36. A 'SINKING' FEELING

Usui heard a shriek coming from the wall to his right. 'Misaki…' the word formed in his head and before he could think, he ran in that direction. There were outcrops spread on the wall and he hastily brushed them aside. He heard her shout again accompanied by a sliding sound.

"Misaki!" he yelled at the top of his lungs pulling apart the thorny creepers, bruising his hands. His eyes widened on seeing the gaping hole in the wall, a few feet higher from the ground. Her scream was closer and suddenly, Usui saw something sliding down the tunnel.

He spread out his arms and held his breath as Misaki fell out of the hole, her eyes closed tightly and a silent scream on her lips. She fell on top of Usui and they both fell on the ground with a thud.

Misaki opened her tightly shut eyes a little when she didn't feel any pain after falling. She felt something soft under her and pulled back to have a better view. She gasped when she saw Usui, his hand covering his face.

"Usui! Oh my god, are you okay? Did I hurt you?" she started getting off of him but he held her hand and pulled her towards him. She once again fell on top of him and he secured her in his arms. With a sigh, she rested her head on his chest and took a deep breath, feeling safe in his embrace.

She shifted slightly and watched his face. He was breathing deeply while his eyes were closed. She let her sight roam over him and saw the swelling on his right wrist.

"Usui! You are hurt," she pulled away and sat cross legged in front of him and gently held his hand in hers, inspecting the wound.

Usui couldn't stop himself anymore. He sat up, placed his left hand on her cheek, tipped her head up and kissed her. It was not only the union after falling into the underground maze, but also after an epic battle that raged within their kingdom and hearts a life time ago. Misaki couldn't breathe and pulled apart. Her face turned red and she closed her eyes, too embarrassed to look at him.

"Misaki…look at me," it was a command. She was shocked and opened her eyes with a sigh. Her eyes widened upon seeing him so close, his eyes filled with so much love and her eyes watered.

"I—I missed you," she stammered and her chest tightened with her trying to hold back her tears.

"I love you…" he said it first in a whisper and then kept repeating it.

"Usui, wah! S—stop!" she felt the heat on her cheeks and her tears escaped from their captivity. "I know that already, idiot!" her knuckles turned white as she squeezed his shirt.

They reluctantly parted and stood up, dusting off their pants. Misaki wasn't that hurt because she had a rather soft landing…on Usui. But her legs and hands burned due to the 'workout' she had.

"Are you okay?" Usui looked at her with concern.

She didn't hear him. Her hear beat was still frantic and it thudded in her ears. She tried to calm down. Usui tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped and stood in a fighting stance.

He covered his laugh with a cough and asked the question again.

"Oh, ya I'm fine. You don't seem that good though. Let's bandage your wrist."

As she held his hand, she squirmed under his intense stare.

"Stop looking at me!" She snapped.

"Well, what you hoped for did come true," he said, leaning in close to her ear.

"Huh?"

"This may never reach you…but this is meant only for you.

Thank you for coming into my life.

Hope we will meet again…" he said, picking up the last lines from her letter. Her eyes widened considerably. "It did reach me Princess…" he gave her a brief kiss. She was too shocked to respond.

'Oh no. oh no. oh no!' she was now an open book to him.

Looking at her shell-shocked face, he gave a mischievous grin. "Well, looks like you want me to read out the rest of the lines too. No problem. I have all of it memorized…" he took a deep breath and opened his mouth only to be tackled by a flustered Misaki.

She groaned and looked up at him with a defeated expression. "You are not gonna let me live it down, do you?"

His grin widened and she buried her face into his chest preparing for a life time worth of teasing by her extra-terrestrial boyfriend.

…..

"So, now what?" Misaki, trying her best to avoid eye contact with Usui, looked around her.

"The crossing of that water body must've been the last test. I am sure we will have the treasure somewhere in here…" he flashed the light all around the cavern.

Just like the tunnel Misaki came sliding through, there were many such of varying sizes, all covered with heavy creepers. They started moving a few and after a few searches, found an entry big enough for them to pass; Usui while stooping.

They strode in a steady and careful pace. It was a narrow route and their shoulders brushed the filthy walls, making them muddy. Suddenly, they found that the mud that laced the walls was wet. Filthy water was running on the sides making their feet cold. On looking up, they found the ceiling of the tunnel damp.

"What the hell…" Misaki fastened her pace. She knew what was happening. They were in an island after all. Behind her, Usui shared the same foreboding. He just kept hoping they'll have enough time to escape…

They reached a wooden door, half destroyed and the other half was falling apart. They squeezed through the door and their flashlights reflected off of something. When their eyes adjusted, it was all pure gold…and diamonds…and every other shiny and colourful stones imaginable was laid out in heaps and piles. It was a huge room…an enormous room filled with so much fortune, they could only gape.

"Trust me, Ayuzawa…I kind of felt we will find a library or something. I mean, some sort of saying that knowledge is the only fortune you can have and all that stuff. I—I thought that would make my grandfather so angry and frustrated that it would be fun to watch…" he whistled softly.

