Seunghyun took a shaky breath. It hurt, his entire body felt like it was ripping apart, but he wouldn’t let it stop him from going further. He needed this to work, Seunghyun had never been the one to just stand by and watch things get done, he had always been self-sufficient, and he couldn’t just back and let Jiyong do all the work. Even if he had to endure this pain, he would do it because he needed this more than anything.

His breath was taken away from the way Jiyong reacted, and Seunghyun wasn’t about to cause more pain by dying during this process. He fell to his knees, panting as his vision blurred and everything around him seemed to warp. He gasped and sharply coughed, covering his mouth quickly as he curled into himself on the ground. With a shaky breath, he looked at his hands and noticed the blood dripping from his fingertips.

It was a lot of blood.

Seunghyun held his stomach, turning from Jiyong in the process because he couldn’t see him cry. He couldn’t handle Jiyong’s emotional pain while he was practically dying on the floor. He needed to stay strong if he was going to survive this, even if he could barely understand what was coming out of him.

It seemed like it was an eternity that this pain kept going on and Seunghyun didn’t know how long he could handle it.

Jiyong turned away from Lilith, and when he saw Seunghyun he wish he hadn’t. He inhaled, swallowing down a cry as he watched Seunghyun writhe in pain. Jiyong wished there was something he could do to calm him, but there was absolutely nothing. He couldn’t even touch him without disturbing the process, Jiyong could only stand there in silence and hope for the best.

He furrowed his eyebrows when he noticed something that was going wrong. He tugged at Lilith’s sleeve and looked at her in a panic, “This isn’t going well,” he warned as he watched Seunghyun cover his eyes with his hands and scream bloody murder. Jiyong almost reached for Seunghyun to protect him, but he couldn’t interfere or it would surely kill him, “Lilith what’s going on.”

Jiyong had never seen this happen and he wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

Lilith shook her head and looked at Phenex who watching everything intently, “I don’t know. You must prepare for him to die Jiyong.”

“No,” Jiyong didn’t want to hear that, he wanted her to say that this was normal, that she had seen this happen hundreds of times.

Phenex placed a hand on Jiyong’s shoulder, “He’s bleeding out of his eyes Jiyong. I’ve never seen that before,” Phenex pondered for a while, “Of course I’ve never seen a person survive this long either.”

There was a bit of hope that spread in Jiyong’s heart that maybe it was supposed to go down this way. Jiyong shuddered, he realized that Seunghyun’s cries would haunt him forever whether Seunghyun lived or died. He was shaking, afraid of the outcome, would Seunghyun even be the same?

“Don’t cry,” Lilith tried to soothe Jiyong, but frankly, she really didn’t know how. It was beyond her reasoning, “This would have had to happen sooner or later.”

Jiyong didn’t want to hear that. Her words weren’t helping him at all and he hoped she wouldn’t say another word or else he would explode in anger. In a way, Jiyong felt as if it was their fault that Seunghyun had to go through with this. Jiyong would have rathered not telling Seunghyun about what was inside. Jiyong didn’t even know what exactly it was.

A few minutes and Jiyong couldn’t take anymore, he was about to leave the room because he didn’t want to hear Seunghyun’s screams not a second longer, except when he turned his back the screams stilled. Jiyong faltered, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to turn around and see what was behind him. If Seunghyun was alive or not, he almost didn’t want to know.

He bowed his head in shame, how could he think that? He needed to know.

Jiyong turned around slowly. He tried to keep his breathing steady as waited for any sign of Seunghyun getting up, but he couldn’t tell, “Is he breathing?” Jiyong whispered, too afraid that if he said it any louder that the answer would be no.

Lilith was too afraid to check, “I don’t know.”

“Seunghyun?” Jiyong took cautious steps toward Seunghyun and knelt beside him. He lowered his ear to Seunghyun’s mouth and waited for the small sign of breath. He held his own, stilling as he waited for the tickle of air against his ear. He quietened, and almost cried out in joy, “He’s breathing,” Jiyong got up, he was now unsure as to what he should do, “Very shallowly though. I don’t know what to do.”

“We wait,” it was the only suggestion that Lilith had, after this, she didn’t know what to do as well.

Jiyong sat down next to Seunghyun and didn’t even turn toward them, “I want to be alone with him.”

“Are you-

“Please go, the both of you.”

Without another word, they left Jiyong alone with Seunghyun. Jiyong sighed heavily when he heard the door shut behind them. He didn’t know how long he would have to wait for some sign from Seunghyun. All Jiyong hoped for was that this wasn’t it. That Seunghyun wasn’t going to stay like this in this shallow sleep. If that happened, Jiyong wouldn’t know how to live with himself.

