“Tao,” a harsh and raspy voice called out his name.

 

“Master?” Tao threw a questioning look as he walked through those misty woods. It was something like a instinct which lured him forward.

 

“Tao,” that voice called out once again but this time it got more vivid and loud.

 

Tao squint his eyes as he swept away those mist that lingered and blocked his views. The voice continued to call from time to time as he walked forward.

 

“Finally you got here,” that person spoke and this time he was just right in front of Tao.

 

“Master!” as soon as Tao saw him, he knelt down with one knee and greeted him.

 

“It’s okay, stand up,” Master held onto his shoulders and nudged him to stand up so that he could have a face to face talk with him, “it’s a pity that you have to leave our Kingdom.” He sighed.

 

“But master..” Tao paused for seconds.

 

“You know it well on why I could not allow you to return right?” Master questioned.

 

“Yes..” Tao answered disappointingly.

 

Master smiled at what he saw, “I hope that you won’t blame me for what I did to you in the past. You know it would be worst if it was the Devil’s who got the three items right? It was all-“

 

“For our Kingdom good,” Tao cut off his master’s words and finished it for him. He gave him a genuine smile to show that he understood and had forgiven Master.

 

“I’m glad that you understand,” Master returned Tao a wholehearted smile which managed to warm his heart, “I would like to repay you on our Kingdom’s behalf.”

 

“It’s okay, you guys don’t have too,” Tao rejected the offer.

 

“Why don’t you listen to my offer first?” Master had his hand held into the air and stopped Tao’s actions, “I would remove your angel status and remove you from our history book.”

 

Wait, how would that be a payback? It was more like a punishment.

 

“Don’t worry; I won’t take away your eternity life or those supernatural powers that you possessed but only your wings which resembled the Angels. Everything will remain the same expect for your status,” Master said as he laughed at Tao’s half panicked look, “furthermore you could go and fall in love with whichever human you want. There’s no more restrictions for you,” Master finished off his offer and raised his brows.

 

What a great deal Tao got there? It was like the best of both worlds.

 

“Thank you Master,” he still called him Master even though he did not belong to their clan anymore.

 

“I’m truly glad that you still treated me as your Master,” the old man beamed, “this would be a secret between us. No telling anyone, especially Sehun!” 

 

Tao nodded.

 

“Lastly, I hope that you would keep up the spirit of the Angel even if you are not one anymore,” Master grinned as he said out his last command to Tao.

 

“Yes, master!” Tao said and knelt with one knee again.

 

As soon as he finished his sentence, he looked up from the ground. Suddenly, he felt like he was rolling back as everything turned spiral to him. He shut his eyes by instinct to avoid that dizziness. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and saw that familiar ceiling lamp which was hung in Minyoung’s room.

 

He took a look to his left and saw Minyoung who was sleeping soundly beside him. Heck it, he was back to the reality.

 

“Was that a dream?” Tao doubted as he tried to extend those wings out from his back.

 

True that, he could not and it proved that all of that happened just now was not just a simple dream. Happiness overwhelmed him as those thoughts of spending the rest of his life together with Minyoung came hitting to him again and again. Oh how much he wanted to share his happiness with Minyoung that he gave her a tight bear hug?

 

“Argh, what’s wrong with you Huang Zitao?” Minyoung got annoyed as Tao disturbed her sweet dream.

 

No answer.

 

“Zitao.. Can you let go of me for a minute?” Minyoung said softly, “you are squishing me.” 

 

“Opps, sorry,” Tao released those arms that wrapped around Minyoung but still held onto a widest smile onto his face, “you okay?”

 

Tao chuckled.

 

“Yes I guess so?” Minyoung said as she held onto her chest; trying in to take in more oxygen, “why are you so happy in the middle of the night?”

 

“Oh, did someone had a wet dream or something?” Minyoung raised her brows and teased as she landed her eyes onto Tao’s crotch and then to his face again. Well, obviously judging Tao extra hard.

 

The next second, Minyoung felt a hard knuckle fell onto her forehead, “oww..” She whined.

 

“If I really did have that kind of dream then you would be by now, considering the fact that you were sleeping so deadly,” Tao teased.

 

“When do you learn to talk like this? Oh so kingky and dirty,” Minyoung said as she drew circles on Tao’s chest with her index finger. 

 

“Yah, if you continue doing this to me then I might just.. You know?” Tao grabbed onto Minyoung’s wrist and got closer to her ear, “lose control,” he said in all y tone.

