Kai's first instinct was to go after Hana. He knew she couldn't handle one Elder, no matter how strong she had become. He was worried about her safety, and seeing her fighting an unbalanced battle worried him even more. She was pressured to a corner, her expression full of pain and doubt.

            "It's you," Seunghun stopped and jumped back when Kai charged at him in lightning speed. "My nephew's best friend."

            "Why are you here?" Kai stopped himself from calling this man 'uncle' like he used to. Technically, they weren't related by blood, because Kai was Sehun's cousin from his father side and Seunghun was Sehun's uncle from his mother side. Kai had always looked at Seunghun as the gentlest of the twelve, but even that proved wrong now. What man would attack a woman, regardless of her position and power in a clan? None, but a coward would do so.

            "I am here to put an end to Jaejoong's reign, because we see it unfit," Seunghun replied with ease. His sword was ready in hand again, but when he saw flames appearing near his feet, he jumped out. Hana cursed in her mind mentally. She missed the spot by a few inches or she could have burnt Seunghun right now. She was terribly exhausted, having used the ability more than thrice in an hour.

            "A fire user? You sure are one interesting girl, Lady Hana," Seunghun smirked. "Too bad I caught you before your flame burnt me, huh?"

            "Step back, Jongin," Hana warned, glaring to seunghuns direction with so much hatred and determination. Kai was a little bit surprised, but he stood there, unmoving. Hana repeated herself again, "Move away, Jongin, this is my fight. I will be the one to end him tonight."

            When she caught Seunghun moving fast towards their direction, Hana grabbed Kai's arms and pushed him to the side, as she stepped forward and met his sword with such force. He had a thousand year experience while she had none, but that wouldn't stop herself from fighting with whatever pride and dignity she had in herself and in the clan.

            For once... Just for this once, Hana wanted to prove everyone that she wasn't just a weak girl. She wasn't somebody people could push and pull as they wanted. The determination was strong enough for her to grab Seunghun by the shoulder, forcing him to stay put on the spot, even with the risk of having her shoulder cut open by him.

            It would be worth it, she said. She saw red from her own, and she could hear the thick sound of blood in the air. It was her own, at least, and no one else's. She forced him to look at her in the eyes, and told the flame to burn him. Burn him from the soul to the core. Burn him to death.

            It was a slow, deafening process for everyone who watched. Kai stared in horror, unable to move as Hana staggered back, putting a hand to her wounds. She lost an awful lot of blood in just a short time. But as strong as she was, Hana ripped a piece of her clothes and tied it with trembling  hands to stop the blood from coming out.

            All while watching Seunghun burnt in pain. He screamed and screamed, but she gave him no mercy. The flame would burn him for eternity, and that was all she could hope for. Sweats formed in her forehead, and her lips turned a horrifying gray color. It was never a good sign for vampires.

            "Hana!" Kai went out to her, but she disappeared into the crowd, probably trying to help others who were in need. Worry instantly filled him. He feared for the worst right now, judging by her gaunt appearance earlier. He couldn't spot her anywhere, though.

            Sehun panted hard, not too far from Kai. Jiyong was much of a tease, preferring to torture him first before he would try to end this all. He was far worse than In Guk, the last Elder he fought. While Elder Seo had advantage of his ability before, Jiyong here, was in par with Sehun because of his sound-using ability.

            "Still so prideful after all?" Jiyong scoffed, "You're really your grandfather's favorite. And your father's, must I say. Too bad Jaejoong killed him before he can announce a successor. Always a smart one, that Jaejoong. He knew the price to pay for this position and he's paid for it."

            "What the are you talking about?!" Sehun hissed and let the metal slipped from his hand. An opening for Jiyong, a challenge from Sehun. He strike forward fearlessly, thinking that he'd win this easily, but the younger male wasn't so nice of a man. He whirled the winds around him, trapping Jiyong in a transparent cage. No one else could see it but them two.

            "The price? Oh, he's paid the price for this. He lost you, he lost Luhan, he lost the trust of his people," Jiyong seemed to be at ease, though the air seemed to feel heavier, and he was starting to have difficulties breathing. He didn't stop, however. "No one look at him as a person. They only see him as a monster."

            "He is, one way or another," Sehun scowled, wiping the blood away from his chapped lips. He stepped closer to the cage, careful not to break the concentration. His patience was running slow by then. "He killed our father, and he killed my Soojung. He shall pay for it."

            "Look at you," Jiyong laughed, but it sounded so inhumane. He was insane. "Still so clueless after the year. Jaejoong killed your father, but he didn't kill Soojung. Who do you think killed her? Who do you think planned for all of these to happen? Think, Sehun. Who is the mastermind behind the curtain?"

            Sehun stopped in his track and narrowed his eyes, "You mean... Grandfather planned this before?"

            "Who else?" Jiyong smirked. "He knows how to break the bond between you and Jaejoong. One is too greedy, wanting more power and acknowledgement from the father. The other one is too soft hearted, too gentle and too scared. So he makes you what you are today. A fearless warrior, a merciless killer. He wants to turn you against each other."

