Her back ached from the additional weight she was getting and her body was tired from walking for so long. Her legs felt like they were made from sticks and her empty stomach burned from the acid flowing inside it. The path before her was lit lightly by the bright constellations and moon above and she thanked the Gods above for that. Thank goodness it's a starry night.

"Call me Tiffany." She barely heard the words that were spoken so softly she might as well thought it was her imagination. She turned her head a little to the side, but not fully since her nose will touch the other girl's cheek if she did so.

"What's that?" Her voice was raspy from the lack of moist. It almost hurt to speak.

There was a moment of silence before she heard it again.

"Don't call me Miyoung. I hate it. Call me Tiffany." Ok. Tiffany.

"Hwang Tiffany?"

"Just Tiffany will do." A grumpy reply came.

It's slightly new to her brain since she's always heard her parents address the Hwangs with their full names. She eyed the girl's profile and thought about the name Tiffany. It's true, Tiffany suits her more than Miyoung. It's probably the sassy vibes that tag along with it. She gave a slight nod and smelled Tiffany's scent. It was inevitable since Tiffany had her left arm draped over her shoulder in order to lessen the pressure she puts on her swollen ankle. Anyways, her scent was a tint of rosy strawberry mixed with something she can't clearly put a finger on. Liquor? Liquor and smoke. She was tempted to ask to confirm her thoughts but she didn't want the fact that she was paying attention to her smell to be out into the open. She wondered how herself smelled like. Probably crap. She tilted her head to her shoulder subtly, trying her best not to appear like she was sniffing herself.

"You smell fine." Her ears became the lightest shade of pink.

"Excuse me?"

"You were sniffing yourself weren't you? You smell fine. A little gross from the sweat but I can bear."

She ogled at the girl, abashed that her action had been read so easily, embarrassed that she was caught and a little humiliated that she had just been told she smells bad. By that time, she wanted to release her grip on Tiffany's waist and walk five meters away so her smell can't be detected. She only grumbled and fastened her pace.

She was then pulled to a sudden halt.

"Can you hear that?" Tiffany whispered and she stayed frozen trying to pick up the faintest sound. At first, she heard nothing but then, her ears were greeted gradually by the sound of water running. It was faint but there. Water trickling. Her eyes widened a fraction and somewhere inside her leaped.

"It's probably a creek." A creek means water. Water means fish. Fish means food. With a glint of hope and determination, she switched course and headed for the origin of the sound. Her steps were quick and urgent. Beside her, she heard grunts of discomfort and heavy breathing from Tiffany but she didn't really care.

In seconds, they burst out of the clump of thick trees and appeared at the edge of a diminutive cliff. Under the cliff was indeed a creek. The long thin body of water cut through the land dividing them from the other side of the woods. Her eyes swept hastily over the dark body of water as its water shone like crystals beneath the moonlight. The cliff was only around two meters tall at most as she glanced at the girl beside her and quirked an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Can you get down?" She was answered by silence and she just rolled her eyes. She detached her body from Tiffany and jumped down with ease. Dusting her thighs, she stared up with a see-that-was-a-piece-of-cake expression. But she knows it won't be so easy for a person with an injured ankle.

"Take off your-" She pointed to her heels. "Sit down on your bottom and put your legs over the ledge." Did she have to instruct her through every action?

"I know. I'm not stupid, stop treating me like I am 5."

Taeyeon glared at the girl as she swung her legs over the ledge. Without waiting to see if Tiffany landed safely, she turned to the creek and went down to her knees. From behind, she heard Tiffany land and a wince followed.

I wish that Hwang broke her ankle this time.

Bringing her attention back to the water, she poked her finger into it and relished the coldness surrounding her finger. The creek was extremely shallow, she could see the pebbles on the bottom. She cupped clear water up and let it trickle back down slowly. It was icy and it looked clean. But Taeyeon still had her doubts. She watched her reflection on the surface of the rippling water and grimaced in disdain at her unsatisfactory appearance. She stared at herself with a tiny frown and touched the water again.

