[UNEDITED]

"What are we going to do?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as hushed as possible. We had about a minute or so.

"Come with me," Dylan grabbed my hand, and tiptoed towards the doors we had come through.

"Are you serious?" I tried to pull him back, "What if he finds us out?"

"Trust me," he said, it's going to be okay.

We slowly made our way through the darkness, and as soon as Dylan closed the door behind us, I heard someone hit the ladder.

"Uncle Benjamin?" I asked Dylan.

"Unless anyone else knows of this place," he replied, "Come on!"

He took us to the room of medicines, and told me to watch out. The room was dark, and we only had the torch lit in my hands. We could easily hit a shelf and cause havoc here.

"Listen, we still don't know what business he has here," he told me, "We cannot pick one particular shelf and hide behind it, because he could have something to with that particular shelf, and we wouldn't even know. We can't rely on our luck."

"Okay," I nodded furiously.

"We have to keep moving," he told me, "And if anything happens, just run from here."

I scoffed, "No need to try to be the hero here. If he spots either of us here, it's most likely that he will spare me and kill you. So it's better if you leave me here and run for your life."

Dylan thought for a while as he found a suitable shelf to hide behind, "I cannot leave you here alone."

"There's no other option," I argued.

"Okay, can we argue later?" he hushed me, "Let's not bring any more trouble than we already have, okay?"

I nodded, and then we fell silent. The rooms were chilled, and I felt goosebumps erupt all over my body in only a few seconds. I started trembling.

Dylan must have noticed, because he reached out, and draped his arm around me, holding me close to his body. Then warmth started to pour from his body to mine, and my heart jumped to my throat, which I was certain was not from the fear of getting caught.

We did not have to wait too long. About ten minutes in, the lights flicked on. Then after a few more moments the door to this room opened, making me jump. Dylan held me strongly, and whispered 'don't move' into my ears.

I swallowed, and saw Uncle Benjamin's back towards us. He was moving from shelf to shelf, with a piece of paper held in his hands. He then stopped in front of a shelf which was a little further from the medicine shelf, and then got lost behind it.

Dylan started looking from that shelf to the door, and I panicked. I exactly knew what he was planning to do.

He pressed his finger on his lips, indicating me to keep quiet. Then he started taking steps forward, and after waiting for a few seconds, he motioned me to join him.

I followed him as he slipped through the half-opened door, and then we got out to the main room.

"Let's go!" he urged, and we hurriedly climbed up the ladder, trying to make it as quiet as possible.

The trapdoor had been left open, and it did not take us a long time to get out of there. I poked my head out, but there was no one in the study.

"It's clear," I told Dylan, "Come on!"

We crossed the study and then I opened the door that led to the balcony, almost hoping to come across someone--mom, dad or our servants. But luckily, they were still not home.

"Let's hide in my room," I told Dylan, and then the two of us ran inside.

We heaved sighs of relief as we entered my room and closed the door behind us. Blood was pumping fast in my veins, and it felt as if my brain would explode.

"That was quite an adventure," Dylan slumped on my bed.

"But we did not get anything!" I sat beside him.

"No. But we did learn some things," Dylan counted on his fingers, "One, Benjamin Wilkins has a secret underground lab inside his house. Two, he has medicines stashed in one of the rooms, along with foreign equipment in another. And three, he owns a torture chamber."

"And, all this put together, we get?" I asked him.

Dylan was lost in his thoughts, "I would probably pass this with the notion that he was saving up important medicine into that lab for personal use. But after seeing the operation theater and those locked shelves, I think we ought to not really ignore the fact about those lost people."

I huffed.

"What is the name of the girl who worked at your place but one day got disappeared?" he turned towards me.

"Olivia Monroe," I supplied.

"I think we are going to have to find out more information about her," Dylan said, "It's the only way we can find out what truly had happened to her."

"But I don't have her address," I told him, "All I know is that he lived in the Rank Three colonies."

"That will do!" Dylan smiled at me, "We can always find the other information out. So, when are you free?"

"Anytime you ask me! I can skip school!" I said happily.

Dylan made a face, "Ditching is not a good thing!"

"Says someone who was homeschooled and did not have to go through the perils of a school!" I rolled my eyes.

Dylan shook his head, "Going to school is a part of a normal childhood, and you have no idea what I would do to be in your place. I have always missed going to school as normal kids. I hope you remember that I visit school almost every time I have some spare time."

I saw the wistfulness in his eyes, and did not know what to say. He made feel whiny and pathetic. I kept complaining about things he would kill for.

