Even If It Meant Restarting
Looking at your smile was as if I just looked up in to the sky and saw the most vibrant rainbow after, but what did your majesty's smile hold if it was brighter then a reflecting mirror?
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"Welcome to World of Spark, what is your name?"
I blinked my eyes in confusion at man who stood before me with a kind smile etched on his features. He had a long white robe on, which went down to the floor, short neatly combed brown hair, which some gray hair placed and a beard that wasn't too long but was noticeable. He looked like he was maybe in his 70s or so, he had large eyes despite the wrinkles on his face.
"What?" I asked, almost an audible whisper.
"I'm sorry, I guess you didn't understand, you've entered the Spark universe, please choose you name, just know you can not edit it later on, this will be the name you'll be called for the rest of your life," he explained with a smile that never faltered.
Where am I? I stepped back, looking around, seeing I was in a transparent platform from which you can see the world I entered, greenery scenery, the sound of birds echoed through the sounds were muted due to the closed surface. In the distance you could see different colored and shaped houses, bunch of wildlife.. It was a place that gave off a warm feeling in your gut, I stared for a minute admiring view. Something didn't sit right in my stomach from this place..
"Please select your name," he repeated once again. I jolted, startled and turned my head back to him and cleared my voice, as an apology for not speaking right away.
"Eden," I answered, unable to think of anything else I'm willing to be called.
"Okay, please choose your last name from the following list," he then took out his hand and pointed out to a list. The list appeared before me with a scrolling feature to go through the different names, there wasn't many but enough.
"Ironclad," I spoke, looking at the yellow list, all the names were written fancy font that was almost unreadable to me.
"Hello Eden Ironclad, it is nice to meet you, my name is Professor Daemon, I am the one who shall help you get started," he spoke. I nodded my head slowly, still processing the entire situation I was in. How did I end up here? I couldn't remember, my memory felt hazy...how did I get here? I felt lightheaded from all the questions forming in my head. "Next, you have to promise something, and that will be your one and only rule for the game, you have 3 chances and after the 3rd chance of breaking this promise you'll be out of this world," he continued. I thought for a moment.
"I promise.." I started, trailing off as my mind became suddenly blank of what I could promise to never do, or rather what to always do. My eyes flickered side to side, trying to think of something. "To never lie," I said without thinking, my eyes widened and before I could change anything, it was too late.
"Okay, thank you Eden Ironclad, now you may choose to change your appearance, here you go," he stepped aside. A small door opened from the floor and a mirror rose to my height, it displaying many different scrolling buttons to change my outfits. The buttons were on the mirror, the look only appeared through the mirror, and it would stay on me if I selected it. I took a deep breath, before I noticed my eyes. I slammed both hands on the mirror, staring at my reflection with wide eyes, looking at my orange colored eyes with a blue rim around them, which is my birth eye color.
"My...eyes.." I whispered to myself rather than anyone else.
"I noticed your eyes change colors when your mood changes, and I thought I should let your ability be naked, I find it very beautiful, it'd be a shame to hide something so beautiful," he smiled, sounding pleased and gentle. I glanced at him and then down, then back at the mirror, watching my eyes turn a peridot color. I exhaled and continued choosing something to alter my looks a bit. I chose a loose black pullover along with navy blue ripped high rise jeans with some black converse shoes. I fluttered my eyes for a few moments, feeling lightheaded still, then clicking 'ok'. I kept my hair short, and my body same, as much as I wanted to grow a few inches it was fine. "Now, I will begin process of erasing your memory completely, you will wake up in your room with instructions and any help you need," he finished and bowed before a screen with 'WARNING' red bright letters notice appeared in my vision. Before I was able to finish reading the brightly red flashing screen everything went black once more.
---
Nixon, Ember and Kai were gathered around the hospital bed in which I lay, gentle breathes with a machine beeping at a normal rate. The doctor finished checking everything up and finally stood up only to be stopped from leaving by a brunette male. "What's wrong with her?" he asked, his voice cracking in the process from the stress and worry he was feeling. The doctor avoided eye contact and exhaled deeply and loudly, like it wasn't even close to being simple. Ember tore her eyes off the doctor and rested them upon my body once again, gentle putting her hand over mine, with guilt in her features. Kai looked at the blonde with a curious expression but remained silent, as he barely knew me in the first place except that I always skipped classes and ran in to him, and of course hated him.
"She's had a problem with her lungs for a few years it seems, have you not known?" the doctor finally answered the question after a long moment of silent. Ember and Kai instantly lifted their eyes back at the doctor, blank stares. He cleared his throat and pursed his lips. "It seems she fell in to a coma from lack of air, maybe from too many emotions? I'm not exactly sure, her condition is different from what I've seen, it's unstable," he continued, receiving silence from the three shocked teenagers. "Do any of you have contact with a family member of hers?" the doctor asked, looking between the three teens. Nixon opened his mouth to reply, but was quickly silence.
"I have contact with her brother and mother," Ember replied, her voice hushed, from the sudden new information.