 

The thought of Tao losing control and letting out his beast was like woah, the greatest turn on for Minyoung. Just when she allowed her thoughts to go wild, Tao giggled and brought her back to the cruel reality. Tao tittered before draping his arms over Minyoung’s shoulder and held her in his embrace.

 

Oh god, what had happened that caused Tao’s teasing to be upgraded into a whole new level?

 

Instinctively, Minyoung wrapped her arms around Tao’s waist as soon as she landed her head on that firm chest. The sweetest peppermint scent came overwhelming her in just seconds

 

“Remember you once asked me to stay with you forever?” Tao questioned.

 

“I did?” Minyoung found it weird that she could not remember anything. Yes, it was her every time wish but she was certain that she had not said it out before.

 

“You did,” Tao said.

 

Weird, he even had the ability to read Minyoung’s mind?

 

“Listen, from today onwards I’ll be taking up this challenge because I’ve the ability now. There will be no more restrictions for me to love you and there will be no more barriers between us. I promise that I’ll be loving you forever and deep inside my heart you’ll leave me never. Let’s say if one day, in the future you happen take my heart and tore it apart I would still, love you forever. Reason because I, Huang Zitao, promised you to stay by your side forever. Remember what I had said tonight, they’re important,” Tao kissed onto the top of her head as soon as he finished the long confession.

 

Minyoung heard those words and caused tears to circle around in her eyes. Her heart twitched a little. She could not believe that all her dreams and wishes for Tao to come back had all come true. Countless dreams of meeting Tao again; countless dream on how she would be in Tao’s embrace again while hearing him telling her the sweetest confessions in the whole wide world.  She wiped away those tears that nearly fell before she looked up at Tao.

 

“I promise to crave these words into my heart,” Minyoung continued, “and don’t be silly to say things like I would tear your heart apart or something else because I won’t,”

 

Minyong felt those embrace got tighter as Tao placed a promising kiss onto her forehead.

 

Sometimes, Minyoung really do wondered if they were fated to be because Tao was just her ideal; since she was young. She wondered, if he was a present sent from the God to her. She felt bliss.   

 

“Wow, wow, wow. What a touching scene?” another stern hoarse voice spoke which caused Tao to widened his eyes, “I nearly cried.” He sniffled as he said sarcastically and wiped away those imaginary tears at the edge of his eyes.  

 

“Chi.. Chief?” Tao stuttered.

 

“You really disappointed me and your actions disgusted me till the bone,” Chief groaned as he shot Tao a menace glare.

 

Wow, this two old man just chose to come barging into Tao’s beautiful night at the same time; one followed by the other.  

 

“Chief.. I..” Tao uttered as he shielded Minyoung behind him.

 

“Get away, I’m not here to talk to you anyway,” Chief generated a great strength and sent Tao flying off to the other end of the room, “hmm look what a delicious soul we got here?”

 

Chief charged towards Minyoung and gripped onto her neck harshly. He smelt her and onto her skin, “let me get some appetizers before the main course.”

 

At first Minyoung tired to push him away as she struggled but those grips onto her neck was so strong and tight that she was slowly suffocating. Evil butterflies that named fear began to fill up her stomach. The lesser the oxygen she breathed in the rapider those butterflies move inside of her. It was like they were raging and attacking on Minyoung for more oxygen.

 

Chief then began to reach his head towards Minyoung neck and was so ready to sink his teeth into that delicious and tender flesh of hers. That soft and white flesh of Minyoung looked just so inviting to him which caused him to be impatient. He wanted to rip her apart. He could not wait for the scent of those fresh bloods to fill up his nose and the taste of the blood to quench his blood-thirst.

 

He opened up his jaw and plunged his teeth into her neck impatiently.  

 

“Argh!” Minyoung cried in pain. Tears of fear that welled up in her eyes fell and her heart that thumped so rapidly a moment ago felt like as if it had stopped.

 

“Chief! Please, please let go of her!” Tao rushed over and knelt down before him. He grabbed onto chief’s arms and begged. His heart ached so much that he thought that he might just die right away, “Chief please!” He begged once again.

 

“Get lost!” Chief shot a fiery glare in return.

 

Tears flowed out from the edge of Tao’s eyes. He thought he was going to lose her this time. No doubt and for sure he would. He looked at her helplessly.

 

‘No, Minyoung please don’t die.’ He thought as his gazes cried for help. ‘if you were to die, then I will follow you.” He screamed through those eyes.

 

Time control. Just at that crucial moment, Tao was reminded on his power. Frantically, he rose up his hand into the air and stopped the time and individual. Well, he did freeze the individuals but not the blood that oozed out from Minyoung’s neck profusely. 

