It felt right to be in his arms, embraced in a hug as if afraid to let her go, under his longing gaze, kissing his lips. It just felt right—almost ungodly perfect.

They stopped struggling about what was right and what was wrong anymore as they spent the night together in her home.

"Stay," Dara whispered against his lips.

The fallen goddess of hope didn't have to say it, Nightmare wasn't going anywhere.

He claimed her that night, but unlike the past deeds, he did it this time with care, gentleness...and love.

He couldn't bear to lose her again, understanding that the forbidden feelings between the good and the evil felt... right.

A soft peck on her neck sent shivers down her exposed skin as Dara held GD's arms tightly against her chest. She wanted to go back to sleep.

"It's morning." He said as he kissed her neck again.

She groaned at the reminder, pushing herself closer to him. Their bodies under the covers. She peeked an eye at the wall clock; it was past 10 am. Realizing how late it was, she groaned again and turned around to face the amused expression on GD's face.

He lifted his fingers and gently played with her hair. "I thought celestial beings from above fancy early mornings," he teased.

She looked at him sleepily. "That was before, but my human body doesn't seem to agree," she said, stifling a yawn.

GD didn't say anything as he just watched her. "Did you have a good sleep?" He asked.

The gentleness in his tone didn't miss her ears. She nodded, "Yes. I even had a good dream." She shared.

GD smirked. "Indeed. I was even tempted to visit you in your dream."

Dara raised a brow. "To turn it into a nightmare? No, thank you."

GD shrugged. "Won't it be a beautiful nightmare, though?"

Dara laughed at the clichés but shook her head instead. She looked outside the window, it was bright and sunny. She turned to face the god of fear. "What do you want to do today?" She asked him.

GD shrugged. "Tell me about humans, a man, and a woman, doing this atrocious thing outside like drinking coffee together and walking to parks without a mind on the Earth."

Dara's brows furrowed at GD's description. "Are you talking about date?"

GD looked at her, his dark eyes penetrating her. "Let's do that."

Still dressed in all black with his hair combed back, GD seemed oblivious to the admiring looks thrown his way by women in the vicinity as they drank coffee together at an outside patio of a fancy cafe in town.

Dara couldn't blame these women. GD looked captivating in his human form, possessing an uncanny ability to attract beings of the opposite . Unfortunately for them, the god of fear only had his eyes set on the fallen goddess in front of him.

He cupped his cheek as he watched Dara drinking a white-colored coffee.

Dara noticed him staring. She offered him her drink. "Do you want some white mocha?"

GD smirked. "Even your drink is pure white." He looked at her all-white getup, from clothes to shoes, even to the flower pin on her head. "I'm surprised no one knows yet that you're a goddess."

"Said someone dressed as the nightmare himself," she said back.

They're clearly in contrast to each other, but no one cares anymore.

For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what relationship can light have with darkness?

It didn't make sense, it will never be. But GD and Dara gave up the answer a long time ago, as they stared into each other's eyes, contented with what was going on.

But the contentment in their hearts didn't last long as the battle between good and evil continued in high above.

As thunder roared and lightning struck that afternoon, GD and Dara looked up at the angry skies.

They were in the garden. Her hands were in his hair, playing with his raven locks as he rested his head on her lap. Both of them knew about the turmoil happening in the sky above. But, in that moment, they both yearned to stop time, they wanted to remain like this - for eternity.

They ignored the flock of raven crows on the trees, cawing and calling to their master - to join the battle between the gods of good and evil.

"Go," Dara said in the end. "Or you will never leave." She continued, her heart breaking into pieces. 'And I won't be able to stop you.' She wanted to add.

GD closed his eyes, his heart in pain. He got up, cupped her cheeks, wiped the tears from her eyes, and looked at her longingly, before leaning down for one final kiss.

He had to go. No matter how much he didn't want to.

I love you...

He left, about to join the war.

The moment I laid my eyes on you...

He bit his lips so hard that blood dripped from them as he reached the place where the ongoing battle took place.

You saved me from my misery. You are my light from this darkness...

He took out his poisoned sword to take out his enemies.

I hope to wake up from this nightmare...so I can be in your arms again.

GD knew Dara would be waiting for him. He hoped she would.

It's been weeks since he was gone. Though the weather that day was sunny and fine, Dara was sad and lonely inside.

She busied herself with work and volunteering, distracting herself from worrying about the ongoing battle above.

In the celestial battle between the gods of good and evil, humanity remained blissfully unaffected, continuing their mortal lives.

But at some point, Dara succumbed to sadness. As she returned home to an empty house, the absence of Nightmare weighed heavily on her heart. She missed him around. She missed being in his arms.

She thought of those weeks they were together. She hoped it was longer.

Come, Christmas season. The celestial war persisted, yet Dara, drawn to the spirit of the season, found herself attending the Christmas Eve mass. Despite the ongoing cosmic conflict, Christmas remained for her a celebration of love, hope, and rejuvenation - one of her favorite celebrations.

Dara settled herself at the back part of the church, looking in front - at the statue of God Almighty, finding solace in the divine presence. She prayed for His protection for her...and for him. She prayed for the war to end.