I reached out for him and placed my hand on his, and suddenly there was a knock on my door.

"Naomi?" mom's voice came floating to my ears.

I was magnanimously irritated. Why couldn't people just leave the two of us alone?

"Bathroom!" I whispered to Dylan. He rushed inside, and I went to open the door.

"Why was your door locked?" she asked as she looked around the room, specifically checking my study desk and the bed, hoping to find more prank stuff or small explosives there.

"Mom, I am just hanging around here, not plotting against you or anything!" I crossed my arms.

"Hmm," she said after she was done scrutinizing my room, "Did you eat?"

"Not yet," I said, and plopped down on to my bed.

"I found Benjamin out, and he said that you were not at home," mom inquired.

I raised my eyebrow. That should be the time when I was exploring my uncle's secret lab. He must have come to check on the people of the house before going in.

"I...was in the washroom," I asked, "I was taking a bath."

Mom shrugged. And then she held up a dress that she had been holding for a while.

"I got this dress for you, custom-made!" she squeaked, "Isn't it lovely?"

I nodded, but my heart was nowhere on the dress. I just wanted her to leave the room as soon as possible.

"Try it on!" she thrust the dress into my hands.

"Okay! I will!" I smiled at her, giving her cues to leave me alone.

"Try it on, now!" mom amended her order, "I have the tailor of the boutique waiting outside. He will fix the dress if there's any problem with it."

"Why can't I do it later?" I asked, crestfallen.

"Why do want to do it later?" she asked back.

"Ugh, I am busy!" the words just slipped out of my mouth.

"With what?" mom narrowed her eyes, "I knew you were up to something!"

I rolled my eyes!

"Mom...please! Ugh, okay. I'll change," I finally agreed, "Now please step out of my room."

"Change in the bathroom," mom smartly said, and she stationed herself on my bed rather comfortably, "I'm not a stupid woman honey. If I go out you are going to lock yourself again. I want to see you in that dress, right now!"

I looked at that unbelievable woman for a couple of seconds, and then accepted my defeat. I went to the bathroom door, and placed my handle on the knob, when I remembered that Dylan was inside it.

Wow.

I looked back at mom, who simply smiled at me: a crude reminder that I was to obey her at all costs. I looked helplessly at the door knob, took a deep breath, and then entered the bathroom.

Dylan jumped to his feet at first, all ready to attack if need be, but then he stopped as he saw me and the dress in my hands. He narrowed his eyes, and then understanding dawned on his face. I saw him flush a little.

I opened my mouth to say something, but then he held up his hands and pointed me to come into the bathtub. Once I had jumped in, he closed the curtains himself, and then waited there right beside the door.

I felt every sort of awkward as I slowly took my clothes off. Last time it had been a solid wall, but this time it was a thin piece of fabric that was holding us apart. The tingling of my skin wouldn't cease, and I felt lightheaded.

After about a decade, I finally placed the dress on my body. It was red, reached down to my knees, and was strapless. I slowly removed the curtain, and then Dylan looked back at me. The expression on his face was awestruck as he gazed from my neck to feet, and I felt redder than the dress on my body.

He gave me a lopsided smile, "Looking great," he whispered.

I thanked him, feeling lightheaded again.

I slowly made my way to the room, and then heard mom clap from far away.

"You look so beautiful!" she squeaked again, "But... is the bodice too tight?"

"I don't mind," I replied curtly and scratched my neck. Were we done or was there more?

"I was looking for a perfect dress for the upcoming party, and I guess I found the right one!" mom exclaimed, "Now, with a little tinkering--"

"What party? We have a party again?" I asked, irritated.

"It's only for you people," she clarified, but her eyes were still fixated on my dress, "Adam threw it for his birthday. Every kid of Rank One is going, Amaya too, and I think you should go as well."

"Of course mom," I said bitterly, "If you have decided already then I barely have any chance to say no."

Mom narrowed her eyes at me for a while, but then she dropped the topic.

"Let's go and show it to the tailor. The bodice needs fixing," she urged me.

"Mom..." I started to protest, but then she grabbed my hand and almost pulled me away from my room.

When I finally had the chance to come back to my room, I had already shown the dress to my dad, a couple of visiting neighbors and an unsuspecting Uncle Benjamin. I returned to my room half-an-hour later, and rushed to the bathroom to find it empty. My heart fell. I could really do with some words with Dylan with this dress on, but he was gone.

While turning back, a small piece of paper on the sink caught my attention. I slowly picked it up, and found two words written on it in perfect cursive.

School. Tomorrow.

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