“Are you warm enough?” asked Kyungsoo.

   Jeongri nodded unconvincingly, shivering as she did.

   “I’ll be warm when we get there,” she said, her teeth chattering.

   Stopping in the middle of the road, Kyungsoo pulled off his thick black scarf and wrapped it around Jeongri’s neck, doubling up on top of her own red scarf to make sure that she was covered up. With a satisfied smile, he tucked the ends within her coat and grasped her hand again, guiding her along this icy cobbled road.

   Up ahead, Luhan, Chanyeol and Baekhyun led the way into Greyfleur; the two Merehuan’s pointing out things around them like a couple of excited tourists.

   “No, keep it,” Jeongri said, frowning and tugging on one end of his scarf, “Otherwise, you’ll be cold too.”

   “I’m fine,” Kyungsoo said, conjuring some warmth magic through his body and their hands, “You don’t need to worry about me.”

   She seemed to bite her lip under her facemask, before nodding reluctantly.

   The hamlet was a lot smaller than Merehua or the capital, it’s size barely reaching that of Hallowmire’s in comparison. It was a town that was mostly comprised of homely dwellings, fashioned in a circular pattern around a central hub area that boasted a small but lively nightlife.

   The group had opted to walk there instead of driving, given how close everything was in this small hamlet. Sehun stayed at home, having refused attempts from both Kyungsoo and Luhan to resolve the situation from earlier. No one else had approached Kyungsoo about Sehun’s accusations, and he was thankful for that, but a small voice in the back of his mind kept telling him to tell Jeongri the truth. Baekhyun and Chanyeol were smart, if Kyungsoo couldn’t hide it anymore, then they would be able to figure it out soon, and he would rather she heard the truth from him instead of everyone else.

   Even if Jeongri didn’t press the issue further, he could tell that it was on her mind. She kept sneaking long glances at him, only turning away or smiling suddenly when she was caught. Just now, when he’d wrapped his scarf around her, she’d looked at him with wide eyes, filled only with questions.

   Chanyeol waved his arms excitedly, face filled with glee as they entered the hustle and bustle of the central hub. The travelling town came to life the most during the night. Warm orange street lamps lit up the busy street, casting heavy shadows across groups and stalls alike. Bright neon sign’s blinked from almost every shopfront, and small crowds of people smoking and drinking spilt out from each bar. Chanyeol enthusiastically slapped Baekhyun on the back, practically dragging him into the first establishment, the latter grinning widely at the prospect of a drink. Kyungsoo watched on, noting Baekhyun’s joyful expression.

   Earlier at the house, Baekhyun had cornered him alone in the living room. With a bright smile, he held out his hand and congratulated Kyungsoo on his new relationship with Jeongri, wishing them happiness in the future. Kyungsoo was caught off guard, and before he could form a coherent reply, Baekhyun made his excuses and left. Since then, it seemed as though Baekhyun was avoiding him. Kyungsoo shook his head; he was probably just overthinking things. While they weren’t particularly close outside of the HLV, Baekhyun was still a good friend, and they were all mature adults. Kyungsoo knew that should look to the future, instead of dwelling on the past.

   In the distance, Luhan dragged Baekhyun and Chanyeol out of whatever establishment they had waltzed into, pointing indignantly to the crimson neon massage parlour sign above the door and shaking his head. Luhan made a gesture for them to follow him, presumably to a more suitable place. Kyungsoo looked around with interest. Greyfleur reminded him of the days when he accompanied his grandfather in Merehua on one of his jobs. It was filled with life, people enjoying their night without a care in the world.

   “Say, what do you want to do when we win this war?” asked Kyungsoo.

   Jeongri looked at him, a look of bemusement in her eyes.

   “You mean, if we win.”

   “No,” he said, grinning at her, “When we win.”

   She laughed a little, grasping his hand a bit tighter.

   “Well, I haven’t really thought about that,” she said, pausing to think, “It would be nice to travel, I guess.”

   “Where to?”

   “Wherever…” said Jeongri, shrugging. Her eyes creased into happy smiles, “I’ve never travelled outside the capital. So, I don’t mind where we go, as long as it’s with you.”