"I do too," Nixon added quietly. The doctor smiled and nodded.
"I leave you two then to let them know she's here," he spoke, then started towards the door, his footsteps echoing throughout the room, then the door clicking shut. All three remained motionless, not moving a single part of their body. Kai was the first wobble over and fall in to a seat, his eyes rapidly fluttering, he sighed, then a muffled chuckle escaping his lips.
"Did she know? Did she know the entire time she smoked? Every cigarette she-" Kai cut himself off from the glances he received from the two hurt teens. He cleared his throat and glanced away with his hand holding on to the back of the chair.
"Will her mom even care?" Ember was the first to speak after the long silence. Nixon glanced up at Ember with a dangerous look that startled the poor girl. Nixon walked over to her and pinned her up against the wall receiving a yelp from her.
"Who are you, to Eden?" his voice was harsh, his grip harsher, she stared at him with wide eyes. His grip got tighter, her clothes becoming crinkled in his grip. "How do you know her family? Who are you?" his voice was getting louder with every word.
"Nixon, enough!" Kai yelled, getting out of the chair. Nixon locked eyes with him, glaring daggers in his direction, Kai replying with the same. Ember reached her hands up and was a mere inch away from Nixon's chest, Kai caught her hands and walked up and grabbed Nixon pulling him away, shoving him away. "You think you're all that, childhood friend of Eden? Yeah, whatever, so that instantly puts you in a position to know everything about her? I don't think so," Kai's voice was low and scornful. Nixon stifled out a laugh and looked away from the side, flicking his tongue in his mouth from annoyance. "She doesn't want to answer so obviously it's, guess what? None of your fucking business!" Kai shoved him making Nixon stumble from surprise. Nixon instantly shot back grabbed his collar, Kai grabbing his in return.
"You-" Nixon started, his anger stirring in his voice.
"It seems you don't know a lot about people you consider you're closest," Kai voice was low and sharp. Nixon's grip on Kai's collar shook, as his lip quivered. "So don't suddenly pretend to prove me wrong," Kai finished, shoving him off, making Nixon lightly hit the wall. "It seems I don't have a right to be here right now, since I'm not close with Eden," Kai added, and walked towards towards this door, his footsteps almost inaudible as his leave was determined by the click of the door. Ember was the next to leave, her heels echoed loudly in the room, she paused where Nixon was still standing against the wall, her hand on the door knob.
"If you don't know who I am, don't you think that was her choice? And childhood friend my ass, she doesn't consider anyone her friend anymore, I'll call her mom, contact her brother please," her voice was sad, like she had much to say but couldn't. Nixon didn't reply he just gave her a weak nod, with that, Ember left the room. Nixon then, was the last person who remained in the room, with only the sound of the machine filling the cold empty silence that hung in the room. He reached in to his pocket for his phone and called.
"Hello?" a voice rang excitingly through the phone.
"Ernest," Nixon called out, in a pleading tone, his knees giving up as he leaned down the wall to his knees.
"What's wrong?" his voice became more serious, then cheerful it was moments ago.
"Eden, she's in a coma," Nixon finished off and the line went dead as Nixon's breathing became uneven. He shut his eyes, trying to calm down his breathing.
--
"Kai!!" Ember ran over, grasping the males sleeve, making him stop. He pulled harshly away from her grip and turned his body around to face her, with a glare.
"What?" he asked, his voice sounding harsher then intending to be. His eyes piercing through her, obviously not in the mood. Ember leaned against her leg and bit her lip, feeling anxious.
"Nixon and you--" she started and before she could even finish Kai turned away from her, starting once against on his way. She jogged and stopped in front of him making him stop walking once again. "Don't just walk off while I'm talking! Thats-" she scolded, raising her voice in the process, her eyes were furrowed as her chin was up since we was taller.
"Mention anything about me and Nixon again and I promise you, I'll never speak to you again," Kai growled, his eyes sparkling for a second and Ember fell silent as he broke eye contact and went around her.
"Kai!!" she screamed at his back, her voice cracking. He exhaled an annoyed breath of air before turning his heel for whatever time. "I missed you," her voice was muffled, a whisper. Kai's mouth parted for a moment, but before he could speak the image from many years ago appeared before his eyes, screaming, crying, alone in a alleyway with a girl alone being ganged up on by 3 guys. He blinked many eyes and shook his head, turning away from her, except he didn't walk away though. "Kai? Did.. you not miss me at all?" her voice cracked. Kai closed his eyes for a moment.
"No, I never did, I cut off ties with you because I couldn't stand you," lies. Her eyes dropped to the ground from his words and blonde hair messily fell over her shoulders. Kai inhaled silently before exhaling and leaving the conversation completely. Though, when he got back to his house a surprise awaited him.
"..I'm home," Kai informed, he didn't yell as he knew no one in particular waited for him. He dropped his bag by the front door and kicked off his shoes. He walked in to the kitchen and his eyes widened. "Mom...?" Kai's voice was hoarse.