They could feel the ground under them tremble. They kissed deeper, trying to block out the loud whooshing that was filling their ears.

Suddenly, they could feel the entire earth shaking violently, their intertwined bodies were quaking as they held onto each other tightly.

Sungyeol had his eyes shut tightly and all he could feel was the quivering and Woohyun’s shirt. The quaking increased steadily until at one point, it was too much.

I love you Woohyun.

At that very instant, the shaking stopped.

He had expected to stop feeling everything – that was what death was like. But instead, he could feel everything around him. He was dizzy and his ears were ringing but he felt the air whipping his face and the moonlight falling on him. Tentatively, he opened his eyes.

His chin was resting on Woohyun’s shoulder. He could see the dark night sky and the thousands of stars littering the vast expanse. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see the forest sprawled out below them. His hands were still wounded around Woohyun.

“W-woohyun?”

“Sungyeol?”

They let go of each other.

“We’re alive?”

They looked at each other, unable to believe what they were seeing.

“We’re alive!” they screamed together and crashed their lips with each other’s, savoring the taste. This was too good to be true.

I don’t understand…

When they were done rejoicing, they looked around them carefully. The land and the plants seemed completely unaffected. There was no sign of the angry red comet that had earlier filled the sky.

“What happened?”

“I – I don’t know.”

Sungyeol looked around inquisitively. He wasn’t sure why the word hadn’t been destroyed. Did that mean that the threat of the Sacred Secrets meant nothing?

That can’t be, it’s the Sacred Secrets…

Woohyun exhaled loudly.

“Well whatever happened, I’m glad it’s not the end of the world.”

“Yes but I don’t understand -”

“Sungyeol,” Woohyun said sternly. “That’s it. What’s done is done. Let’s go back, and you’re going to University with me. No more of this mystic mumbo-jumbo for you.”

“I -”

Woohyun stopped him with a kiss.

Sungyeol didn’t protest anymore. He was glad he was alive because things were about to get better. He was not certain if he had failed the quest or not, but at least his grandfather would be pleased that he had been considered worthy enough to possess the Sacred Secrets.

And he was about to start on the quest of life, with Woohyun.

I guess it’s time I found out more about the world I can see, rather than the secrets and mysteries I can’t.

After all, life is a mystery in itself.

Sungjong watched the two boys kissing.

He was hidden behind a dense cluster of trees so there was no fear of being found out.

His heart was filled with a pain he had never felt before.

“Sungjong?”

He whirled rapidly, starting as he saw the figure of Myungsoo approaching him through the bushes.

“What are you doing here?”

Myungsoo disregarded his rudeness. Instead he marched forward, and pulled him into an engulfing hug. When he finally let him go, he saw tears in his eyes.

“You – you gave yourself up?”

Sungjong turned away from him, his heart racing. He didn’t want to admit it, but he wanted to be kissed by Myungsoo the way Sungyeol and Woohyun had kissed. It was a completely new sensation but now that he couldn’t feel the raw power in his veins, he had the time to look around and discover other sensations within him – subtle, but strong.

“Yes I did, you wanted me to save the world.”

He heard Myungsoo move closer behind him.

“So you’re – you’re not a star anymore?”

He smiled bitterly. The raging vigor in his bloodstream was so nonexistent that it wasn’t hard to believe that he wasn’t a star anymore. He wondered who he had done this for – Myungsoo? Sungyeol and Woohyun? All the people in the world?

He wasn’t sure, but he knew he couldn’t take back what he had done, what he had given up. He might regret the decision later, but there would be compensations.

“No, Woohyun is. Or Woohyun was. I transferred my powers when the earth started to shake.”

“But -”

“The power of the star had died down with the comet. Don’t worry, Woohyun’s fine now.”

He could now feel Myungsoo’s breath on the back of his neck. Unknown to himself, he shivered lightly as his warm breath hit his bare skin.

“Why?”

He wished he knew, but he had no answer to that. He had asked himself plenty of times. In fact, when he had first taken this position, to watch the apocalypse on earth, he had no intentions of stopping it. But then, something had shifted in him.

Whether he had completely lost his mind or was moved by something within him – he didn’t know.

But it was worth it – to watch Sungyeol and Woohyun and so many others live on. And as for him…

Myungsoo’s hand landed on his shoulder. He welcomed the weight of his hand and before he could think of anything else, he turned him to face him and kissed him on the lips.

He had never been kissed like that before, never. It was passionate, it was warm and his lips were tingling nonstop. He wondered if this was how Sungyeol and Woohyun had felt. Frankly, he didn’t care because he was feeling lighter every second and ground seemed to move away from under his feet. But he wasn’t afraid because a strong pair of hands was holding him tightly and he was certain that Myungsoo would never let go.