The garden was filled with people in black robes. All of them surrounding a circle made of stones which had a fire blazing in the center. The fire was floating in the air, burning blue and red. The people were positioning themselves around the stones, a dagger, a cup and a book were laid around the fire, though this didn’t burned them. Chaerin was standing next to the crystal doors, her black dress covered with a black robe, the wind blowing the robe furiously. It didn’t amazed her that the wind didn’t vanished the fire, she guessed it was an incantation. The water was present, as well, all the elements surrounded the circle as Jiyong slowly walked towards her.

“Please follow me.” He said. Chaerin nodded and grabbed his hand, walking with him into the circle. The people moved, allowing them to walk in. Jiyong let her walk in first, then he stepped in, murmuring some Latin words. Chaerin saw how an invisible wall lifted around the stones, keeping them inside, protecting the outside. The circle was big enough to keep more than 50 people inside, but there was only Jiyong and Chaerin inside. He walked towards the center and grabbed the dagger.

“Brothers, sister, don’t forget to keep in your circle, for your power will be our power and the Gods shall greet us soon!” He said as he lifted the dagger in one hand. Chaerin was standing there, feeling exposed, even if she was completely dressed. “We have lost one of our greatest Guardian to Evil, and we shall mourn him, for he was a great warrior, never forget.” He said and put the dagger close to his hand. Chaerin saw how he cut his palm, blood oozing out quickly. He lifted his cut hand and let the blood fall on the ground. She could have swear the ground trembled under her as the blood fell down. He looked at her and nodded, walking towards her. She gulped as he held her hand and put the dagger close to her skin.

“This will only hurt a slight bit.” He said. Chaerin nodded and opened her palm, bracing herself for the pain. She noticed his eyes turning blue as he pressed the edge of the dagger close to her skin. She flinched as she saw her blood oozing out, but strangely, it didn’t hurt her at all. The blood fell on the ground, and she felt it shaking again.

“For Jonghyun?” Chaerin said. Jiyong nodded.

“For our fallen brother.” He said. Chaerin nodded and lifted her hand, letting the blood fall on the ground. She wished him to be back, to fight evil and be back by her side. “Can you repeat after me?” He said. Chaerin wanted to say no, that she didn’t knew what he wanted to say, but her mind started to chant words. She heard the chanting on his voice, and her eyes narrowed. He nodded at her, and she nodded back. He held her bloody hand with his, their bloods mixing together.

“Deorum, ad respondendum clamor. Lorem ipsum dolor sit nobis, curare vulnera bellum nostrum. Illuminet praesentia tua via nobis fortitudo et sapientia. Rogamus vos venire ad nos!”

They both chanted, their hands intertwined as the Fire changed colors, from White to Red, to Blue and Green, and then, finally, Magenta. Chaerin gulped as they stopped chanting. From the Fire emanated a man, a lot taller than Jiyong, his body was blazing with pure red fire, his face, perfect and delicate, blazed with the same fire. He had no flesh, no bones, the fire was the only thing that made him a man, it was Din, the God of Fire. He stood next to the floating fire, and as he did, a wind blew strongly and the fire turned white, another silhouetted appeared. Chaerin knew that one, it was a lady made of wind, Jin, the Goddess of Wind, and she stood next to the Fire, their hands intertwined.

The earth started trembling and the fire blazed green, and from the ground next to it, another lady emerged. She looked more human, slave her complete green eyes, her green hair and her skin, glowing green. She was dressed with vines all around her, covering only her most important parts, it was Gaia, the goddess of Earth. After her, a tide of water came and the fire turned blue. The tide vanished inside of the circle, showing the silhouetted of a man, completely made of water, Nero, the God of Water. They stood around the fire, in front of Chaerin and Jiyong. They were a lot taller than the human average, and Chaerin gulped, taking a steady step back.

