Trying to find out the cause of Tiffany's death, Taeyeon accidentally digs up dark secrets from the past..

[Beyond Horizons]: Part Three - "Confessions & Secrets"

(Please take the time to read the Author's Note at the end)

Taeyeon wanted to know everything. She absorbed as much information as she could from Tiffany -- how the After World operated, memorizing legends, and how to use the strange world to her advantage. She didn't visit often; there were too many variables she needed to be careful of.

First, she needed Bishop's revolver.

She had no gun of her own and getting a permit for one was a long, lengthy process. Even so, she couldn't just casually bring a gun with her to her job. There was no need to.

Second, she needed time.

The last time she'd stayed in the After World, hours mingled into days rapidly. Taeyeon needed to keep a careful eye on the time to make sure she wasn't gone from the real world too long.

Third, she needed to be alone.

Her job ranked teamwork as a top priority. Ever since her disappearance, her coworkers had been keeping a keen eye on the older woman, much to her annoyance. Still, there was nothing much she could do about that. Venturing alone would arouse suspicion, something she didn't necessarily want to harbor.

Fourth, it hurt.

Hours after returning to the real world made her nauseous and often times, the endless feeling of the void wrapped itself around the woman like an invisible cape. She meant to ask Tiffany about it, but the past few days have left her no opportunities to visit.

The soft-glowing light from the rising sun held a unique, calming feeling that laid itself over every surface. Many of the protected wildlife began to make their morning moves, hawks peering over the land looking for prey, smaller rodents and common sights like squirrels continued their livelihood of harvesting food. The ranger quietly took in nature's sounds, enjoying the bliss. She was not farther than a mile from the busy roads, but it was enough. When she was alone or on a random patrol, Taeyeon found herself attracted to the riverside.

The ranger didn't venture too far, but she'd made the ten-mile hike to the lake with her team a few times, once for recreational fishing. The warm mug of hot chocolate left a weak, steamy trail that disappeared as the cup was brought up to her lips. She wondered what the lake looked like in the After World.

Walking to Tiffany's cabin was a mysterious one. Taeyeon didn't always have a direct path, most often she found herself wandering around aimlessly, hoping she was going the right direction somewhat, and suddenly she was there. Visiting it in the real world was disappointing. The room was barren and rustic, evidence that no living person had bothered with it for a long time.

More thoughts flooded into her head. What does it look like in Tiffany's perspective when I enter her cabin in the real world? Does she see me and wait for me to cross over? Am I a ghost to her, like she is to me right now?

Her eyes twitched with the excitement of learning more, but when a brief, throbbing pain wrapped itself around her head, she decided to release the idea of visiting the After World for today. Eventually finishing her break, she returns to the main campsite, watching a few of her coworkers beginning their work.

In the distance, she could hear the revving of one of their company trucks, her boots make a satisfying crunch as she turns herself around towards the sound.

"It's not like the Chief to be late." commented one of her coworkers. He stood beside Taeyeon, the two awaiting their chief by the entrance.

The Chief rolled down the window, a flagrant, sweet smell of fresh donuts wafting out his car. "They were the reason I was late." He joked, waiting for them to open the gates.

The Chief, known as Chief Hwang, was an older Asian-American man who'd served in the Navy much like Bishop had. His kind, genuine hospitality made him everyone's favorite. He was usually quiet, but stern to give out orders when the serious times came. He was never afraid to put his life on the line, and despite his prime years behind him, his daily exercise and love for nature has made him rather active. He was the oldest man working in the company, but still one of the strongest.

Taeyeon admired him and respected him, offering to carry the box of donuts as they helped park his truck.

He was greeted with polite Good Morning! from many of the staff, but there was no denying their happiness pitched up higher with the sight of donuts. Laughing and smiling his way along the office, he wasted no time passing out napkins and leaving trays open for the staff. With no reason to deny such a delicious treat, Taeyeon took two, saving a maple-frosted one for Bishop later.

Having worked nights a majority of the time, Taeyeon barely saw the Chief who strictly worked mornings. Deciding the opportunity was around the corner, the young ranger knocked on the Chief's office door and waited patiently.

"Come in!" He yelled from the inside. As she opened the door, she was met with stronger scent of heavy coffee and tobacco. "Ah, Taeyeon. How are you? Would you mind closing the door behind you? It's a little chilly."

"Yeah, sure thing."

