I wander down the hallway as my thoughts consume my mind; it had been just over three weeks since Hongbin had gotten the delivery of the medical books for my studies to begin. Time had passed by quickly and my studies had taken first priority, the second being getting to a healthy physical state. I had gained about ten pounds, something that I hadn’t easily noticed but the boys took note of it. Ravi had made a point of saying my face looked fatter… To most girls, this would feel like an insult, but I felt proud of it. My weight gain was noticeable no matter how small.

Even if he meant it in a teasing way, I was glad Ravi took the time to point it out. It was endearing and I felt like the need to prove myself became stronger. I was excited by the idea of a physical change, maybe I would be able to find some clothes that fit me properly. I mean, having a clean button up was nice… But it was practically falling off of me. I was still thankful though.

For me, the biggest change came in my attitude. I was becoming close to mostly everyone, Leo the exception seeing as he set my heart racing for no apparent reason whenever his gaze set upon me, but it seemed my mouth was losing its filter when I became unnerved.  It was easy around Ravi too; he let me use snark on him without holding any anger against me… He just seemed to think it was cute, especially when I nipped at him in response.

My nose comes into contact with invigorating smells as I approach the dining hall, my stomach ready to be filled with my favourite foods once again; scrambled eggs and sweet bread. When I enter the hall, none of the boys are to be found, so I fill my plate and take a seat, spooning my eggs into my mouth. It was something I couldn’t get over… How delicious the food was.

When I am done, I place the dishes into the bin by the door and find myself wandering the hallways. My mind seems to stick onto the same topic; the fact new recruits would need to be picked up soon. I want to go with them. Every part of me did… There had to be some way I could be useful.

I wander past the boy’s bedrooms towards the stairs at the far end and when I look over I notice the door of Ken and Hongbin’s room wide open, neither of them inside of it. I smile and saunter to the stairs, slightly jogging down them to the second floor. Maybe Ken or Hongbin would be in one of the offices.

Once I get to the second floor and take a few steps forward, I notice a light transcending from the crack of one of the office doors and recognize Ken’s hand wrapped around the edge of a desk. When I push the door open he quickly turns his head and notices me, his bright smile greeting me.

“What’re you doing? Spying on the security cameras?” I stand beside him and look over his shoulder at the computer screen.

I hear him chuckle and he turns his gaze to focus on the screen, the glare bouncing off his glasses when he answers me “Not today.”

I catch his sideways glance and he giggles when he meets my slightly shocked expression. His eyes find their way back to the screen and I notice various windows open on it.

“I’m actually just chatting with someone from another district.”

My ears perk up at his response and I gaze at the computer screen in front of us.

“Really?” I question.

“Yeah, he’s my cousin actually, Seungho, from the prairie district MBLAQ.”

I begin to read the conversation in front of me, my snooping over taking my eyes.

“I’ll tell him you’re here, I already mentioned you joined us a while ago.” Ken’s fingers fly across the large keyboard and I read his response. ‘Seungho, Taylor, that girl I told you about is here. Be nice, hehehe.’ I laugh at the way Ken’s obviously adorable nature reaches through the technology between the two and take note of the icon marking the other is typing a response.

“He can be a bit… intimidating.” Ken tells me with a chuckle.

"How so?" I question, my left eye brow raising in response.

"Well..." Ken begins, "he's kind of ab-"

A ‘bing’ interrupts our conversation, marking a response had come in. I glance at the screen to read it when I notice a very short sentence, composed of three words: ‘Is she hot?’

Ken in a breath and his voice suddenly breaks the silence as I turn to face him, “OH MY GOD!”

His hands shoot toward the keyboard and I see him fumble with the mouse as he moves the cursor across the screen, almost like he was predicting the other man’s actions because when I turn back to the screen, I hear a strange ringing noise and a deep voice cut through the awkward silence that fills the room.

“Ooohhh.” A man with bleach blonde hair is now on the screen, greeting my gaze. I notice the business like clothes he’s wearing and I suddenly redden when we make eye contact and he waves slyly at me, a smile spread across his face.

All too suddenly the screen turns black and I look to see Ken casually taking a seat on the stool near us. My left eye brow quirks up in suspicion and Ken coughs at the look I give, a smirk playing on my lips.

“So… what were you doing here again?” Ken coughs out as he embarrassingly rubs the back of his neck, not bothering to make eye contact with me.

“Just wondering what you were up too,” I breathe out, “And wondering if you could tell me about these other districts everyone keeps chatting about.”

