The shuttle arrived at a small planet and we entered past the stratosphere and broke through the cloud barrier to see the buildings of a colony beneath us. The craft started to shake a little through a small turbulence, but it soon steadied and we landed at the entrance of Dham's Hope. The door opened and Taemin, Sooyoung and I jumped out.

We grabbed our guns and walked into Dham's Hope, everyone on full alert. It was so quiet. It was almost like entering a city of the dead.

" It's too quiet. ", Sooyoung shuddered.  " It's like a ghost town. I don't like the looks of this. "

I swore I saw a flash of fear in Taemin's big brown eyes, but it vanished as soon as it came. I laid a hand on the boy's shoulder gently and he turned his head sharply to face me.

" Taemin, are you okay? ", I asked out of concern.

" I-- I'm fine, Commander. Don't worry about me. ", Taemin forced a smile.

" Are you...scared? ", I asked quietly.

" M--me? N--no! A soldier knows no fear! ", Taemin said a little too enthusiastically.

" Hush, you two! ", Sooyoung snapped.  " And focus on the mission! And be quiet! "

I ignored her and spoke gently to Taemin again.

" Taemin, it's okay if you're feeling scared right now. I am too. ", I confessed with a small reassuring smile.

Taemin stopped for a moment and looked down. When I touched his cheek gently and tilted his head up to face me, I saw shame and fear reflected in his big puppy eyes.

" I-- I am scared... B--but please don't tell Sooyoung. I want to show her that I am brave. If I am such a coward, I am a complete failure and embarrassment to Illusion. ", Taemin whispered sadly.

" You're not a coward, Taemin. Everyone, even the bravest person in the universe, feels scared of someone or something. It's natural to feel fear and being scared doesn't make you weak.", I spoke gently.

"R-really?", Taemin blinked.

I nodded with a gentle smile and patted his shoulder. He nodded back with a