His voice was full of power, full of confidence in himself, and it was firm, just the way a prince’s voice should be. “Let her go,” Baekhyun repeated, “or I will throw this – “

  “At your uncle?” Kang Dae laughed, a sinister, evil laugh. “You dare throw a dagger at your own uncle?”

  Baekhyun clenched his teeth. “You may be my uncle, but you are a monster. No one should possess Dark Magic – “

  “And our little princess here can possess magic, just because it is not evil?” Kang Dae’s grip on Andrea’s throat didn’t waver, and she could feel her consciousness slipping away like water flowing through her fingers. “All magic is evil,” he sneered. “No one who beholds magic abilities is innocent.”

  “She is.”

  Kang Dae laughed again, this time more loudly, and his laughs sent shivers down Andrea’s spine. “I assume the two of you have met before, but she didn’t tell you, did she?” He cut his gaze back to her, his black irises like dark holes her in, drowning her. “That she must have lied to you of her identity ever since you two first met.”

  “She did. But she did so out of her own right reasons.”

  If he was trying to persuade anyone that he wasn’t mad at Andrea for lying to him, he most definitely fooled Andrea. But she knew he was still mad; the Baekhyun she knew wouldn’t just let something like that go. An overwhelming flood of love washed over Andrea, love for Baekhyun coming to her rescue, and love for him being him.

  And as if he were scorched by the love pulsing out of her, Kang Dae released her and threw her to the floor with a scowl like he had been burnt.

  Baekhyun wanted to rush to Andrea’s side when Kang Dae dropped her. He wanted to hold her and stop her from sputtering and gasping for air as if she had almost, almost died.

  But all he did was walk cautiously to her.

**

  “Kai!”

  After two more slashes and a stab in a guard, Kai spun around – and almost slammed right into Gillian. “Gillian?”

  His eyes, usually grey with wisdom and tranquility, were blazing with energy. “Kai, I acquire your help. I need you to bring me to Min Sae’s side right now.”

  “What – “ Kai looked down, and saw a thick, black thing clutched tightly in Gillian’s hands, to his chest. “What is that?”

  Gillian’s tone was rushed. “It’s Kang Dae’s Book of Dark Magic – “

  “That’s why you’ve been absent; you went to find that?”

  “Yes. And I need you to take me to our princess.”

  “But – “

  “I will explain later, Kai; we must not waste time!” In a flash, Gillian ducked, merely a second before a sword flew their way.

  “Sorry!” Sehun appeared, smiling apologetically at a crouched Kai. “I guess I hit that out of a Guard’s hands too hard.”

  “I’d rather believe that you did so on purpose.” Kai muttered.

  “Jongin.” Sehun gave Kai a hard look. “Do you think I said those words only to Baekhyun? They were meant for you, too.”

  For a moment, Kai wanted to grab Sehun and burst into tears and ruffle his hair while punching him in the stomach, but then he remembered what he was supposed to do. “I need to get Gillian to Andrea, Sehun, can you look after the prisoners – “

  “Do you trust me?”

  Kai blinked. “Pardon?”

  “You heard me. Do you trust me?”

  Looking into Sehun’s serious eyes, Kai didn’t speak. He knew the answer already, and he would never reply the opposite… it was just… he didn’t know how to say it. He didn’t know how to say such a touchy thing at such a tense moment –

  “Yes. Yes, I trust you, Sehun.”

  A small smile flashed on Sehun’s face. “Then go, Jongin. Go help Andrea.”

**

  He watched as Andrea continued to cough, his heart squeezing with every second passing by. “Andrea…” Baekhyun trembled.

  He was on his knees, trying to comfort her but not hug her completely. He was trying not to show how much affection he had towards her in front of his uncle, because he was afraid his uncle would take advantage of the love between them, and he didn’t want Andrea to get anymore hurt.

  Andrea clung onto him, still gasping for breath, but at the same time, she could feel a growing emotion of something so red, so hot inside if her it terrified her –

  Until she realized it wasn't coming from her. It was coming from him. The one she was clinging on.

  “I’m sorry for putting you in so much danger, and for not being able to protect you,” Baekhyun said to her. “My uncle is a monster; I know that now. If nobody stops him, he’ll kill everyone, and I…” his voice hardened. “I will help you stop him.”

  Before Andrea could register his words, Baekhyun shot to his feet, flames of fire dancing in his eyes, and blasted a ball of light at Kang Dae.

  “You killed my father!”

  Completely caught off guard, Kang Dae got hit straight in the chest, and stumbled backwards. His eyes were wide with shock. “Baekhyun – “

  “You hurt people I love!”

