There was fire in the middle. Hot. Burning. Flame.

            And music. Soothing, soft music that changed into a faster one. The gifted musicians had it played by the fire. Just so that everyone would hear and enjoy the night. At first they sang of the tragedy that happened  the wars, the deaths. Then it changed to a happier one, gradually. They sang of joy, love, greatness and longing.

            People were dancing intimately against each other, drown in passion. The night was still long. The moon was watching. There were stars. No sign that violence had once occurred and was about to happen again.

            As usual, the Faery Kings and Queens were nowhere to be seen. Sometimes Hana wondered if they were really present. She had never seen them, not even in the meetings, because Kyungsoo and Suho were the ones to represent the Court.

            They both sat by the fire, in different spots. Suho sat close to a man, whom she recognized as Hanbin. Kyungsoo seemed gloomy, as he always was, with a woman by his side. His mate, maybe, but somehow, he didn't seem all thrilled and happy to be with her. Junhong sat near him, occasionally throwing odd remarks and earned a very satisfying scowl from the Unseelie Prince.

            "This kind of thing is nerve wrecking, isn't it?"

            Sitting by her side was Ara and Sehun. The girl talked to her, in a hushed, low voice. Her eyes were fixated to the fire, reflecting the reddish orange color that danced so beautifully in heat.

            "Why is it nerve wrecking?" Hana asked back, not quite understanding what she meant. Ara's back straightened, showing her perfectly lean body. There was something about her that seemed so unworldly, felt so irreproachable.

            "Everyone's on the edge tonight. It's like... Saying goodbye, but not verbally," Ara felt the thick tension in the air. They were enjoying it, but at the same time, they weren't. "What a beautiful goodbye, isn't it?"

            Hana wondered what she could have really meant. Was there a goodbye that was beautiful? For Hana, herself, she refused to say it out. She didn't want to bid goodbye. The future was bleak, but as long as there was hope, she wouldn't say it.

            "Say... What would happen if the war ended and we won?"

            Ara suddenly looked a little bit doubtful. She never showed any extreme emotion in front of people before. But this time the hesitation looked very obviously written in her face. "We'll go out separate ways. Rebuild the clans. Reestablish the laws and treaty. The same ol' thing. Nothing changes much since the last war."

            "Wars, it's the same every time, isn't it?" This time, it was Sehun who replied.

            "Wars, they just never end," Ara agreed to him. "You'll get used to it, Hana. I'm going."

            Without another words, Ara stood up and walked away, her white satin dress swayed away. The Faery pulled a thin hood up to cover her face and avoided the stares from most. She didn't like it when people stared. Besides, as a neutral Court between the Seelie and Unseelie, she liked to keep her face a secret.

            "I drove her away," Sehun chuckled a little. Hana shot him a confused stare and he returned her with a knowing look. "It has been no secret that Ara dislikes guys."

            Hana gaped, but wasn't that surprised to hear it. She had had friends who were homouals, and they were just as humane as everyone else was. She didn't know why people made a big deal out of it. If Ara was really one like them... "She's... She's lesbian?"

            Sehun suddenly laughed out loud, ruffling Hana's hair affectionately. She mirrored his gaze with one of her own. The fire sent heat to their cold bodies, warming them up a little. It took him a little while to stop laughing, and for her to stop smiling, "That's not what I mean. Ara is perfectly straight. She just feels uncomfortable around males. It's the same for all female Faeries from the neutral Court."

            Hana breathed in relief. So Ara wasn't like what she thought to be. She was just cold towards guys. Well, that was understandable. Hana was the same before she met Sehun. Maybe Ara was just waiting for the right person to break the ice barrier.

            "It's nice to see you laugh like that," She held his cheeks, as she gazed up at him softly with a smile of her own. There was something about her smile that he loved so much. Because it reminded him of her innocence, of her love of freedom, of affection and youthfulness. Her eyes held twinkle of their own. "You should really laugh more often."

            "And you should hold me more often," Sehun sighed and enjoyed her warm touch on his soft skin.

            Hana bit back a smile from her face. She was contented, happy, satisfied. When she pulled away, Sehun offered her his hands, just like how he did, in the announcement ball a month before. It was also the first night she realized that what she felt for him might have been a little different from what she thought before. And here she was, tonight, still with him, watching the fire burning. Together.

