The air was cold that night as moisture danced within the atmosphere. The clouds were threatening the first snowfall of the season but it did not detract Junhyung from exiting the door onto the roof of the building.  Cold had never really bothered the shadow, but he still found himself covering his ears with the old brown knit cap while his brother slumbered in the building below.

            "It's been a while since we all met up here," Junhyung remarked as he looked upon the faces of the five other shadows on the rooftop.

            "Not since our first year," Dongwoon answered.

            “Has this roof always been our place to brood?" Kikwang asked, faking a small laugh.

            "As long as I can remember," Yoseob replied, picking up a small stone and tossing it over the edge. "I used to come up here, even before I met you all."

            "Same here," Dongwoon added.

            "I can’t believe it's already been five years since we first came together," Doojoon remarked. "It seems like only yesterday we had that school project."

            "So much has happened since then," Hyunseung calmly stated and the other five nodded.

            They fell into a comfortable silence as they watched small flakes of snow start to fall from the sky.

            "So," Kikwang broke the silence. "Is this the end?"

            The other boys remained silent, watching the snow fall and thinking about the question.

            "Who knows," Doojoon replied.

            "We trained those boys pretty hard," Dongwoon commented. "But it was for their own protection, not ours."

            "I hate the thought that Peniel and Sungjae have to fight my battle." Yoseob tossed another stone.  

            "The clouds aren’t strong enough to keep away the sunlight," Junhyung said, chuckling. "It having such an inconvenient weakness."

            "Vixx is after us," Kikwang spoke, turning to the sky. “Not them."

            Dongwoon sighed. "Yet they want to put their lives on the line so we can live. They're so kind hearted."

            "Guys," Doojoon remarked, earning the attention of all the other beast members. "You all know what we have to do." He waited for s' sad nods before continuing. "If things get too dangerous, we pull them out... even if it costs our lives."

            They waited for a moment before agreeing. The six boys all congregated in a circle near the center of the roof.

            "You know," Dongwoon smiled. "Not to brag but this group is pretty amazing. We've pulled off something not many other, if any, demons have." He placed a hand on his chest.

            "Dongwoon’s right," Yoseob added, also placing a hand on his chest. "Not many shadows can claim knighthood."

            "We've sworn to protect and serve the Btob members, all the while suppressing any natural urge to cause them harm. How cool is that? “Kikwang chuckled while placing a hand on his heart.

            "It's because we care for Btob," Doojoon spoke, placing his hand. “And just as importantly, it's because we care for each other."

            Hyunseung was next to speak, his hand already on his chest. "We probably wouldn't have been able to do this alone. Together, we've been able to hold onto something no other demon could, our humanity."

            The six boys chuckled as Junhyung placed one hand on his heart and the other towards the center of the circle, allowing the other five to place their hands atop his.

            "Can you feel that?" Junhyung asked. "It's our heartbeat. It may not be in our chests anymore, but it's in the bond we have with each other.  It's in the link we have with Btob, and it's in the belief we have in ourselves. As long as that heart keeps beating, we’ll never become real monsters."

            The boys all nodded, each looking to the sky and letting the light snow land on their cheeks.

            "No matter what happens," Doojoon said, smiling, “We'll always be together."

            The six boys all raised their arms to the sky, yelling out in both sadness and triumph. They bellowed out their battle cry to the heavens, with all the heart they had. "So Beast!"

            Ilhoon sat up as the sun was barely peaking over the eastern horizon. It was a cold morning as frost was forming on the win