Listen to Sixth Sense by Brown Eyed Girls : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPNFZi1_8gQ

"Hello miss! I don't remember asking for room service but well--"

Psy stopped grinning and noticed that the hotel worker standing outside his room was not handling a cart, nor was she looking stable. Her hair was dishevelled, her cheeks were flushed and when the door had opened, her eyes had flickered with fear.

Before Psy could signal Hyoyeon, a familiar figure stepped out from the side and ushered the girl in without the tenant's permission. 

"Kyungsoo," Psy said in a hushed tone. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"Hello noona," Kyungsoo said, greeting a shocked Hyoyeon and clearly ignoring a fuming Psy. The girl was still shaking and it was only when Kyungsoo made her sit on futon did she seem to ease a bit. He rested a hand on each shoulder of hers and looked at the two people glaring at him. 

"She has something to say," Kyungsoo said and patted the girl lightly on her back. The girl took in a deep breath and widened her eyes, as if to alert herself. Finally, after a considerate pause, she looked at Hyoyeon and Psy. 

"I'm Jung Eunji. There's something you should know."

                                                             *********************************************************

The monastery was not as big on the inside as it had appeared to its current guests. Once Siwon led them away from the quadrangle and inside the main living room, Kairi saw Siwon hunch a little while Kris looked like he was bowing to an invisible power. The room was wide and the ceiling was low. There were beautiful carpets laid out, mattresses adorning the sides to sit on and low level tables with oriental designs painted on its surfaces. 

"Please," Siwon gestured. "Make yourself comfortable."

Kairi gave a small smile and nodded, following YongGuk and Woohyun, who sat on a series of chairs that were actually pillows with a support attached for the back. 

"This feels weird," YongGuk muttered, sounding a little awestruck. Lay smiled a little while Kris looked like he was inspecting the surroundings. When his eyes met with Kairi's, he gave a stiff smile that made her look away. She remembered the fiery dragon tattoo glowing on his arm and shuddered a bit. The whole atmosphere shed a new light on the EXO members. Just how overqualified were they for this particular mission?

"This is green tea," Siwon said, resting his hand on a white teapot with green designs. He then patted the head of another pot made of blue china and said, "This is chamomile tea and this one," he said, referring to a wooden teapot, "is milk tea. Which I've heard you're a fan of, Miss Kairi."

"Please," she said, waving her hand. "Just call me Kairi."

"As you wish."

Siwon then seated himself on a pillow and sat up straight. The simple action made the three guests straighten up, though Woohyun still had his resident skeptical look on his face. Kris and Lay sat only after Siwon nodded at them too. Even then, they maintained a distance from their senior.

"I believe," Siwon started, "that Kris and Suho would have informed you of the reason behind our support for your cause."

The three mutely nodded. Woohyun added, "The reason's fair enough. They destroyed your school, another act of stunting freedom."

There was something harsh and crude in the way which Woohyun spoke. YongGuk cringed and Lay instantly shot a glance at his senior. However, apart from Siwon, who just calmly nodded, Kairi looked unfazed and acted as if she was used to -- and slightly proud --- of her partner's character. 

"If we could list reasons as to why each of us are involved in this battle," Siwon said, a small smile playing on his lips, "then we would spend eons questioning and correcting something which doesn't need any investigation. Our first aim, of course, is to bring to international attention the power of Avalon. I'm sure you know by now what Avalon is?"

Woohyun widened his eyes. "You knew what Avalon was?"

"What Avalon is," Siwon corrected. Kairi caught him look at her, but before she could confirm so, his eyes were on Woohyun. "A simple act of overthrowing the General with the help of our friends from all over the world, who were restricted access due to a guarantee that everything would go well in this dictatorial dome."

"Lay just told us that we found an exception to the suicide commandment," YongGuk said. Siwon looked at Lay, then closed his eyes. As if he had processed all the information within seconds, he nodded and sighed, "Of course, Jung Eunji. That ferocity of hers has finally come to use. Not to worry about her, Kyungsoo is taking care of her very well."

Kairi realized that no one outside EXO had questioned them as to how they were able to perform such incomprehensible acts like these. Siwon looked at her and suddenly, Kairi heard someone say, It's all in the mind.

"Ack!" she squealed. Her four acquaintances stared at her. Kris and Lay chuckled while Woohyun mouthed, 'What's wrong?' Kairi blinked at Siwon, who was giving her an innocent look. 

"Nothing," she murmured and cleared . "What do you think our first step should be?"

Siwon blinked at Kairi, as if she had spoken in pig Latin. "I am not going to instruct you on how to act."

Kairi's eyes shot open wide. "Then why are we here?"

Siwon blinked. "I thought you wanted the medication."

"Medication to what?" Woohyun asked. He looked at Kris and Lay, but the two were equally confused. 

"Your friend out here," he said, nodding at Kairi. "She will be the steed upon which the freedom of Paragon will lie. There will be a sacrifice and unfortunately, she will have to be the lamb. All I can do, is minimize the pain."

                                                          ****************************************************************     

"He's conscious now," the nurse cheerfully informed. Suzy's stomach clenched in shock when she recognized Taemin from across the halllway, but like a professional INVICTUS, ignored him and rushed to the ICU. Shin was right behind her and in awareness of that, she began ordering her reflexes to stay in control.

"Stop getting so worried," Shin said, trying to distract her. He poked the little furrow in between her eyebrows and Suzy shot him a beaming smile. It worked. 

