Right in middle of the doorway was a ring. When I reached for it, I realized I was still holding the flower bud. Its crumpled petals seemed to reflect my tired mood. I felt like I came out with more questions than answers.

I slipped on the ring, making the design shine in the light. EXONE. Much like Kris’s EXO ring.

Then I stepped out of the doorway into the hideout. Twelve eyes greeted me with curiosity.

“Well, I’m still here.” I shrugged, a corner of my mouth curving upwards.

Kris broke from the pack and hugged me. “God, I thought I was going to lose you,” he breathed into my ear as he crushed me in his embrace. “You were there for such a long time.”

A smile came onto my face as my loyal cousin fully emerged, breaking out of his icy disguise like a butterfly from a cocoon. “I would miss you and you know I never let myself do that.”

He laughed, his body shaking while still holding me. He used to ask me if I missed him when he called after he moved to Canada. I would always say no, saying that I was looking forward to seeing him again so I wouldn’t miss him. At the time, I couldn’t consider the other possibility, that I would never have another chance to capture him in my memory.

I still wouldn’t.

As Kris backed off, I scanned everyone else’s faces. Relieved grins came from Chen and Xiumin. Lay’s eyes shone, making his whole countenance light up.

Before I could observe the rest of them, Kris took my ringed hand. “So it’s true, EXONE,” he said quietly.

“You knew?”

Kris nodded. “We all had been told in that room some weeks ago.”

“We will try to help you find your power and be there with you as much as possible. This is one of our orders,” Lay added with a smile. “Not that we would mind.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

Kris turned. “Tao, will you take Kalyn back?”

“Sure. Let me just put away my stuff.”

As Tao walked away, I approached Lu Han. He smiled. “Nice flashy ring you got there.”

“I wouldn’t know about style,” I teased back. I held up the flower bud and raised an eyebrow.

He shrugged. “A request.” Yet his eyes twinkled, contrasting against his straight face.

“For what purpose?”

“I wouldn’t know,” he replied. “I allow people to be discreet if they wish it so.”

Half of me wanted to admire him for not being a meddling person, to resist impulsive curiosity. The other half wanted to punch him for not satisfying mine.

“Come on, Kalyn, let’s go.” Tao had appeared again.

I quickly closed my fingers around the flower. “Okay.”

We walked out of the warehouse area, the chilly wind greeting us again. The door slid closed silently. Without a word, Tao started walking.

The night felt different. As if I went to an amusement park for hours, and now I was on the bus ride home. A movie that I had just watched called Life was now being reduced to pictures as I walked out of the theater. The only evidence left behind were cloudy memories whirling around my head, reminding me something was different now. Sometimes I could see clear images, but they would be gone after a few seconds.

We reached the apartment, and Tao and I went into the elevator. As we stood there in silence, I heard my heart pound as my brain started to gain ideas of the origin of the flower bud.

After moments of agonizing, I finally lifted my right hand and uncurled my fingers. “Is this yours?”

Tao turned at the sound of my voice, then stiffened when he saw my hand. “Yes.”

I let my hand envelope it again, the soft petals grazing my palm. “You know, the tree of life started talking to me after I picked this up,” I said, keeping my gaze on my hand. “It made the room less scary.” I looked at him. “Thank you,” I added softly. The way his body was on alert made me feel guilty, even though why he was defensive wasn’t clear.

He looked away, relaxing a bit. “It’s nothing,” he muttered.

I thought about the flower. Would I have been less like myself if it wasn’t there? An unknown room and unfamiliar surroundings always seem black and white, until something familiar appears and starts to leak color.

The flower may have seemed to be nothing. But to me, it was everything.

Yet I couldn’t bring myself to say that. Tao had started staring at the walls of the elevator, making it obvious the subject had been dropped.

Finally the doors opened and I followed Tao into the apartment.

He stopped near my door. “Well then, here we are.”

“Are you going back?”

Tao shook his head. “It’s too dangerous, especially since you just started out. Do you know you power yet?”

“Somewhat. The tree of life told me I had to look for it.”

He nodded and pointed to the ring. “You might want to hide that. You should wear it everywhere you go, but it’s suspicious as a ring. People will think you got ripped off on EXO merchandise or something.”

I opened my mouth to ask how, but I quickly shut it. EXO wasn’t only the guardians, the forces of the tree of life. They were also celebrities with fans.

“Here.” Tao rolled up his sleeve and rook off a linked bracelet. “You can chain it on here.”

“Thanks.” I clipped the ring on and secured the bracelet. The metal was warm on my skin, although the bracelet was a little roomy for my wrist.

“You should go to sleep now,” he said quietly.

I nodded and entered my room. As I slipped into my sleeping bag, the familiar feel of Yin Yang’s fur brushed against my left.

I took Yin Yang into my arms. For a long time, I sat there in the dark, the warmth of childhood simplicity embracing my tired mind. I finally went to sleep when I surrendered my quest to figure out what everything meant now to me.

*

I was playing around with the EXO font and I tried out EXONE, so that's why the picture is what it is. Sorry I couldn't figure out how to make it into a ring. I guess I should a put a picture of the EXO ring, but give me a break, will ya? XD

Anyway, anyone else feel the same after a LONG day of eventful things, and on the car ride home in the dark night you think, What just happened? Happens to me all the time. And then life somehow magically goes back to the normal.

Although in this case it won't. 

GAHH SPOILER anyway THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING!!!! And I BARELY have an idea what the next chapter is going to be about. So I'm going to play around with them until I get something pretty good, and you guys will bare with me, okay? 

THANKS! And enjoy the ride! ^_^