There was screaming, or was it crying? Dahlia couldn’t tell, but she knew she didn’t like it. She could hear stone cracking and burning wood. There was wind, thick and choking, circling closer and closer. But she couldn’t see anything but a faint image.

It got clearer, and Dahlia could briefly see that it was a map of some kind. But that was all she could see before she was brought back to consciousness. She jolted in her bed, her eyes snapping open and she in a deep breath.

“Whoa, whoa there,” she heard the voice of her best friend from beside her. “Take it easy there, tiger. You weren’t kidding when you said you hadn’t been feeling well.”

“Where are the others?” She asked, propping herself up on her elbows.

“They’re at the games section, helping out just like you promised.” Manfred informed her. “The tall one with the curly hair – Channing?”

“Chanyeol,” she corrected.

“Right, Chanyeol didn’t want to leave your side. The angry looking one finally convinced him to go.”

“That description could fit a couple of them,” Dahlia chuckled. “I better go talk to them.”

“Oh no you don’t,” Manfred pushed her back into bed. “There’s no sense in getting out there and making people think you’re coming back when the day’s almost done and we’re heading out tomorrow.”

“Coming back? Leaving tomorrow?” Dahlia repeated. “What are you even talking about? How long was I out?!”

Manfred hesitated. “Three and a half days.” He grunted as her pillow made contact with his face. “What was that for? Ever hear of ‘don’t shoot the messenger’?”

“You mean I slept through a travel day and all three days of the last Italy stop?!” Dahlia groaned.

“Yeah, but don’t worry, that Lay guy took over for you while you were out,” Manfred reassured her. “He’s not as good as you, but he’s got some skill with a deck and with palm reading. Plus, he’s doing this thing called ‘psychic healing’ – I don’t really know what it’s all about, but the patrons have been eating it up.”

“Okay, I guess that’s not terrible,” she sighed, “but wait, who drove Frenchy and brought my trailer here?”

Manfred rolled his eyes, “I still can’t believe you named your car ‘Frenchy’.”

“It’s a pink ’51 Pontiac; of course I’d name it Frenchy,” Dahlia smacked him once more with her pillow. “Now tell me who drove her. I know it wasn’t you, since you wouldn’t let anyone else drive your precious truck.”

“The deer looking one.”

“Ah, Kyungsoo,” she nodded.

“No, the other one.” He corrected. “They all have such weird names.”

“Don’t be rude; to them we have weird names,” she gave him one final swat with the pillow. “I do need to go talk to them though. Gotta face the music sometime.”

Manfred scrunched his face in confusion, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s better if you don’t know.”

***

Dahlia felt very small under the gaze of the twelve men as she sat in front of their trailers, watching them walk towards their temporary lodging.

“You’re awake!” Sehun grinned as they reached her. “Luhan didn’t kill you!”

“I have no idea what happened,” Luhan rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, “but I’m really sorry for whatever I did.”

“It’s not your fault,” Dahlia reassured him, “I went into this whole thing blind so, really, I can only blame myself.”

“Are you feeling okay?” Lay came over to kneel beside her. “I tried to find out what was wrong when you passed out, but I couldn’t find anything.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she waved him off. “And thanks for covering me while I was out. I heard you’re pretty good; try not to put me out of a job.”

Lay blushed, “I’m not that good. But you’re sure you’re okay?”

“I really hope whatever happened doesn’t affect your abilities as the chosen one,” Kai remarked.

Chanyeol and Dahlia shared a wary look. “Yeah, about that,” Dahlia ventured. “I’m…not actually the chosen one.”

Silence.

“But, you released us from the cards,” the guardian of flight.

“Kris is right,” Suho added, thankfully stating the guardian’s name so Dahlia could easily identify him. “Only the chosen would be able to do that, so why are you saying that it’s not you?”

“This is some prank, right?” Baekhyun wondered. “I mean, I’m all for a good joke and everything, but this isn’t funny.”

“She’s not lying, guys,” Chanyeol confirmed. “She really isn’t the chosen one.”

“Then how were you able to release us from the cards?” Kyungsoo questioned somewhat accusatorily.

“I’m a psychometrist – I can read the thoughts or memories of an object or person by touching them.” She explained. “My abilities apparently have this weird reaction to whatever it was that put you in those cards; I released Chanyeol by accident and it all went from there.”

“What I want to know is how you even got the cards in the first place,” Xiumin interjected.

“I was given them by who I can now assume was a member of your organization,” Dahlia pulled the necklace from under her top. “She saw me wearing this and must’ve thought I was the c