“There’s 7 stages of heaven, the High Angels each live in every stage of heaven. You’re not even in stage one of heaven unfortunately”

 “...”

“And you’re placed in not quiet heaven; this place is like the parking lot of heaven? Yeah. That’s why nobody’s here, they’re in the real heaven”

“...”

Yunho know Kai’s existence for years, but never once he thought the death reaper is actually a friendly creature. In the end, to cut time, Yunho had to carry Kai on his back. Lucky for them death reapers will only die after every living thing dies or else Kai would’ve been a corpse in death. Yunho walked for hours, until the heavenly sky turned black, but he still can’t find the way out of this forest. When Yunho look up, it’s still the same sky, same trees he’s passing but he’s sure he’s not circling the place. Kai continues to explain nonsense that Yunho already knows. He’s indulged in his story that Kai didn’t even feel when Yunho stopped walking.

“Holic is slow but like all the heaven dwellers she is very kind and nice”

“Kai...”

“Your ancestors are ruling hell do you know that? I heard they’re in contract with Hades”

“Kai, shut up”

When Kai stopped his fairytales then he gets to see them. They lighten the dark, shining brighter now that they all have come together. Wisps, Yunho saw some in the SM University’s labs, but they never glow this strong. They’re surrounding them. Some even playfully pass by right under Yunho’s nose. They’re making Yunho slightly reverse his steps, but they’re not scaring him, from what he learned wisps are never bad news. Yunho counts them, and there’s 7 of them.

“Yes, yes,she is right”

A wisp that’s floating right in Yunho’s face suddenly talks in a womanly echo-ish voice. It startled Yunho, but still not enough to make him run. It pass Yunho gently as it sees Yunho is a bit surprised.

“I think it’s because he’s a half blood”

Another wisp start to talk, but in a young male voice.

“Exactly, If he’s a full blooded vampire it will be... well... harder...”

“...Yunho”

The scared looking Kai asked to be put down. After his feet touches the ground Kai immediately bows to the wisps, which confuses the vampire. Wind suddenly blows hard into the area, blowing leaves and grass away. The angel that supposed to lead Yunho lands carefully right next to him, she too bows as her hand pulls Yunho to bow with her. Without a clue Yunho just followed the two.

“Ahh, Kai, Korea’s Death Reaper. How is your wife?” 

“He’s fine. Thank you for asking”

“Rise now, enough respect. We are all equal here”

The womanly wisp orders, slowly they rise following her word. The other wisps giggles softly. The wisps suddenly float in a circle just a meter above Yunho’s head. The wisp that has gradient blue and white as their colour stars to burn into fiery orange. Faces start to form on each of the wisp as their fiery colour turns back to calm blue, it is unclear and unspecific how they look like but facial features can be seen. Yunho starts to get who they are.

“Jung Yunho, the 5th generation of the Jung’s vampire regime. Welcome to heaven”

The one who own a deep voice and looks like an old man with long beard and hair greets. The others start to follow with short ‘welcomes’. Yunho just nods, still staggered that the high angels come personally to him.

“We have never met a real vampire leader, though you aren’t as bad as we always hear”

He continues.

“Yes, yes, I can sense his soul is more serene than we estimate, just like what you said Holic” The female angel adds.

“Too bad we have doubts about your belonging here. We are afraid we cannot keep you” The young male one tags along.

“We cannot send you to heaven, and we won’t break a pact but letting you live again is against nature either... so where?” The youngest of them ends, who is a woman. 

They wait for the mute vampire’s answers. Though they know his desire’s already, there seems to be a spot they that Yunho walls so much.

“...What can I trade in order for you to send me to earth?”

“Earth? Hm...I wonder?”

The oldest female angel floats around Yunho.

“What do you have to offer? You’re dead” The oldest male speaks. He made Yunho think, he’s right.

“... You can take my immortality, I’ll live with the life span of a... normal human and I will never set a foot on heaven again”

The desperation that Yunho hid so well is shining so bright. The angels can see his spirit, for the first time in his life he’s fighting for something. Yunho could see some of the wisps angels look at each other, nod, giggle, smile and some even winks they trade. The rest 6 suddenly disappears into thin air, returning to their places. Except for one. The oldest woman who they believe have the most sympathy which is exactly what Yunho needs.

“That is not quite a fair bargain is it?”

Yunho knows that. He can also see the challenge in the high angel’s eyes. There’s something that she wants but Yunho can’t get through her. But secretly what she wants is under progress, Yunho is getting desperate.

 “....You have to send me to earth...”

“And why do I have to?”

“...because...this was not part of the plan”

“You mean, you dying?”

Yunho give the High Angel a correct glare. The angel is still smiling. She knows that is not a strong enough reason for the vampire to have a solid will to leave heaven.

“Then... what could be the real plan?”

Yunho has no intention to tell her. Nor anyone. The high angel could see that the vampire is slowly backing into his shell.  But she also can see that weight of desperation.

“...Why won’t you tell dear vampire?”

Yunho broke their eye contact. His lips are zipping themselves, but the words are spilling on their own.

“...It’s embarrassing”

“Why is it embarrassing?... Because it is sincere?”

“...I am a vampire, I have no sincerity”

Yunho faced the other way after that, not wanting to be persuaded by kind words. After all this time Yunho still have his dignity. But to the absolute heaven’s guard, that dignity is not that but instead ego that Yunho acknowledges. The high angel sighs. She knows words won’t be enough. But she’s betting on that Yunho has that rare thing amongst vampires, that is sincerity.

“I know what you want down on earth. If I have them waiting for me down there I would try to go too”

“What do you know about my life?” Yunho’s getting annoyed. He hates it the most when others act like they know more about him than he does. To that the High Angel smiles, trying not to add to the vampire’s anger.

“...At this point, more than you do”

And to prove her words, plus maybe to push Yunho more, she decides to give Yunho just a taste. The wind hums to the melody of rock-a-bye-baby, tiny bulbs of all the colours there is helps enlighten the dark forest, then suddenly there is a cry. A baby’s cry. Just behind Yunho. Yunho froze. The anger painted on his face is fading. He is frowning for he knows this will defeat him. He could still win by not turning around and let the baby cry all it wants, but now he’s not exclusively sure if that is ‘winning’. Instead of his logical and smart brain, he lets his heart make the decision. His feet turns around, slow, unsteady and uncertain. But when his brown eyes lay on that pink cradle, small fingers softly are reaching out of the cradle. Yunho just knew right then this will be the sweetest lost he’ll ever taste. Yunho walked with silent steps to it. When he’s face to face with that cradle he can’t help but be awed. Yunho grabs each end of the cradle as he looks at the life in it. In an extremely excruciating slow way, a smile carves into his face. The baby is dressed in a pure white top and bottoms that have small blue buttons on it as the baby is comfortably protected by a pink fluffy blanket. It is still crying, Yunho doesn’t know what to do. He just holds the baby’s reaching hand with two fingers. His two fingers are enough to fill the baby’s entire palm.

“...You’re so tin