I know I had little sleep when I felt the light blinding my eyes. I tried to roll and only felt the hardness of the ground and the thick piece of blanket stuck to my body. I tried to ignore the chirping of the birds outside, and the sound of water flowing somewhere near. But after just about ten minutes, I groggily sat up and realized that I’m not in the car anymore, but in a cabin.

                The place looked like it hasn’t been slept in for years. I could see spider webs occupying most of the ceiling and on little spaces. The cabin was made of woods, except for the four corners and the fireplace built of stone tiles. Aside from the dusty-looking couch at the back, and the mini-table beside it, there was barely anything to look at. The dirty curtains were all stripped, and there were broken pieces of things I couldn’t recognize except for a small toy car.

                The fire was crackling happily from the fireplace. Kai, I thought. I looked to my side and saw my bag returned to its true form. Of course, where else would he get the blanket? Then beside the bag, I saw black pieces of cloth that have been cleanly cut. I was just wondering what it could be when a horrible thought crossed my mind.

                I looked down and realized that except for my undergarments, I’m completely . Holy sht!

                I grabbed the blanket and wrapped it tightly around my body. What the hell is going on?

                I did not waste any more second and delved my hand in the bag to look for some clothes. I hastily put on my white long sleeves and my most worn-out pants. Then, I headed for the door and came out.

                Outside, the scenery was breathtaking. Well, it is for me. It seemed like we were in the middle of the forest and all around me are trees of different sizes, including pines and willows. There was a path leading away from the cabin, but I didn’t dare take it. The car we rode to get here, a silver BMW, was parked right next to a bunch of old logs. I looked up and saw that the sky was a clear blue. The smoke from the fire was being emitted from the chimney. Aside from that, I felt like I’m breathing fresh air for the first time in a really, really long while.

                “You’re awake.”

                I turned around immediately, but I saw no one there. I looked to my sides but I couldn’t see anyone. Was he trying to be invisible again?

                “Look up.”

                I did, and he was there. Kai is, at the roof, looking at me like he always does. Intense and simply unreadable. I felt myself blushing from the memory of a while ago. I crossed my arms and rubbed the cloth like I was cold when I wasn’t really.

                “Come down,” I shouted. “It’s dangerous there.”

                I didn’t expect him to listen to me since we didn't have the same notion of what dangerous is.  Still, he did and in barely a second he was right in front of me. He was wearing a black long sleeves and pants, like we coordinated our attires. I erased that thought quickly in my head. His hair was messy, like it has always been, but of course, it never looked bad on him.

                “How’re you feeling?” Kai asked, scrutinizing my face.

                I know I was still red in the face, so I simply answered, “Okay.”

                “I…err…” I looked at him because it felt like he was so unsure of what to say. His eyes flitted to the side, and I thought to myself how I never saw Kai this uncomfortable before, even when he confessed to me.

                “I saw nothing, I promise,” he bluntly said. “I just couldn’t leave you in those clothes because you'd catch a cold. I used a knife to remove it because I know how those were so tight.”

                “Ahh…” I let out rather unintelligently, because I know then that I was blushing even harder, and partly also because I’m unsure yet of how to react to that. I couldn’t help but be embarrassed because even if he said so, I never experienced a guy stripped me off before. He must have felt awkward too, so I tried to think of anything to say, and this was what came out,

                “I guess….thank you.”

                Kai just nodded, so I think he was giving me the chance to open up a topic.

                “Are we still in Seoul?” I asked him then, averting my gaze to the surroundings. 

                “Close at the border,” he said, and I nodded because I want him to continue. “Not many people know this place, but we have to leave soon.”

                “Why?” I asked him. The place felt so nice and secure compared to all those hotels we stayed in before.

                “Because,” he said, and then he fixed me with his gaze. “My brother knows this place too.”

                “Oh…” I said. Right, i remember he said this was his old home. I looked at the cabin once again and remembered the old toy. It feels weird imagining Kai as a boy, and that Yixing, too.  “I see.”

                “It’s just that,” he started speaking once again. “I don’t know, this was the first place I thought of while running away.”

                “It’s understandable,” I said.

                “No,” he quickly answered. “It isn’t.”

                I looked at him and kept my mouth shut. I was curious about what he meant by that, but I should keep my nose away from other people’s lives, unless they want to share it themselves.

                At first, I thought he wasn’t planning on continuing, but he took a deep breath and kicked a stone like he was frustrated about something. When I looked at his face, he had his eyebrows furrowed. I don’t know where it came from but there was suddenly a weird feeling inside me, like I couldn't bare to see him like that, like I want to straighten those eyebrows and stop him from thinking about whatever it was that crossed his mind.

               I must have lacked oxygen back in the Han River longer that I thought for me to have these thoughts. 

                “Nothing good ever happened here,” he suddenly said, as he swept his fringe upward.

                I wanted to say that I’m sure that’s not completely true, but of course, I’m not in the position to say that.

                “Do you…” I started to say. “I mean, did you really live here? It’s just, it looks so small…”

                “That’s because the other rooms were underground,” he said. “To make it look like we’re living a normal life. But I can’t show you anymore, it’s been blocked. Everything’s buried now.”

                “Oh…” I muttered. I’m really trying to keep my words down, but somehow, I wanted to know him more, what it feels like to be him. “Uhm…your parents—“

                He didn’t let me finish, “Both dead.”