A few meters away from her, she could see Tiffany eyeing the water as well. Was it safe to drink? Will she catch a disease? Who knows what is in it? She was overthinking but growing up in a family that had always drunk from expensive water brands, she even thought tap water was disgusting and dirty. But was screaming for water and beggars can't be choosy. Is there an alternative? No.

Pushing all her skepticism and worries, she scooped up water and drank. She had held her breath and when she had swallowed that she started to breathe. It tasted like nothing. Almost normal. With renewed glee, she took another gulp. Then another. She wiped her lips and turned her head to catch Tiffany watching her. Being caught, the girl faced away quickly. Taeyeon kept her gaze at the Hwang though.

Is she not drinking? Gosh, why do I even care?

She inspected the area and a hole situated under the cliff caught her attention. It was big enough for her to stay in there. Maybe a temporary shelter for now? She inched closer and poked her head in. It was empty and was quite far in to the cliff. She brought her head out and spotted Tiffany still by the water doing God knows what.

"Hey!" She pointed to the little cave she discovered and Tiffany totally ignored her.

"Pft, whatever." She huffed and went in. She sat down on the ground and placed her back against the wall. She stared at the flat ground and ran her palm over the bumpy surface. She needed fire, to keep the animals away but how will she make one? And how about food? Her tummy did funny sounds and she pinched the bridge of her nose. Then she remembered she had a gun. A gun means gun powder right? Maybe she can make a fire happen from gun powder but her mind blanked out. She has gun powder so how will she make it fire up? She needs sparks to ignite it but how to make sparks?

"Oh my god urgh." She picked up her handgun and just turned it from one side to another.

"How can I make fire from you?" She asked and ran the pads of her fingers along its cold hard base. It was heavy in her hands and ironically it's icy surface burned her skin. She hooked her finger on the trigger and pulled it out. Seeing the gun reminds her of her father who had somehow taught her to fire guns in her earlier teen years. Her heart punctured at the possibility of not being able to see her loving parents again. Her eyes began to burn and a tear slipped from her eyes. She slapped it away harshly and sniffed. But that only resulted in more tears falling.

"Damn it." She hit the ground with clenched fists as she broke into an unstoppable set of sobs. She hated herself for being so weak, for being scared. Her father would've known what to do. Her father would've known how to make a fire. Her mother would've been able to read the stars and figure out a way to get out from the hands of this forest.

She clawed at her face and forced herself to stop shedding tears. She's a Kim. She will survive. She glared at her gun with much frustration and noticed a small button at the bottom of her weapon. She clicked it and a stainless steel short knife slid out. It glint naughtily at her and a light bulb flicked on inside her brain. She pushed the knife back in and carried out her plan, wishing for the best.

Adjusting her seating position, she crossed her legs and unloaded her gun. She held a golden bullet in her hand and placed it in her pocket before she walked out in search of dead grass and leaves.

The stubborn ludicrous Hwang was still beside the creek.

"Go inside the grotto. It's warmer there." She called out and picked dead brown leaves and dead grasses from the ground. Taking out her knife, she cut off bigger twigs and branches.

"What are you doing?" She heard a voice from the distance and she saw Tiffany limping slowly to her. Was she talking to me? Oh? She finally acknowledged my existence?

"Making a fire." She broke a branch into two.

"You know how?"

"Kind-" she stopped as she saw the girl helping her breaking off twigs.

"Er yea, kind of." She said out slowly, not knowing how to feel nor react at the Hwang's amiable act. She quickly resumed her task not wanting to be caught staring.

The rest was full of silence as they head back to the cave. She dropped the dozens of branches down, expecting they will cooperate in her fire-making scheme. She got out to the side of the creek again and picked up a handful of rocks.

She fished out the hidden bullet and beat the tip with a rock until it was bent. Taking out the tip, she took a leaf and poured the grey silvery powder onto it meticulously. She didn't even breathe, afraid it'll blow away the powder. She put it on the ground painstakingly slow as if it was glass.

