"If you meet her within this week, you can rest assure. It's meant to be." Ember recalled Maple's words.

"If only things were that simple. Destiny and fate are not always in our favor. They might be our enemies sometimes." He thought.

It was the 7th day in this country. Of course, the last day of the week. Ember roamed around the city helplessly, actually believing in miracles when he came across the city mall and had a look around. He followed a sign into a room with a broken door.

"This room reminds me of that abandoned school." He said to himself.

He looked around the broken benches and observed the place. The room had two windows, both were shattered with a few glass pieces here and there. Newspapers covering up less than half of the windows. He picked up the pen lying on the floor and his sight fell on one of the desks. He stood up and dusted a portion of the desk to reveal something written on it with whitener.

He's eyes were widened. It was undoubtedly his own handwriting but he couldn't remember if he had ever been here. He tore the newspapers off of one of the windows to have a clear look at it because he disbelieved his own eyes. He tore the newspapers of the other window as well.

"Kaun hain?" He heard someone from behind him and he turned around to have a look.
[Kaun hain; phonetics: "Con" as in contact; "ha" as is has]

The sunlight beamed through the window, highlighting two bright brown eyes and some brunette curls. Whereas he appeared like a silhouette to her. He's eyes were wide again and a tear escaped his eye. He removed his cap and hood along with the sunglasses.

"Ember?!"

He smiled and lost his balance. She rushed towards him to hold him but he fell down.

"Are you okay? What are you doing here??"

He sat on the floor with his back supported by one of the benches. He pulled her curls gently with his first two fingers. "I found you." He had a dazed smile on his face.

"Are you alright?!"

He smiled and closed his eyes.

*ambulance sirens*

"Where is he?" Two men appeared in overcoats and shades.

"Are you the one I spoke to on phone?" Rhea enquired, hesitatingly.

"Yes." Maple removed his hat.

"EMBER?!" Rhea was astonished and looked at the door behind her.

"No!" He shaked his hands and opened his shades. "I'm Maple." He introduced himself and soon removed Loraine's hat and shades too. He glared at him. "We are cousins."

"You are??" She was confused and surprised at the same time. "You guys are so alike...!"

"But I request you to tell me I'm the most good looking one." Maple smirked and received a punch on his abdomen.

"Miss," Loraine got down on his knees to kiss the back of her back like a gentleman. "We'd like to know how's our brother doing?"

Maple pouted.

She got startled. "First thing's first, get up, don't do that here!" She dusted herself as she got up. "The doctor hasn't responded yet. It has almost been an hour. I'm scared." She said.

"Don't be." Loraine consoled her.

"How can I not?! It's not the first time he fainted without any possible reason!"

The two brothers looked at each other.

"So I just don't want t-" She looked at her feet and Noor arrived with food.

"Di, have something, you must be tired." He said.

"What smells so good in there?" Maple sniffed and received another punch. "Wait! I know you!"

Noor turned to see his face and was stunned by seeing the twins. "Woahh are you guys twins? Do you feel the same exact thing at the same time?"

"You first tell me, are you that weird boy from earlier who tried to snatch my precious eyeballs??"

"Ohhhh rightttt I remember you!!"

Loraine facepalmed while they continued with their small talk, which was actually quite big and Rhea sat silently staring at the door until the doctors came out and she got up.

"You can go and meet him after he wakes up, but remember, only one person at a time." The doctor said and left.

"But what had happened to him??" Rhea asked. Loraine sat beside her to give her some company.

"It seems that the problem existed since birth and was triggered by starvation." The doctor informed her and left. "Prepare some healthy snacks."

"Di, let's go home." Noor requested but she denied. She told all of them to go home and she would stay there for the night. Loraine told her it wasn't safe to stay there overnight. And Noor tried to convince her that Jessica would be worried but she didn't want to listen.

"Make sure to eat it all." Noor said and left with them after Rhea requested them to walk her younger brother home.

Rhea peeped through the window to find the nurse coming out of the room to inform her that he got into his consciousness.

"C-can I feed him?"

"Make sure it's not too spicy and don't force him to eat." She said and left. Rhea got in and helped Ember getting up to lie against the headboard.

"How are you doing now?" She calmed herself down and sat beside him.

"Have you been crying?" He touched her cheek.

"Idiot." She slapped his hand "You've got me worried." She looked away.

He chuckled. "Hey Rhea." She looked at him. "I missed you."

She stared at him for a while and wrapped her arms around him before letting him know that she missed him more.

"D-do you know," She started crying. "Back in the US, when you were admitted, the doctors told us that if you lived, you would lose your memories and if you don't, you'll leave behind your memories! Why is it always you hurting? Why is it YOU going through the pain always??"

* * * * *

"Come down Rhea!" Ember(4 years old) shouted to get Rhea down a tree.

"But I'm scared!" She said.

"Don't worry I'll catch you!" He promised and she jumped off. They both fell down.

Rhea cried, "I think I twisted my ankle!!"

"Ohh!" Ember looked at his bruises and then at Rhea crying. "Let's go to grandma. Hop on." He smiled and knelt down. She threw her arms around his neck and climbed his back.

"Piggy bag rideeeee woohoo!" She laughed as Ember ran to find her grandmother. His baby legs felt weak and he fell down but he got up again and started walking.

"Grandma!" Ember carried the Sleeping Rhea home. "Grandma, Rhea twisted her ankle."

"Oh dear, look at you." She gasped. "Your knees are bleeding...! Let me put some medicines." She got up.

"It's okay, I'm fine." He said and walked back home. "Please take care of Rhea."

****

"It's okay, I'm fine." He said.

"Huh??"

He got back into his senses. "Nothing, I just daydreamed about something."

Then suddenly he gasped at yet another flashback of memories and held his heart which was beating the fastest it has ever been beating. The sound of the heartrate monitor alarmed everyone and the doctors came rushing in to check.

"What's happening here??" One of them asked.

"It's okay, I'm fine." He said once more and fainted.

-to be continued...

Afterlife Of Ember And Rhea
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