"Your mother and I were....really close friends. She was always such a fun person to be around, always finding ways to make every single day interesting. We've known each other for a long time. I think ever since she was in college. I was there at her wedding and I was there when she found out she was pregnant. So naturally, when things started going wrong with your dad, she came to me for help. She wanted you to know, but not until you were 21 so I helped her hide this seal in the box you found it in just in case something were to happen to her. She was going to reveal everything to you on your 21st birthday, but it looks like she was right again."
"What was she right about?" I asked. I don't know why I even bothered asking though. I really didn't want to know the answer but I felt like I needed it.
"She told me that she didn't think she was going to be able to see you turn 21."
"Why? What's so special about me turning 21?"

James shook his head, "That's for you to find out on your own. She said that if she really isn't here to explain things to you, she wants you to find out by yourself."
"But why the wild goose chase? Why couldn't she just give me everything with that will?"
He shook his head, indirectly telling me to stop asking. He definitely wasn't gonna tell me.

Fine.
So be it.

"So I found the seal," I picked it up and stuffed it back into my pocket, watching James's focus shift onto my face, "now what?"

He looked over my shoulder straight at Mark, who's been standing there the entire time, watching James with a glare that could kill. "Is he..."
"He's my boyfriend. We're childhood friends and yes, my mom did know him."
James nodded as he bent over and unlocked the very bottom drawer. From where I was standing, I could see the very top of a mini safe that was tucked away in the very back of it. He punched in the code and it unlocked itself with a beep. I saw his arm reach deep into the safe and pull something out.

A key.
Another freakin key.

"Ok let's go," he motioned at me to follow him out the door. We walked down the long hallway and past the creepy smiling reception lady into the back part of the bank. The carpeted floors suddenly turned to white tile, making our semi damp shoes squeak with every step we took. The further we walked, the larger the bank seemed to become, it's walls stretching in every direction. James would sometimes stop randomly as we were walking to type something into a mini keypad attached to the wall but other than that, he didn't really say anything as we were walking. He footsteps echoed off the walls as he carried us deeper into the bank.

Then all of a sudden, he stopped.
I would've crashed face first into his back if Mark hadn't tugged on the hood of my jacket, launching me into his chest instead.
"Careful," he whispered in my ear, his hands momentarily stopping over mine as he slid them down my arm. I nodded, silently praying that James wouldn't turn around even though I really didn't have to. He seemed way too preoccupied with the huge vault door that was in front of us. Mark and I kinda just stood there in complete shock and amazement while James gingerly walked up to the door and opened it with a loud clank. I could've sworn I saw a bit of golden light shine through as the door swung open.

Like holy crap.
This bank held a lot of money.
I felt weird just stepping into the actual vault even though we were with James.

Along side the walls around us were little drawers, each with its own number and keyhole. James walked deep into the vault, finally stopping in front of one labeled with 71207. He stuck the key in and twisted. The drawer slid open on its own.

There was nothing in there except for a single manila envelope and a small velvet box.

"Take them," James motioned at it, tucking the key back into his pocket, "and open them in here. I need to verify for myself that the precious cargo has been delivered safely."
I nodded, reaching into the drawer and plucking them out. The little box and the envelop both felt so weightless, despite the fact that they were apparently "precious cargo".

I gave the box to Mark before I tore open the envelope first, pulling out another note and a plane ticket.
"What the heck?" I mumbled to myself, completely ignoring the note. My name was printed clearly on the frontside along with the name of an airline I didn't recognize. But that didn't concern me as much as what the destination was.
"My mom wants me to go to Taiwan?"

Author's Note
chapter title: Visual Dreams-SNSD [x]