"Dara..." Soo Hyuk breathed out, stupefied.

  Dara's eyes widened upon the sight of Soo Hyuk. He froze, his heart thumping like a wild deer inside him as his body became rigid with a rush of fear. He remained motionless as she whispered his name.

  "Let him go." Dara managed to say after a moment, her voice trembling at the sight of her friend being in such a dangerously close proximity with the head of the opposing leader. "He can't fight..." She added in a small whimper, more to herself than as a plead to the enermy. 

  "Dara..." Soo Hyuk whispered again.

  The Taeyang prince raised his brows. He can't fight? He chuckled, and Dara turned her fear filled eyes to him. 

  "He can't fight?" The Taeyang Prince laughed loudly. There was a flash of silver and he drew his sword, positioning it straight at Soo Hyuk's neck. 

  Dara gasped and struggled blindly against the iron grips of the guards. Soo Hyuk glared at his brother in hatred, but he remained motionless. He didn't think he had the courage to let Dara know the horrible truth, the terrible person that he is.

  The Taeyang Prince casted his sword aside and kicked Soo Hyuk in the guts. He stumbled back and fell over, groaning silently while crutching his stomach. "He can't fight." The Taeyang Prince repeated, this time ruthlessly yanking the defenseless man up from the ground before swinging a fist at him, which hits him stright in the face, splitting open the side of his lips. 

  "No..." Dara watched in horror as Soo Hyuk absorbed the trauma. Swallowing the pain, he kicked his way slowly back to the surface, struggling to stand up straight. Dara eyed the sword lying near her feet. It's be stupid for her to try anything, but at any moment that devil is going to grab the sword and finish Hyuk. 

  "What are you doing, not fighting back..." The Taeyang Prince  mumured in curiosity and thrill as he sent his younger brother down again with another elbow hit in his diaphragm. Soo Hyuk doubled over on the ground, gasping as he struggled for air. That's enough fun for the Taeyang Prince as he decided to finish what he had to do now. There's no way he'll let Lee Soo Hyuk live past tonight with his successful attack. He will not be returning to Taeyang to share or even, steal, his glory.

  "There's no fun now." The Prince smirked at his brother on the floor, who was too in pain to hear what he was saying. The prince turned around and strutted to his sword lying not too far from him, smirking at the terror-striken face of the woman who was dressed in a male outfit. Looks like his tiny brother found himself a pretty Dal girlfriend. As a hyung, he should be able to grant him the favor of dying infront of someone he loves, shouldn't he?

  Dara's eyes darted between the Prince and Hyuk, who was lying limply on the ground, and then towards the sword by her feet. She chewed the inside of her cheek nervously as the devil bend down, and swiftly, she kicked the sword away. 

  The prince froze, and then striaghtened up with a small curve hanging on his lips. Dara swallowed, trying her best to look as fearless as she could manage. The Prince sneered and grabbed her cheeks in one hand, startling her. 

  "This woman looks alright." He commented, tilting her face from side to side. Dara cringed in disgust. This devil is touching her with his blood stained hand? "Bring her back to Taeyang. I want to personally.... tame her." 

  Dara spat on his face.

  Enraged, the prince grabbed his sword and raised it. Just as he was about to hack it down, an arrow struck the sword directly at its tip, sending it flying backwards where it landed again on the ground with a loud clang. Dara gasped, feeling her legs growing weaker by the second as the chill paralyzed her. The Taeyang prince stumbled a few steps behind and looked up at the ledge where the arrow was sent from, but the archer was already no where to be seen. He turned back towards the girl just in time to see the throat of one of his men being slit. 

  The Taeyang soldier that was holding one of the girl's shoulder sunk to the ground as he bled, and the other one staggered back, his hand still on the girl, to reveal the assailant, the one whom the Taeyang Prince was waiting for. The Ice Lord.

