Today is the final day for MADE tour.

I can't believe its really the end. All the time we spent waiting for Bigbang to have their comeback.

But I'll always be waiting for them.

What about you?

[Dara]

  My head is wrecking. 

  Throat dry, my eyelids fluttered open. My headache feels almost like there's an earthquake going on in my brain; everything seems to be shaking. Consciousness returned to me, bit by bit, pulling me out of the senseless, sightless darkness that I've been in for no idea how long. My sight swirled and I quickly shut my eyes, praying for the dizziness to go away before reopening them. I think I'm about to be motion sick, but then why would I be motion-sick? Where on earth am I?

  My vision focused and I realised that I'm in a small room, enough for only 3 at most. The room seems to moving. I shake away another wave of headache and grabbed the hands of Jisoo, who's sat directly infront of me, face white with the rims of her eyes red. She jumped a little at my touch, and then lifted her big, round eyes up to me. Her lips trembled.

  "What is going on?" I asked, surprised with how small my voice came out. 

  Jiyong was the one that drugged the wine I drank. Why would he? What is he going to do?

  The same, nameless heartache flooded me again, alarming my senses. 

  "Where is Jiyong?" I asked hoarsely. Jisoo only stared at me, her eyes full of tears, further driving in the unsettling feeling that something is very off. 

  I leaned forward and pulled open the purple, silk curtains that made up the door. We were travelling, with a single horse pulling the carraige containing me and Jisoo. I panicked. I don't know anything's that's going on now. Where are we going? Why??? From the sturdy and muscular back of the horse-rider, as well as the armour that he's wearing, which is of the same one as Jiyong's, I knew it must be Sangchul.

  "Stop the ca-" I tried. My voice is simply too weak. I coughed, clearing my throat, and yelled again. 

  "STOP THE CARRAIGE!" 

  Sangchul gave a backwards glance, which confirmed my guess. "I can't, Miss Dara. We're almost near Taeyang now."

  Taeyang??? 

  I slumped back onto my seat, trying to comprehend things and somehow figure everything out. My mind was still in a state of shock when my fingers felt the smooth polished surface of somthing bendy and thin beside me. I glanced down at it. It was a bow and a sack of arrows. 

  Jiyong's bow. 

  I picked it up and held it in my hands. It was the same bow that we played with a while ago. Unknowingly, the pace of my breathing has increased and I felt fear before even knowing why. Why is his weapon not with him? Please don't tell me something is wrong with him. Please.

  Trembling, I unplucked the small piece of paper thats tucked in between the bow string. My fingers were shaking so badly that it became difficult for me to unfold the paper. And when I did, the single line of words almost made my heart freeze.

    If someone comes at you, don't hesitate, just shoot. I love you.​

  "What is this supposed to mean?" I almost screamed out of frustration and fear at Jisoo. Am I crying? Why am I crying? Nothing bad has happened to him. Nothing bad... nothing bad....

  "Young master wants me to pass this to the Crown Prince of Taeyang once we're in his land.. I-" Jisoo cried along with me, pulling out an envelope from the inside of her sleeves. Without a word, I snatched it over and tore the envelope away blindly, ignoring Jisoo's gasp. It's for Soo Hyuk.

Lee,

  Something big is going to happen in the capitol today. The people are uprising. Dal is either going to change, or become worse. 

  I am sending Dara to you. It'll be safer for her to be there, where Taeil cannot reach her for retribution. 

  If I come back, I will take her back with me. If I don't, I know you will protect her like I did.

  I still despise you for using her like that. But I know you're the only other person in this world that will take care of her unconditionally. 

  My hand holding the envelope fell limply to my lap. 

  They are rebelling today. 

  "You promised..." I whispered to myself. Why, Ji? You promised me.

  "The King has Seungri, Miss Dara. Young Master didn't wanted to." Jisoo sobbed quietly. I looked up. He has Seungri? His own brother? Disgust towards Kim Taeil filled me. At the same time, I realise that he wouldn't hesitate to slit Jiyong's throat if he can imprison Seungri who is barely twenty one.

  Jiyong will die. That's why he wanted to send me away.

  "STOP!" I ripped the curtains away and screamed. Why should he decide where I am going? What's the purpose for me to remain in Taeyang if he's gone? 

  Sangchul ignored me.

