Era tugged her hand over across her sagging face, dragging fingers just slightly as if to wipe her exhaustion away. She could still feel her heart crawling up into her throat, questions drowning her mind as she read the simple message over and over again, picking apart the frozen codes behind the chat box.
Who is this person?
Why are they messaging me?
Are they hacked into my phone?
Her thumbs steadily grazed over her keyboard, typing all that she could fathom.
Era: ?
The other user's responses after, were immediate, each time causing Era's heart to stop for just a second.
Unknown: can you see this?
Era: yes, I can.
Unknown: ... Finally connected. Thank god.
The brunette rose her eyebrow in a small flurry of shock, "finally?" she quietly uttered between messages. Something about the single word shook her. It was out of place.
Unknown: It's not every day you get texts from a stranger.
Unknown: I'm a bit flustered myself. I found a smartphone at the subway station, but all it had was this messenger app.
Unknown: I want to find the owner, but I don't see any contact info or call records...
Unknown: I've been sending messages with this app but no reply...
Unknown: All I see is an address and some important-looking numbers saved in notes.
The woman's honey eyes trembled over each word, something gnawing at her insides about the texts. Something within them was contradictory. Lies. Lies. Lies! She couldn't explain her immediate distrust, but she wanted to run for some reason.
Era: you said the only thing on the phone was a messenger app? What's this about notes?
Unknown: The notes were on the messenger.
Unknown: Look, I'd like to go to this address myself, but I'm currently abroad.
Era: First... Who are you?
Unknown: Me? Oh sorry. I didn't even introduce myself.
Unknown: I'm just... A student studying abroad. I'm Korean.
Unknown: I could tell you my name, but it doesn't really matter.
Unknown: You won't find me in any search engines ^^;
Red lights and alarms rang through Era's head, seeping into her vision as the messages still continued to roll in across her phone.
Unknown: But anyways...
Unknown: Can you help me find the owner?
Her fingers strained themselves as she readily prepared an answer, but this stranger somehow reacted faster.
Unknown: I know you're surprised to have someone suddenly pop up and ask you a favor like this.
Unknown: But still...
Unknown: I'd appreciate it if you could help.
She narrowed her eyes at the messages, the panic trickling away as her brain filled her emotions with a sort of sympathy. Perhaps this person was just trying to find the owner of the phone. Her phone could have been bugging out for a number of reasons, the app being one of them.
Why... Why did she get that app anyways?
Era: How can I help?
Unknown: Um, please go to this address.
Unknown: I saw the street view through the Internet, and I've been there before.
Unknown: it's an apartment down town. Very crowded.
Unknown: It's really a safe place. If you feel unsafe, you can turn around.
Unknown: I know the area. It's developed.
Unknown: Please?
She didn't ask herself the important questions anymore, her eyes skimming over the blatant holes in his reasoning. The user was abroad, how could they know the area? Why would they just be lucky enough to find a smartphone , where ever they happen to be, that just coincidentally has an address they know?
It was so obvious. But she wouldn't ask herself this. Nor this unknown user as the address sprung up on her phone after a quick reply.
Era was going to the apartment.
her body rolled over, taking a few moments before she could drag herself back to stand up. In the darkness of the bedroom, only the small smartphone screen could light a small path as she trudged through the clothing ocean. Era took a moment to pause by the head of her bed, gazing at her little black cat who snoozed blissfully on her fluffed pillows.
"I'll be back soon," Era smiled, bending over in a sluggish motion that wouldn't disrupt the air, leaving a light kiss between Kit's ears before she turned out to leave the room.
Kit rose his head in confusion, his golden eyes tracing the back of his owner as she left. He attempted to meow for her attention, but he couldn't make a sound. Just motion his mouth pathetically as he heard the front door clatter shut.
The roads were ghostly empty, not many braving the night highways. Well, more like they were all sleeping during those hours, so it took no time at all for Era to arrive at the apartment complex. Immediately, the glistening lights bounced off the sleek marble that constructed it, beautiful jade hedge gardens lining the entrance that was made for celebrities. The stars in the sky were put to shame by the building, giving Era even more pause. It was far from sketchy.
Just exceptionally intimidating.
Still, one foot in front of the other, Era made her way into the building. The lobby was gilded with beautiful metallic trims and the finest drapery. Many people floated around, biding their time in the night. Not a single person paid mind to the brunette who just faded into the walling.
Era's presence was ghostly as she slipped down the halls, not even attempting to sneak as she counted down the apartment numbers. She was to head to the fifth floor. She finally arrived at the ivory door, the golden number plating tapped in elegantly as she found a padlock barring her out.