She could feel her actions being watched every step. Yeah, I know I am cool, I can extract gun powder.

She produced her knife and picked up the first rock. She held it tightly and placed her knife near it. She stayed unmoved for a second and grazed her knife with the sharp edge of the rock. Nothing happened. She did it again, her skin crawling at the fact that the knife can slit her fingers any time. She slid the knife across the rock again and nothing happened. She picked a second rock, this one pinkish and rectangular. She repeated her actions and failed to create sparks.

"You know there's got to be a specific stone for it to work?" She looked up to see Tiffany sitting against the wall with her arms crossed. Her eyes were down casted, watching Taeyeon's hands.

"And do you know which exactly?"

"I don't know. I'm just telling." Taeyeon mentally facepalmed and picked up the third one. She tried again and again and Tiffany just continued to watch without a word. After attempting so many times, the hope that was afire in the pit of her stomach began to dim.

She picked up the last rock and her eyes lingered on it a little longer than the rest. She hit her knife against it and she felt a hole her in when nothing happened again. Does it even work?

She gritted her teeth and tried again and again and again. Soon, she was using anger to fuel her energy. She did it repeatedly and the last blow sent a few sparks into the dark.

She gasped and did it again, making sure to hit the exact same spot with the same strength. Another set of tiny orange specks of fire flew out. Her heart leaped jubilantly.

Dropping her knife, she arranged thin cotton-like grass above the gun powder she had taken out and tried to create sparks again. She aimed the rock near the powder and did her magic. It took her several tries to hit the place and then, she finally see sparks coming out. She did it again and again hoping it would land on the gun powder. Finally it did. As soon as a tiny fire start, she dropped everything and blew the fire softly. Gradually it grew and she fed it with tiny twigs. The red flames their way up to the ceiling and she smiled smugly at her achievement. She faced Tiffany with a huge smile but the woman wasn't looking her way. She was eyeing the fire blazing brightly with the tiniest smile Taeyeon had ever seen.

Her glassy eyes looked hollow and distant.

Is she not going to say I am cool? Fine.

Taeyeon switched her eye to her fire and put that one stone inside her pocket. She threw two slightly thick logs in and out her hand near the fire to warm them. She saw Tiffany's bare feet and remembered she was hurt.

"How's your foot?" She asked without raising her head up.

"Fine."

She poked the fire with a stick and when it caught fire, she throws it into the mouth of the flame.

"It seems like we're followed by the same group of people." Taeyeon's ears perked up at the girl's randomness. "I was out at a party and on my way home, I was followed so I kept driving and who knew my gas tank would run out at the middle of nowhere?"

That was the most she had heard the girl speak. Why was she telling me all this anyways? But that explains the smell of wine and that dress.

Taeyeon didn't know how to reply so she just nodded.

"How about you? Why do you have a duffel bag with you?"

She trailed her eyes to her navy blue bag and shrugged. She didn't want to tell Tiffany anything, maybe it was because she was completely drained. Silence filled them and Taeyeon felt her eyes drooping.

"Sleep." She opened her eyes in shock. Did she say something?

"What?"

"I said sleep. I'll take the first watch." What was happening to the Hwang? Why was she so kind all of a sudden? Maybe she realized how great of a person I am.

"K, keep the fire going." Taeyeon laid her head on the duffel bag and before she knew it, she drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

"Let me meet the KIM!" A commotion was taking shape in front of the Kim's mansion.

"I know you took Tiffany! It must be your family!" A man in a crisp white shirt yelled, his face fuming with anger. His bodyguards held onto this sides as he shook with undying fury.

Hearing those shouts, another man emerged and took big powerful strides towards the gate, with his wife beside him and men trailing behind him. His onyx orbs were filled with stress and worry chiseled prominently into his features.

"I did not take your daughter. In fact, my daughter is also missing." He said bitterly and clenched his fists, his eyes glaring daggers at his most hateful enemy. He brought his gaze to his wife and they were able to understand each other's thoughts without any words exchanged.

If Hwang Miyoung is missing as well, something is definitely going on.