He looks to me again, innocence filling his once embarrassed features. “No one’s talked to you about them? Come here.”

He gets up and walks to the end of the room that holds a large table, rolls of papers held in a container at one side. He rolls a few of them around in his hands and finally decides on a slightly faded one and rolls it across the table.

“This…” he breathes out as he places a few small weights on the corners of the enormous sheet of paper, “is our planet.”

My gaze roams over the large piece of paper, the various districts titled accordingly, and take note of the various details drawn between the districts; mountains, lakes, fields… Things I have yet to experience. I notice MBLAQ south west of my home district, VIXX, and can easily see the fields drawn around it. I trace my fingers over the detail, my eyes travelling to the scribbled writing in the middle of the oval.

“That’s where Seungho lives, well he’s originally from VIXX," Ken's voice breaks slightly after this and he coughs when he changes the direction of the conversation, "but MBLAQ is a government controlled district mostly.”

I glance towards Ken and nod at the comment, noting how difficult it must be for the two to connect and move my hands across the table to trace along the various other districts that made up our planet. 2NE1, Shinhwa, LC9, BTS and a closely located one I had heard whispers about entitled Mato… I took a moment to slide my fingers along the mountains that parted our districts and hear a cough from Ken as he pushes the conversation onwards.

“Mato catches your attention, hey,” Ken’s voice floats through my ears and I look to him as he continues his speech, “They’re a district that we’re close to… You’ll definitely find that out soon enough, what with getting the new recruits this week.”

I take a moment to think over his words and look back to the map, noticing the large stretches of mountains that split our two districts.

“You’re probably wondering how we get there,” he laughs, “well, let’s just say, rabbit holes are easy to come by around here.”

I glance back at the map and gaze at the various obstacles between our districts before speaking, “You’ve been there… Have you been there many times?”

He nods as he crosses his arms answer my question.

“We were introduced by a few people who made these hanger’s… We’ve become close too, especially due to the closeness in age.”

He pauses and I hear him fumble with the bucket that held a few writing utensils on the edge of the table. He moves towards me and leans down on the table and I notice a pencil in his hands. He begins to sketch a somewhat jagged line into the mountains.

“Don’t tell Leo… this is his map and he would kill me if he knew that I drew on it.”

I nod with a smirk on my face. I might have found a new way to .

“There are multiple different tunnels around here, this one –“

His words are cut off by the creak of the door and Ken immediately jolts up in reaction, the pencil sliding into his pocket.

His expression looks worrisome but when he turns I notice it soften. I glance back from my leaning position on the table and see N greeting us with a smile, Ravi two steps behind him.

“Hey kids, the tech training too much for you today?” N smirks, a chuckle escaping his throat.

Ravi laughs and walks towards me. He takes a moment to find a space beside me at the table and  presses his palms against the paper, leaning his weight onto them.

I look to him with a wide smile as he eyes the paper in front of us.

“You better erase that before Leo notices… Otherwise you won’t have hands to write with.” Ravi laughs as he traces the pencil marking with his hand.

N is soon standing near us, Ken at his side, and he laughs at the comment. Leaning forward with the pencil Ken had once used, N wipes the eraser against it, ridding the paper of the imperfection.

“So I see Ken was showing you where the tunnels are.” N glances towards Ken as he pastes an innocent smile across his face while crossing his arms.

Ravi elbows me lightly, letting out a chuckle as N continues to scold Ken quietly.

I turn my head and bite the air around his arm which in turn ends with a smile lighting up his features. I giggle at his silly expression and turn back towards Ken and N when one of them coughs to grab our attention.

“We are going to Mato soon, I just wanted her to know where it was at least while we’re gone... It’s a long trek, she might get lonely.”

N acknowledges Ken’s words and glances at me, a smirk playing on his lips. “We have to pick up some new recruits… I wonder where we’ll put them.”

Both Ravi and Ken nod at this and the three of them begin to converse about the various area’s they could use recruits. I zone out as my thoughts over take me.

Now is the chance… I need to bring up that I want to go with them. Even if it means a long journey, I’d gladly go with them. Every part of me was dying to find a new place with new people to meet, especially if it seemed like they were so largely involved with the rebellion... Maybe I could even find out more information concerning this so called rebellion. I also needed to make sure the boys would be safe while they’re away. I may technically be the little sister, but every part of me worries about their well-being, I mean what if one were to hurt themselves… Wait, that’s it. I have an excuse. I can help with minor injuries… I need to go because I can help with injuries, even if Hongbin is going. It could provide me with more opportunities to train too, especially if a larger injury takes place.

