Amethyst 2. Embark ✓ [Editing Now]

1. Birthday

Everything was different.

After the Selection, last semester, classes had broken for a week in order to prepare training for the Nuvues. Something that I learnt, was done each year. I had resolved to spend most of my time in my room, shocked but relieved that I wasn't faced by the Ellermans too much. Of course, being present in the huge palace and living on opposite corners of it did help. I still got to see my dad almost every day, the rest of the time, I was happy being on my own.

I hadn't done much painting after my childhood therapy had ended. During moments when I had a lot of free time such as this, however, I found myself dabbling in it again. Spending hours in the sunlit gazebo that transcended from opal to golden coloured as the rays of the sun changed their hues. 

I stood in front of the mirror and gazed at the stranger in front of me. My reflection looked nothing like I remembered. My hair had grown longer over the last weekend, somehow, I liked it better this way.

There was a gentle knock on the door as my dad's voice called. ''Zeke? May I?''

I fiddled with my shirt collar, trying to get it to lie down straight as I replied. "Come in.''

The door opened, and my dad walked in, a soft smile on his face. "Goodmorning.''

I smiled back at him. ''Good morning, dad.''

Before I could say anything else, he walked towards me and embraced me warmly. I froze up for a few moments before my heart settled. The angst in my stomach dissolving. I let myself relax in his embrace as he spoke. ''Happy Birthday, Ezekiel.''

He leaned back and beamed at me. I smiled awkwardly up at him.

In all honesty, November wasn't my birthday, but it was during one of these winter nights that Silverman, my dad's closest advisor, had discovered me at Tender Hands. It was when my dad had brought me to Evimeria, and my life had changed irrevocably. I preferred this day to my original birthday, which was somewhere around autumn.

My sole memories from my autumn birthdays were of my mom making jams and marmalade. Rest of it was blank because I kept making a conscious effort not to remind myself of my past life. This time luckily, the ninth of November had fallen during the off week.

''I have something for you,'' he said, and put his hand in his pocket. He fished two boxes, a small one and a larger one. He gently threw the larger box on the bed. "That's a phone. You'll be allowed one this semester onward."

I nodded as he handed me the smaller, neatly wrapped box, smiling affectionately. ''Go ahead. Open it.''

I hadn't opened a lot of gifts in my lifetime. My early years at Evimeria were virtually pampered as compared to how I had lived in the mortal world. However, my six years at Stonewall had been nearly contactless with my father. Out of necessity to not reveal my powers.

My hands shook slightly as I opened the package, consciously trying not to think of aunt Lisette. A part of me wondered if I should go to see her, but my pride won.