            "You're lying," Sehun snorted. It took him a while to breathe in all this information. "Jaejoong confessed to me that he was the one who killed Soojung, not grandfather. I'm not buying this bull from you."

            "Think again, Sehun. Soohyun told Jaejoong he did it for your good. But he knew Jaejoong was going to use it against you," Jiyong raspy voice broke in. He seemed troubled with the sudden force in the cage he was in. "Blood is thicker than water. You should've had more faith in your brother. Soohyun knows your hatred towards one another. A broken family is one's greatest weakness. How many times do you have to be reminded so?"

            "You're lying," Sehun gritted his teeth though his gut told him Jiyong was only telling the truth. In the brink of life and death, one would never lie. He squeezed his hand tighter, and with it, the pressure on Jiyong became unbearable. He knelt down to the ground and clutched onto his chest. "You're lying."

            "I...am...not," he took his last breath and fell down to the ground, his expression hauntingly beautiful. It was a slow, painful death. Sehun should have felt satisfied that he had killed the Elder and no serious injuries occurred on him, but why did his words bother him so much? He and Jaejoong sounded like their grandfather's muppets, played at the right time, right place. Was he really that blind?

            He had mistrusted Jaejoong all this time. He was responsible for their father's death, but Soojung's one wasn't his fault. He suddenly felt empty inside. His goal to become the Fallen had shattered apart. He wanted to kill Jaejoong because he killed two of the most precious persons in his life. But now, it seemed that both of them faced a greater enemy together. His grandfather, the Elder Kim Soohyun.

***

            "I'm fine," Junhong scowled and put on a sour expression as Yongguk forcefully grabbed his chin and observed the cuts on his face. He didn't like being treated like a little kid. "I'm fine, really. Now will you let me go?"

            Yongguk simply stared at him and as a revenge, put his finger on Junhong's lips, grazing over his wound. The younger male jumped in pain, "Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! What the hell, Hyung?! Let me go!!" Yongguk smirked in satisfaction and pushed him away.

            "Are you alright, Prince Kyungsoo? Any injuries I can help you with?" The healer, Lay asked the Winter Faery who wore a very bitter frown on his face. There was a cut across his cheeks, but other than that, Lay could see none because the robe concealed his body. 

            "It's fine. Nothing serious," Kyungsoo waved him away. He looked bothered and tired, and there was nothing he'd wanted more than to be alone right now. He had harshly told everyone off, including his teary fiancé and his right hand man.

            "Alright, then," Lay bowed a little and danced his way to Jaejoong and Kai. He had helped Jaejoong healed the uppercut of his arms earlier, and he seemed fine, just a little bit distressed and worried, like Kai. Kai was physically fine, but mentally troubled.

            Ever since he blood bonded Hana, he found his feeling growing even more, although he had tried avoiding her in every way. Every time she ran to Sehun's arms willingly casted a very dark jealousy that he hated a lot. Now that she was injured, and he could do nothing to help her, Kai was very much having his own breakdown. He wanted her safe, and if by giving her his blood would save her life, then he'd sacrifice more for her. But Jaejoong wouldn't allow him to do so.

            "How is she?" Jaejoong asked, his eyebrows knitted perfectly together. He looked beautiful even in his bloody armor. "Is she suffering a lot?"

            "I can't tell you much," Lay shook his head, "I have to go in every now and then to check her progress. I mean, she's healing well, but she seems to fall into a comatose. Her mind is forcing her to stay dormant."

            "Is it because of the black flame?" Kai cut into the conversation, "I saw her ability. It was a black flame. Nothing like I've seen before. She burnt him to the soul, Lay! It was killing her from the inside, I knew it!"

            "Hush, Young One," Lay gave Kai a look to silence him, "Do not jump into conclusions yet. This is the early stage of her ability. She might just be exhausted."

            Another person had been listening to the whole conversation the whole time, and while Lay still talked to the two vampire Lords, he slipped into the room quietly.

            Hana lied down on the bed, pale and weak, much like his condition from before. She was sleeping, like a dead log, like how she would usually sleep. Nothing seemed strange, except for the numbers of bruises and wounds in her body. Seeing her in such a weak state hurt him as well.

            Her pain was his pain. Her joy, his happiness. Her sorrow would be his sadness.

            He'd do anything for her, even if he had to leave his revenge behind and started anew. Sehun had thought about this before, and he had no doubt he should so it now. After all, he was sure his life would be hers from her onwards to whenever eternity allowed them to be.

            Without a second thought and another hesitation, he gave her his blood.

            And with that, he was stripped away from his Fallen identity. He closed his eyes and felt the sudden pain in his body, an effect of the sudden and forceful change. Sehun knelt down to the bed and took one last look at Hana, before falling down to oblivion, alone...

A/N: I'm falling deeper for Kai. By the way... Hopefully.... I can release the second story in the trilogy by early May. I am already working on the third, also.