He buried his head in his hands. Jiyong didn’t want to go through this. He wondered if this was how Youngbae felt when he died?

“Jiyong?”

Jiyong’s head shot up and he looked at Seunghyun, frantically taking in his state, “Are you okay?’

Seunghyun groaned and rolled over. He slowly pushed himself up and blinked slowly. He wasn’t quick to answer as he was trying to figure out his surroundings. His eyes were a bit blurry, and eh wiped them with the back of his hand before turning to give Jiyong a good look.

“Seunghyun?” Jiyong asked, unsure as to why Seunghyun was looking at him like he had never seen him before, “Are you okay?”

“You look…” Seunghyun tilted his head to the side as he took in Jiyong’s features, “Beautiful,” he swallowed thickly. He looked around the entire room and took in his surroundings, he couldn’t describe it, but everything just seemed so clear.

Jiyong blushed and he covered his cheeks with his hands, “Seunghyun, what has gotten over you? And you still haven’t answered my question. Are you okay?”

Seunghyun thought about it for a second, “I feel great, and the pain is gone,” he smiled, “Did it work?”

“I don’t know,” at the moment, Jiyong didn’t care and he couldn’t help but feeling the need to touch Seunghyun to make sure he was real. He reached forward and placed his hand on Seunghyun’s cheek, “!” he jumped back and looked at his hand then back at Seunghyun with a confused look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” he looked at Jiyong’s hand, unsure as to what was going on, “Your hand it’s burned,” he reached out to check it, but Jiyong quickly pulled his hand back and cradled it to his chest. The look Jiyong gave him struck his soul, and he recoiled, hurt, “Why are you looking at me like that? What did I do?”

Jiyong looked down at his hand, “You burned me, I can’t touch you.”

“How, Jiyong tell me,” Seunghyun couldn’t dream of not touching Jiyong, he didn’t understand what this meant.

For the first time, Jiyong noticed it. That fire Seunghyun had within him, it was shining brightly now. His skin glowed, it was … heavenly. Jiyong chewed on his bottom lip, he couldn’t dare to touch Seunghyun because Seunghyun had something in him that no demon could touch.

Jiyong’s heart clenched, he was devastated, Seunghyun was closer to heaven than he could ever be. He took a deep breath and stared at his hand, it was taking forever to heal. If it was a human fire he would have been healed by now, “I can’t touch you.”

“Why not?” Seunghyun just wanted answers, he was confused and didn’t understand.

“An angel must have put its light in you. I can’t touch you now that it’s manifested.”

“But you’re not like other demons, you’re pure.”

Jiyong scoffed and looked away from Seunghyun, “I’m still a demon no matter what. I can’t touch anything holy,” he sneered the jealousy that he had buried in his heart coming out as he thought about his fate.

“Holy? Jiyong I’m far from holy,” he let out a small laugh, but stopped when he saw the look on Jiyong’s face, “Ji?”

Jiyong clenched his jaw, “I have to go,”

“Jiyong!” Seunghyun called out to Jiyong, but he bolted out of the door before he could stop him. He stood up and tried following him, pausing when he realized that he had yet to put his shirt back on. He grabbed it and put it on then made his way to the door. When he looked out at the door he only saw curious eyes that were not Jiyong’s staring back at him. Seunghyun froze, some of the looks began to change into dirty sneers and he couldn’t understand why.

Lilith showed, she was about to guide Seunghyun out of the small building, but retracted her hand in time, “Oh honey,” involuntarily she gave him a dirty look, but then quickly fixed her face, “The glowing white light surrounds you. I should have known.”

Seunghyun tried not to get angry as he looked at the demons around him. He needed to get out of there quickly before someone started a fight. He ignored Lilith and walked out of the building in search of Jiyong. He wasn’t going to let him get away without talking, “Where is he?”

Lilith showed up behind Seunghyun and put her hand on her hip, “Give him space, you have something Jiyong has wanted his whole life.”

“It’s not my fault.”

“No, it isn’t, but we need to talk to Phenex before we go off looking for Jiyong.”

He wasn’t really in the mood to be talking to Phenex, but he nodded his head anyway as he didn’t have much of a choice. He wanted to figure out what was going on with his body before anything else, but he guessed that would have to wait as well, “Fine, we’ll talk to him first.”

Lilith paused, noticing the change in Seunghyun’s voice. She almost swooned, it sounded tantalizing, it sounded like there was some power behind it. She noted that Seunghyun was beginning to be less human as time went on. She gave him a once over then beckoned him to follow her.