"Sit down, I haven't seen you in a while." He settled himself in the seat, dusting off his keyboard and screen. His kind eyes analyze her carefully. "Have you been going out on patrols more often? You look like you've lost some weight. And gotten a little paler too."

Taeyeon bit down on her donut, a faint, metallic taste lingering at the end of . She swallowed hard and forced a smile. "Yes sir."

"Ah, well, don't beat yourself too much. Anyways, what brings you in today? Something to discuss?"

Without thinking too much, the ranger leaned forward and innocently asked, "Chief, I was wondering if I could get access to our private archive."

Chief Hwang froze, his eyes holding a chilly, terrifying expression.

"I just need to search up an event that happened around 30 years ago, I was told by Shane that we kept a record of the more serious ones..Anyways, I'm looking into a potential death of a friend--"

"No."

"--but I don't have too...oh." Taeyeon paused, unaware of what she'd done. Unsure of what to say next, she stayed quiet. The heat of the room began to increase.

She watched as the Chief's jaws began to clench, his hand curling over the computer slowly. "Uhm, did I do or say something wrong, sir?"

"You will not have access to the private archive. That is private for a reason. You will also, never, ever, ask me or anyone that same question ever again. You have no business searching up the forest's past for such a trivial reason. I don't know what or why you're searching for serious cases that happened thirty years ago, but let me make myself clear -- you have nothing to do with it. You have nothing to do with it and you never will. Do you understand?" He paused, his eyes widening with intense rage, the ranger found herself at the end of his shaky hand, which pointed at her mischievously. "It was you! Wasn't it? You were the hacker that broke into our database before!"

Taeyeon was left speechless and terrified. She'd never seen the Chief this angry before. She raised her hand up cautiously. "N-No, sir, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Taeyeon, you--" His wrinkly, old skin made his veins even easier to see. Taeyeon could see he was pulsating with intense anger, so much she wanted to flee. His voice lowered into a whisper, but did not hide the hostility in his voice. "Tell me the truth. Did you hack into my computer in the past? Looking for the same damn files you're asking for right now?"

She swallowed hard and tried to remain professional. "No, sir. I genuinely have no idea what you're talking about."

They maintained an intense view of each other, but finally Chief Hwang backed off, pressing his back against his leather chair and folding his arms. Unsatisfied, he merely scoffed, making a brushing gesture with his hands. "..I got carried away. Anyways, the answer remains the same. Don't bring this up again. Please close the door on your way out."

Scared and unable to find any words to say, Taeyeon quickly shuffled out the door.

Enclosed and alone in his private place, the man huddled over his desk, trying to shake the angry, fearful feeling away. He repeated the words, "I'm sorry." until the tears stopped.

X X X

"Do you ever feel that..there's a bigger world out there that we don't know about? That there are so many secrets we could uncover..if only..people weren't so.." Her words trailed off into a silent end, the side of her lips curling to make a small frown.

Bishop looked up from his donut, crumbs latching on the side of his mouth. As she awaited a response, she reached out to wipe them away, gently rubbing his skin with her thumb. The taller man gave a soft smile and reached out to pat the woman on the head. "What's up with you today?"

Still sulking, the ranger sighed. "I accidentally pissed off the Chief today. It was so weird, I didn't think he'd get so riled up.."

"Chief Hwang? But he's like the nicest, most patient person I've ever known. What did you do to piss him off?"

Taeyeon threw her hands in the air with a bewildered expression. "I just asked him if I could have access to the database! And he got super pissed off, I didn't think it was that much of a big deal."

He held a still and curious expression. "The database, huh?"

"Yeah, I was just trying to find out some stuff..reports..that's all."

"Best if you don't." Bishop looked up at the sky, devouring the last piece of his snack. "There's a reason the trees are so big here. They live on from dead secrets."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a process. There's a whole story behind every tree. They just start as seeds from another tree. Then the wind blows them away, the seeds spreading back to the dirt. The rain comes, giving water and nourishment. The sun shines on top, it starts craving that warmth. You get a beautiful tree years later. But what about those big ones? This is just an old story my brother use to tell me, how big trees are planted on top of someone's grave, and how that tree got extra nourishment from a person's life. The biggest trees here are the smallest graves. My brother wanted to be a tree. Told me if he couldn't account to anything alive, at least his tree could provide life after he's passed." 

His eyes were the same shade of brown as always, but Taeyeon could sense there was a hint of sadness behind them. Bishop had talked about his past before and Taeyeon never asked again. She looked forward, wrapping a consoling arm around her friend's waist and gently squeezed his sides.