Dara barely noticed the young family in front of her. It was a couple with two toddlers. The mother hushed the kids as the father broke the dispute between the kids. They were fighting over the Bibles as they made tracks out of the holy books with their toy cars.

Dara could tell the mother was embarrassed at the unwanted attention towards her family but the churchgoers didn't mind as they smiled at the couple and even talked to the kids and helped them calm down so they could get through the mass with blessings from high above.

Dara smiled, this is why she love mankind, their hope for peace, helping each other, and their abilities to love one another.

The father even kissed the mother on the cheek and mouthed, 'I love you.' to her.

Right then, realization hit Dara, as tears started to form in her eyes.

How foolish of her. She realized it too late.

On how she longed to become the mother in front of her, on how she hoped that GD would mouth those words to her over and over again.

I love you.

She loves him. She had always loved him. It took her a while to realize this.

Her tears continued falling from her cheeks as she looked at the giant cross in front of the church.

She had to tell him. She got to see him.

Dara left the church and found herself in front of the God Almighty statue.

She held onto her necklace, took out the tear-shaped glass pendant, and shattered it on the ground. As the fragments scattered, she poured her heart into fervent prayers, desperately seeking what she hoped for the most.

Please take me to him. I want to see him. I want to see GD. He's the one I hoped for the most...

Before she knew it, a ray of light appeared in front of her, consumed her, and took her to a place where the ongoing battle was taking place.

It was a place not called heaven or hell. It was a place in the middle with a vast land of clouds and smoke. They called it the purgatory.

The war between the gods of good and evil continued. One side is fighting out of anger and resentment...the other side fighting for dignity and honor.

It was contrasting reasons to fight and die for but it has been like this, for ages even before Christ was born.

Amidst the roars of thunder and flashes of lightning, the fallen goddess found herself in the midst of the crossfire, indifferent to the chaos around. She hurriedly looked for GD around as she scanned her eyes in search of his presence.

And there she found him. She caught her breath at the sight of GD—bloodied but holding. He stood firm, locked in a battle with one of the strongest Archangels, the devoted servant of God, Archangel Joseph.

The two circled each other, their eyes locked in unwavering focus as they prepared for the impending clash. Nightmare tightly gripped his sword, while Archangel Joseph gracefully arched his bow, arrows at the ready, each warrior poised for the imminent attack.

But before Dara could even go closer to GD, a dagger hit her in the back.

Dara widened her eyes. This is no ordinary dagger. There are limited ways to kill gods, one of them would be poisoned daggers straight to the heart.

Dara stared at the blood-drenched part of her clothes, kneeling amidst the smoky ground. Her hand extended as if reaching for Nightmare.

"GD..." she called softly.

His ears perked up. He felt her presence.

GD looked around looking for Dara. It was a fatal mistake; when he got distracted, the archangel released his arrow and hit his body.

He groaned but endured the pain as he finally found her. And immediately noticed something was wrong.

He widened his eyes as he quickly abandoned his fight much to his enemy's dissatisfaction.

But GD didn't care anymore; within a second, he held Dara in his arms, cuddling her head and staring at her tear-stricken eyes.

"T-there you are..." she coughed blood.

GD couldn't say anything as for the first time in his entire existence, he felt an utmost fear...not for himself but for her.

She was dying.

"I love you." She confessed, even smiling weakly.

GD broke down. "Shh. Stay. Don't leave me."

Dara lifted her bloody hand and cupped his cheek, staring at him longingly. "I had to tell you. I wish I realized it sooner. I will treasure our memories together. I," she coughed more blood, "hoped it was longer..."

GD was crying now. "Please. Don't leave me..."

"I will always love you, Nightmare," she held one last breath. "My GD..." and her head hung low in his arms.

No. No. No...

GD lost it, unleashing a scream so powerful that it pierced through the heavens above and resonated to the depths of hell below. The ground shook under the sheer force of his anguish, leaving those who heard it in disbelief. It defied the norms, for an entity of evil couldn't cry, they weren't able to feel sadness and despair— they just couldn't.

That's why the angels, gods, and goddesses of evil and good halted their battles in stunned disbelief at what unfolded be forth them.

A love so strong it defiled heaven and hell.

Tears continued to flow from GD's eyes as he cuddled Dara in his arms.

He didn't want to live without her.

He took the dagger that caused this, and the world stood still when GD plunged it into his heart.

He couldn't live without her...

The gods of good and evil were horrified as they watched the tragic couple die in each other's arms.

The war has ended, but mourning for the star-crossed lovers has just begun.

Heaven and Hell, in a rare accord, chose not to part the lovers even in death, as they found their final resting place within Earth's grounds.

They shall forever be remembered.

Upon their shared tombstone, the words are delicately etched,

Here rests the love of GD & Dara that defied the odds, a union forged by the gods of Nightmare and Hope.

For Eternity, May Their Eternal Souls Rest in Peace.

༺༻༺༻END༺༻༺༻

a/n: I don't know what to say but I hope you liked the story ^^ Thanks for reading, subscribing, and upvoting this 13th-anniversary fic of mine. I always wanted to write a fantasy story like this so this is a dream fic to write for me. Thank you.

Please share your thoughts and love :) 'til next time.

special thanks to the commenters of this fic calmbeforestorm (love your comments) and inthemorning18 *bows*

love, siv

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