Drifting from the room, she listened to the faint strains of a complex melody from a piano. She struggled to open her eyes, and when she did, the whole world was dim. A dark shape was seated by the piano across the room, and she immediately recognized who he was. His unruly silver hair gleamed in the darkness, his whole body gently consumed by the music. The sound was melancholy, and she could be feel the heavy sorrow embedded in the notes. Noticing her stir he immediately stopped. He smiled, and Minzy couldn’t bear it, because it was the smallest and saddest smile in all the world. My dark angel. He began playing again, but this time the notes were lighter, filled with a burgeoning desire, a lullaby that was the beginning of something.

Hope.

It was hauntingly beautiful. Sleep pulled her under once more.

    ~.~

I awake suddenly from a disturbing dream and am momentarily disorientated. I find myself anxiously checking across the room where the piano lay, but no is one there. I take a moment to calm my frantically beating heart and glance at the room, which gleamed in silver and white, right down to the furniture and the bed she lay in. The air had a clean, reassuring smell that oddly reminded her of a hospital. Flowers bordered the room, in every nook and cranny possible; spilling around her bed, on the white wooden dressers, decorating the top of the piano, and bordering the doorways. There were no windows and the only light in the room came from a glass fixture in the ceiling. Where am I? Hazy memories from last night swam slowly through her mind...

I look around for a clock, but I don’t find one. I disentangle my legs from my dress, which I’m still wearing, and clamber out of bed. Immediately my joints protest, and I groan as I stretch my sore muscles. Her whole body buzzed with an unfamiliar energy. She was bandaged in a couple of places, and as she reached up to touch her head, expecting a sting from the hit she took to her head, she found nothing. Not a single scratch on her head. I remember hitting it when I crashed into the statue. I was certain it was bleeding.

A change of clothes was laid out neatly on the dresser, and upon closer inspection, she realized they were hers. How they even got there puzzled her. Snatching them up, she dragged her tired limbs towards the bathroom. After struggling out of her dress for a couple of minutes, and then struggling once more to put on skinny jeans, a white long-sleeved shirt and a jacket, she felt exhausted again. She wanted nothing more than to push everything out of her mind and go back to sleep. How nice it would be, to stay in this room that bloomed with pretty flowers, and to pretend nothing existed. But she knew she couldn’t do that. She needed to find Exo, and make sure the girls were okay.

Minzy shut the door behind her and slunk down the hallway. It was empty and quiet, the floors gleaming under the fluorescent lights. One left turn and two right turns. Down some flight of steps and she took another right. It was like a maze, she thought to herself. She slowly began to hear voices as she entered a corridor that led into an exceedingly wide room, where the ceilings arched and were at least two to three stories tall. Spiraling stairs led up on the sides, but Minzy couldn’t see beyond that.There were no windows at all. Could we be underground? She snorted derisively. Of course Exo would have a secret underground facility. The voices seemed to rise in anger, arguing back and forth. They must be quarreling. She stood in the shadows, listening.

They were gathered around in a circle, some sitting on metal chairs while others stood. In the center was something so incredibly odd Minzy had a hard time wrapping her mind around it. A sphere in the center glowed brightly, and projected a holographic image that was so life-like she thought for a second there was an unfamiliar person in the room. But then she realized she could see through him.

A hologram? Do those even exist yet? She frowned as she continued to gaze at the elderly man conversing with them.

The person stood slightly hunched, donning a coffee brown cloak that covered his entire body. His hair was a river-silver that framed his wrinkled and aged face. Although older and slightly smaller, he carried himself with authority, his voice clear and unwavering. She gasped in surprise when he suddenly turned his gleaming eyes, wise and commanding, in her direction.

“Quiet down, she’s here now”. The bickering ceased as everyone in the room turned their heads in her direction. She stood, completely frozen, not knowing what to do. Should she apologize? Go back to her room? Try to to find the girls, and break out of this place? No, that’s absurd. Get a hold of yourself Minzy!

Suho stood up and walked over, placing a hand on her arm in greeting.

“Just in time Minzy. We were about to come get you and the girls”. He tried to be cheerful, but a grim line had set on his face. He walked off with Lay in the direction she came. She turned to the others and saw the same expression mirrored in their faces. Kai stood to the side, closer to the hologram, avoiding her gaze.

“What’s going on?”

The elderly man in the hologram studied her for a second before his voice rang out in the room.“Sit down child. We’ll explain when your members are all gathered here.”

