When Kai said he didn’t need to buy an oxygen tank, I thought he was just messing with me. Now that I’m wearing this really tight black diving suit, with a waterproof flashlight around my head and goggles covering my eyes, searching under the deep Han, I can clearly see why.

                Kai can freaking breathe underwater.

                I don’t even know why it came as a surprise to me when I already know that he can control elements. It just amazes me every day that he can do more than he usually shows. I look at him now and see his hair waving gently with the flow of the water. He turned his head and signaled with his hand for me to go with him in that direction, deeper in the river. I slowly nodded my head and made my way to him.

               Still, even when we've searched for about half an hour, there was no actual lead that we could trust.  I can feel my skin already getting saggy from being submerged in the water for so long. I kept looking around, hoping to see some magical thing glowing but it’s really hard when you don't know what exactly you're looking for.  It doesn't help that the water is taunting and dark, making me want to leave it as soon as possible.  I can sense the disturbance Jongin and I made with our mere presence. It was as if the river was whispering in multitudes, letting me know of the troubles that would soon come our way. 

                Despite the foreboding, I kept swimming deeper down the Han, turning my head at every possible direction. I can almost see the bottom, the rock formations and soil, and some weeds. I reached for the bottom and tried removing some of the rocks, hoping against hope that there might be something, when suddenly, someone grabbed my arm.

                I turned my body around as fast as I could,  ready to throw a punch in the water, but it was only Kai. I glared at him for startling me although I was aware there was a chance he couldn't see my eyes properly through the goggles.  He could at least have tapped me on the back instead of gripping. 

                Still, Kai disregarded my reaction and pulled me closer to him as though he’s trying to convey something. He pointed towards our far left and then put a finger vertically on his lips, telling me to keep quiet. I tried to follow his line of vision but I can’t see anything. I looked back at him, utterly confused.

                So Kai pulled me to swim next to him, exactly towards that point. We were moving slowly, and suddenly I felt the water grazing gently my body, like a protective cover. I know Kai was doing it, but for what?

                We continued to move cautiously when suddenly, Kai halted and pointed for me to look ahead. It was really dark despite the flashlights in our heads, but I still saw it. Not too far, there was something moving in the water. At first, it just looked like a lump of black material to me, but when I stared harder, I realized what it was and a cold shiver that has nothing to do with the water, crept up my spine.

                It was one of those damned mutts.

                I looked at Kai in alert, ready to go somewhere as far away from it as possible but Kai held me in place and gave me that “no” look. He gestured with his hands, telling me that we should follow it. I almost gestured back how insane that sounded,  but I also recognized that he was making a point. If ever that mutt knows something, then it might serve as our guide.

                Clearly, Kai was not about to argue the point with me, as he decided to just pull me along with him. This guy is seriously so pushy.

                So, we swam after it as it continues to go straight to the left. It wasn’t swimming like a normal person would. It did so like it was having spasms, constantly moving as if it doesn't have any bones. The sight was just so repulsive I tried hard not to look. 

                Kai and I kept following. I was starting to wonder when this will end or if we’re actually heading to somewhere significant when the mutt stopped on its tracks. Like how I did it a while ago, it reached for the bottom but before it can even do anything, a wave of wild water hit it, getting it out of our sight forever. I looked at Kai. Of course, he did it. I was thinking how that was so swift, he could have done that earlier.

                We headed to the exact place where the mutt halted and I immediately touched the bottom and removed the soil. The feel of it was different. Kai soon helped me and before we knew it, we were looking at a metallic trapdoor. There were markings on it. The same ones on the boulder and this time, I felt like I knew what I needed to do.

                I placed both of my palms on the trap door and Kai seemed to have understood. He moved a few meters away from me whilst I closed my eyes. I channeled everything inside me towards it, feeling the heat come out of my body and into the trap door. The marks started to glow a bright blue as I whispered the name of Seijira. The ground began to shake and I started moving away as well, to where Kai is.

                The door began to rise up, and when it stopped about five meters above, Kai and I could see a deep dark hole. We swam carefully towards it. I tried to look down but I couldn't see anything at the end. Kai made a move towards the hole,  but I stopped him and signaled that I will go first.

                I know he was about to protest, so I swam hurriedly inside. He followed immediately after. 

               The whole venture was like going down a long unending tunnel. The water  also felt colder and the pressure heavier. I don’t know if Kai could feel it, too, but I just kept my pace. I was aware the pressure could make my oxygen supply run out, so I swam harder, wishing Kai and I could end this mission as fast as we could. 

                I had no i