  Shaking, Dara slowly glanced outside the gates of the residence, where a small river of blood was steadily oozing into sight. She snapped her head back to Jiyong, who was standing with his hand gripping tightly on his sword. On his blood smeared face, his expression was emotionless, and his eyes had the shutters that Dara had not seen for a long time drawn down on them, masking anything but a cold, hard fury and a thirst for blood. 

  He had single-handedly killed all the Taeyang soldiers stationed outside. 

  At a stalemate, the Taeyang Prince made the first move by leaping towards his sword. The Ice Lord reacted almost immediately, and flicked his sword mercilessly at the weaponless prince. The Prince was a little faster, though, managing to avoid what would have been a fatal slash, suffering a cut on his arm.

  The latter picked his sword up from the ground just as the Ice Lord sent his down, and a blinding spark was created as the blades connected. The two alternated between using their fists aimed to torture, and their swords aimed to kill. The Taeyang Prince was no match for the highly skilled Ice Lord, earning himself numerous wounds. The Ice Lord was very technical, very precise, and very very focused. It was as if he is a mechanical robot programmed to kill, slashing and attacking in a monotone manner. The Taeyang wheeled away from the Ice Lord as he clutched his bleeding arm. While the Ice Lord is focused, he seems keen to keep the combat at this side of the yard. The Taeyang Prince glanced darkly at the other side where the Ice Lord was avoiding, and was met with the Dal woman's fearful face that lingered on the Ice Lord.

  The Taeyang Prince grunted and without warning, charged towards Dara, who gaped at the spontaneous attack. She drew her face back just as the Ice Lord managed to deflect the devil's sword, grazing Dara's forehead in the process, where a small slit opened up and bled. She screamed, the blades being inches away from her face, and Jiyong winced at her horror-filled voice but kept his eyes away from her. He needs to stay focused.

  The Ice Lord forced the Taeyang Prince away from the pair, soldier and woman, to a safe distance. The surviving soldier collapsed on the ground in terror, dragging Dara down with him as he muttered incoherently. He quickly scrambled to his feet and yanked Dara up by her collar, covered , and dragged her out of the residence to the boarders where more of his people are at where it would be safer.

  The Ice Lord was momentarily distracted and the Taeyang Prince managed to stab him in the sides. The Ice Lord stumbled, but he was experienced enough to deal with wounds like this. Regaining his focus, he side-stepped away from another one of the Prince's piercing and aimed his sword at the latter, but it was deflected as well. '

  On the ground, Soo Hyuk coughed and spluttered, regaining his senses. Everything around was swirling and blurry, and he didn't know what was going on until the sight of the two combating men focused into his sight. 

  The Taeyang was losing his stance, and the advances from the Ice Lord became more tightly-knitted and overwhelming. He was retreating and the Ice Lord was attacking. In a brief second of struggle, the Ice Lord plunged his sword into the chest of the Taeyang heir, piercing his lungs. The Taeyang Prince blinked at the shock for his defeat before his knees gave way and he slumped to the ground. 

  The Ice Lord stared at his dying opponent without remorse or pity, and his opponent stared back with equal hatred.

  "For all the innocent people you slayed outside," Jiyong spoke in a hard voice, breathing heavily, his finger limply pointing at the blood and fire-bathed city outside his house, "I won't kill you. You're done anyway. Do some reflecting before you go."

  The Ice Lord turned around, clutching his bleeding side and left the residence. He had to find Dara now.

  The Taeyang Prince coughed up blood as Soo Hyuk got on his feet. He walked towards his older brother in a trance and picked up his sword along the way. 

  "Help me." The Taeyang Prince guggled.

  Soo Hyuk shook his head.

  "You used me to kill all those people." Soo Hyuk said, his voice bitter and armed with hatred. "You betrayed me."

  "Help me, you rotten bastard!" The Prince shrieked in agony, unable to move.

  Soo Hyuk didn't answer and stared numbly before piercing his sword straight into the heart of the Prince, ending his suffering.

  "You made me this way." He said to his dead brother's body.

  Her assumption was right. All the Taeyangs outside guarding the gates to Jiyong's house were dead.

