The land you were trekking on doesn’t seem to end. It felt like you’ve been walking for a few hours already, yet the scenery doesn’t change one bit. The endless abyss of white and shiny cold sand you were ambulating on suddenly felt putty under your bare feet. The once sturdy beach became quicksand and it swallowed you whole, only your head and arms are visible. Before you were eaten by the earth, you saw Baekhyun there tout de suite above you. Nonchalantly, beautifully standing there and he seem to be not aware of your current struggle. You called out to him but it was all in vain as he was heedless of his surroundings. He doesn’t care; he can’t see or hear you.

Before you can even scream out for help again, the glebe engulfed you totally and you’re suddenly floating on outer space. Tiny stars are scattered everywhere, twinkling brightly, blinding your vision.

“Eonni! Help me please!” A tiny voice of a little girl suddenly calls out. You try to open your eyes to look everywhere, finding where that small voice came from.

“Eonni! I can’t see, help me!!!” The girl cries out bloody murder. You felt a tug on your long red dress and you look at the ground to see your 10 year old sister slumped on the ground. She looked up at you, her whole face dripping with crimson blood. Her eyes hollow and looked like a crevasse similar to the outer space you’re currently in.

“Eonni, it’s your fault! You took my eyes away from me!” She shrieked her accusations and the void that was once her eyes outbursts with diamonds of different cuts and sizes.

~~~

“Ms. Lee…”

“Ms. Lee…?”

“Ms. Lee Soojin…”

“Lee Soojin-ssi…”

“Soojin-ssi…”

“Wake up…”

“It’s time to wake up…”

“Ms. Soojin, please wake up…”

“Please wake up, Lee Soojin-ssi…”

Mia took a step back when you lurch up from your bed. You can feel cold sweat running down on your back and squeeze your eyes shut to try and fully awaken from your slumber.

“I was going to give you 10 more minutes of sleep, but you were having a nightmare.” Mia frowned and gave you a look of concern before she removed the heavy duvet from your body.

In the last 4 weeks she’s been your constant companion, you both grew close. She may be your personal assistant, but that didn’t stop you from treating her less of a human. You don’t care about social ranking as much as your father or your mother and even Baekhyun do. You may be the daughter of a rich mogul who owns one of the best shipping lines in the world, but you’re different than them. You may slightly hate your parents from your banal expulsion, but you were still thankful because you didn’t turn out to be like them.

You may grow up alone, without your family beside you, but at least you learned to be compassionate of others. You didn’t become one of those spoiled brats you used to see back in your old school of snooty spawns of the rich and wicked.

“You still have five hours before you need to go to the airport for our flight to North America to meet Ms. Amano and Ms. Liu. And then fly again to the Bahamas.” Mia was reading something, probably an itinerary, on a folder she have in her arms. She almost, always, cradles documents in her arms whenever you see her, which is all of the time she spends with you. She never takes breaks or day offs, her only means of idleness is when you sleep at night. It’s as if she doesn’t have a family of her own.

“I told you, you can be comfortable around me whenever we are alone, Mia.” You said as you playfully poke her stomach through her corporate coat she always sports. You never see her in casual clothing. Remind yourself to take her shopping when you get to America on your downtime before the flight to The Bahamas.

“But Ms. Lee, your mother has eyes and ears around this house. I don’t want to lose my job.” Mia whispers at you and playfully winked before composing herself again and clearing to mask her sudden cheerfulness.

“The only way you will lose your job is when I fire you. My mother may have hired you, but you’re stuck to me now. Haven’t you heard? I’m a needy and clingy person. You might want to quit now while you still can.” You snickered buoyantly and Mia offered you a brief but hearty laugh in return for your remark. Out of spite, you encircled your arms around her stomach in a sisterly hug.

“Oh!” Mia squeaked slightly at your sudden skinship.

“Mia, thank you because you’re sincere to me. Thank you for being a breath of fresh air among the rottenness of unwanted riches that surrounds me.” You said as you nuzzle your face on her stomach.

“Thank you for being nice to me, Ms. Lee. You’re the first ever employer who didn’t treat me like I’m just a mere servant.” Mia patted your head lovingly and stood you up from your bed to push you to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

“I’ll tell the staff to bring up your breakfast here so you don’t have to go down and see your father.” Mia mentions as she push open the bathroom door for you to enter.

“Thank you, Mia.” You beamed at her before closing the door to take a long and relaxing shower.

__________

“Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Captain Choi Song-ho of private flight BS501819, we have safely landed to our destination. Welcome to Innocence Island, located in the Bahamas’ Exuma chain of Islands. Loc