They noticed Phenex sitting at a small table outside the building, and Seunghyun sat down first, just ready to get their conversation over with, “Go on, tell us what you know.”

Phenex eyed Seunghyun sizing him up before deciding to speak, “I didn’t think you’d survive.”

Seunghyun narrowed his eyes, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what I said. I thought you were dead, this is intriguing.”

Seunghyun didn’t have the patience for Phenex any longer, he couldn’t listen to him babble. Jiyong was somewhere out there and he needed to talk to him, “Hurry up and tell us what you know.”

“Impatient I see,” Phenex tapped on the table and sighed, “The demons want more. They’re planning a coup on the human world. You see demons loves human indulgences so much they want to take over and take them as slaves, but they need more power to fight the angels. The reason is, the angels aren’t just going to let them take over.

“The demons are corrupting human souls and adding them to their army. Here’s one thing I’ll tell you that you don’t know. They’re almost done building up their army. soon the only thing you can do is fight the battle that will come.”

Seunghyun rolled his eyes, “That isn’t helpful at all.”

Phenex folded his arms over his chest and smirked, “Find the leader and kill him, and you’ll win.”

“So, who’s the guy?”

“You think I know? If I did we’d go and kill him now,” Phenex yawned, “And when I say we I mean you.”

Seunghyun didn’t have much patience for this. He rubbed his temples and thought about what Phenex said, it wasn’t much and he did plan on getting more out of him, but he had to think about it. The demons must have been corrupting souls from somewhere, it couldn’t be random. Seunghyun took a deep breath, “You have to know where the demons are at least corrupting these souls.”

Phenex clicked his tongue and thought about it, “They take masses of souls at a time, so wherever there is a group, there will be demons.”

“Would they be at a party?”

“They could.”

Seunghyun didn’t know much about parties, but he did know of one party that happened every year. People in his little village talked about it like it was some sort of legend. That was because you had to know someone to get in. No one where he had lived ever went, and even if they did Seunghyun wouldn’t have known about it.

The party was nestled in the most grandiose of places and they invited people from far away lands just to attend. He had secretly dreamed of attending one day, but he knew no one would invite a lowly commoner. He gave Phenex a quick glance, this guy was knowledgeable, he should know where it is, but so could Lilith. Lilith seemed like she frequented parties like that, and he was more inclined to ask her than anyone else. The only thing is, he was sure Phenex was keeping something from them.

Phenex should know more than he was telling, but Seunghyun wasn’t sure that he could get it out of him, “Is this all the information you can give us Phenex?” if that was all Phenex could say, Seunghyun deemed this a waste of time.

Phenex pursed his lips, and leaned forward, “If you seek darkness it will find you eventually. Yet only through pure light shall you prevail.”

“What, now you’re speaking in riddles?”

“Well I am a poet, it’s not my best work, but it’ll do,” Phenex stood up and dusted himself off, “Darkness will find you Seunghyun. Only through your purest decisions will everything come to light.”

“What?”

“I have to go, but I’ll be watching to see who wins in this battle,” Phenex turned away from Seunghyun and started walking away.

Seunghyun sighed and turned his back on the man, at least he would be able to find Jiyong. there was some information that was useful to him as well, “Let’s find Jiyong,” he eyed Lilith, “Unless you want to part ways as well.”

“No, I’ll think I’ll stay,” she smiled, “Besides, I know where Jiyong is.”

“And you didn’t tell me why?”

“I told you. He needed time alone,” she pointed in the direction of woods, “He went back there, probably reflecting. I’ll show you, follow me.”

Seunghyun nodded his head and followed Lilith into the woods. It wasn’t long before they found Jiyong sitting by the trunk of a tree, and Seunghyun turned to Lilith to ask if they could speak alone, but she already understood and headed back, “Jiyong.”

Jiyong looked up at Seunghyun and brought his eyes back down to his feet, “Remember that deal we made?”

“The one that breaks at the end of the year?”

“Yes.”

“What about it?”

Jiyong wrapped his arms around his knees, “I thought that maybe you would choose to stay with me, but now I know you can’t.”

Seunghyun sat next to Jiyong, careful not to touch him, and gave him a look full of concern, “Why do you think that? Maybe I’ve changed my mind.”

“It doesn’t matter if you did, you can’t.”

“Why?”

Jiyong clenched his fists and glared at Seunghyun as if he was dense, “Someone like you can’t be with a demon. I can’t even touch you without burning myself. This, whatever it was beginning to be can’t work.”

“But I don’t want to leave you when the year ends,” Seunghyun had an urge to take Jiyong’s hands in his, but he couldn’t, he didn’t want to hurt Jiyong anymore, “We can figure something out.”

