Pandora's Box

Chapter 10

Winter, 2013
Cala Salada Beach
Ibiza

It was like leaving a world away when Rhys finally stopped pulling, as they both arrived breathless at a sandy, uninhabited cove. The sound of the crash of waves against a rocky cliff was like a balm to Pandora's ears after the unforgiving beat of club music, and the breeze coming from the sea was refreshing enough for her to suddenly forget she was caked in a layer of makeup Kya had forced her to bring on the mission, saying using it would help her blend in to the party life. While Pandora agreed that it would, it still doesn't change the fact that she hated sweating and having foundation color her sweat beige.

"How did you know this place existed?" she asked breathlessly, turning to Rhys with a smile on her face, and then her brows raised when she saw him dumping a bunch of sticks on the sandy beach, and crouched down as he pulled out a lighter. Right next to his feet was half a dozen beer bottles they had stopped  to pick up on the way here. 

Hearing her voice address him, Rhys flicked a look upwards, and shrugged with a boyish grin that caught Pandora's breathe. "I took a wild guess. Probably should've used my luck on the slots, huh?"

She laughed along with him, plodding towards where he already started a fire with whatever dried sticks he could find. She opened two bottles as he started the fire, taking a swig as she lay his opened one in the sand next to her. The flames licked the wood, and soon the crackle of the dried wood could be heard, buffeted only with distant sounds of the parties that go on all night on the island of Ibiza. In this state where it was neither silent nor noisy, the two sat side by side, enjoying the way the warmth of the fire chased away the chill, the beer warming their insides, before Pandora asked.

"How long have you been with the CIASF?" she turned to peer at him curiously.

Rhys met her blue gaze with his, considering for a while, before he gave a wry chuckle. "I guess someone ratted on me on how I managed to join the CIASF without any prior qualifications or academy training?"

Pandora blushed, but her wordless response was enough to confirm Rhys's suspicions. Stretching his legs out on the sand, he leaned back on his palms, and turned his gaze upwards to where the stars studded the night sky. "I may as well tell you."

"Should I feel honored?" she asked cheekily.

Rhys turned to her, raised a brow and snickered. "Not really. I demand information in return. Your name is fascinating, how did you get it?"

"Pandora? Or Dora?" she asked impishly, laughing when the male scowled at her. "Mom and Daddy loved Greek mythology. Pandora's story was fascinating, do you know it?" she asked. When Rhys presented a blank look, the blonde rolled her eyes, silently mocking his cluelessness. "Pandora was the first human woman to be created by the Titans, and she was a very curious girl. She was bestowed a box of which all human's evils were supposedly contained. She was to keep it safe, so humankind would never be tainted, but Pandora's curiosity made her open it. Evils were released to rampage Earth, but she managed to close it at the last second, keeping hope within."

Turning to look at him, Pandora found herself surprised when he seemed to be listening intently to her animated story telling. Smiling despite herself, she continued. "Mom wanted me to be curious, so I would forever learn more. I was their first child, and a child they finally conceived after many, many years of trying. I embody their first, their curiosity but also their hope, hence why they named me Pandora."

For what felt like the longest time, Rhys couldn't find the words to say. He was fascinated by the meaning behind her name, sure, but does she approach everything in her life with such passion? Rhys couldn't help but wonder how would she approach relationships... With me? The involuntary thought popped up in his head.