd do if he… if he did something. I’ve always worried he might, but I've never seen him zone out this badly before, and that’s usually when he seems to get those feelings the most. He didn't always have these issues. Even after Maroon appeared, he was… hopeful… but one day, he came home and was just… different. He refuses to tell me where he goes, and he’s been doing it for so long that I’ve just stopped questioning it. I trust him, and what he does is his choice, but I’m worried.” Maxwell glances around as Lana talks, his fingers tapping against the armrest.

  “I’m… not sure how I’m supposed to help with that, I don't know him.”

  “Sorry, I shouldn't have dumped all this information on you, I just… Amber told me about a camp… a place with a bunch of people… survivors, and I wanted to go… but I’m… I’m scared of what I’ll hear. I can’t bear to know anything else about what Maroon has done. You and Shari are… the only people other than Amber that I’ve been able to… get myself to talk to. Amber has told me that it will be alright so many times that it’s begun to… lose its meaning.” Lana pulls herself to her paws, reaching up and grasping her head. “And these headaches have only been getting worse. I’m scared, Maxwell. I don't know what to do, and I don't know what I’d do if I lost Amber. I’ve known him since we were thirteen, and he’s always been there for me. I don't know what he needs.”

  “You mentioned that your eyesight has been getting worse,” Maxwell cuts in, causing her to glance up at him. “How bad is it?”

  “It’s… I can still see fine enough, it’s just that far away things become extremely blurry.”

  “Well, remember that I’m a doctor, so if it starts to make your job harder, I’m sure I can make you some glasses.”

  “Thanks, I’ll… let you know if that becomes the case.” She steps away from the couch, still gripping her head as she approaches her room.

  Amber opens his eyes, flexing his right hand slightly as his gaze shifts down to it, watching as a singular ribbon made of gold slowly slides across his palm, pulsing slightly. He pulls himself upright, sitting on the edge of the bed as he continues to tightly grip the crown. He pulls himself to his paws, stumbling forward, catching himself against the wall with his left hand, the crown hitting the barrier with a thud before he starts to approach the door, his eyes flickering with golden electricity before his hand clamps around the knob, bending the metal slightly as he twists it and pushes the door open. He looks down at it, pulling his hand away before continuing to walk past, his breathing heavy. His eyes shift down to stare at the golden ribbon as he pulls himself through the hall. Maxwell looks up as Amber enters the living room, sighing.

  “You’re supposed to be in bed, you’re hurt,” he mutters, causing Amber to look up at him, his expression still somewhat empty.

  “I’m… It’s not too bad, I just need some fresh air.” Maxwell glances at the door, then back at him.

  “Your injuries should be healed enough for you to use your arm normally in a couple of days, but until then, you’re going to struggle, and moving too much can slow it down.”

  “I’m… not staying behind, you might need Fuerza.”

  “I wasn’t suggesting sitting out getting the Golden Star, I’m saying that when we aren’t looking for it, you should rest.”

  “I will, I promise, I just want to talk to someone. A friend of mine moved across the street, and I promised that I’d tell him everything that’s going on.” Maxwell rolls his eyes, gesturing for Amber to continue.

  “I can’t stop you, so just make sure you come back and get some rest after, okay?” Amber nods, approaching the front door, the crown still clutched in his hands. “Oh, and… I made a new thing to hold the crown for you,” Maxwell adds, reaching into his pocket and pulling out another string, the magnets slightly thinner. Amber looks down at it, then to the crown.

  “It… could you maybe make it stronger? It snapped before, and the crown got stuck to the ground.” Maxwell glances down at the string in his hand before giving Amber a puzzled look.

  “That’s not how that works. If I had made it stronger, the magnets would have just pulled your pants down with it,” he remarks, holding out the string to Amber as he approaches.

  “I guess that makes sense,” Amber adds, reaching forward and grabbing it with the same hand holding the crown. Maxwell pulls himself to his paws, grabbing onto the magnet and looping it around Amber’s belt and the crown, clicking the magnets together before backing away.

  “Thanks,” he adds, releasing his grip on the crown and allowing it to hang from his belt. Maxwell sits back down, watching as Amber starts to approach the door once again.

  “Let them know that the power will be back on in a few days… the wind turbines are still in pretty good shape, they just need to have some rusted parts replaced.” Amber nods, reaching forward and gently placing his hand against the handle before pushing it down, causing the door to click open. Maxwell glances down at Amber’s right hand, eyeing the gold wrapped around his palm before he steps through onto the porch. He takes a slow breath as he paws press against the cement, his gaze locked onto the house across the street.

