No! NO! Lifting myself with the force of my palms, I ran quickly towards Kevin’s weakened body. I shouldn’t have run. Kevin knew. He knew that it was a trap, Erian was luring Kevin in. Damn. I felt Erian’s piercing stare as he stood there, watching over me, holding Kevin in my arms. I bit my lip and looked back at Erian with a glare, not caring if he saw my tears or not.

“What the hell do you want?! Why did you… what are you?” I practically screamed, holding Kevin closer and tighter at each word I’ve let out. Finished with yelling at Erian, I looked back down at Kevin’s face. “Kevin..” I whispered, burying my face on the crook of his neck. After a few moments of silence, I moved my face away and stared at his visage.

“Didn’t I tell you not to cry? Everything will be alright. Just.. All you have to do..” His fingers fiddled with some kind of medal, with a star engraved in it. His weak hand placed it in mine. Once again, I buried my face in the crook of his neck, inhaling his warm scent that always made my heart beat a bit faster each time. Kevin..

“______! YOU CAN DO IT!”

“Huh?” I looked up towards the grey sky and there was a pair of beautiful eyes. Two familiar eyes. Is that you Ren?

***
[ Author’s POV ]

Ren held both of Kevin and ______’s bodies near him, in the real world. He stared directly into ______’s eyes. The trance was all held in her mind and Ren couldn’t see a thing. All he could do was yell as loud as he could hoping that’d he’d be heard. He knew what was happening to Kevin. Ren’s eyes flickered back to Kevin’s limp body, that had bruises all over. He was hurt. Bad. It didn’t seem like he’d make it if they stay in Erian’s hypnosis. Everything took place in ________’s mind. In every person’s mind, there was their own little world, the world they imagined, the world of their true emotions. Erian managed to infiltrate _____’s brain and well, the trance. Luckily, Kevin was able to go in.

“R-Ren..?” She asked out loud.

”_____! You can do this. You’re smart. Erian is just some jerk.”

Erian bit his lip and smirked: “Tsk. You little runt. I’ll crush you once I’m done with them.” His alluring gaze went back to ______ and her wounded. She hugged him close once more and whispered words that were only heard by Kevin. Kevin smiled, once she let him go slowly, his smile faded. He knew what would happen to him. The true reason he was brought here: To protect ______ and to help her become stronger as a person. His own wish, was coming true.

“Remember what I said, Kevin. Don’t you dare defy me. You’ve done all the protection, it’s my turn to. I love you.” Her silent whispers echoed throughout the dark forest in her mind. With her own human hands, she knew she had to bring Erian down, she has to do it. For her sake, Kevin’s sake and Starlite society.

[ Kevin’s POV ]

Hah… I felt my body become weaker by every second. When ______ moved away from me, it was as if the cold winter winds flew around me. I looked at the grey sky.. if this is ______’s mind. Why is it so grey, so mournful? Is this the pain I’ve caused her… ______, please smile. Where are the stars, the bright lights? Why aren’t you happy? I tilted my head to the right, as I lay on the dark blades of grass, staring at _____ who was now approaching Erian with a calm posture.
______, I’m trying. I closed my eyes and kept my gaze upon them. She can’t do this herself. Slowly, I lifted my limp body, I felt as if someone placed 50 extra pounds on me. Ugh, I fell to the ground and tried again. Come on, Kevin. Protect her once more.

[ Your POV ]

Each step I took felt heavy, my lungs felt like they were about to drop. You would be lying if you said that you were brave and confident to succeed. You were thinking of the opposite: failure, death, loss. But you knew, if Kevin had access to your thoughts, he’d be oh so angry. He was the reason you’re becoming stronger, the reason why you stood up for the ones you love, for the first time ever. Kevin. Stay alive. Wait for me. I can do this. I can!

“Tsk.” Erian let out, this made you take a complete stop, Kevin’s rod in between your petite hands. You held it up cowardly, protecting yourself. You felt the medal in your pocket, the medal that was meant to seal him. The answer to everything.  “Do you want to die? Just hand it over. Make it easy. Either way, you’d be asking for death. Just give it up, lady.” He growled, grabbing the rod. Quickly, I swung it, removing Erian’s grasp. He smirked and bit his lip, causing terror to creep up your veins.

“You move fast. Don’t you?” Erian laughed, swirling his finger , a cup of wine appeared in his hand. Wine? Are you kidding? I glared and held the rod near, ready to strike.

“Shut up!” I yelled. Pinching myself, I ran towards him, striking carelessly, all I wanted was to place the medal. Each strike I’ve done become harder each time. There! With the swiftness of my hand, I lunged the medal towards his chest.

“Idiot.” Erian growled. Erian gripped my wrist and turned me around, his arm around my neck, my back against his chest.  His grip tightened on my neck. I…I can’t breathe. Air soon escaped my lips, lungs waiting to explode. All I could do was squirm and move away, but it was impossible. His lips approached my ear as he whispered: “You’re dead.” Knowing what would become of me, my eyes went for its escape, scanning the room for Kevin.

