He woke up to the brightness of the room coming from the windows that invited the beauty of the morning from outside.  It’s a whole new day. He yawned and stretched in his bed, for the first time getting a good night’s sleep. He felt the weight lifted from all the crying he did the night before and he’s relieved. Although, he still felt like he wanted to just stay in, there was still so much to do with so little time. He needed to get a head start on the day and take on the task of researching more about the platform. Lu Han had already found the key but still needed to pursue his plan B just in case. So there was much more to learn about the actual structure of the portal itself. Meaning he has a lot of work to do.

     He went straight to his class. The whole time fidgeting and itching to get out of school right from the start that he found himself not even paying attention to the lecture at all. There was another mention of his great-great-grandfather in history class and that was probably the only time Lu Han picked his head up to listen to the teacher. However, it wasn’t something he didn’t already know. He listened however and soon thereafter, he heard the teacher talk about the hero he looked up at his whole entire life. You can say that Oh Sehun was someone who inspired him to be the fighter and scholar that he is now.  That lecture, he gave full attention to. As he listened intently to the teacher talk about Sehun from a historian standpoint, he realized that he didn’t know much about anything when it comes to his hero, but the fact that he sacrificed his life for the greater good and that his great-great-grandfather had loved him. There was much he needed to now about him. Lu Han heard everyone in the manor talk about his great-great-grandfather and how great he was but never did any of them say anything about Sehun, nobody but Kai.

     Lu Han wondered for a minute. He perused every idea in his head and came up with two important details that he was very much sure of.   That first, Sehun and Luhan loved each other. And second, the two built the portal together.  He had another idea however, that he’s been dwelling on since he unlocked the portal. 

Wouldn’t the clues be about the two specifically? Hence wouldn’t the code be something that involved the two men? These thoughts lingered and pushed him to his curiosity.

     Much of the next class, Luhan spent it listing on a piece of blank sheet everything he knew about Lu Han and Sehun. Luhan’s side was obviously filled with a lot of things from the journal and accounts from the members. But Sehun’s side, he could only be sure of three things. Sehun was Lu Han’s beloved, Kai’s best friend, and his birthday is on 1994 April 12 nothing more, nothing less.

     When the bell rang, Lu Han quickly ran to the laboratory. He had an idea that he thought may lead to the clues. He wasn’t sure if it would lead to it exactly. But delving into the men’s relationship, he thought may be, he’d at least come close.

“Computer, who is the creator of the portal?” He brightly chimed just like his great-great-grandfather would’ve been.

“Lu Han and Oh Sehun are the main creators of the portal.” The computer answered.

     Okay. So there is no other person who would know about the key and the code but the two. He thought to himself.

“Computer, when was the portal created?”

“2013 January 15 was the first time the portal started sir. Actual date of creation is unknown”

     January 15? Hmm... I hoped for a more significant date so I can put it in my list of possible codes. Lu Han took out a piece of paper and wrote down the date. He tapped the pen on the table before circling the date over and over and over until another idea came to him.

“Computer what happens if I put in the wrong code for the portal?”

“This action is not allowed. The portal only takes one code. There is only three attempts allowed. The portal will self-destruct if the three attempts failed.”

“What?!” This last bit of information was very important and nobody had bothered to tell him. He was laxed the whole time thinking he had both time and luck on his side and all he needed to do was keep guessing after he had gathered enough information to back up his possible guesses.

     He darted out of the room and headed for the manor deciding that he would skip the rest of his classes because this was more important. When he got to the manor, he noticed everyone gathered in the study. There was an eerie silence with heads snapping to his direction with surprise as he barged into the room.

“What are you doing here Lu Han? Shouldn’t you be in class?” Suho cleared his throat before speaking.

“I should be but I stumbled on something and well I wanted to...” He began almost just blurting and speeding through the sentence when he realized something odd. 

“Wait, what is going on here? And why are you all gathered here?” Lu Han looked at all the faces and they didn't seem to want to meet his eyes. They all turned away as his gaze fell upon them. He finally met eyes with Kris and he looked at Lu Han stern contrasting the face of  Suho’s who’s more apologetic.

“Jongun finally striked. He obliterated its northern neighbors and the casualties...” Suho started to say until his own voice faltered at the mere mention of ‘casualties’.

“There were a couple of hundred thousand deaths reported.” Kris continued.

“No! Tell him the number, Kris!! He needs to hear it.”  Kai stood pointing at Lu Han but still looking at the leader. He was infuriated, shaking in anger.