"I'm just trying to calculate the compensation I would have to fish out now." She pouted and slowly entered the room. 

"Don't worry," Shin whispered, tucking a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "I've handled all of that. Just charm him the way you charm all of us."

Like a normal girl, Suzy gave a flattered blush. Inside, she wanted to hurl. 

"They have paid for your accident, Mr. Choi." The doctor bowed to the patient and left the room while Suzy and Shin cautiously treaded inside. Sehun turned around and Suzy's heart stopped.

Even with the gauze around his forehead, the red welt on his left eye, the deep stitches that were tattooed all the way from his right eye to his chin -- nothing could defeat the purposeful gaze that had arrested her attention. Sehun, like always, was beautiful to Suzy. Sehun, like always, blinded all other sensation. 

"I'm Shin Won Ho," Shin said. He gestured towards Suzy and said, "This is my Partner, Bae Suji. I believe she has some ties with you that we would like to take advantage of."

Sehun narrowed his eyes and grunted. He gave Shin an extremely spiteful look and suddenly, Suzy wasn't sure if Sehun was acting. 

"Hello," Suzy greeted, wearing the mask she would adorn infront of Shin and his friends. "I was the one who betted for you."

Sehun blinked at her, waiting for further explanation. Suzy's pride crumpled underneath the scrutiny and she was once again reminded of how human she felt when she was around him. 

"When the accident happened.... I mean, I-I-I'm sorry. I-I-I mean, it's not like I c-c-caused the accident, just---"

"Thank you."

All the blood from her heart rushed upto her head and as if welcoming the head of a church, Suzy's ears started ringing in praise of his voice. His voice reverberated with firmness, a natural tenacity that told her not to embarrass herself anymore. She flushed and bowed, leaving space for something unknown. 

Suzy wanted to be alone with Sehun and in excuse for a discussion of their plan, wanted to hear him strategize. But she knew that the overlapping of their resorted areas had been coincidental and that there was another person who was in a sphere of danger and opportunity. 

"Where's Kang Howon?" Sehun inquired. 

"He was called by my father," Shin said, sounding like he had just showered in some good news. "They're probably signing a contract right now." He then clicked his tongue and shook his head, "Sorry bro, guess this just wasn't your time."

Sehun shot a blunt glance towards Shin and said, "It's cool. Maybe next time."

Once the couple left the room, thanks to an inert signal from the patient to be left alone, Shin narrowed his eyes and smirked. 

"I like that kid," he said. 

"Are you going to cheat on me?" Suzy teased, inwardly gagging at her words. Shin laughed and ruffled her hair. 

"How jealous you can get! No, I... You know how I abhor the lifestyle my friends have. But this kid... Choi Sehun... Not only does his name sound familiar, but something about him just strikes me as ... as if I have a long-lost connection with him."

Shin then faced his Partner and proudly proclaimed, "I think Sehun and I will be good friends. What do you think?"

                                                          ****************************************************************

Baekhyun froze. The cup he was holding shattered to the ground and everyone in the living room turned to look at him. Suho was instantly by his side. 

"Baekhyun," Suho called out. But Baekhyun's eyes were already burning with a particular piece of information that had changed the game. He looked at Suho and began whispering something. Suho did not react, at least not visibly. His lips however began quivering, almost as if he wanted to cry out against the pain of holding in the secret. 

"What's wrong?" Jiyong asked, giving Baekhyun a wary look. Jiyeon, who had been talking to Dayoung and Dongwoo, turned her attention to the small crowd. 

"What's going on there?" she called out. Baekhyun sharply took in some air and coughed out the remains. He looked at Jiyeon and the latter winced as his expression shifted from that of pain, to anger, to confusion and finally, to something so deep that it shook the roots of her senses. 

Baekhyun stepped out of the little island in the kitchen and walked towards her. Slowly, he went down on his knees and took her hands in his. Jiyeon widened her eyes, stuttering out incoherent words when he shushed her. 

"Promise me," he said, then stopped. "Promise us," he corrected himself, "that you will never do anything  foolish. That you will never do anything without telling us beforehand. Understand?"

"Where the hell is this coming from---?"

"For 's sake Jiyeon!" Baekhyun shouted. He then closed his eyes and sighed, a tremble running down his spine. "Just, promise. "

Jiyeon blinked at him. She felt someone tugging on her cardigan and found Dayoung staring up at her. 

"Promise unnie," Dayoung murmured. Jiyeon looked at Jiyong, who simply shrugged and walked away. 

"I promise," she said, without looking at Baekhyun. Though a little disappointed, the shaken man seemed to have calmed down and whispered a "thank you".

"Well."

Heads turned towards the door and gasps rang out. 

"I'm glad you made that promise," said Jay, chuckling a little, "because right now is not the time to be playing around." The man collapsed, the purple bruises swelling up on his cheeks, the cuts on his arms and upper torso oozing out liquids other than blood, painting a picture that only showed a new truth that the viewers were not prepared to swallow.

Nicole was the first person to lay him out on the ground, while SungGyu reached her side with a box in hand. Within minutes, the injured man's body was being drenched in disinfectants, each cut sizzling like a spine-chilling echo of something one should not have heard. 

"I will be anaesthezing you Jay," Nicole announced, making sure that her patient was looking at her. Jay nodded, then before losing consciousness, muttered something that left speculation and anxiety anchoring everyone's hopes. 

"They've found Kairi."