Kevin! Panic struck my emotions and mind, he disappeared. My body felt weak, I no longer resisted. Kevin.. Seconds later, I found myself weeping, Erian’s grip tightened. My hands scratched and whipped onto his but it was impossible.

“I told you to stop crying!” My tears came to a halt. Erian turned his head back and found Kevin smirking weakly behind him. “You bastard. You’ve hurt her enough.” Kevin grabbed him, helping me manage to get away from Erian’s grip. My lungs felt relieved as I kept coughing over and over. All you’d hear was the sound of throwing punches. Kevin.. I tried calling out to him, but the sound of punches and sudden mourns of pain kept echoing.

“KEVIN!” I managed to yell. Suddenly, the noise went away. I looked at the two of them; Erian and Kevin, both of them were on the ground, sitting up, catching their breath. Both were pulsing with light, Erian; darkness, Kevin; golden light. I ran back to Kevin and held him close.The grey trees and the grey glass blades of the dark meadow waved through the cold sound of the breeze. Only the sound of gurgling came from him, from Kevin.. “Ke-Kevin?” My face was already stained with tears, I looked down to his chest, was some sort of needle. I pulled it away quickly, causing him to yelp in pain. “I did it..” Kevin smiled in between mourns. I looked back at Erian who was no fading, the seal on his chest. I smiled at my hero and held him near. 

“Ha…Hahaha.” Still laughing came from the weakened Erian that was now covered with the same amount of scars and bruises inflicted by Kevin, the man who was now to be imprisoned for life.. “You idiot. You don’t know anything about the Starlites. You know nothing about that needle.. A bit of poison doesn’t hurt does it?”

[ Ren’s POV ]

YES! Kevin did it! I stared at Aron and Baekho who were now smiling despite the amount of wounds they had because of Erian’s demon. Erian will now be transported soon to the depths of Starlite’s prison. Hell, that jail is equivalent to hell. Dark rooms. Nothing. Empty. All you’d hear was the evil thoughts in your mind, you will only wound yourself in that jail as insanity creeps onto you.

What? Gurgling and shrieking came from Kevin who was lying down. Running towards him, I see a small dent in his shirt. Damn. What’s happening in there? I looked back at _____’s body. Whatever happens in there, will be inflicted in the real world too. Without any choice, I had to take off Kevin’s shirt. There, a small hole as tiny as a needle was in his chest.

“No.”

Quicky scrambling over to _____’s imp body, I held her close and yelled: LET ME IN. NOW. Just…just think of me now. Let me gain access. Please. Now. Or else,… he’ll die. My words came out with pain, I’ve never ever experienced this kind of situation. We’ve  become the closest of friends… I will not let them down. I can’t.

[ Kevin’s POV ]

Ignoring Erian’s now fading presence, I concentrated all my attention to _____ as I timed my last few moments. My chest started to ripple and burn as I felt the poison slowly enter my system, slowly destroying every living organism in my body that was used to protect me. I shrieked out in pain as I felt the very poison practically eat me alive. My hands clenched onto ______’s hand tightly, causing her to wince as my nails dug in her very skin. My breathing became heavy as I started to feel the excruciating pain every second that passed. I grabbed ______ in my arms one last time and whispered those three words once again.

“Stop it!” She yelled, crying. “This..this isn’t. You can’t go back on what I’ve told you.” Her small petite hands clenched into fists as she punched my chest lightly, denying everything that was happening. “It’s okay.. everything will be fine. This is all a trance, right? It’s not true. It’s just some hypnosis. We’ll be okay. We’ll live the life we deserve. The life I want, with you.” She kept shaking her head as I kept trying to shush her. But I knew it was too much for her heart to handle.  “When I finally have you, I have to let you go.” She smiled sadly, not letting go of my hand that was bruised and had wounded knuckles. “Why are you such an ?” She smiled and let out a small laugh, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

“_____. _____.” I called out her name, practically whispering it.

“Shh. Don’t speak, Kevin. Don’t.”  She placed her index finger on my lips, a weak smile formed on my lips as I grabbed her hand in mine. “Promise me something.”

“Stop. Stop that! We’re getting out of here. Ren is coming. He is. He’ll be here soon. I’ve gave him permission to gain access. He just needs to pinpoint our location.. Apparently, my mind is like a maze.” She laughed, tears rolling down her cheeks. She couldn’t handle it.

“____.” I interrupted her. “____.” She kept shaking her head, but I held her cheeks in between my hands.  “I’m so sorry.” She shook her head and tried pulling away, but I couldn’t..I wanted her in my arms. These were the last moments I wanted with her. Only her.

“No. Please.”

“YAH!” I yelled, earning wide eyes from her. “Just listen. You were always so stubborn.” I growled, shaking her lightly, before continuing, I let out a few harsh coughs. “I love you. I love you. And I love you.” I smiled. “And I will keep repeating it until..until..”