The fire sparked again, showing a magenta color. Jiyong looked at her with wide eyes and she just shrugged. From the same fire emerged another figure, a man, one man Chaerin had seen recently. He had the delicate features of a woman, though his body had no . The lower part had no definition, his body glowing with the eerie light of the magenta fire, Chaerin recognized him as Dei, the God of Gods. Jiyong gulped and took a step forward, looking at them with his head slightly craned to the back.

“Gods, it is an honor.” He said and bowed. Everyone bowed, including Chaerin. The God of Gods moved a hand, gesturing him to straighten up.

“Traven Salvatore, our brother, our savior, what do you need from us?” Dei said. Jiyong nodded and extended a hand towards Chaerin.

“We seek your guidance, Creators of us, in these dark times.”

“Indeed, very dark times.” Gaia said. Chaerin gulped as she took a few steps forward, touching Jiyong’s hand.

“As you well know, our bodies had weakened over the time, and we no longer possess the knowledge we used to have. We don’t know who we are facing, but we do know it is Evil that’s looking to hurt you, and we won’t allow that.” Jiyong said. Dei took a few steps forward, looking at Jiyong straight into his eyes.

“Tell me, our dear brother, what can we do?” Dei said. Jiyong looked at Chaerin, his eyes showed apologies towards her. She crooked her head as he looked back at the Gods.

“We need our full strength back, and I beg of you to give me another way of having that strength.” Jiyong said. Dei straightened and looked at his brethren.

“There is no other way, it is how we find our own.” Nero said. “We have made you like us, Gods in earth, what more can we give you?”

“My apologies, I don’t want to ask more of you, your gifts and blessings are far greater than I can ever imagine.” Jiyong said. “But we are too weak, too tired to fight, and now we have lost a brother to evil.”

“We know, and we mourn for his soul.” Gaia said. Jiyong nodded.

“I am lost without him, I am lost right now.” Jiyong said. Dei crossed his arms and nodded.

“We have all been lost once in our life, you have to find your own path.” Dei said.

“But my path is to save you. I have seen Evil, Demons are reuniting and Azazel’s the one who is behind this. I know it.” Jiyong said.

“Azazel is one of our brethren, how can he be plotting against us?” Jin said. Chaerin noticed the tension on Jiyong’s muscles.

“I have seen him with one of our brethren that had succumbed to evil, and you can reach into my soul so you know that what I am saying is the truth.” Jiyong said.

“We know you don’t lie, we just can’t understand why Azazel would want to hurt us.” Nero explained.

“Because…” Jiyong said and stopped, Chaerin noticed his hands balling into fists.

“Because he might want what he can’t have.” Chaerin said. The gods looked at her.

“And what is that?” Dei said.

“Divine power. You have the power of resurrection, he doesn’t. That alone can make one turn their loyalty somewhere else.” She said. Jiyong looked at her with blank eyes and nodded.

“More than Divine Power, they can reach into the Heavens and destroy the world. My Gods, you know as well as I do that our powers are not enough to fight this.” Jiyong said. The Gods nodded and Dei approached Jiyong. He straightened himself as Dei watched him closely.

“Divine Power,” Dei said, “that lies within the bodies of our chosen ones. Tell me, Traven Salvatore, how come I sense something different in you?” Chaerin noticed the tension on Jiyong’s body, as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown into his veins, into his soul. Jiyong nodded and took a step back, not looking directly at Dei, neither at the other gods.

“I have been weak, lately.” He confessed. Chaerin frowned as she looked at him, not daring spare a look at the gods.

“Your powers are in its fullest, I can sense that.” Nero said, now approaching him. The ground beneath him turned dark brown, getting wet. Jiyong nodded.

“It’s my body that can’t hold them anymore.” Jiyong said. Chaerin felt a pang of fear run through her, now the bucket of water was over her, and she couldn’t help but shudder.

“And yet we tell you again,” Gaia spoke, “There’s only one way to make your body strong.”

“It is the flesh that is weak, it is the flesh that can no longer hold in the powers, our brother.” Jin said, and a cold breeze ran towards Chaerin, caressing her face. She jumped surprised, only to notice that Jin was looking at her. “It is her the one who has weakened you, but the question prevails, is she no longer what you desire?”