   Kyungsoo found himself smiling at her answer.

   “The world is a big place. We could be gone for a while.”

   “Would that be so bad?” she grinned, “What about you? What do you want to do?”

   “I heard travelling is fun,” he said, winking at her, “Especially, if it’s with someone you like.”

   “We just have to win the war first, no big deal,” Jeongri deadpanned.

   They laughed loudly, the sound making the others turn and look back at them. Kyungsoo noted that Baekhyun looked at Jeongri, before turning away with a discouraged look.

   “Do you think things will go back to how they were? You know, like, before the war and stuff?” Jeongri asked.

   It seemed that she hadn’t noticed Baekhyun’s reaction. Kyungsoo sighed at her question. The world before the war was such a distant memory, and while Greyfleur reminded him of those days, he wasn’t sure the rest of the world could go back to how it used to be.

   “I don’t think things will ever go back to normal,” he replied, “The world has changed, and people have stubborn natures. Maybe one day, with time…”

   Jeongri contemplated his answer silently.

   “Hm, yeah, I guess so.”

   Race hatred had gone on for more than a decade, with each side spilling more blood than every war in history combined. To overcome that, and live side by side peacefully again, would require the right leadership and society, both of which need time to grow. Who would take the throne if the demon king was eliminated? The Human Liberation Vanguard? Would that be the right choice, given how they acted in Hallowmire?

   “Sometimes, I wonder what life would be like if none of this ever happened,” Jeongri started saying, burying herself deeper into Kyungsoo’s scarf, “Would I have a normal life? With a normal job, and with normal people? To be honest, I don’t even remember what it was like to be… well, normal.”

   “What did you want to be when you were younger?”

   “Well,” Jeongri said, clearing . Her cheeks were tinged pink, “Don’t laugh, but I thought about being a singer once.”

   Kyungsoo felt his eyes widen in surprise, memories of their recent conversations coming to mind.

   “You liked to sing?” he asked.

   “A little bit,” she replied, somewhat evasively.

   “How come you never mentioned it?” he asked, thoroughly interested by this new revelation, “Not even when you found out that I sang, and then asked me to sing for you?”

   “Well, I didn’t want you to ask me!” Jeongri laughed, trying to hide behind her scarf, “And I knew that you would, if you knew.”

   Kyungsoo stopped abruptly, an uncharacteristically bold grin spreading on his face as he pulled on her hand, pulling Jeongri closer. Even with the multitudes of people around them, he was focused on her, and her only.

   “Will you sing for me?” Kyungsoo asked cheekily.

   Jeongri shook her head, hitting him playfully on the chest.

   “No,” she retorted, sticking out her tongue at him, “I asked you first, remember? You owe me that.”

   “Okay, fine, but if I fulfil my part of the deal, will you promise to sing for me then?” Kyungsoo asked, holding out his pinky finger.

   Jeongri nodded happily, wrapping her pinky finger around his.

   “Of course! But not until then,” she replied. Kyungsoo leant in to kiss her, but she pulled away, almost skipping away, “I don’t think so, mister! Not until I get my song.”

   “Okay fine, you win,” he laughed.

   Quickening his pace, Kyungsoo caught up with Jeongri in no time. Luhan and the others were still leading the way. It seemed that wherever Luhan wanted to take them was deep in the central hub. All around Kyungsoo and Jeongri, the streets grew busier and livelier, forcing them closer together. Not that he minded.

   “Did you sing a lot when you were younger?” Kyungsoo asked.

   He was curious about Jeongri’s past. She was like a present; peeling back the layers and learning something new, day by day. He loved the sound of her voice, and he was sure that it would sound even better in song.

   “Yeah, all the time. I was always practising with Ba-”

   But then Jeongri stopped abruptly, glancing up ahead. Kyungsoo looked at her, mildly confused, but she recovered quickly.

   “Yeah, I sang a lot,” Jeongri said, smiling broadly under her facemask, “It was one of my favourite hobbies.”

   They were starting to lose sight of Baekhyun and Chanyeol in the crowds. Only Luhan was thoughtful enough to hang back and wait, making sure both halves of the group stayed together. Kyungsoo gave him a bright wave, and they quickened their pace again to catch up.

