Sweat. Stench. Darkness apart from the little light that was filtering through the small window from the top of the small and confined room. Hae Ri roused from her half-conscious state. A moan escaped her chapped lips as she felt the numbness in her limbs from being in a sitting position for a prolonged period of time. She tried to adjust her position but the cuffs would not even budge, instead the strong metal bruised against her skin even more. As she was trying to ease the numbness in her legs, she heard the rattling of chains beside her and she turned to look at her fellow captive. His tall figure was slouched against the wall due to the low ceiling of the room.  Upon feeling her gaze, he turned around, his trademark smirk on his face.

“It’s been 5 days. I smell freedom,” Chanyeol said with twinkling eyes.

“If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t even be here in the first place,” she growled and tried to kick him in a playful manner but all she could do was make the chains on her left leg rattle.

He feigned being hurt by her words. His eyebrows knitted together and he pouted his lips in an adorable way, managing to look miserable with the dirt on his face and the dark rings around his eyes – the signs of lethargy of being confined for 5 whole days in the dungeon. She rolled her eyes at him and felt her heart race a little faster at his cheekiness. She stuck her tongue out at him and he simply chuckled. A comfortable silence then descended upon them as they waited for the officers to come free them from their confinement.

They were being punished for making a fatal mistake in their previous mission. In a rushed attempt to get rid of evidences in an abandoned garage, Chanyeol had used magic to blow fire balls so as to save them time and escape unnoticed. However, the organisation they were spying on had connections with people who were blessed with the ability to detect magic. Their testimonials were then publicised and the media proceeded on with their job to sensationalize about this ‘unnatural fire’.  The higher-ups in the National Security Agency (NSA) were very displeased. For an organisation that works with silent investigations and undercover missions, publicity is detrimental. The government had since managed to effectively convince the masses that nothing magical was going on. Even though the mission would never have been accomplished without Chanyeol’s decision to use magic, the 2 agents still had to be punished because they went against the officer’s Code of Conduct and no one disobeys the Code of Conduct. Even so, magic was not forbidden in the 31^st Century but this was because many knew nothing about it. Magic was feared and people who used magic were discriminated and ostracised. This naturally led to an ignorance regarding this domain. Some things never do change, majority still choose to ignore what they do not know for fear of uncertainty and danger.

Back in the 21^st Century when talks of the ‘End of The World’ was buzzing among the people, many still thought that it was a joke, many still continued on their habits of consumption, of pollution, destroying the Earth. However, centuries later, when the Earth was visibly degenerating, many finally felt fearful and attempted to make up for the harm that they had inflicted upon the Earth but once the damage is done, it can never be erased. The end of the world was coming and the people felt guilty, devastated, they were about to lose their home, their lives. A few people then came together, refusing to give up hope, they prayed wholeheartedly for a second chance, a chance to continue living and to cherish their home. Many then joined in, bowing down to the heavens, hoping for a better tomorrow.

Mother Nature took pity on us mortals, the supposed heat wave that was supposed to exterminate us came in the form of a healing wave. It changed the grey and polluted skies back into their once majestic blue. It changed the barren lands into their once fertile and healthy soils. It changed the murky waters to clean and crystal sources of life. To ensure that we would never forget this lesson, she left a mark on each and every one of us, she gave us an affinity with Nature. Since then, every human being could feel the deep connection they have with Mother Nature. Gone are the days when green spaces are just a waste of land and gone are the days when Nature is simply seen as resources. Today, people surround themselves with Nature to feel alive, to feel the bond they have with Mother Nature. The Earth has restored its colour of green and blue as people can feel that the Earth is the healthiest when Nature is the most intact.

It was then not surprising that the first thing Hae Ri did when she was released was to head to the back garden of the headquarters and immerse herself in Nature. She pranced towards her favourite Rain Tree and placed her palm against its trunk. A smile graced her lips as she felt the energy of the tree pulsating through her palm and slowly that life energy started to seep into her palm and enter her core. As the energy was transferred from the tree into her core, she started to feel her lethargy slip away. She removed her palm and took in a breath of fresh air. The rest of the various plants and flowers seemed to be beckoning her and she went to attend to them, bonding and sharing each other’s energies through touch.

Hae Ri had always been special. Her affinity with Mother Nature was eccentrically strong. The people around her could only feel the energy of Nature but for Hae Ri, she could transfer and share energy with Nature, earning her the nickname ‘Nature Girl’ from her best friend and mission partner Chanyeol. After walking through the back garden and bonding with Nature, Hae Ri could feel the spiritual strength resonating through her core. However, as she took a step back towards the headquarters, the world started to spin and she collapsed to the ground, her face as pale as a sheet of white.