It was a simple thing, an untarnished silver box with a long handle attached. And in a delicate print was what looked like... initials?
R.F.A.
Slipping the phone from her back pocket, Era reopened the messenger app to see that "unknown" was online.
Era: I want to go back ;;
Unknown: No! You're so close.
Unknown: Is there a padlock on the door?
Era: yes.
Unknown: Okay, the password is 07 05 16
She scanned the etched numberpad, something in her stomach twisting at how wrong it felt.
Era: ... Isn't this breaking and entering?
Unknown: Technically, you aren't breaking anything.
Era: ;;;
Era: maybe I should ring the doorbell first?
Unknown: oh
Unknown: Yes, do that first.
Unknown: I don't know where my head is today...
Era nervously began to chew into her cheek as she read these words. She just wanted to turn around, go home, snuggle with Kit, and pretend this little adventure never happened. Still, she found herself pressing a finger meekly into the room bell. A quiet set of chimes filled the space behind the door, leaking out the hollow melody before the enraptured silence returned.
She moved her fingers quickly down to the keys, effortlessly typing a response as if she's said it before.
Era: Doesn't look like anyone's home...
Unknown: All right, try the password.
The woman twisted her nose slightly, her stomach knotting up even worse than before. She felt as if she were about to puke as her fingers just skimmed the icy keys. Her heart violently shot through her ears with each little click.
The mechanical lock emitted a few odd tones before the elegant door creaks open. Era's phone ringing with one last message from "Unknown".
Unknown: And so the game starts again...
But she had not chance to catch the words before everything went haywire once more.
.
.
.
His golden eyes narrowed in the darkness, fingers spinning across the keyboard as he pushed yet another wall of codes into the R.F.A. Security System.
The night tried to drown out the mess of a room, attempting to shroud the mountains of Honey Buddha Chip bags and dented army PhD. Pepper cans. A faint serenade of taps filled the room , the monitor jumping between windows as quickly as they were opened.
A lime light brushed against the man's emotionless features, his entire focus poured into his world of binary codes. He occasionally opened up a side program to actually attempt some of his "projects" for work, but they weren't of any real importance to him.
On the desk, just a hair away from the man's elbow, was a vibrant cherry smartphone. Its little screen pulsed with a group chat, colorful messages appearing, coded to each person that participated.
Stealing a slight glance, he smiled as he watched his friend complain about college midterms. He quite remembered his college years. God, it felt like an eternity ago. Two years weren't very long ago, but the last couple weeks felt like five lifetimes ago.
A cynical laugh escaped his chapped lips, shaking his head softly as he returned to coding. Everything was at a calm, a perfect balance in the suffocating air, as he barred all entrance to the R.F.A. No hackers, no voyeur, no accidents. Nothing will go wrong.
Even it it means that they never meet again.
Nevertheless, this story has already written this story a thousand times before, with ten thousand different endings. And Fate is a stubborn asshole.
A small surge scraped through the sequences on the computer screen, static running in streams for just a breath. Enough time for everything he spent months trying to change fall right back onto its path. His phone began to vibrate with chat messages, causing a mini earthquake to his desk.
the R.F.A. chat room Participants: Jumin Han, Jaehee, Zen, Yoosung, 707, Era.
Jumin Han: ...Era?
Zen: Wtf. How did it get in here?
The man's stomach bubbled up as the exact same conversation burned into his eyes, both fear and anger causing his fingers to tremble as he typed.
707: Hacker!
He didn't mean Era in his words, but it's all he could say about the matter.
Yoosung: Hacker?! There's a hacker in ouer chat room!
Yoosung: Sevee do somethign!
Zen: Hey, typos -_-;;
Everything continued to tumble out in a jumbled manner, everyone scrambling in confusion. 707 slicked his hair briskly from his eyes as he made a ruckus trying his best to drag "Era" out from the chat, sweat dripping down the side of his forehead as he watched the messages from the corner of his vision, the intruder making few comments. Each response making his heart leap just slightly; each character of the texts just pushing things further and further.
707 reached for his phone, typing slowly in response to inform everyone. One more time.
707: I traced the IP...
707: It's from Rika's apartment.
Yoosung: Rika's apartment?!
Jumin Han: Where is it?
Jaehee: The location is not revealed. I know it to be classified.