My eyes widen at my realization and I jolt up from my leaning position on the table, my gaze immediately finding N’s eyes full of surprise at my sudden movement.

“I’m coming with you.” I blurt out.

Ravi scoffs, his hands jumping up from the table and crossing across his chest. “The hell you are.” His words carry sarcasm and it flares my frustration.

I glare at him quickly and his face is stoic. I turn away from him, ignoring his hand as it slightly slaps against my arm and find my gaze locked with N’s.

“Well,” N breathes as Ken watches him, “I personally don’t think it’s a good idea...”

I begin to roll my eyes as a smile crosses his face and I turn to look at Ravi whose eye brow upwards, a champion like smirk on his face.

“But, you know your own limits… So, you can come.”

I look back to N, a smile still on his face, and I smirk at him. I clap my hands together as Ravi sighs in frustration, inaudible mumbles escaping his lips as I wander over to N’s side and quickly wrap my arms around his waist tightly.

“Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!”

I hear Ken laugh as I do this, Ravi still seething on the other side of the table.

“I promise I’ll do my best… I’ll even study on the way there.”

N brushes me off with a smile, and the conversation continues. Ravi still seething, but accepting, nods and tells me to make sure I pack light.

I follow the conversation, although my head is elated with the idea of a journey. I wonder where it would take us… What these so called ‘rabbit holes’ would bring and the people on the other side.

~

It was a week later and the boys and I were finally ready to journey down the ‘rabbit hole.’ It was strange really, finally understanding why there were various rocks strewn throughout the hallways. The rocks covered various holes that led to tunnels and they lead to different areas, all of which was explained by Ken.

One I had not taken notice to was a large metallic door in the hallway that contained our bedrooms and the dining hall. My guess was another large office but when we reached it and both Leo and Hyuk had to manually open the doors, my shocked expression made Hyuk and Ravi chuckle.

We walk through the entrance, my small cloth shoulder bag holding a medical book and various snacks. I only had a few other shirts that Hyuk had given me in the past few weeks which I did not bother to pack as the weight would be too much.

I hear the doors shut behind us and I pause in surprise at the dimly lit tunnel that stretches out in front of us. I take note of a strange looking metal cart hooked into some tracks and the boys quickly begin to shuffle towards it.

“I got bored one day, so you’ll notice the seats in it now.” Ken pipes up.

Hyuk jumps into the tall cart, his long legs easily clearing the height of it.

“Cool, so much more comfortable.” He takes a seat in the front row and Ken follows him, a large handle in between the two of them.

Ravi jumps in next, taking a seat right behind Hyuk.

“Wow, no more aching legs front just standing.” He laughs.

Hongbin leaps in the cart and sits next to him, room enough for one more in their row and nods, his soft expression noticeable form his side profile.

Leo wanders to the edge, easily popping into the cart and taking a seat in the back of the cart and leans against the metal on the back, his head turned forward.

N stands beside me as I eye the metal cart, the height of it hitting my chest and he laughs.

“Here, I’ll help you in.”

I nod at him as he crouches by the edge, his hands linking and ready for me to take a step on them.

“Just step and I’ll help you in.”

I wrap my fingers around the cold metal edge and lift my leg, my foot putting pressure against his hands and I lift my other leg and feel N quickly lift me upwards. It takes a moment for my mind to register how fast I’m being thrown into the cart.

My legs crash against the bottom of the cart but my arms come into contact with something different… I look up from the black pants in my view, my arms being held by two large hands, and notice Leo’s smirk greeting me.

I can feel my ears heat in embarrassment and I struggle with the words in my mouth.

“So-sorry... I... uhm...”

He nods, the smirk not leaving his handsome face as he pulls me up and places me in the seat next to him. He leans back against the cart and turns his face away from me.

I can still feel the blush on my cheeks as a chuckling N leaps into the cart taking a seat next to Hongbin, and take note of Ravi's hand rapping agaisnt the back og N's head. 

Leo’s handsomeness still caught my attention, even if he was incredibly intimidating… The simple smirk that crossed his face from time to time seemed beautiful. I stare at him form the corner of my eye as Ken begins to explain that we were leaving. Leo is facing to the front, his eye’s unwavering from the boys in front of him.

“Okay, so hold on for a few hours, maybe try and sleep… I hope everyone went to the wash room.” Everyone chuckles slightly, the smirk still not leaving Leo’s face as I turn to gape at him.

He meet’s my eye contact hesitantly and I turn back to the front in nervousness.

“We have a lot of walking to do at the halfway point.”

