“Try teleporting to that tree over there!”

“But not on the tree. Just next to it.”

“What if she teleports herself inside the tree?”

“Is that even possible?”

“Sojung-Unnie can heal her no matter what happens. Let’s just try it.”

“But what if she’s inside the tree and Sojung-Unnie can’t reach her?”

“And I ask again: how would that even be possible?”

“How would I know, Yewon-ah? How is it possible that we even have these powers in the first place?”

“… touché.”

“The tree would probably split into two. It’s impossible for Yerin-Unnie to merge with the tree.”

“Is it, Yuna-Unnie? Is it really?”

Yerin’s heart was beating fast as the other girls discussed potential injuries and accidents. The palms of her hands were sweaty and she subtly wiped them off. It was nice and all, that they had so much faith in Sojung’s abilities. But who could say how long they would last? What if she could only heal a certain amount of injuries? What if she was like a battery that needed recharging before she could heal again?

They did not know anything about these newfound powers. Everything could go wrong. While Sojung had not said anything, Yerin was pretty sure by her reaction that she had been dead before Sojung had done whatever she had done. The constant glances into her direction and the fear in her eyes were saying enough. 

Yerin liked being alive again. Who knew how many times Sojung could bring people back from death?

A shiver ran down her spine. How could anyone have the power to revive someone like that? What had caused them to even receive these powers? And why them? What had they done that something was giving them these powers?

She swallowed dryly and glanced up from the ground only to meet SinB’s intense stare.

You’re reading my mind, aren’t you?

A guilty expression washed over SinB’s face and she shrugged.

Yerin sighed and shook her head.

Please tell me you did not read my mind this whole time.

SinB bit her lip and glanced at the others. After making sure that they weren’t paying attention, the younger girl walked towards her until she stood next to her. A second later, SinB’s fingers interlaced with her own and she felt a soft squeeze of her hand.

“It’s okay to be scared,” SinB said, quietly so that nobody else could overhear their conversation. “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, Unnie.”

Yerin nodded. “I know. But if I have these powers and we’re stuck here… it’s better than to freeze to death, isn’t it?”

“I’m sure someone would eventually see the flames or the smoke and sent help.”

“But how long will that take? I’ll do it.” Yerin clenched her jaw. Even if I die again…

“Don’t say that,” SinB said sharply. “You will not die.”

“I already did once.” She let go of SinB’s hand and wrapped her arms around herself. “What if… what if it was not supposed to be like this?”

“Like what?”

“Like… what if… what if I’m supposed to be dead? What if it had been my time? What if… what if we…” Yerin looked around. The shadows of the trees from the burning car seemed to become more threatening. “What if we… cheated death?”

SinB stared at her incredulously. “You’ve got to be kidding. Did you by any chance watch a horror movie recently?”

“… so what if I did?”

“Unnie…” SinB sighed and took her hands once more. “Whatever gave us these powers, it has to be good. And whoever decided that it should have been our fate to… to live through this with our injuries or… or end our lives… they can’t be good. Nothing good can decide that it was your time to leave this Earth. You have still so much to do, so much to see, so many people to make happy with your presence alone. It was not your time. I refuse to believe that. And you should too.”

“You… you think so?”

“I know so.” SinB smiled. 

I wouldn’t know what to do in a world without you.

Yerin’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. That had not been her own voice inside her head. “Wh-…?”

SinB looked confused. “What?”

“Did you just…?”

“Did I what?”

“I heard your voice.”

“Well, duh, I’m talking.” SinB rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Unnie, did you hit your head? Should Sojung-Unnie check you again?”

“I heard your voice in my head!”

“You… what?” SinB frowned. That is not possible.

“There it was again! It seems to be quite possible!”

“I don’t… I don’t understand.” SinB let go of Yerin’s hands and took a step back. “How?”

“I don’t know. But we should try again! Think something!”

“I am.”

“But…” Yerin tilted her head to the side. I’m sure I heard it. I heard it loud and clear. It were not my thoughts and it was not my voice.

SinB looked to be deep in thought. “Let me try something.”

She took a step forward again and took Yerin’s hands into her own. Can you hear me now?

Yerin’s eyes widened and she nodded.

So you can hear my voice when we are holding hands. SinB let her hand drop. “But you can’t if we’re not. Just like you teleporting Eunha with you out of the car. That is fascinating.”

“Yerin-Unnie? A-are you ready for the f-first test?” Eunha called out. She was leaning against Yuna who was hugging her from behind. Out of all of them, Eunha was wearing the least. She was clearly shivering. They had to get out before they all froze to death.

“Yes, sure. Where…?”

“Just a couple of meters in front of us in the middle of the street.” Yuna pointed into the direction before she started to rub Eunha’s arms to give her a little bit of warmth. “No trees, no obstacles. It was the safest we could come up with.”

Yerin took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. Okay. I can do this.”

She stepped from one foot to the other, staring at the place in front of her. What had she done when she had teleported Eunha and herself out of the car? She had been desperate. Eunha was bleeding and unconscious. They had been stuck inside the car, the doors would not open. She had smelled gasoline. Nobody had been there. They had needed to get out of the car.

Yerin closed her eyes and concentrated. She had wanted to get out of the car with all of her might. She had to have enough willpower to teleport. She had to imagine the place where she wanted to be.

She balled her hands into fists and clenched her jaw. Five meters in front of her. The middle of the road.

An indescribable feeling spread through her body. It seemed to come from deep inside of her and spread into every inch of her body. It tingled slightly, but there was also warmth.

She heard loud cheers from somewhere behind her and opened her eyes. To her astonishment, she was not standing next to the girls anymore.

Yerin was standing in the middle of the road. As she turned around, she saw her members about five meters behind her.

It had worked. She had done it.

An idea her and she closed her eyes again. After a second she opened her eyes once more. A mischievous grin appeared on her lips as she looked at the backs of her members.

“Where is she?”

“YERIN-UNNIE!”

“Where did she go?”

“BOO!” Yerin jumped and threw her arms around her nearest victim - Yewon.

Everyone screamed. But no one more than Yerin.

Somehow, she did not know how exactly, but somehow she found herself dangling in the air, the ground moving farther and farther away.

“WHAT THE- WHAT IS HAPPENING?” She clung onto Yewon with all of her strength. She was too high. This was way too high. She was going to die. Again!

“I don’t know!”

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET US DOWN! YEWON-AH, GET. US. DOWN!”

“I’m not doing anything!”

“THE LAST TIME I CHECKED I COULD NOT FLY AND I DID NOT WANT TO FLY, SO UNDO YOUR THING AND BRING US THE HELL BACK ONTO THE GODDAMN GROUND! DO SOMETHING! NOW!”

Yewon mumbled something under her breath, but slowly they started to sink towards the ground again. Yerin’s knees shook as her feet finally touched the road again. She let go of Yewon as if she had burned her hands.

“Oh my God.” Her heart was beating fast. She bent down and took a deep breath. Her entire body was shaking. “Oh my God…”

“Oh my God is right, what the heck was that?” SinB sounded way too impressed for Yerin’s liking. “You can fly? Like, legit fly?”

“I… I don’t know? I guess?” Yewon knelt next to Yerin. “Unnie, are you okay? I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“She will be fine.” Sojung clapped her on the back. “That’s what you get for scaring us like that, Yerin-ah.”

“This leaves us with another question.” SinB narrowed her eyes and looked at the 97ers. “Everyone here seems to have a power… so what can you two do?”