I felt stiff when I woke up. I blinked a couple of times, I still couldn’t get used to the texture that laid over everything. Every time I touched something, I was expecting to feel the canvas texture but it always felt normal as if the canvas texture was something that I only imagined.

I felt some warm breath on my cheek. I looked to my side and I saw Donghae sleeping next to me. My first reaction was to scoot away in disgust but I kept myself from doing that when I felt Tiffany curled up onto me on the other side. And then I realized that we had slept the entire night this way. Donghae slept against the wall, I had moved my body towards the heat source which had been Donghae and Tiffany had been sleeping next to me and Ryeowook next to her.

Donghae sneezed lightly and I focused back on him. He wrinkled his nose cutely, ehm, yeah, I was just going to pretend to forget that I thought that. But I kept my eyes on Donghae’s handsome features. His skin was almost blemish free, he had a straight nose that had the perfect size, soft lips even though they were thin and long, black eyelashes. His orange hair was rather long and should’ve been cut but it suited him and gave him a rather rebellious, arrogant and confident look. But I had to admit that now that he was asleep, he seemed rather angelic.

I stared at him and suddenly Donghae opened his eyes and stared back at me. I was startled and lost my balance. Immediately, Donghae’s hands shot out to keep me from falling. “Have you already fallen for me?” He asked and I couldn’t help but blush: “Don’t be stupid!”

Tiffany, Ryeowook and Sungmin, who had slept next to Donghae, were woken up by me and Donghae. They began to stretch and when I heard their complaints, I knew that they were just as stiff as I was.

And suddenly the hatch opened, startling all of us. Sungmin and Donghae quickly moved to the front thereby protecting me, Tiffany and Ryeowook which annoyed the hell out of me. I didn’t need to be protected and yet Donghae didn’t seem to get that message.

But to our relief, it was Heechul who opened the hatch. He looked anxious but determined. I wondered what had happened last night that he looked this way.

“Come on, we don’t have much time.” He urged us while he descended the ladder again.

We scrambled on our feet and one for one we descended the ladder. I looked around in the small hallway, there was no one but at the end of the hallway, I recognized Hyoyeon.

Heechul impatiently tapped with his foot on the floor. He was carrying a large bag on his shoulder but immediately gave it to Donghae as soon as the latter stood with his two feet on the ground. Donghae wordlessly swung the bag over his own shoulder.

As soon as Ryeowook put his two feet on the floor, Heechul began walking down the hallway. We followed him. I wasn’t sure what Heechul was planning to do but I was sure that whatever happened the previous night, had something to do with it.

~*~*~*~

“Well, that was surprisingly easy.” Sungmin looked back to the village that was slowly getting smaller and smaller as we walked away from it.

Tiffany nodded. “Yeah, they’re probably more concerned about who is going into the village than that they’re concerned about who goes out of it. But I never would’ve thought that they would let us go without giving it a second thought.”

Ryeowook frowned and looked at Heechul who walked upfront. “I thought that the guards were supposed to stop you from leaving the village.”

“I guess that the rebels are causing them too much trouble and that they’ve just forgotten about that order or that my uncle hasn’t even told them and just used it to threaten me.”

I walked a bit faster to walk next to Heechul and Sungmin. “Why wouldn’t he tell the guards?”

Heechul didn’t look at me and just stared into the distance. “Probably because people would start asking questions. I suppose that’s only natural since the official story is that I’m completely agreeing with what my uncle is doing.”

“People think that you’re agreeing with what your uncle does?” I made a little jump when I heard Donghae’s voice next to me.

“Stop startling me like that!” I hissed at him before Heechul could answer him. Donghae gave me a look that I would’ve explained as ‘-please-face’ if I didn’t know Donghae better because Donghae would never make such a face.

“Yes. Uncle would’ve had even more troubles with ‘leading’ the people if he didn’t have my ‘approval’ for the things he does.”

It was silent for a little while as we walked further and further into the forest again before Ryeowook timidly decided to break that silence. “Ehm, can I ask where we are going?”

“Yeah, we should’ve reached Sungmin’s house by now if we were going to go there.” Tiffany added as she grabbed Ryeowook’s hand. She pulled him closer to us since Sungmin, Heechul, Donghae and I were walking a bit faster and they needed to keep up the speed.

I looked sideways and tried to catch Heechul’s gaze, since he was the one who led us through the forest but he avoided my gaze and looked sternly in front of him. “Don’t tell me that you’re leading us into the forest of spots again? That place is dangerous!” I accused him.

“Hyukjae…” I heard Donghae murmur next to me as if he wanted me to keep silent but I shook my head because I didn’t want to listen to him.

“We’re walking on the edge of the forest of spots and the forest of nothing. Left of us is the forest of spots and on the right the forest of nothing.” Sungmin explained.

“The forest of nothing?” Donghae repeated before muttering, “What a strange name.”

“Yes, it’s the forest in which the rebels reside. It’s quite dangerous though not as dangerous as the forest of spots - no man in his right mind would live in that forest. Word goes that there live dangerous animals in that forest though it could also be a tale that the rebels invented to keep unwanted visitors out.”

Suddenly a strong wind arose from the right pushing us towards the forest op spots. I was hit full by the force of the wind and stumbled into Donghae who quickly grabbed both of my shoulders. “Careful Hyukjae.” He muttered and I nodded while trying to ignore the shiver that went through my spine when he said that in such a low voice. Dear God, what was wrong with me? Why was I affected so much by Donghae all of the sudden?

“Come on, we need to hurry.” Heechul urged us as he saw a place to take cover. We all quickly followed him, some with more difficulty than others.

We all sat huddled up in the small cave. Donghae sat next to me and I began to wonder if he thought that the place next to me belonged to him since he seemed to always be there. I couldn’t deny that it made me feel a bit special but it also made me confused at the same time. What did Donghae want from me exactly? Did he wanted to be friends or did he wanted to be something more?

I was startled by Donghae’s demanding and accusing tone towards Heechul: “Tell us Heechul, why are you coming with us and where are you leading us?”

Heechul looked annoyed at Donghae. “Isn’t it obvious?” He sarcastically spat.

“No.” Donghae briskly answered.

I snorted at Heechul’s shocked face before I was shut up by his glare. “Fine, I’m trying to find the rebels.”

“Eh?” Sungmin, Ryeowook, Tiffany and I stuttered out while Donghae only raised his eyebrows.

“Why?” Donghae inquired.

Heechul rolled with his eyes. It seemed to annoy him that Donghae asked things that seemed obvious in his eyes. “Ever heard of the phrase: ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Since the rebels are my uncles enemy, I’m hoping that they could help me fight off my uncle.”

“But why now? You could’ve tried to find them earlier.” Donghae countered.

Heechul sighed deeply. “Well, that is because I didn’t have something to keep them from killing me as soon as they see me.”

“And now you have?”

“Last night there were rebels in my room.” Heechul looked away from our shocked faces. “I let them go without calling anyone. I technically saved their lives and now they owe me a favor.”

Heechul’s face was firm as he thought back to last night.

~*~*~*~

The taller burglar focused on Heechul again and Heechul couldn’t help but stare in those d