 

“Don’t die. You better hang in there! I will heal you, right now. Don’t leave me just yet,” he unfreeze Minyoung and saved her from Chief’s paws. Tears still flowed out of his eyes, freely. He held onto her hands tightly and sent warm sensations into Minyoung’s body. Finally, her blood stop oozing out and it helped to dissipate some of the fear in Tao.

 

As seconds ticked by, Tao’s power was starting to lose its effectiveness. Chief’s eyes had started to blink and his fingers were twitching. Slowly, he got back the control over his limbs. He nearly fell forward as his body inertia and the gravity law was playing the game.  

 

“How dare you to use your supernatural power on me?” Chief scowled.

 

“You forced me too,” Tao talked back.

 

“Well, you have learnt to talk back to me didn’t you?” Chief scoffed.

 

“Get away from us!” Tao exclaimed as he pushed him away by combining his inner strength and the strength of those strong winds that he generated, “you owe me. This is what you owe me!”

 

“If you’re talking about the time when you are still an elf, then I don’t give a !” Chief grunted.

 

“Besides that! You owe me! You used me. You forced me to take on this look when I was a devil; you force me to take on this name too. You made me into a Devil who killed mercilessly! I followed your orders and did whatever that I was told. What good had you given me? Nothing,” Tao swallowed his saliva as tears of disappointment damp up his cheeks.

 

“Fine, if you want to take things like this. I got nothing to say. But..” he smirked as he paused, “I’ll let her off and you have to give me a thing from you in exchange.”

 

“What?” Tao asked in fear.  

 

“Since I could not get her soul then I would take away your eternity life,” he narrowed his eyes menacingly, “I wish, maybe, those worthless eternity life of yours could help me on boosting part of my skills.” He taunted.

 

He placed his hand over Tao’s skull and took away his eternity life by force before Tao could even agree to that offer. The moment he did that, Tao thought that he had lost his ability to breathe. Those feelings were just like as if he had submerged into the deep sea that all he breathe in would be just water, well of course at that point of time it was nothing. The surrounding turned silent for a moment for him. He could not hear, speak or move an inch.

 

Tao coughed as Chief released his hand. Oxygen came back rushing into his lungs as he breathed.   

 

“Another insignificant mortal,” the voice of Chief echoed in the air even after he left.

 

“Are you okay?” Minyoung cupped Tao’s face in her hand.

 

“I’m fine,” Tao gave a forceful smile and said, “what about you?” He managed to act like he was alright in front of Minyoung. 

 

Minyoung only nodded slightly as a reply; obviously she was still traumatized by what had just happened.

 

“It’s okay,” Tao gave her faint smile before he caressed onto her face, “everything had come to an end.”

 

That moment, Minyoung lost it. She broke down; completely. “I thought I was going to die.” Those are the only words that she said before she hugged Tao tightly and sob hardly and be speechless for the rest of the night.   

 

“It’s okay, don’t cry. You won’t die if I did not give you the permission,” Tao tried to bring Minyoung’s attention back to him but it was not going anywhere. Well.

 

“Hey, do you think that we should move over to the bed? My hurts by sitting on this hard marble floor,” He patted onto Minyoung’s back softly as he joked. Well a lame one though.

 

He proceeded to carry Minyoung up in a bridal style as he did not get any reply. “Minyoung is a cry baby,” he teased as he walked towards the bed. As soon as he finished his words, a slap landed on his chest. Smile faded onto his face as he knew that everything was back to normal.

 

“You’re a woman but you sure weighed more than me,” Tao joked as he put Minyoung down onto the bed and tucked her in with the blanket.

 

“Yah!” Minyoung whined and tried to hide her smile as she bit onto her lips.

 

Finally you smiled,” Tao said as he snuggled beside Minyoung.

 

“Zitao,” Minyoung called out softly as she allowed her head to rest onto his chest and her hand to be placed onto his stomach. Well, she even got her legs tangled with his.

 

“Yah, I know I’m irresistible but you don’t have to wrap yourself around me like this,” Tao said like as if he wanted her to let go of him but deep down he knew that it was a way of her to find the sense of security she needed and he was glad that he was the one who could provide her with it.

 

“Meh,” Minyoung stuck out her tongue and ignored him.

 

‘Zitao, if only you know how much I needed you in my life and how much the thought of you leaving again scares me off. I love you so much and I hope you know,’ Minyoung thought as she tightened her wrap. She hoped that she could get closer to Tao, so close that there would be no more gaps between the both them.