   Though Kyungsoo had only known Luhan for a couple of days, he could sense that Luhan was a good person. He was the one who invited Kyungsoo out this morning, melting away any awkwardness that he’d felt as the outsider. Their talk had been comfortable, and Kyungsoo could see why Luhan used to be the leader of their friendship circle. He was mature, astute and always thinking of others; in fact, he guessed their new relationship before Kyungsoo had even said anything.

   “Hey,” Jeongri said, changing the subject.

   “Yeah?”

   “What about you? What do you think you’d be doing if the war never happened?”

   “I don’t know…” Kyungsoo replied, suddenly feeling nostalgic. Images of his grandfather’s kind smile swam into his mind, “I’d probably be with my grandfather, somewhere…”

   It was a solemn answer, but it had slipped out without thought. Kyungsoo’s grandfather was a pillar in his life; nurturing him to become the mage that he was, teaching him how to control his vast wealth of power. Back then, Kyungsoo didn’t have any particular life goal beyond making his grandfather happy, so when he passed away in the war, his death served as the catalyst for Kyungsoo to join the fight against the demons.

   Jeongri went quiet at his answer, she must have thought she’d stepped on a nerve or something. Kyungsoo gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and smiled at her.

   “I wouldn’t change the past though,” he added kindly.

   “Really? Why?” she asked, “He would still be here if it weren’t for the war…”

   Even if Kyungsoo’s original reason for joining the fight was revenge, he’d since realised that that was not the type of person that he wanted to be. The HLV had taught him that he was a pacifist, and his previous views were jaded by emotion. He hated war. War only bred hatred, but for Kyungsoo, another surprising feeling did come out from all of this. Fate had destined him to fall in love with a demon, and not just any demon. He was fated to love the daughter of the demon king.

   Kyungsoo stopped again, warmth spreading in his heart at being by Jeongri’s side. Not just as a friend, but as her partner.

   “Because then, I wouldn’t have met you,” he answered simply.

   There was a bittersweet look on Jeongri’s face that made his heartache a little, but he understood her pain. Destiny’s sequence of events had been filled with terror and dread, but without all those circumstances, they would have never met today. Did they deserve this happiness, at the expense of others? Kyungsoo shook his head. For once, he didn’t care about others. Jeongri was right, this relationship was between the two of them, and no one else.

   Jeongri nodded at him, accepting his answer silently, and they continued their way through Greyfleur’s central hub. Up ahead, Luhan waited for them outside a building, which appeared to be the final destination. Kyungsoo watched as Baekhyun glanced back at them, before disappearing inside.

   Baekhyun didn’t mean to look back, but he couldn’t help himself. Without realising, he sighed for the umpteenth time before braving a happy face and entering the dimly lit 1920’s inspired bar. The smell of bourbon and cigars hung heavily in the air; they were led to one of the leather booths, near the back of the venue. In the centre of the booth was a round oak table, lit by a single floating candle in a crystal bowl of water. The walls were bare brick, lined with shelves that were decorated in an array of vintage bottles, and small mini chandeliers hung from the ceiling. On one side of the venue was the bar, lined with brass and leather stools, and the other side, a small stage where a young man performed a sultry chilled number with a live band.

   Within moments, a young waitress with dark hair tied up in a high bun, arrived to take their order. She was dressed in a sleek uniform consisting of a white shirt, a black waistcoat with wine red trim, and black cigarette pants. Chanyeol started rattling off their order much to Luhan’s protest, as it was without regard to what everyone actually wanted. Kyungsoo and Jeongri were last to enter the bar, having fallen so far behind. Baekhyun found himself looking at the new couple once again, torturing himself with ‘what if’s’ and ‘could be’s’.

   “Hey, try not to think about them,” said Chanyeol in a low voice, nudging him on the arm.

   “I’m not,” lied Baekhyun, forcing himself to watch the male singer on stage, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

   He was a terrible liar, and Chanyeol openly side-eyed him.

   “If you say so.”

   An unusually warm smile was plastered all over Kyungsoo’s face as he led Jeongri thr