I nod at this, relaxing my body for the ride in the cart, hoping to get some rest. I lean back and watch as Ken releases the lever from its position and we immediately begin to move forward.

The cart is quiet, conversation minimal as the boys begin to lean on each other, drifting into slumber. I close my eyes and let out a large breath, my body relaxed on the wooden planks beneath me.

I wonder how long it would be… Did this new place still look like VIXX? Or was it that different… Would the people really have that much different about them? Even the one interaction with Ken’s cousin Seungho seemed different than any way I had been treated by a citizen of VIXX… Were Mato’s people like this…? My mind wanders as I drift into a slumber excited for our arrival.

~

It had been just over 16 hours by the time our second cart ride had some to a stop. After getting out of our first cart, the seven of us walked for what seems like ages to another cart. My legs were shaking from the distance of the walk and I was luckily able to receive a piggy back ride from Ravi for part of the trek, my body unwilling to keep moving forward. Ravi and Hongbin both carried worried expressions as the others pressed onward, my heavy lids getting the best of me as Ravi offered to carry me.

Ravi chastised me almost the entirety of the trip, telling N it had been too early for me to do this journey. N only shook his head in response, forcing me to eat some of the sweet bread I carried in my bag. I was happy to rest once more in the second cart, Ken explaining it would take us to the location of our desires.

When I awake in the cart, my head is pressed against something soft. I notice my body had shifted in rest and my head was leaning against a dark blue fabric that covered a muscular shoulder and when I look up to the owner, I blush.

Leo is looking to the roof of the tunnel, his body unmoving as I shift away from him. I rub the back of my neck and toy with the fabric of my bag and he coughs lightly, causing me to look to him once more. His hand is resting against the back of his neck, his gaze still upwards.

I shakily stand as the boys begin to leap out the cart and Ravi waits for me, his hand extends to me and I take it, pushing myself out of the cart into his helpful hands.

I brush myself off and we begin to move. I hear a few hollers from up ahead and I glance in the direction. Leo brushes past Ravi and I, and we follow him, Ravi holding a tired smile.

I hear Ken’s voice pipe up, his spiky golden hair easily noticeable in the dimly lit tunnels.

“Daehyun! Ah, it’s been so long.”

Ken’s voice is loud and reverberates through the tunnel walls as we come to the group standing in the middle of the tunnel. That’s when I notice a new face in the midst of the boys I regularly saw.

He has sand coloured hair and a very cheery smile spread across his face, one that seems to reach his eyes.

“I know… Even if it’s for recruits, I’m glad you guys could come here.”

The man’s voice is louder than expected, and as I gaze over his face I notice his somewhat innocent gaze fall upon me. He is handsome; full lips with dark brown orbs, his body noticeably muscular underneath his overalls.

I smile at him as he salutes me lazily.

“You’re new… Well, I’m Daehyun.”

I nod at him, “I’m Taylor.”  

The boys watch us as he eyes me up and down once. “You’re tiny,” he chuckles with a smile still accenting his features, “but we best be on our way, come on.”

For some reason I can’t seem to glare at him from his comment but only smirk, a giggle escaping my lips as Ravi eyes me with a strange look on his face.

Daehyun turns around, leading us down the tunnel; the boys are close to him, their bodies avoiding the walls. My gaze looks them over, my fingers wanting to reach out and glide across them. I wonder how smooth the stone was… I reach out when a voice stops me.

“Oh, Taylor – Don’t touch anything.”

I take my eyes away from the walls at the familiar expression, and notice Daehyun eyeing me from the front of the pack and he smiles at me once more. I nod in acknowledgement and put my hand back at my side, obliging his order.

It’s a few minutes before we stop, a wall of metal greeting us and there are various sheets of metal strewn about and a quizzical expression takes over my face. Where would we go to now?

“Well, we’re here.” Daehyun tells us, the boys all nodding in understand, leaving me as the only one with confused features.

Daehyun begins the move the metal about with the help of Hongbin and when everything is gone I hear something strange… There are multiple different voices, both male and female.

Daehyun walks through the small opening first, N and Leo following him. I take a moment to breathe deeply before I follow suit with Ravi and I stop in my tracks when I am greeted with six more faces.

There are five more boys, other than Daehyun, and one girl, all sitting around a make shift table.

They look over the boys and me, their expressions both stoic and soft. They all seem muscular and all wear the exact same overalls although they all have different hairstyles… The people of Mato. They all sit tensely and hold a strong air about them… Who exactly were these people?

Well, during this meeting I was sure to find out…