The Clandestine Six- The Denouement

Chapter 11- Surprising Relationship

**AIDEN'S POV**

I'll be brutally honest.
I'll try not to pretend.
I'll try not to show that I'm okay when I'm not.

This was what I had promised Areum, yet here I was, pretending to be fine when I was clearly exhausted by holding a whole damn landform up in the air (yeah, it may not sound like a big deal but it really was, trust me). Moreover, even after exhausting every cell of my body, I still put them in danger. I failed to save them, again. Why couldn't I, for once, save the ones I want to?

Anyways, since I was too tired, it took some time for my body to respond and close my eyes. A fraction of second before I closed my eyes, I got a glimpse of some kind of black-coloured wing type of thing from somewhere to my right. What was that? I don't know. All I know is, as soon as I closed my eyes and waited for the rocks to kill us all, something covered us and stopped the rocks from falling on us. Also, I could have sworn that I heard some flapping noise even though ideally, there should be no sign of any bird in this place. What was going on? You probably know my answer, I don't know.

Soon, my guts told me that the rock rain was over and I could open my eyes. My eyes automatically scanned the area for any sign of a black bird, but there was none, all I saw were totally shaken Group Serene and the rocks on the ground. But... How is it possible? How could I have been hallucinating twice about pretty much similar things? And most important of all, how the hell did the rocks not fall on us?

"Wh-who saved us?" Miri asked.

"It was that thing again." Roselle said, staring at the rocks as if she herself couldn't believe what she was saying right now.

"What do you mean 'again'?" Jane asked.

"You all heard that flapping sound right?" Leo asked and we nodded in agreement.

"Thank gosh I'm not the only one going insane." Leo sighed.

"What do you mean by 'not the only one'?!" Jane asked, kind of worried now.

"It was that thing again, right Leo? I can't be mistaken, at this point..." Roselle spoke.

"What the hell you two are talking about? Will someone tell me!" Mark shouted. Roselle and Leo looked at each other to make sure that both of them were sane and thinking the same thing.

"Uhm, well, back in the Underworld... A similar scenario happened when the rocks were falling on Roselle and Amy. And then it was like time froze, and in a milli-second, they were lying on the ground safe and sound. We heard the flapping sound when this happened, it was as if some kind of giant bird saved us from the rocks. And you know what? I get a chill every time I hear it... It just-feels too... I don't know how to describe it, not right and mysterious. Right, Eric?" Leo tried explaining.

"Huh? Uh-yeah." He spoke. He seemed really shaken and somehow, hurt from within, as if he just remembered something traumatising. Maybe his past has something to do with rock-rain trauma? Maybe he fell down a cliff or had himself caught in a landslide? Who knows.

"Are you okay, Eric?" Roselle asked.

"Yeah, I'm... fine. Just... I don't like rocks, especially if they are falling on me or you." He replied. Roselle seemed worried and wanted to ask something but she probably gulped down her urge to ask.

"It's okay, don't worry, Eric." She spoke up, giving him a side hug. Ah, seeing them do such things made me feel REALLY single. But who cares? Single life is the best life.

"Guys? Are you okay?" Cherry's voice rang from somewhere beneath us. Oh right, I almost forgot about it!

"You guys, I don't know what this flapping was, nor do you. It'll be the best if we leave the topic for now. And also, as for the bad feeling, yes I did feel it as well but for some reason, I also felt kind of comfortable with it, as if it was bad but not intentionally. So, we can forget about it for now and focus on our mission." I said.