  Ofcourse, you have everything planned out disn't you? You knew your subodinate would not be soft hearted enough to let me beg him. You know exactly what to do with my resistance. 

  Too bad your cruel plan this time isn't going to turn out like you wished. I thought spitefully, leaning back in my seat. With a hand, I wiped away the tears that had sliced past my face. I stared at Jisoo, who had her eyes on me the whole time, and she dropped her gaze to her knotting hands on her lap, feeling guilty that she had played a part in breaking my heart. My fingers found the smooth polished surface again and closed around it. The other hand slided the letter into my clothes before reaching out for the pack of arrow.

  The time is now.

  I flipped open the curtains aruptly and leaped off the moving carraige. I heard the screams and shrieks behind me before it was cut off violently as I hit the surface. The blow sent in a wave of darkness and the force ripped me away from the original place where I landed, tumbling for a good distance before I was slammed against the gravel. I spluttered, rolling over, my head spinning. I cupped my temples to clear my blurry vision and was greeted with crimson smears of blood when I bring down my hand. I stood up unsteadily to my feet, waves of blinding pain shooting through my body. I realised I must've broke a rib. 

  Thank god it's not my legs. I need them now.

  Sangchul yanked the horse to a stop some distance away from where I jumped and leaped off the horse. Jisoo cried out my name urgently, following tight behind Sangchul who had started to sprint towards me, fear scribbled all over his face. I am in no state to run right now. I staggered a few steps back. The pain was excruiciating.

  I began to panic as they closed in on me. As a last resort, I plucked one of the arrows from the sack and raised the tip to my throat. It's a miracle that I even managed to clutch onto them despite that horrendous fall.

  Sangchul halted his steps immediately and Jisoo gasped.

  "Untie the horse." I pointed towards the stallion. 

  "Please don't do this. I was ordered by the Ice Lord-" Sangchul tried.

  I pressed the tip tighter to my neck. The area of my flesh around it turned white at the force and my skin tore a litle. Red marks began to form.

  Immediately, Sangchul ran back to the stallion, unleashed it from the carraige which is now useless, and led it back.

  Unsteadily, I mounted the straw colored horse with my arrow still tight in my hand.

  "It's not safe for you to go back." Sangchul said futily, his eyes stuck on the piece of broken bone that is pushing against my skin. 

  I gestured for the bow and obediently, Jisoo handed it over. I slung my arrows around my back, ignoring the sharp piercing pain in my lower chest that has now thankfully subsided into dull throbbings and rode off without a backward glance.

  Be alive.

[-]

   The Ice Lord navigated through the chaos outside the palace grounds. The loud metallic clang of the rebellion forces's swords against the palace guards rang out everywhere. Taeil has built a surprising strong army, but they were far too outnumbered. They wouldn't last for long.

  He ducked as a sword swung past where his neck would've been and slashed across the chest of the soldier who almost had him killed. 

  "Prepare your arrows!" The Ice Lord shouted in command at the herd of soldiers behind him. "SHOOT." 

  A formation of arrows soared through the sky, taking down numerous archers on top of the palace walls. The surviving guards disappeared from sight for a brief second before retaliating with fire arrows that rained down upon the scuffling crowd, killing many of their own forces along with the rebels.

  The Ice Lord snarled, grabbing the bow from one of the soldiers before easily taking down the commander of the guards on top of the walls. He would've preferred his own bow. The thought of that reminded him of Dara. By now she should be safely within the territory of Taeyang. He shook his head, clearing his mind. He needs to stay focused now. His priority is to get Seungri out.

  "RELEASE." He hollered again, and the next attack took down almost half of the remaining palace shooters. 

  Behind him, the Northern faction leaders and their troops are slamming against the closed palace gates with giant wooden logs that are tons heavy. The gates creaked omniously, unable to stand the huge pressure from the outside, before it was eventually forced opened. 

  "Charge!" Donghae bellowed, raising his sword. His forces roared in triumph, finishing off whatever remaining resistance that are left outside the grounds before joining in the rebels flooding into the palace.

  "The palace will fall, our men can't hold on any further." A battered lieutenant reported to his King in the greenhouse. With a wave of his hand, the King dismissed him, almost as if he didn't wanted to be disturbed from admiring the beautiful porcelain flowers which he had painstakingly collected for his beloved mother.