  Several more balls of light hit him, and only the last two were blocked by Kang Dae’s own black light. But then he didn’t have time to react, because in a speed quicker than lightning, Baekhyun had ran towards his uncle with only a faint trace of white light behind him, and the dagger was held firmly in his shaking hands.

  “I used to look up to you. I respected you so much.” His eyes were filled with sadness, hatred, and fury, turning him into someone Andrea couldn't recognize anymore. “I’m so sorry, uncle, but this is for the best.”

  “No,” Andrea gasped, “No, Baek – “

  He then drove the dagger into his uncle’s heart.

**

  “What is this?!” Kai shrieked at the big ball of black magic, where Andrea, Baekhyun, and Kang Dae were in.

  “It’s Kang Dae’s work,” Gillian replied. “To prevent outsiders like us from interrupting.”

  “So they’re in there? I can’t see anything in it.”

  “They must be.” Gillian paced around it, his brows creased together. “We must find a way to break in…”

  “What do you need? A big shovel? Giant chunks of rocks?”

  “Now is not the time for stupidity, Kai.”

  Kai blinked. “I was being serious.”

  Gillian frowned, still staring at the big black globe. Suddenly, as if hit by an idea, he dashed to where Kai was and shoved the book into his hands.

  “What – “

  “Hold it,” Gillian ordered. Before Kai could open his mouth to ask, Gillian then turned to the black globe, held his palms out, and as if playing with water like Joonmyun once did before, he made the motion of opening it like unveiling curtains, without even touching it.

  Nothing happened at first, but a few seconds later, a small crack appeared. Kai watched in astonishment as Gillian kept spreading with some magical invisible force, beads of sweat trickling down his face. He looked like he was using much energy, and for a middle-aged man, it wasn’t a good thing.

  “Um, Gillian, when – “

  “Now, Kai! Get in!”

  He gaped. “What?”

  Gillian’s hands were shaking. “I cannot keep it open for too long; Kang Dae’s powers are too strong. I can only manage to open a small hole for you to get in and give Min Sae the book!”

  “Give Andrea the book?”

  “And destroy it. Tell her to destroy it; it is the only way she can destroy Kang Dae. Hurry! There’s not… much… time…”

  After in a quick, firm breath, Kai clutched the book tightly to his chest and, without any hesitation, jumped through the small hole.

  The gap closed behind him less than a second later.

**

  Kang Dae’s eyes were wide.

  Baekhyun was silently crying, his shaking hands still on the grip of the dagger. “I’m so sorry, uncle… it is the only way – “

  He was cut off by a laugh, the thing he had least expected. It was a laugh that started as a chuckle, then grew louder and louder, and Baekhyun thought his hands were shaking too violently –

  But it wasn’t his hands that were making the dagger shake. It was his uncle himself.

  In absolute horror, Baekhyun and Andrea watched as Kang Dae laughed, his head thrown back. After a few seconds, he snapped his head back, and there were no more laughter to be seen. Only blazes of red, hot fire in his eyes. Baekhyun dropped his hands, his eyes wide with shock.

  “You thought you could kill me with that? A single dagger to the heart?” In a swift movement, Kang Dae pulled the dagger out of himself.

  “I – “ Baekhyun stuttered, staring at the hole in his uncle’s chest and back up to his face. “How – “

  “When you commit yourself fully to Dark Magic, your heart and soul then falls to its claim forever. In other words, my dear nephew, I am immortal.” Kang Dae’s eyes darkened. “I could have spared you, Baekhyun. You could’ve survived while the others die.”

  The hair on Andrea’s back stood up at his icy tone, and with a gasp, she tried to scramble up. “NO – “

  “But now you leave me no choice, since you have chosen your side.” With those words, and taking advantage of Baekhyun being frozen on spot with bewilderment, Kang Dae flipped the dagger in his hand and this time it was his turn to sent it straight into the other's chest.

**

  Kai was just in time to see Baekhyun fall to the floor, a bloody dagger in Kang Dae’s hands.

  “NO!” Andrea screamed, a scream that could’ve split Kai’s heart into two. She looked in pain, but she still rushed to Baekhyun’s side, the thud loud when her knees hit the floor. “Baek… Baek…” she sobbed, loud and hard. “Baekhyun!”

  Baekhyun’s hands were on his wound that was gushing out blood when Kai reached him. “Baek!” He also fell to his knees. “No… no!”