The hacker smiled slightly as he watched his blond headed friend, Yoosung, spring up in texts with an avalanche of questions only he knew the answer to. His entire body began to tremble as each meaningless conversation passed. Assumptions and doubt started to spread through the messenger quickly, demands for identity and truth. Though they slid off subject now and then, at some point starting to rave about Zen's popularity as a rising actor. Jumin though was the one to wrangle them all back to the central issue.
Jumin Han: Hey.
Jumin Han: Don't get distracted.
Yoosung: Oh, right. Username Era...
Jaehee: ...An abrupt stranger.
707: My hands r shakin as I hack.
Jumin Han: Who are you, reveal yourself right now.
Yoosung: Yeees! WHo are u?
Zen: Use proper English please.
Era: My name is Era... Who are you and what is this place?
He tightened his already strangled grip around the little piece of circuits and glass, her constant confusion stabbing 707 as he read. But he couldn't hide the faded smirk that wormed its way onto his face. His goofy black-yellow glasses gleamed with the chat's reflection.
Always so straight to the point yet such a dork, he recalled softly.
It took a few moments to register past his thoughts to realize he had to be the first to respond, the little keyboard popping up for his words. He has to lie one more time.
707: lol so awkward.
707: I thought it was a computer talking.
Following, people began to bumble out their introductions, or in some cases, introducing one another. A few photos began to circulate, a wall of uncertainty tumbling down. They knew her, whether they were aware of it or not. The red-headed hacker shot in a few messages now and then, avoiding everything as long as he could. A few mentions about Jumin's cat, namely Elizabeth 3rd.
Jumin thought it would be fun to show a photo of 707 playing with the snowy furball from his house surveillance. Along with a scolding and the usual mention of the restraining order between the hacker and the feline.
707: That was so fun~~
707: I want to see the cat again~~
Jumin: No.
Zen: Stop talking about cats. It's giving me goosebumps.
Era: Oh! I have a cat!
A photo plopped up onto the screen, a scrawny cat slouched over as it glared at the floor. It wasn't too happy in the photo that tilted slightly, as if the photographer was having a little photoshoot of the black kitten.
Everything froze for a few moments, his eyes meeting the picture's pixels carefully. After a long breath, 707's face unraveled all of its tensions as he smiled, something starting to burn in his eyes. "she's not alone anymore," he whispered as he looked at the sulking feline. Something inside remedied his worries. But only for just a second.
Yoosung: That cat looks mean ;;;
Era: Kit isn't mean! He just isn't photogenic, okay?
Jaehee: Black cat fur... On white dress shirts... The horror.
Jaehee: How can you put up with the thing?
Era: Because I love him!
Jumin Han: So you too understand the beauty of cats. But my Elizabeth 3rd is still the most beautiful.
Jaehee: So you admit the black fur is a problem...
Jaehee: If it were me, my professional clothes are much more important.
Zen: I said to stop! Arghh my allergies are acting up dammit!
Era: Hmph...
707: lol so cute
Jaehee: Zen is right. We must focus. I apologize for straying off topic. Let us take care of this stranger first.
Jaehee: Can't it be that we have a security breach?
Zen: True. Era, how did you get in here?
Yoosung: Is it really in Rika's apartment?
707: Yep. It's for sure...
707: How did you get the password?!
Although, he already knew the answer.
Zen: Where the hell is the apartment?
Era: I came here while chatting with someone called "unknown". Do you know him by any chance?
Jumin Han: Unknown?
Zen: Maybe they didn't set up a username yet?
707: It's mandatory to set a username. so he must have set it that way.
707: it must be a hacker.
707: But worry not! I will have everything covered!
Era: But... Covered in what?
707: Hmm... Maple Syrup possibly?
Era: That must mean this problem is pancakes! Or Canadian. A Canadian pancake hacker?!
Era: lolololol
707: Lolololol
His heart picked up slightly, giving an air floating in his chest as he wrote. 707 couldn't help the feeling that continued to grow as he stared at her little icon, amber eyes piercing through the screen itself. It was conversations like these that he missed.
Jaehee: ;;;;
Jaehee: Is this really the moment to be messing around right now? Either of you? I still have doubts that this Era is completely innocent. The fact that she seems to try and distract us so much isn't helping her case.
Jaehee: Where did you download this messenger app?
Era: I just downloaded it appstore...
Jumin Han: appstore?
Jumin Han: Must be the new modern talk
Zen: Aw, such a cute way of talking!
707: Anyways
707: I'm going to look into the distributor of this app
707: And run a background check on Era so you guys will feel better.
Jumin Han: If what she's saying is true...
