Falling

Exposed secret

Yuna

It's Saturday—finally. A break from school, from assignments, from everything. I couldn't be more relieved. I was exhausted. Not just tired, but worn out. Like my body had gone through a washing machine and come out in tatters. I felt like a zombie as I dragged myself out of bed and shuffled downstairs, craving nothing but a lazy day and maybe some snacks.

But as I reached the bottom of the stairs, something made me stop.

There was noise. A muffled hum coming from the basement.

I paused, my heart skipping a beat. The basement? No one ever went down there. It was just a dark, cluttered space full of old boxes and forgotten junk. We didn't even use it for storage anymore. So why was there noise?

Curiosity tugged at me despite the sudden chill running down my spine. Slowly, cautiously, I made my way toward the basement door. My feet felt heavier with every step, my breathing shallow as the faint sounds grew clearer—voices, low murmurs, and... movement?

I reached for the door handle, hesitating for a moment before turning it. The door creaked open, the sound loud and eerie in the silence.

What I saw when I stepped inside made my heart stop.

There they were—Shine, Seth, Mum, Dad, and Mr. and Mrs. Luce. They were standing in the center of the basement, surrounding a group of people dressed entirely in black. But the strangest part wasn't their clothes. It was that these people were tied up. Bound with ropes, their arms and legs immobilized, and their heads covered with hoods.

I froze, my breath caught in my throat as I took in the scene. My hands flew to my mouth, and I let out a small, involuntary gasp.

That was enough to grab everyone's attention.

Shine was the first to notice me, his head snapping in my direction. His eyes widened in shock, a mix of panic and frustration flashing across his face. It was like he couldn't believe I was standing there, like I had somehow broken some unspoken rule by being here.

Then, one by one, the others turned to look at me.

Mum and Dad exchanged quick glances, their expressions unreadable, but there was something tense in the way they stood, like they'd been caught doing something they couldn't explain. Mr. and Mrs. Luce looked equally uncomfortable, their faces a mix of surprise and unease.

But it was Seth who looked the most shocked. He stared at me like I'd just walked into a restricted area, his eyes darting between me and Shine as if trying to figure out what to do.

The air in the room was thick, heavy with something unspoken.

I stood there, frozen in place, unable to move, unable to speak. My brain was working overtime, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. Who were these people in black? Why were they tied up? And why were my family and Shine involved?

Finally, Shine took a step toward me, his expression shifting from shock to something more controlled, though I could still see the tension in his jaw.

"Yuna," he said, his voice low and steady, though there was a flicker of something in his eyes—fear? Concern? "You... shouldn't be here."

His words sent a chill down my spine. It wasn't what he said—it was how he said it. Like I had just stumbled onto something I was never meant to see.

I took a step back, my heart racing. "What... what's going on?" I managed to whisper, though my voice sounded small, trembling.

No one answered.