            "You know it brings back memories," Hana chuckled and let him pull her up into a dance. She didn't know how to do it, but she knew Sehun would guide her through, just like before. "When you asked me to dance just like the first time."

            Sehun hummed and leaned in closer, until his lips touched the tip of her hair, and she could hear his heart beating against hers. There were no words needed at the moment, and it wasn't like both of them wanted any.

            The singer sang with lyrics Hana couldn't quite catch. She did, however, hear words like kisses are roses. The touch of a lover could be the most lethal weapon, the most dangerous poison for one. The young girl couldn't agree more. One touch from Sehun would make her beg for more. More of him, more of his kisses, more of his smile and laughter...

            Sehun's soothing voice whispered to her ear, and she thought of nothing else. She was drown in dreams she didn't want to wake up from. No duties, no wars, no clans and Elders to hold them back. She had made her decision for everything once the war ended. For now, no one depose needed to know but herself and Kai.

            "What if we were attacked tonight?" She asked, murmuring. "What would we do?"

            "I'd protect you, like always," He replied, with the low, husky tone Hana had always liked. He seemed too good to be true. He was the type her father had always warned her about: handsome and devilishly sweet. She rested her head against his neck, breathing in his scent, almost too tempted to take a little bit of his blood. She'd tasted him before, and he tasted much, much better than anything else. No pun intended.

            "How long will always be?" She mumbled feverishly, her skin burning under his touch.

            "I can't tell you something I don't even know of," he held her strongly, yet gently. The dance continued for a few more songs. Hana hoped this wasn't their last night. The thought of it sent shudders. No, she wanted to have a longer time with him. "I am not the guy who can promise you the world. I can't promise you the best of everything."

            "I don't need you to promise me those things," Hana looked up expectantly, "I just want you to stay with me through everything. For the better or the worse, I want to be together with you through it all."

            "I wouldn't," He in a deep breath and stared at the stars. Nothing could describe what he felt right now. He was a little bit breathless, a little bit nervous. "I won't, Hana. I will be with you till death comes for me."

            Hana chortled, coughing hard while trying to regain her composure. Sehun smirked knowingly and patted her back to make her feel better.

            "Is that a vow? That sounds awfully sweet," Hana frowned a little, "I don't tend to trust sweet words from others, unfortunately."

            "You don't have to," Sehun put his fingers between her brows and pulled it apart to ease the tension between them. The two were still standing in the middle of dancers, all enjoying themselves and absorbing the music and warmth from all around. "You don't have to trust my words until I prove it to you."

            Hana finally smiled a bit, relaxing a little. She was always so tense, always in alert to her surrounding. She didn't trust a lot of people, but when she did, she scared even herself, because she would put her everything to that person. And giving away everything always scared her so much, because it took away pieces of her soul.

            "I will see to it, Sehun," she said in a contented smile and put her arms around his neck.

                                                                                    ***

            "What did I tell you?" Not far from the gathering, in the battlefield a few days ago, stood six figures, and behind them, countless Forsakens piled in endlessly. They saw smoke rising from the middle of the forest, up to the air, and smirked in delayed victory.

            "They uphold tradition well, they won't miss their night before war together," Soohyun stood last in line, but when he spoke, everyone listened. Such was his power and charisma. He spat, "Those fools. Enjoying their nights before their deaths. Too bad, it will end as soon as it comes. And tomorrow morning, they will be no more."

            The oldest Elder, Jung Jinyoung, nodded beside him, and silenced the Forsakens with a wave of his hands. He wanted this to be a surprise attack, so that their enemies wouldn't be prepared. "Tomorrow, your main bloodline will be no more..." He muttered to Soohyun. The sentence was not meant as an insult, but rather, a harsh reminder.

            Soohyun couldn't careless and shrugged, "And I will take another from my family. I have grandsons, not just one." His nonchalant attitude about his family was what made him even scarier. "You just have to spare the girl and Kim Jongin. You can kill the rest of them."

            Cheers erupted from the back and when their leaders disappeared, moving so fast to the front, the Forsakens followed suit. The war was about to begin...