Chapter 26: Ash

"Hey, shall we head back? She doesn't seem to be at home…" Jo commented.

"Okay," I agreed with other plans up to my sleeves.

Halfway to the station, I stopped midway, "I'll see you guys tomorrow!" I waved.

"Where are you going? Your house is not in that direction!" Elvis yelled behind me.

"I was asked to buy something from my mother!" I yelled back as I ran off.

Standing in front of her apartment, I stared. Something does not feel right, my instinct told me that. Natural instinct, I felt like a beast but maybe I am.

"Wow, what a cute guy!" a voice from the corridor took my attention away from the apartment.

I turned and saw a female and male with extraordinary looking hair and eye-color. "I'm Ash Hogan, are you Amber's brother and sister?" I asked, pretty sure that they are.

"Yes," The sapphire-eyed guy replied with a smile, "You're looking for Amber?" He looks surprised.

I nodded my head, wondering if I should tell them that Amber's absent from school. The girl with crimson-red eyes turned grim, "Do you… do you know about Amber…"

"Being a mermaid princess, yes." I finished and answered her question. "She saved my life long ago."

Her face light up and smiled, "I'm Abby, and he's Kaleb. So what brings you here?"

"She's absent from school today… So I thought of visiting her today." I murmured softly.

"Eh? Absent from school?" Kaleb's grim face scares me.

I nodded as they opened up the door, revealing a messy room with evidence of struggles. I gasped as they looked away. "Anastasia had caught up with her…" Abby whispered as she covered her mouth.

"Anastasia!?" I practically yelled.

"You knew about her?" Her face and her voice showed obvious shock.

"Yes," I muttered, remembering my parents' conversation with me. I showed them my mark on my right arm as soon as we entered the house. I'm about to explain what their mark is until Kaleb interrupted me.

"You're the Chosen One." It's a sentence and not a question but I nodded anyway. He knew, he knew about the Chosen One. Abby's crimson-red eyes shone with horror, immediately, she knelt in front of me, "Please, save our Amber."

I stunned with shocked in my seat, "Wait, wait. Why are you kneeling? Please stand up. I'll try my best to help her." She stood up with her right fist on her heart, and her face filled with hope.

"So, in conclusion, Anastasia are after the crystal tears." I concluded after all the discussion, "Which meant that she wouldn't have kill Amber, her precious tear producer, and kept her alive instead, since she did not have enough tears."

"It could be that." Kaleb said, "But, we cannot be too confirmed. We'll hunt her down, Anastasia."

I nodded with determination. Anastasia, I'll take my revenge on you, I swear. I returned home with mind full of revenge, "I'm home." I will protect this family, and the only girl I love my whole life. "Welcome back," my mum smiled as she came out of the kitchen with her apron on.

"Smells nice," I grinned as life goes on normally.

My dad walked out behind my mum, "Your mum cooked all your favorite food for today, you lucky kid."

I chuckled as I ascended the stairs up to my room, "Hmm… I feel so lucky, to have such a happy family too." I looked out of the window. I finally understood the reason why my biological father would risk his life to protect us, his loved ones because I, too, wanted to protect this family even if it cost me my life.

I felt like laughing at myself right now; look at how pathetic I am right now. Excitement, huh? What exactly was the excitement I'm looking for? Right now, I sitting here, looking out of the window, just thinking about risking my life for my family, a burden. How stupid.

"It's Edmund so you'd better answer, or I kill you." The stupid ringtone Edmund set for me rang repeatedly and brought me out of my thoughts. "What?!" I yelled into the phone.

"Yo, guy, relax!"

"Oh, my bad, so what is it?"

"Any news of Amber?" His question made my heart skipped a beat.

"Nope," I just couldn't tell him what happened this afternoon, "Nothing,"

"Oh," His voice is definitely not happy.

"How rare to hear you ask about Amber." I commented.

"Jo had been going on and on about that," His worried voice saddened me, "She had never been so worried over a friend. She must have loved her a lot, even as a friend."

I agreed, Amber is those kind that you just couldn't hate, "yeah, I'm tired, so I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Hmm…" He hummed before he hangs up.

The next morning, for the first since Amber came, I was reluctant to go to school. That morning was worst. Surrounding Amber's table were a totally sadden-faced Elvis, a worried-faced Edmund, a tear-stained face Jo, also, what surprised me was Alyson Cabot and co., Scarlett Bloom, and Katerine Auguste were there too, not to mention they each have a really sad face.

"Wh… What?" I stammered, and was prepared for the worst.

"Amber… Amber, she…" Jo sobbed in Edmund's arms and that was the first time I saw her crying.

"Eh? Amber, she what? Finish your sentence!" I yelled and the whole class turned their heads at our direction.

"She," Elvis wanted to finish her question but he paused for a moment, "had left the school." Elvis continued

"WHAT?!" I bet this scream had alerted the whole school.

"Yes," Edmund looked away as he pats Jo on her head, "her family just submitted a withdrawal letter to the staff room."

"No… No way…!" I exclaimed in shock. Damn, I bang my fist against my table and ran out of the classroom. "Hey! Where are you going!?" Everybody yelled after me but that doesn't stop me. My legs brought me all the way to her house. I pressed on the bell repeatedly, bang against the door, yelled till my throat turned hoarse and the neighbors scolded, but still, no one answered. The first time after a very long time, I cried…