     As if he knew the other wouldn’t have, he turned to Lu Han and blurted it out himself.

“Three hundred thousand! Three !ng hundred thousands of people died because you wanted to keep your dear !ng journal to yourself.” He points at Lu Han yelling at the top of his lungs.

     It was like somebody ripped Lu Han's heart out and shattered it into a million pieces. Just when he thought everything was fine, going as planned slow as it may be, he thought he had much more time. But the reality set in and he is standing in the room burdened by all the deaths that he is causing for taking his sweet time.

“Enough Kai!” Suho calls out to the younger while Chanyeol and Baekhyun held him back. Kai was panting, heaving at the moment. He wanted to cry, yell, scream, and get through to Lu Han because the matter was pressing and they really needed to speed things up a bit but Lu Han wouldn’t budge and let him help with the journal.

“I’m sorry!” Lu Han managed to utter but Kai hissed in return sarcastically implying the inevitable.

“There will be more. More will die unless we hurry, unless you stop with this immature and reach out for help. I hate the fact that we have to wait for you, a mere child. More will die, Lu Han. Are you ready to carry that burden in your shoulders?” He glared at the boy before exiting the room shaking off the grasps that were still holding him back from lunging at Lu Han.

     Lu Han looked around and still everybody turned their heads away. He knew they were all thinking the same but would just rather be polite and not say anything at all.

“You know it’s not like that, Lu Han. We’re not blaming you for the deaths but...” Suho started to say but Kris interrupted.

“But Kai is right. We need to make moves and figure this thing out already.” Kris exhales in exasperation and finally softens a bit. 

“You said you found something? Speak.” Kris tried to elicit. There was a bit of anger between the syllables. Lu Han knew the man was thinking the same thing as Kai.

     Stuttering, on the verge of crying, but he had to be strong and stop being so childish. He straightened himself out and faced the group.  

“I found out that the code created was the only one that activates the portal. No other code can be used. Therefore, we have to be precise because I also found out that we only have three attempts available when it comes to the code. If we fail to guess it, well, it self destructs.”

     Lu Han exhales for the moment and changed his demeanor. He was much more pleading maybe because of the guilt had humbled him much or maybe because he was just tired pretending to be strong  by himself. He needed their help and he’s willing to ask for it now.

“Look, this is me asking for help. I need to streamline my data because god knows I do not know what is important in that journal and what is not. I need you all to tell me your accounts on both Sehun and Lu Han, the creators of the portal.” Lu Han was not about to lose time now.

“The danger is imminent and I need these information to make my top three guesses.” Lu Han explained.

“What for? Don’t you think we are wasting time like this?” Xiumin  questioned.

“No actually, I figured that the code would have to be something about the two. Something important to the two. Please, I need to interview all of you now separately and gather all of your own accounts of them. Something is bound to come up.” Lu Han pleaded.

     Lu Han started writing everything down on the piece of paper where he had started to write about his great-great-grandfather earlier. Pretty much, he only added Sehun’s description now since the group have pretty much said the same thing over and over about Lu Han.

     D.O. talked  more about his diet and how he lacked appetite but was too polite to refuse food. 

“Unlike someone I know.” He added sarcastically.

     Xiumin spoke about the pranks that Lu Han had made to annoy Sehun. 

“It annoyed him alright because it was never ending. It was good for Sehun though. He needed to lighten up sometimes.”

     In another room,

“Sehun was aloof, stoic always poised an unamused face with a dash of sarcasm and arrogance. Nothing fazed him, no joke, no fear. He walked around without a care in the world. Disciplined and mannered, very intelligent, he was always thinking and preferred to be alone. He was actually a bit like you.” Lu Han stopped writing and Suho noticed the other’s irritation. He cleared his throat to change the subject right away, bringing Lu Han back to his pen and paper once again.

“The only time he ever took a break is when he and Kai walked the trail up to the mountains where the platform stood.” Suho started.

“We never knew what they talked about or what they did up there, but Sehun would always look a bit relaxed after the walk.” Baekhyun added.

“He was closest to Kai. They were like brothers. They practically did everything together.” Chanyeol explained.

“Did they ever.. you know get together?” Lu Han hesitated a bit but he felt more relaxed asking Chanyeol about it than anyone else in the group because of his more open relationship with Baekhyun. So although he hesitated, he was able to spit it out.

“No. To be honest, we thought they were a couple or would’ve ended up together, but I guess fate had other plans, because Lu Han came...and well things changed for the two.” Chanyeol replied.