"Seriously Usui…this is just so amazing!" Misaki said, pacing through the room and examining each and every piece. There were things made of gold, statues of platinum studded with stones.

"You got to see this, Princess," Usui called out from the far end of the room.

"What is it? You found a ninja mask made of gold?" she stared heading towards him.

"Something better than that…" he moved out of sight and she found that there were three smaller doors, one was open. It was another huge room shining and shimmering.

"My god! How much treasure did they hide in this place!?" she opened the other door. It wasn't a room but a passageway.

"Well, only three roomfuls I guess," he said glancing at the door Misaki opened while holding the other room's door open. She saw that it was also a dirty room filled with gold.

They heard water dripping on the floor. Their eyes followed the sound. It wasn't just one place. Several places were punctured in the ceiling and water flowed through them. Cracks lined the place.

"We don't have much time. Stuff a few stones in your bag, only enough you can carry," Usui instructed and they rushed off into different rooms.

Misaki hurriedly stuffed a few colored stones and diamonds. As she walked about searching for something valuable…well, valuable in comparison, she found a huge box in the middle. It didn't have any lock, so she flipped it open. Inside was a bag, carefully placed in the centre surrounded by cushions. It was a small string bag. It didn't need that big a box. She picked it up. The things inside made a strange sound and it was not very heavy.

"Misaki!" Usui's voice sounded urgent. She dropped the small bag in her bag and rushed out. She gasped as the water was now coming down faster.

"We have to go."

They both instinctively looked at the door leading to another path.

"Do we have a choice?" she looked at him.

"Nope," he grabbed her hand and together, they walked into another mysterious route.

….

"Why do we keep going through dirty and slippery ways anyway?" Misaki huffed while brushing her hair that stick on her sweaty face off with her sleeve. They just kept trekking along. It was leading them upwards, at least they hoped it was the way out.

"We are a few hundred feet below an abandoned island, Princess. What did you expect? Red carpet?"

She glared at him and he immediately made another statement, "I could carry you."

"You are as tired as I am, Idiot." She wiped the sweat off her face.

"Do I look like I am tired?" he smirked.

Misaki huffed and added with a sarcastic smile, "Sorry, I forgot you are an alien."

They walked for a few more minutes and the path abruptly stopped. It was a dead end…with a rickety rope ladder hanging. They looked up to see where it ended but it was engulfed in darkness. They heard the bubbling water…it was filling the path they came through in a rapid speed.

Misaki gulped watching the ladder. She wasn't afraid of heights. She could walk around a boulder right above rushing water…she could do this too.

Usui watched her glance at it warily. He pulled out a climbing rope, and anchored its clip as high as he could throw. It got firmly attached to a crevice. He pulled it to test its strength. He fastened it to Misaki and then the rest, he held with his hand.

"Just in case that ladder falls off. Just keep climbing slowly. I am right behind you."

Misaki raised an eyebrow at him. "Why are you pampering me? I can do that."

"I just thought you will be slow and afraid to climb that," he pointed at the ladder and shrugged.

Misaki's face burned and she stomped towards the ladder and started climbing. Usui chuckled; his plan worked.

He didn't have any problem keeping up with the fierce pace Misaki was ascending in. Way to make his girlfriend fired up. They reached the end faster than he planned with having to anchor the rope three times.

The place had stairs so narrow only one person could fit. Misaki went in first. They struggled to stay standing when they reached to topmost step. A metal door that was exactly of Misaki's height was built to the mud stone wall. Usui pushed it with his shoulder and it opened, creaking at the hinges.

They didn't know how much time passed but no light blinded them. They walked out and found the soft light of the moon illuminating the land. They were still inside the ruined city as they emerged out of a building far to the north.

"Finally," Misaki whispered as she leaned on Usui and together, they collapsed on the floor.

…

Sun light streamed on his face and he winced. He shifted to his right and put a hand around Misaki. He didn't want to wake up. They were fine now. Together. On an Island that was Sinking. The island was sinking….

He woke up with a start.

Misaki woke up immediately, feeling bad that the warmth from her boyfriend was gone.

"The island is sinking," Usui said, as he stood up and took out his compass.

Misaki rubbed her eyes and grumbled, "What…? Oh. Yes. Um…what now?"

"Ayuzawa…" he smiled at her. "You are not fully awake. You'll grasp the seriousness of the situation in a few seconds."

She stared at him for a few seconds…and her eyes widened.

"What the hell!? The island is sinking! We gotta go!" she stood up and grabbed her bag.

They headed towards their boat with the compass guiding them.

The Island became relatively smaller as it sank and they reached the shore faster than they thought…to find the remains of their boat floating around.

"Oh." Misaki breathed in…a deep breath to calm her racing mind. A plummeting feeling gripped her. "We forgot. Our boat was destroyed."

….

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