  Dara couldn't make a coherent sound, and her yells were muffled as the surviving, terrified soldier dragged her along. The sight of the streets and the marketplace was horrible. It looked like the kind of nightmarish hell that no one would want to recall. Fires were mostly burnt out, leaving behind not only charred black building but terribly disfigured bodies. The dead were strewn across the ground, their bodies mutiliated. Women huddled together, some stripped of their clothes and others visibly dishonoured. Dara felt the strength from her body drain out as she watched what had become of this usually lively town in silent horror. The depth of human evil has no end, and no matter how many apocalypse humanity has to go through, this evil remains. 

  "Move faster." The soldier snarled, yanking his hand away from Dara when he felt a drop of moisture. 

  Dara glared up at him with tearful eyes that were filld with hatred. "Terrorists. Devils." She whispered hoarsely.

  "Terro-what?" The soldier blurt, bewildered, but decided against speaking to this Dal. "I said move, wretch."

  Dara kept her eyes down-casted as they passed through the town and into the outskirts of the Fire City. Not even the impoverished villages there were spared. 

  They reached the boarder lines, where an undispatched Taeyang troop stood waiting for further instructions from the Taeyang Prince. Their order was to attack and trample whatever that was left of the city should anything happen to the Prince or their soldiers. 

  "What' this?" The commander of the troop asked the soldier, who pulled Dara over.

  "His Majesty wants this woman back in the palace, sir." 

  The commander surveyed the girl. "Well then, she would-"
 

  "Let her go." 
 

  Dara looked up in shock at the voice. The Ice Lord dragged his feet foward, his bow raised, but badly shaking. There was something dark colored oozing out from beneath his armor and Dara gasped. Blood! 

  The commander sneered and without warning, grabbed the crossbow from one of his men and fired at the same time Jiyong responded and released his arrow. Jiyong's shot missed the target and the arrow from the crossbow buried itself deep into Jiyong's thighs. He grimaced as Dara took a step forward, only to be yanked back by the Taeyangs. 

  Jiyong glanced at Dara, who was staring at him with a horrified expression, her eyes round with fear and tears. Their eyes met and Dara shook her head furiously. Just go. In this state you'll get yourself killed futiley. 

  There doesn't seem to be any backup arriving for them. Jiyong thought bitterly. Of course, the other provinces wouldn't care any less for a poor town like this. He gazed at Dara again, agony flaring from his eyes. The sight of her being in the hands of those babarians hurts a thousand times more than the stab wound or the arrow in his leg. It feels like someone is pressing a steaming hot iron against his chest. His vision is getting blurry occasionally, and he saw her sob before his sight swirled again. He shook his head to clear his vision and in a daze, he raised his hand as if wanting to reach out to wipe away her tears and fight away her fear. Dara widened her eyes and parted her lips. He didn't seem like he'll make it. Jiyong was swaying slightly on his feet already. Blood was still draining from his sides. 

  Jiyong regained his senses and dropped his hand to load his bow.

  "Courting for death." The commander growled and raised the crossbow again, but he caught sight of something from far. His eyes popped and he straightened up, blinking dumbly in disbelief.

  Soo Hyuk walked straight past Jiyong with a body in his hands and towards the troops. He set the body on the ground to the gasps and whispers of the Taeyangs. Dara watched on in confusion. 

  "It's over." Soo Hyuk announced, and the commander raised his weapon at Soo Hyuk in anger. "The crown prince of Taeyang is dead. Let the woman go." 

  "Do you want to die, young man?" The commander snapped, his face pale with the sight of his master's body. "Who are you to be so insolent?" He turned over to the soldiers. "The Great Crown Prince has fallen! We will spill every drop of blood in this city to avenge his majesty and fulfill his final orders!" The commander yelled in a trembling voice, and the Taeyangs roared, stabbing their spears and swords in the air.

  "NO!" Soo Hyuk bellowed, the authority and menace in his voice silencing the Taeyangs. Dara felt a chill run through her body as she watched on with a mixture of terror and disbelief. The Hyuk now and the Hyuk earlier on in the mansion all seems so different from the Hyuk she knows.