  “I’ll just go over, meet him and Vivian, tell him about what’s going on, and go back to bed,” Amber mutters to himself, making his way down the stairs and onto the grass. He turns to the window across the street, watching as a pair of hands with dark-brown fur grasp onto a board nailed to the frame before ripping it away. He continues to approach, turning to look at the mass of pink and black energy covering the grass. He takes a slow breath and walks into the road, the gold in his eyes dying down as he reaches the other side, approaching the porch. He glances at the crown, then up at the door as he climbs the stairs, reaching his hand forward. He stops just before the entrance, his hand raised. He then knocks his knuckles against the wood a few times, listening as steps start to grow closer. He lowers his arm to his side as the door creaks open, revealing Danial on the other side.

  “Amber! It’s nice to see you!” Danial announces, his smile fading as he notices his arm. “Are you… okay? What happened?” Amber takes a slow breath, watching as Vivian enters the hall, glancing at him, her purple and white hair flowing in the wind from the open door, her dark brown fur shining in the sunlight. Her cat-like ears twitch as Amber starts speaking.

  “I’ll explain everything. I think I have some time. Do you mind if I come in?” Danial nods, stepping aside to allow Amber to enter. Amber looks around at the walls, then back at Danial.

  “So… how have you been holding up?” Amber asks, stumbling slightly and gripping the wall.

  “I’ve- I’ve been doing fine, but you look awful,” Danial adds, stepping aside and staring at him. Amber grips his head as he leans against the barrier. Danial glances down at the gold around his palm.

  “It’s just- Things have been… a lot.” Vivian looks at the crown clipped to Amber’s waist, her shoulders tensing slightly as Danial helps him stand.

  “I want to hear all about it, but first, I wanted to introduce you to Vivian.” he gestures to her as Amber pulls his hand away from his skull, his face somewhat pale. Danial looks at Vivian. “Amber’s… not feeling very well.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Yeah, I… can tell, I remember him,” she answers, staring at Amber. “You… do you remember me?”

  “Mostly, I- I do, and Danial told me about you yesterday. It’s… nice to meet you- again.” Vivian nods, stepping aside while Danial directs Amber down the hall. Vivian’s eyes remain locked on the crown as Danial and Amber enter the kitchen.

  “So what’s going on? What was that thing I saw last night?” Danial questions before Amber sits at the dining table, closing his eyes while a small bit of gold shines under his eyelids. He opens them as the glow fades, looking up at Danial, who sits across the table from him.

  “That…” Amber begins, taking a shaky breath. “Was Gorlac. We don't know much, but he’s a demon.” Vivian sits beside Danial, staring at Amber as Danial starts to speak.

  “And… what’s that crown think you’re carrying?” Amber glances down at the crown before looking back up at them.

  “That is… I don't really know, but I think it’s called the Crown of Saviors. It seemed to be another demon… one that can fight for me when I put it on.” Vivian glances at Danial, then back at Amber as he grips his head again, groaning under his breath. “But I’ve only done it once, and I've never felt so… I don't know the word for it. I’m sick, I’m exhausted, and everything burns. I feel like I could vomit at any moment, but I haven't yet.”

  “Where… did you find it?” Vivian asks, leaning against Danial. Amber exhales, leaning back in the chair.

  “Maxwell, he… he’s the guy who wrote those books on the evidence of alternate worlds. He was- he was right, and that’s where we went. He seemed to believe that someone there could contain Maroon and Mark, but when we got there, Maroon found the portal, and… she tried to kill us. She had this large robot with her, and after Lana damaged it, the crown landed beside me. I didn't… I wouldn't have put it on, but Lana was unconscious. I was hurt and scared, and it was… calling to me. It promised to help, and I couldn’t see what was happening, so without thinking, I put it on. Fuerza… is the name of the demon in the crown. Their promise to help me was… a lie, but then out of nowhere, they changed their mind, and asked me to take Gorlac’s place as their master.” Amber’s hand clamps around the crown, holding onto it tightly. “I didn't want to be… someone’s master, but it… was one of the only conditions I had to agree to for them to help me. For all I knew, everyone could have already been dead.” Danial continues to watch Amber’s expression before taking a slow breath.