She wondered, which tree was his brother's?

X X X

The After World no longer scared her. The long spread of an endless monochromatic haze began to feel familiar as she crossed over. The ranger made an effort to shoot herself in the cabin where she was certain to be alone. The moment the revolver clicked onto an empty chamber, her body would stiffen and freeze. The smell always hit first.

It wasn't a particularly unpleasant smell. How could she describe it? Raw didn't sound right, but the first breath of air that passes through her lungs always made her cough. She liked staying beside the mage, whose scent was often sweet.

Next was the silence. Being in the After World had muted a lot of outside noise. She watched once a bird chirping, surprised that the sounds didn't reach the other world. Tiffany explained that some living beings were silence in the After World.

Mid-week with the next few days off, Taeyeon decided to visit the girl on her day off. Bishop left his revolver in the safe under his table and casually mentioned she was free to use it whenever.

Taking the short, thirty minute hike to Tiffany's cabin, she takes an extra few moments to make sure she was completely alone. There was no direct route to the cabin itself, but the creek did pass by which could possibly guide lost ones. She presses her hand against the wooden door, listening to the heavy creaking as sunlight began to pour into the dark, gloomy room.

Taeyeon shuts the door behind her and pats her leg for the revolver. Then, saying a small prayer and closing her eyes, she rests the muzzle on her temple and pulls quickly.

click!

Once the familiar, odd feeling of her body passes, she confidently opens her eyes to see Tiffany sitting in the corner.

"The ranger returns." The mage nods, marking the edge of her journal before shutting it closed. She turns and politely smiles. "It's been a while since your last visit, Taeyeon."

"Yup, sorry. I've been busy."

"There's no need to apologize." Tiffany stood up, her long cape draping onto the floor behind her. She extends her hands slowly, gently cupping the woman's cheeks as an affectionate gesture. She frowns unexpectedly and lifts the girl's chin up.

"You seem rather..unhealthy." The mage commented, observing the girl closely. "Quite paler and a little skinnier. Have you recently overcome an illness?"

Taeyeon lifted her hand and grabbed Tiffany's wrist, meaning to pull it away. But her intentions disappeared once she felt how incredibly soft the woman's skin was. Her hand shivered and retracted, she leaned forward, digging her cheeks deeper into the woman's hand. "I..don't know." Taeyeon said quietly.

The mage shook her head and flicked one of her fingers. A cape hanging from the edge moved and began to float towards them. Once in arm's reach, Tiffany allowed the cape to collapse into her hands where she then turned to Taeyeon.

The ranger stood still and allowed the mage to wrap the cape around her, appreciative of the gesture. "Thank you."

"Of course. It's not often I get visitors, after all. Anyways, back to your health. Take care of yourself, there's nothing more I hate to see but living humans taking their lives for granted." The concern was sincere. Though they hadn't known each other particularly long, Tiffany found herself fond of the human and her strange capability to enter her world. She hadn't realized how lonely she really was until company came along.

Tiffany took out a small basket and opened the door. Without question, Taeyeon followed behind the woman closely. When Taeyeon visited previously, she accompanied the mage in harvesting flowers and plants. It was much more rewarding than the ranger thought, and since then, the two made it an unofficial routine to gather flowers together.

They often talked on their random times together, much of it was Tiffany teaching Taeyeon about their world. But for once, Tiffany was adamant about the real world.

"How has your investigation been coming along?" The mage asked, speaking about their agreement.

Embarrassed, Taeyeon was slow to respond. "I..haven't found anything regarding your death yet. I'm sorry."

"That's fine. I can live without the answer." She paused. "But, I have been quite curious lately. What have you brought with you today?"

Taking a short break, the two rest on the banks of a riverside. Taeyeon patted herself down, organizing her belongings on the rocks.

She made her luggage light, only packing her phone, a bottle of water, and the gun. Tiffany bent down and pressed the screen of the phone. It didn't work.

"I see this item in the real world often. A phone, right? Used as instant communication, no matter how grand the distance..You see, I'm still surprised you think the After World is magical. This item right here is far more useful. Isn't this a form of magic as well?"

"Uh..It has something to do with waves.." Taeyeon groaned, trying to recollect her educational background. "Something about science, I'm the worst person to explain.."

Tiffany laughed gingerly. "That's alright. Science, hmm? Perhaps I can ask Elias."

"Elias?"

"A