  "The Crown Prince is dead. I am the younger son of the Great King of the Taeyang Kingdom." Soo Hyuk announced in a loud, clear voice. He paused, glancing at Dara, who was staring at him incredulously, the blow of his confession evident on her face. There was a flash of pain on Soo Hyuk's face but he composed himself and turned back towards the Taeyangs, who were in equal confusion and shock.

  "I, am the Crown Prince of Taeyang now. Anyone that disobeys my command will be met with death. Retreat." 

  "How- How can we verify that?" The commander asked, but his tone of voice had became much politer now, as he avoided looking at Soo Hyuk's eyes.

  Soo Hyuk didn't answer him. Instead, he opened the front of his robes to reveal a small, sun shaped tattoo.

  The soldiers gasped and knelt before their new Prince.

  Dara felt her legs go weak as she collapsed on the ground. That mark.... she had seen it in the bath house, and he had claimed that it was a birth mark. Soo Hyuk helped her to her feet silently, and she stared at him with no words but tears rolling down her cheeks. She remembers that night when he asked for her forgiveness after he forcefully kissed her. That night, she told him about the ball in the capitol. About Jiyong not being in town. It was like a puzzle slowly fixing itself together. There shouldn't be any other way that the Taeyangs would catch wind of it.

  "You told them about the ball?" Dara whispered, as Hyuk helped her to where Jiyong was. Soo Hyuk was silent. Dara felt a small part of her burn away and die. She has a part to play in the death of all the people behind them.

  "You were lying to me all along?" Dara asked in a hoarse voice. All the stories about her father being a Taeyang and her mother a Dal, they were all lies.

  Silence.

  "You approached me to try and get information about Jiyong?" She sobbed, and Soo Hyuk stopped in his tracks.

  "Initially, I did- but then as time passed by I-" He started, his voice almost pleading as he gripped Dara's shoulders but he stopped as Dara let out a soft cry.

  She's so stupid.

  Soo Hyuk stared as she sobbed, his insides withering as he stood helpless. 

  "I told you not to trust me..." He whispered, and another cry escaped Dara.

  The Ice Lord grabbed Soo Hyuk's shoulder and pulled away the clothes covering his shoulder to reveal a fading scar.

  "You are the arsonist. I remember where I shot." Jiyong said quietly. Dara looked up, her swollen eyes casted towards Hyuk's shouders, and suddenly everything made sense.

  Why he looked so sick and pale the day after the towers were dow. Why he reacted so suddenly when she playfully hit him across the shoulders. Why the eyes of the arsonist looked so familiar. Why the arsonist had spared her and escaped instead of finishing his job.

  They all ing made sense now.

  "Dara-"

  He was using her all along.

  "Dara-"

  She let the wolf into the yard.

  "Dara!" 

  Her fault.

  "Dara!" Soo Hyuk yelled, grabbing her shoulders as she snapped back to reality, suddenly gripped with a burning sensation in her lungs. She was hardly breathing. "Dara-" Soo Hyuk began in concern.

  "Let go of me." Dara choke out with difficulty, struggling weakly against his hold as his eyes were clouded and unclouded repeatedly.

  "Dara-"

  "Don't touch her!" Jiyong snarled, punching Soo Hyuk across the mouth. The impact sent him to his knees with blood on his lips. Jiyong cupped Dara's cheeks in his hands, forcing her to look at him. A sharp pain shot across his sides and he gasped softly, but ignored it. "Hey, hey, look at me, look at me." Dara forced her eyes away from Soo Hyuk and focused on Jiyong's panic-stricken face. "Breathe, Dara, breathe."

  Dara complied, drawing a long breath which seems to burn through her windpipe. Her vision clouded again, and she collapsed.

I spentthe whole night writing this. it'll be really nice

if you could leave me some comments and upvotes.

Meanwhile, what happened in Paris, Seoul and 

many parts of the world is very upsetting.

My prayers are with everyone affected,

as well as the hopes for a better world.