     Lu Han thanked the man and left the room. From that conversation, he just knew he had to go to Kai next.

      Kai had been told of what Lu Han was trying to do but he was uninterested to say the least. The evil glare that Kai displayed as Lu Han walked in the room should’ve told the younger to just quit it and walk away. Because it was inevitable, when it came to the issue of Sehun and Lu Han, he knew right away that nothing is going to get accomplished because they were sure to fight again.

“So, tell me about Sehun.”

“What do you want to know?” Kai said never looking up at the other. He was pretending to thumb the pages of an old photobook.

“How does he act? What kind of personality he has?” Lu Han tried to elicit.

“He’s smart and disciplined. He was skilled..”

“I know about that already tell me something personal. I heard that you two were close.”

“There is nothing much to say. We got along. He understood me and I, him. He always tried to include me in everything since I wasn’t that close to the rest. Although he was the last to be created, a couple of months right after me, I felt like he got along with the rest better than I had when I knew them a bit longer.”

“Maybe cause of your damn attitude” Lu Han whispered to himself.

“What was that?” Kai thought he heard something.

“Oh nothing, I was just saying ‘so that was the case’.” He said sarcastically trying to hide his smile as he tucked his chin while writing on his paper. Finally, he asked the last question while still writing the last bit of info Kai had given him.

“Tell me your account of the last day you saw Sehun.”

     There was a sudden pause that made the younger stop writing and look up at the other. He began to suspect after seeing the man’s face. Kai paled and looked straight at Lu Han with widened eyes. It wasn’t left unnoticed.

“What do you mean?” Voice a bit shaken, Lu Han noticed every bit of hesitation and anxiety in Kai. 

     There was a another pause and Lu Han tried his hardest not to show any implied response or judgmental reaction. He knew that if Kai noticed it, he was sure to close in again, and well they are doing pretty good so far.

     Kai fidgeted on his seat and blinked his eyes a couple of times. He rubbed his knees a bit probably from nerves and he nibbled on his lower lip. Everything was a sign of his not so hidden anxiety and Lu Han took note of it all.

“We were in the study when we heard that we were being attacked that day.” The first couple of words were a bit forced but he regained his composure right away and began to speak once more.

“Sehun and Lu Han had to go straight for the portal since that was the plan from the beginning. EXO decided that in dire case of emergency or attack, we must send the Black Pearl...” Kai paused and tried to gather himself once again. 

“We had to send Lu Han right away." Kai tried to correct himself before continuing.

"So they left and we all got separated. I tried to fight behind them but got stuck by the entrance of the manor when a group tried to take me down. I stood guard by the entry way trying to hold back the rest so Sehun could send the Black Pearl away." Kai paused then pain in his eyes had began to show and suddenly, his face turned dark.  

"That was the last time I saw them.”

“You mean him.” Lu Han verified.

“Yeah, Yeah him.” Kai replied the last time.

     Lu Han was sure there was more to the story. But the way Kai looked he wasn’t about to get anything else out of him. So he moved on to the next room and continued.

“All he did was train. I mean he always demanded I’d practice with him but, between me and you, I always lost. He was much too skilled to be my opponent. That is why I’m glad he was on our team.” Tao continued.

     Lay pretty much talked about the boy’s fighting skill as well and remembered seeing Sehun provoking Lu Han one time leading to Lu Han begging Tao to teach him the next day.

“There was an attack in the city that day and although Lu Han had basic fighting skills, it was a mess. He just did whatever and got lucky until he was cornered in an alley and Sehun had to save him.  Sehun was unfazed by it but Lu Han just couldn't live with the fact he needed to get saved. Later that night, Lu Han woke up Tao begging to train and teach him how to fight. He was rambling about not wanting to be a burden to anyone especially Sehun or something in that nature. Sehun was surprise to hear the request. But it pleased him to see Lu Han show interest. It wasn’t that he was tired of saving the human. He just wanted him to be stronger more skilled because he always said that Lu Han had the spirit but lacked skill and it might actually get him killed one day. Sehun just worried for the other.” Lay explained.

“If Lu Han had the spirit, it was all because of Sehun. They were each other’s driving force. Although at first Sehun tried so hard to push Lu Han away, your great-great-grandfather never faltered. He stood by the other’s side until finally earning his trust.”  Kris added.

     In accounts that followed, Kai’s account was the most important to Lu Han and it still left him wondering about Kai the whole time. The suspicious actions and the vagueness of the story, to Lu Han was saying something more than just the obvious. There was more to it. Kai was definitely hiding something.