Jaehee: I think it would be a good idea for us to contact V.
707: I'll call him and explain everything.
Just a few slides and he was out of the messenger app. 707 though didn't immediately move to the dialer on his phone, he just stared down at his phone background with turmoil tearing across his face. An image sat of a selfie he took, Era curled under his arm as he snapped the photo. Her beige sweater dress tangled with her hair as she was swung into the photo so suddenly, beautiful golden eyes lighting up his heart as she gave a surprised expression. 707 gingerly brushed his thumb over her face, knowing that he would never have that moment again.
He wouldn't let it happen.
And that killed him.
Taking a breath that filled the bottom of his lungs, the man slid the image away as he brought up the phone dialer, instinctively typing in V's phone number. He sandwiched the smartphone between his ear and shoulder, listening to the grumbling ring as the call tried to connect. 707 was already pulling up information to forward to V's email about Era.
On the fifth ring, V finally answered with a flat voice, "Hello?"
"Sup," 707 muttered as he continued to throw the information together, "Someone has entered the R.F.A. chatroom. Her name is Era and I'm forwarding the information to you now and don't worry, I programmed your email to read everything out to you."
"Thank you, Luciel."
The man cringed slightly at his baptismal name but carried on writing, "Her name is Era, it seems someone led her to Rika's apartment and she's in the system. I don't think she has any bad intentions... Just wrong person, wrong time. If we can just clear everything up and let her go-"
"She's in Rika's apartment?" the man on the other end lowered his voice to almost a snarl, but the emotion was bordering paranoia than rage. "There is classified information about the R.F.A. in there! Previous guests to Rika's parties, sensitive information that is detrimental to all our members."
"I'm aware, but I don't think Era is the type of person to rummage through all that," 707 hushed, pausing in front of his computer, rereading all the codes after leaving his email.
V sighed, clicking is tongue as he thought, "How did she get in?"
The hacker curled and uncurled his fingers, preparing another set of codes to the security, "she got strange messages from- a hacker, we believe, calling himself 'Unknown'."
"A hacker better than you?"
"No." the R.F.A. member furiously denied it, "I just made a mistake. I won't make another one."
"And you said they knew Rika's apartment and code to get in? Not even I know that."
707 was silent, not sure how to say anything to their organization's leader.
"Do you think... Rika sent her?"
The hacker scoffed, "from beyond the grave? I don't think so. Look, if we could just send her home and-"
V, beyond a doubt, was shaking his head on the other line, "No, I'm sure of it. I believe She wants the Rika's Fundraising Association to throw another party. She wishes to test us, continue raising money to help those in need," there was a moment were even the air stopped moving, "she sent Era to take her place."
707's stomach plummeted as he heard the words all over again, shaking his head, "No, no, I don't think that at all. She is just a random girl taken off the streets for some practical joke."
"Then how do you explain this 'unknown' knowing Rika's passcode?"
He couldn't fathom a response.
V gave a slight click of his tongue, "then I'll log into the chat room, tell everyone else. And explain the plan. Era will take Rika's place and throw one more party." The gravel voiced man hung up, the ending tones singing into 707's ear as he wouldn't even type anymore. The sleeves of his red shirt kissed his palms as he formed a shuttering fist, his entire hunched figure trembling as his phone fell from the side of his face.
Deep breaths cut through 707's clenched teeth as he stared at his desk hopelessly, "God dammit..." he stood up, pacing with a flurry of emotions choking him at his throat towards his fridge. but before he could even make it to his blackened kitchen, his entire body flung around, "Damn it!"
His fist rolled out like a bullet straight to his drywall, the panel cracking out under the pressure as 707's fist found itself three inches in. He didn't care as his broken skin started to drip as the hacker refused to move. All the man could do was continue to shake.
With rage.
With frustration.
With hopelessness.
A tear rolled from his eye, glittering down to the checkered tiles as he could only stare at the floor. Soon, more came tripping down as he seethed. Carlessly, he tore off his glasses, nearly breaking them in his grip as he tried to wipe his face with the inner crease of his arm.
"I'm sorry, Era." he began to sputter to himself with a horse and stifled inflection.
"I'm sorry."
In another room, a phone sat with a chatroom open. On the floor it lit up with everything that happened once before. Twice. Three times. All over again. He couldn't stop it as the intruder was explained about the R.F.A., how she was to set up a party to see if she was truly innocent.
No one knew about the man who was breaking down, piece by piece. Soon, there would be nothing left.
Era: I'll do my best! ^^