“It’s not that, but I can’t do it anymore.” Jiyong said. Gaia stepped forwards, looking at Jiyong. Even if she was the shortest and most normal between the gods, she was still much taller than Jiyong. Her long hand caressed his face, her face with a tender smile.

“Then we can’t intervene. It is a matter of strength you seek, and only you know how to regain it. We honor the Great Balance, Traven, and we must seek the continuity of the race, for us are the ones who had created, and given our power to your kind.” She said. Jiyong nodded and looked at Chaerin. His face was full of sorrow, of apologies, of anger and disappointment.

“I am most grateful, dear Gods. You may leave now.” He said and closed his fist. Chaerin noticed that the bleeding wound on her hand healed, and when the last drop fell, the wall vanished, and so did the Gods.

“Bless be.” She heard on the wind as the silhouettes disappeared completely. Jiyong walked slowly towards Chaerin, his hand still balled into a fist.

“What was that?” Chaerin asked, “Wasn’t that a little rude?”

“Rude is what they are doing to us.” Jiyong said, then took a deep breath. “We are on our own.” Chaerin gulped and Jiyong walked towards the crowd around the circle.

“Jiyong…” Chaerin murmured as she saw the fire changing colors. It turned black, going in swirls towards the sky. Jiyong was with his hands extended, his back towards Chaerin.

“We must prepare for battle, my brethren.” He spoke, and the fire blazed furiously. It made a hissing sound, sending sparks all around the circle. In a split of a second, Chaerin noticed a ball of black fire going towards Jiyong. She wanted to run, to scream or to plead, but the only thing her mind was coherent to do was manage the situation.

Her hands lifted unconsciously, and a strong wind blew. The black fire ball hit the ground next to Jiyong, but her strength depleted to almost nothing, leaving her exhausted. Jiyong turned around, his eyes widened, as she fell to her knees. She noticed the flowers withering as her vision blurred.

“Chaerin?!” Jiyong said as he ran towards her. She coughed as she put her hands on the floor, balancing herself.

“I’m alright.” She murmured. Jiyong touched her shoulders, and she spat out a mouthful of blood. “I’m fine.”

“, you’re not alright!” He said. She lifted her head, in time to see a figure coming out of the fire, just like the Gods. Her breath got caught on as she saw the same tall man with black hair walking towards them.

“I am honestly offended,” The man said, his voice as smooth as velvet, as dangerous as a knife. “I wasn’t invited to the summoning.” Jiyong hissed lowly at Chaerin’s side, and she helped herself up, her hands shaking.

“I’m afraid I don’t care about your feelings, that if you have, Demon.” Jiyong said. Chaerin looked at him, his eyes were blazing fire and his hair had turned dark red, his hands, which were helping Chaerin keep stabilized, were burning.

“Oh, but I do.” The man said. “I do have feelings. For one, I am terribly please that one of your lieutenants had come to my side, that is a wondrous feeling.” The man said. Chaerin felt more blood oozing up as her hands blazed in fire.

“Yes, that may be a feeling, one of the few you may possess, Azazel, killer of your own kind.” Jiyong spatted. Chaerin felt her veins burning, as the blood kept oozing out, and she had to spit to avoid getting choked. Jiyong held her tighter, a silent gesture of control, but she couldn’t control herself longer.

“Jonghyun,” Chaerin hissed, “Give him back!”

“Why? He came to me willingly, even helped me get here. I am sure no other Demon has trespassed those highly protected spells around the Manor.” Azazel said. Chaerin hissed, and more blood came out as sparks of fire came out of her hands. “Ah, fire, my favorite element.” Chaerin bit her lower lip, making the flames disappear. Blood was already spilling down her chin, an acid flavor on .

“You may have come, but your powers are completely diminished, so do tell me, what have you come for?” Jiyong said. Azazel smirked and put his hands together, as if thinking. Only then Chaerin noticed he was wearing a gray suit with a white buttoned shirt and a neatly done tie.