  “I see why you… hesitated to tell us. It’s definitely… hard to believe, but after Ammolite, I… am ready to believe just about anything.” Amber blinks, a tear running down his face.

  “I’ve never seen anything like Fuerza. They were… holding back nearly everything they had, and Maroon still couldn't even swing before Fuerza had won. Then they… just destroyed so much… effortlessly, I could feel that they were still holding back, even when he turned a building larger than anything we have ever built into dust. Just speaking was enough to tear things apart.”

  “Is that… what happened to your arm?” Danial asks, watching as Amber exhales.

  “No, we… after all that, I was told to keep the crown… to watch over it. That was when Gorlac attacked, and we discovered something that might be able to… defeat him. It’s something called… the Golden Star. While trying to get the first hint to its location, I had touched something I shouldn't have, and it hurt my arm pretty bad.” Danial’s gaze shifts to the gold wrapped around his palm, staring at it as the surface pulsates.

  “And… why is there gold around your hand? Did you… run out of bandages? And how did you even make something like that?” Amber looks down at it, then back up at Danial.

  “I don't… know where it came from. I slept for… I don't know how long, probably about an hour or so, and when I woke up, it was just there.” Vivian then sits up, staring at the bandage.

  “So, let me get this straight. You went to another world, found a demon, befriended another demon, and then found a way to banish the first demon. Now you’re just searching for the weapon to do so?” Amber nods.

  “I… don't think I said anything about banishing, but I’m… pretty sure that’s what it does.” Vivian takes a slow breath, pulling herself to her paws.

  “Is there… much else important that we should know?” she asks as Amber gently shakes his head.

  “I… don't think so. The only other thing is that Lana and I… have been going through some strange things, we’ve been… changing. She’s gotten stronger, and can do things that shouldn't be possible, and I’m… I’ve been experiencing the same things, but it seems to be more… situational for me.” I’ve had random bursts of being able to do weird things, but for the most part I feel… weaker than I used to.” Amber hesitates for a moment before swallowing. “When all this is done, I think I… know what I’m going to do.”

  “And… what’s that?” Danial asks, still staring at him as Vivian remains standing.

  “I… am going to see just how powerful I can get, because if anything like Ammolite ever happens again, I want to be ready, I want them to not even have a chance to start killing.”

  “Do you… even know how these powers trigger?” Vivian asks as Amber’s eyes shift back to the crown.

  “I… I don't, but every single time it’s happened, I’ve been… scared or angry. First, when Maroon was about to hurt Lana, I was… angry. Then, when Gorlac was threatening them, I was scared. I’ll need to… I’ll need it to happen a few more times before I can understand what’s actually causing it, but once I do, maybe I can… replicate that feeling constantly, and use it.” he glances at the window, eyeing the forest behind the house. “But until then, I have no idea how to control what is happening, so that might make me dangerous. Until I get… at least some of this under control, maybe you should avoid me.”

  “I don't understand,” Danial adds, eyeing Amber’s hand. “What… what ‘abilities’ have you noticed?”

  “I… when Maroon attacked, I… I reacted without thinking. I don't know exactly what happened, but apparently I punched her, and it created some kind of- large explosion. There was a large hole burned into the wall. It… that means that whatever I can do must be destructive. I’m worried that just being here with you is dangerous, but I promised to explain everything, and I didn't want to wait, because I don't know what will happen.” Danial looks back up at Amber’s face.

  “So you… are saying that you don't trust yourself not to hurt us?”

  “I would never mean to, but yes.” Amber inhales sharply as he pulls himself to his paws. “I don't want to risk any more death. If I were to get anyone else killed, I… I don't think I would be able to handle it.”

  “Amber, you… you can't keep beating yourself up over that, you had no way of knowing,” Danial begins before Amber grips the table, causing the wood to splinter slightly under his grasp.

  “Congratulations on your engagement. I’m happy for you, but I need to go now.” Danial leans back as Amber releases the table, gripping his skull. Vivian watches as Amber’s irises flicker with gold light, golden electricity crackling through his eyes. “Maxwell should have the power back on in a few days… and he should be working on getting the internet back up as well. I’m going to bed, my head hurts, and I'm exhausted. I’ll have him get you a phone once the internet is back so that we can stay in touch, alright?” Danial nods, watching as Amber approaches the hall.

