“First, the freeze test,” Kris commanded, holding a clipboard.

I was standing at one of the walls that set up the dining room. It was slightly strange, to be at one of the sets in a video that million people have seen. With one of the guys many fangirls would have probably killed me to see. Xiumin was sitting at one end of the dining table in the room. While he waited patiently, I was still stunned at Lu Han’s greeting. Moving stuff without touching them? Mind-blowing.

When I finally paid attention to my surroundings again, the room seemed to gain a cracky white color. I turned to the nearest wall to see that the walls weren’t gaining a wallpaper makeover-they were being covered in ice. Frosty ice.

I looked down to see the floor was being covered too. Everything was being frozen, except Xiumin and me. I shivered as the temperature of the room dropped a little. The image of being frozen, perhaps like everyone else who tried to infiltrate their way in made me shudder even more.

Xiumin looked at me, a smile hinting at his lips. “Zhen bang!”

I laughed, the trembling spell on my body broken. Saying I was impressive right now while I didn’t do anything would make anyone laugh.

Kris wrote on his clipboard and nodded. “Chen!” He said some words in Korean.

Chen came over and nodded. He took a dry twig and held it to the sky.

All of the sudden, a bolt of lightning the stick. I smelled the smoke as the twig started to burn.

Chen took the homemade torch and held it against the ice, causing it to melt. The light made his scorpion ring blaze.

“Lightning to create fire, huh.” Random questions about clouds, electricity, and nitrogen started forming in my head.

My cousin cleared his throat, as he scribbled something down on his clipboard. “Okay. Take this timer and see how long Lay’s aura lasts after he finishes healing the plants.” He had spoken in a monotone, an expressionless look on his face.

I snatched the timer from his hand, the only movement betraying my internal struggle of emotions. The way Kris was acting around me was new, atrocious. As if I were an alien instead of a companion for most of his childhood. What happened to his welcoming attitude after the earthquake?

But I knew I couldn’t blame him. The situation had changed. I could be some spy from the other side, a nuclear bomb lurking in the depths of the ocean. And if their beliefs had been wrong, that I couldn’t see everything special about them, they would have to get rid of my knowledge of them.

I gulped as I arrived at Lay’s side. I prayed it wouldn’t be the case, and shifted my attention to Lay.

He was making unfurling motions with his hand. The plant copied the motion, its withered leaves and petals uncurling and blooming. After the plant was standing tall, shining light, his hand went still.

I pressed the start button as soon as the plant emitted light. It was quite strange to see the flow, as if the soul of the plant came back from heaven, chained again to this earth. Besides the aura, the plant looked normal, healthy.

The light started to fade. “Do I stop after the light completely goes away?” I asked.

Lay nodded. Once the plant was again submerged in the relative darkness of the warehouse, I pressed the stop button.

Kris came over. “Thirteen seconds?” He frowned. “Lay’s healing aura usually lasts for fifteen seconds.”

“It was thirteen.” Lay stood up from his squat. “I’m still drained from Kalyn’s healing.”

Kris gave a curt nod. “One more test, Kalyn. Count how many flowers Tao touches.”

At that moment the hatch doors opened, releasing flower buds. They filled the warehouse with a nauseating aroma. After a while, all I could see was pink.

Suddenly the flowers froze in place, their drift to the floor caught in a picture. Tao had appeared inside of the circle of petals, crouched with a sword in his hand. Without a word, he his sword so that the tip speared a flower into petals.

Suddenly he started to do a routine, a duet between his body and his blade, transferring the flower bud between them. A flick made the flower soar through the air. Tao leaped after it, and somersaulted after kicking the flower to the ground.

Suddenly the flower buds started falling again as Tao carefully stood, the petals flying behind him.

“How many?” Kris quietly asked.

“Three. The one with the sword, the one with his leg, and the one in his hand.”

Tao uncurled his finger to reveal the last bud. His mouth tugged at the corner, a half a smile.

Kris made a check and gave out a relieved sigh. “Well, that’s all our tests.”

I blinked. “So, that’s it? I’m done? I’ve passed?”

He held up a hand, restraining my celebratory thoughts. “We have one last thing before you’re free,” he said quietly. “The judgment of the tree of life.”

I swallowed hard, imagining a huge tree waving its branches at me in a stormy night. “The tree speaks?”

“More.” Kris closed his eyes. “The tree is the source of our powers, the reason why we use them. You will realize what we speak of when you meet it.”

Lay stepped to Kris’s side. “The tree will speak now,” he said quietly.

Kris nodded and started leading me. I turned to Lay. He had an emotional look tinged with coldness, as if he was trying not to surrender himself to his emotions. I tried to smile, as if I could reassure him, reassure all of us. But I could barely reassure myself.

Chen’s face was expressionless, making me jealous of his ability to be a blank wall. When we passed by Xiumin, he leaned forward and whispered, “Jia you.” I smiled back.

Tao and Lu Han were next. Tao just nodded, and I immediately thought of our recent argument. Back then his face was livid, but now any expression was tucked away, out of sight. Lu Han winked, and then whispered in Lu Han’s ear.

Kris pressed his fist to the wall once we approached and a door appeared. As he withdrew his hand, I noted his ring had no symbol, but instead had the word EXO.

He opened the door. “This is the chamber where the tree of life will speak to you.” His eyes softened as he added, “As a member I cannot say anything, but as I cousin I wish I never put you in such danger. I’m sorry.”

I hugged him fiercely. Even when I was shocked by his stony demeanor, I always knew it was just a mask.

Then I walked through the door.

*

Jia you or 加油 is the same as “jjang” by the way. I don’t care how many times Google translate will tell you it means “adding oil” or “pumping gas”, in this case it’s a cheer. Trust me, it makes more sense once you hear it be used in races.

Who saw Henry’s tweet? AHHH I SHIP HENBER! I also ship Hyoseok. They are just so ADORABLE on dancing with the stars. (Correction: WERE so adorable. I just realized that dancing with the stars is over now, it’s just that the subber I follow for the episodes hasn’t finished subbing the last two >.<)

Their babies would be so CUTE! And probably dancing gods and goddesses. XD

Anyway, I should stop rambling now. Ta-ta!