Wide smooth roads paved with white stone, glittering buildings of marble and glass, trees trimmed to a similar height lining both sides of the roads and hordes of people dressed in monochrome colors rushing on foot or in public caravans to where ever their work may be. This was the scene that greeted the group from Woollim as they passed through the tall silver gates into the capital city of the Empire. There was one thing that was missing in the capital, there were no signs of police or soldiers patrolling the streets. The Empire's confidence in their power was obvious. However what the team noticed about the people was that even though they looked fit and almost uniformly good looking, their eyes told a different story. There was no spark of individuality, they were like ants rushing about doing work that were not their own ambitions.

A few officials met them and directed them to large stately guest house where the Viceroy and the team would stay the night. The meeting with the Emperor and his advisors was scheduled the next morning at nine. Dinner was extravagant, every item the most expensive from the countries that the Empire had conquered. They were served by an army of servants. That night, the team slept in luxurious beds but sleep did not come to them easily. They were a little tense knowing what they had to do the next morning and what it meant for their country. Slowly, one by one, Sunggyu and the men drifted to sleep. In a grand suite, the Viceroy was also slow in going to sleep. Not because he couldn't but because he was performing a ritual to call something or rather someone.

"Chocolates! Who'd ever thought chocolates would be the main ingredient to call this nasty creature!" chortled Young Min, the Viceroy. He was bent over a small pot boiling in the elegant fireplace in his suite. "Right, looks nice and thick! Come out my dear, your master awaits!"

In the center of the suite, a slim feminine figure dressed in a long gauzy silver dress oozed out of a white circle drawn on the floor. With large eyes like a doe but cold as the deepest abyss, a chin sharp enough to cut ice and long black hair, Doyeon stood rather haughtily and gave the Viceroy a cursory glance.

"You, old man, deign to call me? The loveliest and fairest of all fallen angels? Speak before I cut your throat with a swipe of my nails!"

"My dear, please do calm down. I have the greatest prey for you! A pure angel to burn!"

"A pure angel to burn? Old man, I've already done that many times over! Quick, my patience is running thin!" snarled Doyeon as she took a step forward in her circular prison with her sharp fingernails stretched out.

"Now, now, my dear, this Tenshi is precious I can tell you that! One of the most ethereal ever seen! Even with my magic, I could only steal a glance at him but upon my soul, never have I seen such beauty! Sungjong is his name."

The fallen angel who was looking more and more angry at every mention of the pure angel's beauty started when hearing his name.

"Sungjong? Did you say Sungjong? Where is he now? He will burn alright! I've been wanting to get at him the moment I first laid eyes on him! The most painful death ever, I promise you that!!"

Even fallen angels get crazily jealous over petty things, huh, smirked the Viceroy. She is so vain, she must have found Sungjong's beauty unbearable. But I can't let her go spoiling my plans now. The Tenshi may need to help those poor fools finish the main event.

"Patience, my dear, your time will come tomorrow when I call upon your name. Till then, upon the sacred dark rites, I command you to give me your vow!"

The fallen angel pouted and mouthed her vow.

"I, Doyeon, do swear to do your bidding till the Tenshi Sungjong is no more. Now give me my chocolates while I waste my time here!"

The Viceroy grinned and spoke a few words under his breath. A collar of dark leather wound around Doyeon's neck and dark leather bracelets also appeared around both her dainty wrists. As Doyeon walked free of the circle on the floor, the Viceroy stood aside to show a huge open chest filled with chocolates of every shape and size. Giving an unearthly shriek, Doyeon dove into the chest, her teeth elongated as she ripped through the chocolates with glee.

What a horrible twisted creature, thought the Viceroy, I'll be glad when she's done her job and leaves. Well time for bed now yawned the Viceroy as he turned towards the luxurious four poster bed in his suite.

The early rays of the sun bathed the capital city in gentle golden light as the citizens woke up and rushed to their work places again. Sunggyu was outside the guesthouse, fully dressed and his horse saddled ready to leave. He was silent as he looked at the other members of the group. All the men were quiet, their eyes serious, they had accepted that they may not get out of this alive. Sunggyu patted his right pocket where Jungyeop his hamster was curled up asleep. Glancing up, he saw Sungjong flying slowly bright and white against the azure sky. He took a deep breath and got up on his horse and with a soft nudge, his horse started to trot smartly forward. The men signalled their horses to follow while and the carriage carrying the Viceroy and the wagon with the tribute to the Emperor trundled behind them.

Twenty minutes later the team was in front of the towering grand doors of the First Official Audience Room of the Imperial palace. They had gone through seven different entrances leading to seven different courtyards to finally reach these doors. The doors were guarded by a troop of a hundred Imperial guards dressed in gold armor and holding gleaming swords. The Viceroy had whispered to Sunggyu that the Imperial soldiers would not go into the room but were there just for show. 

The captain of the Imperial guard commanded all of them to leave the horses, carriage and wagon. Entrance through the doors was only on foot. Fortunately the men were allowed to pull the statues on wheeled wooden pallets provided by the guards. All of them were searched for weapons and finally given the go ahead. There was a loud sound of pulleys and chains and the grand doors to the audience room were slowly opened.

Sunggyu and the rest of the team walked through the entrance into a wide bright gleaming hall lined with tall gold and marble pillars, The ceiling was so high that they could barely see it . Above them, the Tenshi had flown in and was hovering high among the many tall pillars of the hall. At the far end of the hall was a high two level dais with six figures seated on the second level of the dais while one person sat on a grand throne in the center of the first level. 

The team could feel the power emanating from the central figure. They stood still not knowing what to do next. Then a low guttural voice spoke, echoing in the hall.

"Come forward, do not be afraid. You are all citizens of the Empire, and thus under Our protection."

The Viceroy started to walk towards the dais with his head lowered and Sunggyu and the men followed behind also with their heads lowered, their bootsteps and wheels of the wooden pallets the only sound in the vast hall. Behind them, the pulleys and chains started to move again and the grand doors were closed shut.  Sunggyu and his team were now shut off from the world outside. Finally the walk ended and they were within ten feet of the dais.

The Viceroy gave a grand flourish and looked at the Emperor. A huge smile broke out on his face. The six advisors seated below the Emperor looked expectantly at the Viceroy,

"Your Imperial Majesty, it has been my dream to be in your presence! Honestly, I've dreamt of this every night!"