“Like what?” Jiyong bitterly said, “Shall we be friends then. Friends don’t need to touch each other. Is that what you want?”

“Friends,” Seunghyun croaked, it was almost impossible for him to say that word. Jiyong was more than a friend to him. He touched his lips while thinking about the few kisses they shared. He wanted to feel Jiyong’s lips against his once more, but he knew he would never have that. Kissing Jiyong had given him the best feelings he had ever experienced in a long time.

“Is that what you want Seunghyun?” Jiyong asked again, sure that even Seunghyun couldn’t fathom such a fate.

“No,” Seunghyun whispered and shut his eyes. He leaned his head against the tree trunk and sighed heavily, “I don’t want that.”

“We’ll have to part. It’s for the better. After everything is through, we’ll say our goodbye’s, okay?”

Seunghyun looked at Jiyong incredulously, “Do you always just give up so easily?”

“There’s nothing we can do. This is my punishment for thinking I can be happy. I gave up my life a long time ago, I don’t deserve another one.”

“Jiyong,” Seunghyun wanted Jiyong to look at him, to see that he didn’t have to hurt by himself. He wanted Jiyong to know that even if they parted he would still morn being without him. If he were to feel this pain of never being able to touch him again, he would rather do it with Jiyong by his side than without him, “You don’t have to hurt alone, don’t you know that?”

Jiyong looked at the burn on his hand, “Could you really stand by my side for an eternity, always just a few inches away from touching?”

Seunghyun gulped, an eternity was a long time. He never realized that being with Jiyong would mean forever. He looked Jiyong in the eye and thought about being without him forever, and the pain in his chest grew more at never seeing him again, than never touching him, “I could be by your side forever, no matter what.”

“Do you really know what you’re saying Seunghyun?” Jiyong was skeptical, Seunghyun had only ever lived a human life, he couldn’t really know what forever meant. He met Seunghyun’s gaze and his breath caught in his throat at the intensity, “Humans don’t really know what eternity is.”

“You told me I wasn’t human anyway.”

“It’s all you’ve known.”

“Why are you fighting me on this?”

Jiyong in a breath and swallowed down his anxiety. He was truly afraid of Seunghyun’s intensity. He was afraid of the whimsical human thought process. Jiyong thought in millennia, but Seunghyun could only possibly think in years. They were fickle, he could change his mind and hate the existence he had with Jiyong, “I don’t want you to feel trapped.”

Seunghyun wished he could wipe the uncertainty off Jiyong’s face. He didn’t know how he could make Jiyong understand that his heart couldn’t let him. He didn’t know what to say, “I would never.”

“You hated me.”

“Not anymore.”

“Would you really stay?”

“I would.”

Jiyong smiled then, a sad smile that spoke a thousand words yet said none. He wanted someone to accompany him in eternity for such a long time, that when Seunghyun proposed it, it overwhelmed him with every emotion he had felt in his long life, “I’m so angry.”

That startled Seunghyun, “Why?”

“Because, why does it have to be this way?”

Seunghyun understood then, “I don’t know.”

Jiyong turned toward Seunghyun, he wondered if this was what Seunghyun had seen of him every day. Seunghyun’s hair flowed effortlessly in the wind, and it framed his face perfectly, Jiyong wondered why he hadn’t noticed that. He scanned Seunghyun’s face, he seemed carved from stone, his every feature. Jiyong had never seen a man as handsome, he wondered if Seunghyun had always looked that way, “I wish to touch you.”

“It’ll hurt you.”

Jiyong hesitated, then he pulled his shirt off and wrapped his hands in them, “Take my hands.”

Seunghyun cautiously held Jiyong’s through the fabric and he chuckled softly, “I guess this could work,” he noticed the look on Jiyong’s face and tried to pull his hands back, but Jiyong held onto him tightly, “Does it hurt?”

“Not enough for me to let go.”

“Jiyong,” Seunghyun warned, “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Jiyong closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath, “Just let me have this.”

Seunghyun wished he could wipe away Jiyong’s tears. He wished he could tell him that the pain he’s gone through would disappear. He wished that he could hold Jiyong and reassure him that he didn’t have to feel so alone, but Seunghyun couldn’t do any of that, “I wish I could take away your pain,” Seunghyun spoke softly, hoping Jiyong knew how much he meant that.

“Seunghyun, you just being here helps me more than anything in the world,” he lowered their hands and pulled away. Jiyong looked at how red his palms were, and sighed, “Even if we’re like this forever. I will gladly take it, because I…” Jiyong paused, “I enjoy being around you.”

Seunghyun smiled softly, “Yeah me too.”