The Thirteenth Key

A man...it was a man. He was laying on the ground with one arm rested over his body. His right leg was propped up. His clothing mostly contained black. The only non-black thing was his white shirt. Aera’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She slowly and carefully made her way towards him. Her arms were stretched out in front of her, in case the man decided to wake up and attack her. She slowly inched her way closer to him. She wanted to just grab her Box and leave, but how could she face the Royals if she was afraid of just a mere man? He was even unconscious.

Aera’s soft footsteps could not be heard in the cave. She reached the man whom seemed to be not breathing. She reached her arm out to him and hesitantly poked his cheek. His eyes didn’t twitch and he didn’t move a single inch. He looked, almost dead. It scared her. What if this man was one of the people that she was looking for? She couldn’t risk the chance. She poked the man again, but harder. Still, he didn’t bulge. She pouted and got on her knees. It didn’t look like he drowned; he wasn’t wet. She took a bolder step and began to gently shake him.

“Hey,” she whispered. “Hey, please. Please, wake up. Hey!”

She shook him violently.

“Please,” she cried, “wake up.”

She sat down and stared at the man dejected. Tears flowed down her cheeks. She felt more alone now than ever. This man was right next to her, but he could be dead. She reached out to his neck and tried to find a pulse. Nothing. More tears fell and she pulled her hand back.

“How did you even get here?” she asked him even though she knew that he couldn’t answer. “I’m so lost.”

She sat there just staring at the man, not knowing what to do, but suddenly something caught her eye. It was a pendant of some sort. It hung around the man’s neck. Her eyes widened as she stared at the pendant for a long time. It was a symbol that she had seen somewhere before. Her head snapped backwards where the Box sat. She stood up and ran to it. She grabbed to Box and ran back to the man. She kneeled right next to him and picked up the symbol that was attached to his necklace. She searched the Box and found a symbol indented into it identical to the one on his necklace. She thought for awhile. She brought the Box closer to his necklace and connected the two. A sudden burst of energy surged throughout her entire body. Light blinded her for a few short seconds before it disappeared.

She looked down at the Box and disconnected the necklace from it. She felt a bit strange and stronger than before. She was lost in her thoughts until the man began to cough.
She opened her eyes wide in shock and crawled backwards with the Box safely in her lap. The man was now awakening. Aera quickly stood up and watched the man carefully, getting ready to attack him at any time. The man sat up, using the ground for support and held his head, like someone had wacked him in the head. He looked around at his surroundings, confused, that was until his eyes landed on the girl standing before him.

His eyes narrowed down on her, making her feel self-conscious. She took a few steps back. The man stood up in one swift movement and stared at Aera as if she were some foreign object.

“Who are you?” his deep voice asked.

Aera tried to stand her ground. She stood up more confidently and took a few steps forward as she talked.

“Who are you?” she asked back.

The man scoffed and put his hands on his hips, next to where a small knife was tied around his waist.

A little sass isn’t he? she thought.

“I asked you first,” he said.

Aera bit her lip.

What if he was the enemy? But, he did have that symbol pendant that matched the one on the Box.

“I-I’m, I’m Ahn Aera,” she muttered.

The man walked towards the side of the cave and leaned on it. He lifted one leg and rested on the wall behind him. He crossed his arms and stared at Aera.

“Well, hello Ahn Aera,” he said in a rather bored tone.

Aera furrowed her eyebrows at him. Not in confusion, but in anger.

“Now, answer me. Who are you?” she asked.

“Hey,” the man pushed himself off the wall with his foot, “do you perhaps, know why I’m here?”

“No.”

Aera’s answer was short and emotionless.

“Why are you here then?” he asked.

Aera was taken aback by his question, but showed no emotion. She was getting better at controlling her emotions.

“Why were you here? You looked like you were dead. How did you wake up?” Aera asked.

The man turned to look at her. He was just as confused as Aera was about everything.

“One, I don’t know why I’m here, that’s why I asked you. Two, well I don’t feel dead. And, three, you were the one that was awake when I woke, so you tell me.”

That was when the man’s eyes traveled to the Box that Aera held so dearly in her arms. His eyes narrowed down on it as remembrance, alertness, and confusion flashed in his eyes.

“You woke me up with that,” he said.

It was more of a statement than a question.

Aera knew what he was looking at.

“I didn’t hit you. I-”

“Used my necklace,” he finished the sentence for her.

A small smile made its way onto his face, well it looked more like a smirk.

“Yes,” Aera said quietly.

“Well, then let’s go find the others,” he said.

Aera’s eyes widened.

“H-How did you know that I was-”

“I’m part of them, it’s only given that I should know,” he said in a cocky way.

He began walking towards Aera. She stepped to the side, watching his every movement. He flashed her his infamous smirk and stood at the edge of the cave.

“What are you doing?” Aera asked.

“My job,” he said with his back facing her. “Let’s go for a swim, shall we?” he asked.

Aera didn’t answer. The man turned his head and smiled.

“By the way, I’m Suho.”

Suho? Aera repeated in her head.

Suho smirked before turning back around. He gracefully jumped into the water and swam pass the waterfall to the other side.

Notes

Suho...a sass? That'd be a sight to see~