“I have come for your Gods, that is, but of course, I require more help than your quite smart lieutenant.” Azazel said. Chaerin furrowed her eyebrows, making an inhuman effort to keep her powers controlled. Only now she had realized how strong they were, and how much of her they were. Her own emotions controlled them, but she was far too weak for them to take control.

“Whatever makes you think we will help you?” Jiyong said. Azazel grinned darkly as he looked at them, his black eyes boring into Chaerin’s, and for a moment, she could feel Jonghyun in him, could feel something about him within his dark eyes.

“Because I can give you back your beloved brother, in exchange of your powers.”

“Our brother died, we have mourned him and we will get over it. You may need to give us something greater in exchange.” Jiyong said, almost growling. His words hurt Chaerin to the deepest of her own self. Meaning them or not, it killed her hopes and fed her fears.

“And why is it that I knew that you would say that? Of course you wouldn’t care for one of your kind turning into Darklings,” Azazel said, the dark grin never fading. Jiyong scoffed and nodded.

“Yes, so you may go now, or I will cast you away.” Jiyong said, his hand lifting slowly.

“But you have forgotten, Traven Salvatore, that I can see within your soul, I can see what you desire the most.” Azazel said. Jiyong scoffed again.

“And what that can possibly be?” Jiyong said and Azazel smirked.

“Your freedom, being freed from that curse that had kept you alive for so long. Being able to have your powers without having to pay the price in flesh.” Chaerin felt Jiyong tensing at his side. She was afraid to look, but she did, and his eyes terrified her completely. Hesitation, clear on his eyes like the crystal waters of the rivers, like the clarity of the sun. It was as if time had slowed to a stop, his eyes turning watery, his throat moving slowly as he gulped, his jaw muscles clenching and a drop of sweat dropping dramatically from his temple. He opened his mouth to talk, and the hand holding Chaerin tightened. She winced as he took a step back, shaking slightly. Azazel smirked wider, his dark eyes sparkling in delight, rejoicing in Jiyong’s slight weakness, in his vulnerability.

“Decrescit in corpore.” Jiyong murmured. Azazel’s eyes turned wide, his mouth slightly opened as Jiyong regained his self-confidence.

“W-What did you say?” Azazel said, his head slightly crooked. Jiyong took a deep breath and extended his right hand, strong and firm.

“Decrescit in corpore, daemon. Ite, et revertimini ad malum corporis. Non in perpetuum”

Azazel shrieked as Jiyong’s hand pointed at him, his hands covering his as he slowly burned from inside out. The black fire blazed strongly, and Azazel fell on it, the flames embracing him as he took a last look towards Jiyong, his face the epitome of hatred, of a hatred of more than a million years.

“Do hear me, Magna Veneficus, I will take your powers, you are weak, too weak.” He said as he pointed one black, charred finger, and lastly, disappeared. Chaerin fell Jiyong collapsing on her side, both of them falling to the floor. She panted as he slowly closed his eyes, breathing slowly. Chaerin panted as she put a hand on Jiyong’s chest, feeling the coolness of the water run through her veins until they reached her palm. She felt the water leaving her body, but her mind couldn’t take it any longer, and her eyes closed, her mind drifted and her body fell next to his.

It is the flesh that is weak, it is the flesh that can no longer hold in the powers…

Gily's Notes: Goodness gracious, blame me, shame on me!

I'm am sorry for not updating this faster! My life is so damn HECTIC right now! I have this retreat in two weeks, and, well, let's say I have been doing loads of things for it, preparations and all. I want to sit and write, but I have been doing so many things I haven't found the time :'( TT.TT

I pushed this one out because my mind is filled with things I have to do! My hurts from so many "things" I have created, lol! I am seriously in need of a Goddamned massage xD 

Anyways, will try to write next chapter (It's 12:33am here) and, let's see what comes out! 

I have this terrible feeling within me that I will never get over Collide and how AMAZING that came out and how naturally and comfortable I was with writting it. I hope Reincarnation can grow more into me lol!

Happy Reading ~

Gily ♥