  With a scream of agony, Andrea shot to her feet and pulled her right hand back to throw energy waves at Kang Dae, but Kai caught her wrist just in time. She snapped her head back to Kai, her eyes bloodshot and fury written all over her face. “Kai,” she said through clenched teeth, “let me go – “

  “He can’t be killed. Not like that.” Kai handed the book in his hands to her. “Gillian told me to give you this; it’s Kang Dae’s – “

  “Book of Magic?” Andrea could feel the strong dark power vibrating from it, so strong that if it were a smell she knew she would’ve literally been stinked to death. “It’s – “

  “Mine!” Kang Dae yelled at the sight of his Dark Book. Nevertheless, before he could grab it, Andrea was quicker and snatched it from Kai’s hands.

  “When you commit yourself fully to Dark Magic, your heart and soul then falls to its claim forever.”

  She understood what she had to do.

  “Give it back to me – “

 With her left hand before her, Andrea stopped Kang Dae from reaching her with her own force. “You wanted to kill your nephew,” she said, her bottom lip trembling. “Your nephew you obviously cared for – “

  “He left me no choice – “

  “No, you left yourself no choice!” Andrea screamed. “You only think for your own future; you cannot see beyond your own desires!” She grabbed an arrow from the quiver on her back, the tip making contact with the blood on her hands – blood of her own and Baekhyun’s – and gave Kang Dae one last look.

  “What are you doing?” His tone was rushed and highly alert, but Andrea didn’t stop. “No – “ he shouted – “put that book down – put – “

  With all her might, she drove her arrow right into the heart of his Dark Book, feeling the deadly blade as it came out through the other side.

  Kang Dae screamed, an ear-piercing, soul-shattering scream, as a pulse of energy the color of tained white appeared around him, and then in an instant, violently left him with a burst of force that knocked Andrea back a step. But just as quick, she reached for the dagger Kang Dae had used to pierce Baekhyun's heart. She turned around, ready to finish what Baekhyun had started - 

  Then was toppled to the ground with the force of a heavy body. The impact was so strong she felt a rib crack, and in her moment of panic she looked up into the dark, manic eyes of the ruthless king.

  "How dare you - " Kang Dae seethed, his posture now like a crazy animal's. "I had worked so hard and suffered so much to finally get what I want, yet you dare think you can take it all away from me - "

  Before Andrea could snap out of her surprise and pain, Kang Dae abruptly stopped talking.

  It would have been hard for him not to, with the arrow that was now sticking through his throat.

  Andrea watched as the tip of the arrow glistened with blood, registering the splatter of blood on her face from the force of Gillian ing the arrow into Kang Dae's neck from the back. Gillian had tears in his eyes as he watched Kang Dae fall sideways onto the ground, off of Andrea; both of them breathless and stunned.

  And then the evil king who had ruled the Southern Commonwealth these past seven years burst into a million pieces of black dust that vanished with the wind.

  The precise moment Kang Dae went out of existence, all the Guards fell to the floor like lifeless bodies. Every Stargazer froze in mid-action, confused, and like the clever (but witty) kid he always was, Sehun was the first to understand what it meant.

  He spun around, breaking into a smile. “Andrea! Andrea, where – “ he stopped shouting and his smile fell when he saw her face a few feet away from him. There were no happiness, nor were there any relief in her eyes as there was supposed to be, but only devastation.

  Pure, devastation.

  Andrea knelt to the ground, suddenly so drained of energy. But no… she couldn’t just pass out then.

  Not when the one she loved was still bleeding on the floor.

  She scrambled to his side, and a few sobs escaped from her lips when she saw how colorless his lips were and how dim the light in his brown eyes were. He was still breathing, thank God, but his breaths were shallow and he looked in pain just breathing.

  “Baek… Baekhyun…” she held his head in her arms, cradling him. “Baek… stay with me…”

  “An… Andrea…” Baekhyun slowly lifted his hand up to touch Andrea’s cheek. “Kang Dae…”

  Kai appeared across from Andrea. “He’s dead, Baek; he’s gone forever now. Andrea saved us.”

  “Andrea…”

  She shook her head. “Sshh… don’t talk anymore, Baek; don’t – “

  “I'm sorry…” Baekhyun’s voice had turned into something quieter than a whisper, his words slow with puffs of breaths. “I was so stupid... I wish I could've helped…"

  "You did help, Baek, you did - "

  "I..." he tried to cough, but failed. "I... love…”

  “Baek, stop it, stop talking, you’re losing too much blood, and we need to find Yixing – “

  “you…”

  His hand dropped from Andrea’s cheek and hit the icy marble floor as his eyes closed shut.

  “BAEKHYUN!”

[A/N] Small note: There will be no more cliffhangers ;^;;; I suddenly remembered that I posted the last chapter of my first fanfiction on Christmas last year /cries a Niagara Falls/ I will miss writing this and will miss you guys so much...