An uncomfortable silence passed as D.O hauled her over to sit by him. She was trying to figure out why everyone was so tense and why a mysterious man was talking to us through a hologram as the girls walked in. They were in their normal clothing, and looked just as worn out as she felt. Chaerin came over and hugged me. “Are you alright?”

I quickly nodded and she proceeded to go stand by Kris.

Bom and Dara did the same before they also sat down nearby. Bom had clenched shut and glared at everyone. Dara was stiff, and seemed more frail than usual, which worried Minzy. Dara was usually the one who got sick the most in our group. I make a quick mental note to make sure she eats something warm as soon as this was over.

“I am guessing you four have questions for us you’d like to ask”.

“Damn right we do”, Bom growled with an edge in her voice.

“Unnie-”, Dara began, before she was cut off.

“You know I’m right Dara. You all”, she jabbed her fingers at Exo,” have been lying to us all along. I thought we could trust you. Instead we almost get killed!” She pushed back her red locks in frustration and then crossed her arms. Dara meekly nodded. The guys stood rigid and quiet, perhaps shamed with guilt.

“She has a point. How can we trust you now, or anything you say”, Chaerin spoke out, gazing coolly at the guys. Suho nodded sympathetically.

“You’re right. You four deserve to be angry at us. For deceiving you, and for letting you get in harm’s way. But right now you have no other option but to believe us. Hear us out first, and understand our side of the story. We’ll try to answer your questions to the best of our ability.”

“How long were we out?” I began to ask.

“A full day. We were all worried. Whatever triggered your- um, your light must have consumed all of your energy”, Lay answered.

My mind flashed back to the creatures and I involuntarily shuddered.“What were they?”

“They’re called the Kaapo. Shadowhunters. Also known as the dark ones.They live in the shadows and hunt down our kind”, responded Kris.

“Your kind?”, questioned Bom.

“As you all must know by now, we are not… entirely human”, Suho carefully revealed.

“What are you then, aliens?”, Bom asked with a scornful glare.

“Do we look like aliens to you?”, retorted Sehun. Bom rolled her yes.

“We aren’t from this dimension, so technically we are foreign to this place”, added Chen.

Suho cleared his throat. “We are a race of people called the Silvanaë. It translates to the Silver-Hearted folk. Our Silver Hearts enable us extraordinary powers and longer lives. It’s in our DNA.

“W-wait, so you all have silver hearts!?”, exclaimed Dara.

“Yes, and they make up who we are. It’s our whole essence”, Xiumin said.

“So.. the stuff we saw during the confrontation, taking down the Kaapo.. they were your… powers?”, asked Chaerin uncertainly. She looked into Kris’ eyes, which comforted her.

“Yes, we all have different abilities that help us. You four must have some too, by the looks of it”, answered Chen with a smile.

My mind was reeling. They had powers! I looked towards Kai, who was still brooding in the corner. He can teleport! That explains everything. The concept was so foreign to her, so astonishing. She had a dozen questions she would like to ask him. But in the back of her mind she could still feel the sting of resentment.

“Why do they hunt down your kind?”, asked Chaerin. A stifling silence passed in the room before the elderly man spoke up.

“I believe that’s classified information young lady. Now that you know part of the truth, consequences must be taken.”

“What consequences?” Dara asked as she gripped the metal chair in alarm.

“They wipe your memory and then we leave”, D.O gritted through clenched teeth.

My mouth gaped in astonishment. I looked to the girls and they seemed just as shocked. Chaerin subconsciously held on to Kris’ arm. I turned to look at Jongin and sorrow washed over his face. At once everything clicked. It’s as she finally understood every little thing he’s been hinting at her for the past couple of weeks.

“The truth will hurt you, can’t you see? It always happens. It ends up driving away everyone I ever cared about. It would kill me if you did too.”

The blood drained from my face. She suddenly found herself not being angry at him anymore. Fear took its place instead, pounding through every fiber in her being. Fear of losing him and not even remembering it. That was enough to make her heart ache.

An automated voice spoke loudly in the room.

“Memory wipe activated. Sixty seconds.”

It all happened so fast. A glowing barrier encircled me,closing me off from the rest of the group. I frantically looked at the girls, and they too were enclosed in the shields. A sizzling humm radiated from the invisible wall, and Minzy knew better than to touch it, for she knew she’d get electrocuted. She was isolated, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Everyone immediately jumped back, bewildered. Kris cried out as he lunged for Chaerin, but was blasted and went flying in the air. He landed