                “I’m sorry,” I immediately responded.

                “It’s okay,” he said. “I’ve never felt like they’re parents anyway. It’s always been my brother and I. They were always gone, and now I know why, seeing what I’m born as, a multi-duirean – a spawn of the enemy. Just, despicable.”

                “That’s not true,” I countered as I furrowed my eyebrows.

                He let out a small mirthless chuckle and said, “Do you remember how the others first reacted when they realized I’m a multi-duirean? They moved away.”

                “I think you’re amazing,” I admitted. “I envy how you’re so strong. I would have wanted to be a multi-duirean myself.”

                “That’s because, it’s you, Mi Yeon,” he said, and then he let out a small smile that did not reach his eyes.

                “That’s stupid,” I remarked. “…if they judge you by what you can do. There are tons of people there who’s just lazy, then there are those who have a lot but chose to side with the wrong ones, and then there’s those who just leave you in the air…” I paused, because it hurts to think of a certain someone. “At least you were not any of them. You didn’t leave me underwater, that’s good enough for me to say all this.”

                And then Kai fixed me with his intense stare once again and I reran all the words I’ve just said in my head. Did I say anything wrong? Was I too dramatic?

                “You know I was afraid back there,” he said, and then he smiled for real this time. That beautiful smile I rarely see on his face. The sincerest of all. “I thought I wouldn’t make it in time.”

                “But you did,” I said and I smiled back at him. “That’s another thank you for you.”

                “Yeah, I put the book in your bag, for safekeeping,” he said. “I actually opened it. It’s full of chants, and instructions about what to do when the three things have been gathered.”

                “As expected,” I said. “Kai.”

                “Hmmm…?”

                Then I asked him something I really wanted to know, “What happened, after I passed out?”

                Kai suddenly became silent, and I felt like he was doing it for me.

                “I saw them,” I said. “Why were they there?”

                “I want to know that for myself,” Kai responded, and I know that he’s being honest. “But they helped me, well, fight. There were more of those creatures on the ground.”

                “Mi Yeon, I think, you should let them come back.”

                “I know that…” I responded and looked up. “I know that more than anyone. It’s just that…”

                “You were hurt,” Kai supplanted for me. “And because of your pride.”

                I didn’t say anything. It hurts more to hear it come from somebody else even though I’m perfectly aware it is true.

                “I don’t hate them, and you,” I said. “I just felt like I needed time alone.”

                “Don’t you think it’s been too long?” Kai asked.

                “I don’t know…” I muttered. “I really don’t.”

                We stayed silent for a while, just enjoying the soft breeze. I wasn’t thinking of anything in particular but I can feel the mess in my brain. I have two things now in my hands, only one, and I can destroy Seo Ji Hye forever. Only one. Maybe Kai is right. Maybe it’s time that I should let them be part of this mission. I’ve been selfish for too long, almost leading us to our own deaths…

                And that’s when I remembered something.

                I pulled Kai’s arm without asking for his permission. He looked too surprised to react because when he found the will to withdraw, I already saw what he’s hiding under that long sleeves.

                “You’re hurt,” I frowned, remembering those marks of hair strands on his skin. They look deep and painful. “I’m sorry, this is my fault for dragging you there with me.”

                “What are you saying?” Kai said. “I wanted to go, and you’re hurt, too.”

                I raised my arms and showed mine to him. Spotless, not a sign that I was attacked at all.

                “That’s because you heal faster than me,” Kai argued. “But I was sure you had the same marks too, hours ago. This will heal soon.”

                “I still have medicine on my b—“

                “Don’t waste it,” he immediately countered.

                “But—“

                “I can hear D.O. in my head,” he suddenly said, averting the conversation back to me. “He’s waiting for your answer.”

                I glared at Kai. He’s seriously doing this. “Fine.”

                Kai spoke out loud for my benefit. He told Kyungsoo to meet us at the family market by nightfall. I stayed silent the whole while, well, practically because it’s not like a telephone where Kyungsoo could just hear what I say. He has to connect to me, and so far he hasn’t.

                I mentioned that to Kai after his conversation with Kyungsoo. He gave me a funny look and told me that Kyungsoo can’t connect to me. I raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to explain.

                “No, he can’t,” was what he said. “Because you’ve put up a protective stance around your brain.”

                “What?”

                “I think you unconsciously did it, Mi Yeon. You’ve put a barrier around yourself. If I hadn’t followed you the day you ran away, I would have had a hard time knowing where you were.”

                Wide-eyed, I just stared at Kai, completely stumped. I seriously had no idea about this. I thought D.O.’s voice just stopped in my head, and that they finally understood that I don’t want any of them near me. I didn’t know that I really shut them out of my life…

                They must have felt horrible about me. It’s coming back to me, the cruelty I did to them.

                Kai must have seen something on my face, because he sighed and said, “Grab your things inside. We’re going.”

                So I did. I have so much thoughts going on in my head, it might just suddenly explode. I was barely aware when I entered the cabin and grabbed my bag. If I hadn’t known better, I would have said this place really gives you frustrations in life.

                When I came out of the door, Kai was already in the car, starting it up. I noted how the car was the only one that seemed to contradict the place. Everything else seems ancient, while the BMW looked really modern. I hurried up and took the passenger seat. Kai drove through the path as soon as I was there. He didn’t turn on the radio. Ver