“Until what? You disappear? From my life? From everybody’s life. Hold on. Ren is coming. HE… He’ll know what to do! My words…What I sai—“ She kept a fake smile, trying to soothe me. But it was no use. What was on my mind was to let her go slowly, a memory, a good one.

“We’ve come too far, to quit.” I quoted her. Those were the words she whispered before trying to fend off Erian. “Right? Those were the words you said, right?” She nodded slowly, swallowing, trying not to cry. I lifted my hand to the grey sky. Hm. It’s gotten darker. I looked back to _____’s eyes. All I’ve been doing was causing you pain..wasn’t I?  “Why are the skies so dark in this world? You do know this is your mind, where is the happiness? This world reflects your emotions. Why ..is it so dim?”

“You expect me to be happy? You want me to laugh and pretend this is nothing? You’re so arrogant, doing whatever you want like always.” She growled, holding me closer to her warm chest. I inhaled her scent, the scent that always drove me wild. She went silent and whispered: “Erian’s gone. It’s just us now.”

I smiled: “Promise me, when I go..”

“Kevin.”

“That you’ll look after Eli as your own. You’ll love him as much as you loved me. You’l live a good happy life. Dating. Proposal. Marriage. …. Children. You’ll—“

“Shut up! I will not, I can’t look at another man besides you. I will not look at Eli the same way. I will not. I will not!  It’s only you. Ever since Day 1, you were the one sent to me when I made that wish.” As silence took over, her muffled sobs echoed. Breaking the neverending silence, I mentioned:  “Remember the first time we met?”

“Yeah, when you creep the crap out of me?” She laughed, wiping her tears.

“Did I really freak you out? That badly?”  I laughed and shared other stories for a short while.

Despite the fact that I was in excruciating pain, her smile made me forget the fact that I was disappearing right within her arms. I was slowly fading, but she denied every moment, she knew.. but she chose to ignore. She chose to keep talking, to stay by my side. She smiled when she was in pain, she hid her pain. Why didn’t I notice that long before?

“What..what is taking Ren so long?” She stared back at me and back at the dark woods. “Hold on, Kevin.”

“I can’t.” I told her, her pain-stricken face looked towards me.

“Please… Just a bit..longer.”

I shook my head and lifted my hand to the sky, I could see right through it. I was going to disappear soon, to I don’t know where. But I was happy to live my last moments with her. I stared back at _____ who kept smiling, forcing a smile.

“I love you.” I smiled. “And I will keep saying it until.. until my voice fades. Until you cannot see me nor hear me. “I love you. I love you.. I love you….”

[ Your POV ]

I gripped onto the hand that was almost no longer there. My world was falling apart and he expects me to just move on? To just forget about him? To just.. to just forget about him would take forever.

“I love you too.” I finally said after he probably kept repeating so many times, I could barely count. His body slowly faded, light merged around him. “No, not now. It’s too soon!”

“One last kiss?” Kevin smirked. “Yeah, I’m still a jerk to the end.” I shook my head and whispered: “My jerk.” He laughed and pointed at his lips.
I planted a soft kiss on his lips. Closing my eyes, I felt a tear on my face. It didn’t belong to me, that tea belonged to him. I didn’t want to open my eyes, because I knew.. I would be alone. I love you. The words I should have told him once I knew my feelings. The words that would have saved him. The words that would have marked a new beginning not an end. Flashbacks, memories flowed through my mind like a whirlwind. I slowly opened my eyes and he was gone. 

All that was left; Star dust. The Star Pendant phone chain I’ve given him laid there. All I could remember was the last moments, and the drowning in tears.

Why?

Ren arrived moments later, only to realize it was too late. He fell to his knees and sobbed. I was angry, I wanted to hit him so badly for being late, for not being there to save him. But that wasn’t what Kevin wanted. I held Ren near and soothed him as he kept repeating his apology over and over again like a broken record.

“It’s okay. Everything will be okay.” I whispered to Ren quietly.  My heart was heavy. I’ve been cheated. Life has cheated me.
 

We’ve come too far to quit. We’ve come too far to quit. We’ve come… too far to quit now. I love you. Please come back. Kevin Woo, I love you. You are indeed my star, and I will never regret that wish. How can I live without you, my star?
Oh, my star. Oh, I wish for you to come back.

********** Hey guys! This is Khay aka Sierra. I'm so sorry for the sad chapter! But don't worry! I will still be updating this fic! What will happen to ____ now that Kevin is gone? What will happen later on? Is it really over? What do you think? Let me know what you think, how you feel. Don't hesitate to comment! I want to thank you for being with me throughout this fic. For supporting me. As you can see, this fic is slowly ending soon. Thanks so much. I will try to update much more! This isn't the end! I repeat. This is not the end! See you later! I'll try to update! But I have quite a busy schedule, so just hold on tight. Also, I have two more fics to update so.. sigh. Please read my other fics too if you'd like! Love, Khay!