  “Once I have everything figured out, I’ll come by again,” he adds, his hand sliding down his face and falling to his side as he moves closer to the front door. He sighs as he grips the handle, staring at his hand. “Thank you… for everything. I’ll see you again once we’ve gotten everything sorted out, but I don’t know how long that will take.” he pulls the door open, stepping through and pulling it shut behind himself. He exhales as the door clicks, stumbling forward and grasping his head again. He glares at his house across the street, his vision slightly blurry and his body shaking as he takes a step towards the stairs. As he descends, his claws start to dig into his skin, the glow in his eyes getting brighter. He steps onto the grass, his breathing becoming heavy before he stumbles slightly. he looks back up and notices Maxwell standing at the door, staring at him. He continues to move closer, blinking slowly.

  “Maxwell? What are you… doing out here?” he calls, flinching slightly as he steps onto the road.

  “Waiting for you. I want to tell you something.” Amber takes a slow breath as he gets closer.

  “What… what did you want to tell me?”

  “There is a file I stumbled across with some good information, and you’re the only person still awake. I think you’ll find it relevant.”

  “Oh yeah? What… what did it say?” Amber asks, stepping into the front yard of his home.

  “How about you come inside and sit with me, because I only found the file thanks to you.” Amber nods, releasing his grip on his skull as he approaches.

  Amber takes a shaky breath as he slumps against the couch, his eyes still flickering with gold.

  “So… what was it you wanted to tell me?” he asks, closing his eyes for a moment. “Once you’re done, I need to go back to bed.” he opens his eyes as Maxwell responds.

  “Of course, you need sleep, but I don't, and I really wanted to share this.”

  “Go ahead, I’m listening.”

  “When Lux scanned you, it recognized that you were something called an ‘enhanced.’ Basically, it’s just a name for people with powers. Afterwards, I got Shari to let me scan her as well, and she was also recognized as one… though that’s to be expected. What intrigues me is that you and Shari are classified the same, as classification- just a long string of numbers. You both matched, but Shari explained to me that she got her enhancements through a creature known as a crystalline, which she says bases your powers on your personality. Even weirder, Lux claims that Lana is not enhanced at all according to scans, though it acknowledges the very obvious abilities she has.” Maxwell leans forward, taking a slow breath. “I have yet to see anything from you that I would say matches your personality. For example, when you attacked Maroon and created that bright light, or when you were running home and appeared to teleport into the door.”

  “How… do you know about that?” he asks, looking up at Maxwell.

  “I set up cameras on all the entrances right after arriving. You were sprinting here, and then you vanished and slammed against the door, leaving behind a trail of… gold.”

  “Why… didn't you say anything then?”

  “Because I didn't know until I checked the cameras, and after I did, I wanted to get some more information before asking you about it. I was also waiting to see if you would bring it up, which you didn't for some reason.”

  “After Gorlac, I… forgot about it.”

  “Speaking of Gorlac, I looked back at the footage, and have confirmed that the energy from Lana’s guitar is what beat him. After it got on his hands, the energy inside absorbed it, so when he absorbed his hands for… what I can only assume was dramatic effect, that's when he blew up. Something about Lana was able to eat through the energy that makes up his body…I’m saying that if we fail, Lana might have a chance against him.” Amber glances at Lana’s door, taking a deep breath.

  “But Gorlac… was able to stop her just as easily as he stopped us. Do you think she would even get a chance to fight back?” Amber asks.

  “No, but it’s important to weigh all possibilities. Go get some sleep, you look awful.” Amber nods, pulling himself to his paws.

  “What are you going to do?” Amber asks, his hand still clutching the crown.

  “I have something I’m working on. I have no idea if it’ll work, but until it’s finished, I’ll be staying up pretty late. Goodnight, Amber.”

  “Goodnight, Maxwell,” he replies, turning to the hall before beginning to walk. He makes his way towards his bedroom, taking a slow breath as he steps inside. His hand remains tightly clamped around the crown while he climbs into his bed, glancing at the food on the table beside him before He stares at the dark, pulsating surface of the Crown of Saviors, his breath catching in his throat for a moment as he lies back, facing the ceiling once again.

  “Fuerza, I… I have no idea what I’m doing. I need you to talk to me. If you can't now, then next time you’re able to, I need to know everything you can tell me.” he closes his eyes, slowly inhaling. “I’m scared, I’m hurt, I just want the relief of having some of my questions answered,” he swallows, rolling onto his side.