  Lady Kim, the Queen Dowager reacted differently. She gave a loud gasp. They have to escape, the rebels would murder them. 

  "It's too late, mother. They are everywhere in the capitol." Taeil said calmly.

  "You!" Lady Kim spat, turning towards the feeble fifth prince that's still chained up behind them. "You knew about this!"

  The youngest prince lifted his tired eyelids. He's dehydrating badly for the past few days. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, but he managed to force his cracked lips into a dry smirk.

  "No, you should've knew this." He answered.

  "You useless child!" The Queen Dowager screeched, now advancing upon her own son. "Look at the mess we are in? You can't even secure your power now that you are a King! How can you be inferior to those lowly mutts out there?"

  Seungri hissed, but Taeil continued to his flowers passively.

  "Are you not ashamed of yourself? Even that child born from a commoner mother is greater than you! All these years that I spent grooming you ended like-"

  But her string of insults were bluntly cut off by the sickly sound of flat metal piercing through the skin. Seungri widened his eyes at the sight before him: The King, who had loved no one but his mother, was grabbing on the handle of the knife that had buried itself deep into the only person he has ever loved.

  The Queen Dowager coughed, blood spluttering out from and onto the white porcelain roses. With the same expressionless face, the King withdrew the metal from his mother's body as she fell, and wrapped his arms around her.

  The Queen Dowager was bleeding out, staring at her son with a look of disbelief and shock towards both his audacity and her certain impending death. 

  "You know, mother, since I was just a child, I did everything you told me to do in order to become someone great. You were never satisfied with me being a mere prince. You wanted a son that could become a King. But I knew I wasn't cut out for that. I knew that I could never become someone like Seunghyun Hyung, and for as long as I live, I would always be lesser in comparison. But I did whatever you wanted me to do. I tried getting father to favor me." Taeil spoke on with his dying mother in his arms, as if remembering a far memory. "You never loved me, but I loved you all the same. Because you're the only one that I could love.

  I knew Seunghyun hyung cared about me. That frustrates me, even as a kid. I knew how much you wanted me to replace hyung. I wanted to hate him so that things would be easier, simpler for me. But he made that impossible. In a palace where I receive little to no attention, hyung was the only one who was ever genuine to me. And you made me poison him." He said bitterly to the woman, who growled. Behind him, Seungri took in the truth with disbelief. "You know what, mother? As hyung died, he touched my face. He never blamed me." Taeil continued blankly, a single tear cutting across his face. "You made me take away the only one who ever cared for me with my own hands, but still I loved you. All I wanted was for you to feel proud for me once. Just once. But you wasn't. You were never satisfied. Not even when I ascended to become the Crown Prince.

  You wanted more. You wanted me to beware of Jiyong. You pushed for more so I pushed father for the throne. Still, it wasn't enough even when I got it. I killed my own father to get what you want. Alas. It wasn't enough. Nothing ever will be. You never taught me how to be a benevolent King that deserves his people's respect, so I wasn't one. You never taught me love, so I never had any for my people. You never taught me how to save people, so I just let my people die. Are you proud of me now, mother?" 

  Lady Kim snarled in a low voice, opening to speak but instead shuddered and went still.

  There was no love for her son. Not even at the end.

  "I'll be right behind you, mother." Taeil whispered, setting the body gently down onto the ground before straightening up. "I'll finish your wishes to get rid of Jiyong first."

  Blood and body were strewn everywhere outside the palace.

  Horrified at the scene before her, Dara hopped off from the horse, gasping at the pain in her ribs that protested against her sudden movement. She don't know if a broken rib will kill, but there isn't time to think about that. 

  In the distance, some fighting were still going on. Dara ran towards them and stopped some yards away to load her bow. She aimed it at two soldiers scuffling directly infront of her line of vision, but unsure of who to shoot, she lowered her bow again. 

  Someone grabbed her hand from the back and she shrieked, turning around, only to see Donghae with a bloody face staring at her in shock.

  "What the ?" He yelled. "What is Jiyong thinking to let you here?" 

  An arrow soared past them, grazing Donghae's cheek slightly as he yanked her away before firing back at the soldier. It struck its target. Donghae pulled Dara behind the wall of the courtyard where the fighting was taking place within. Dara gazed around her blankly. The once beautiful and lavish palace is now trashed and littered with debris. Blood stains were splattered almost everywhere. The face of a dead guy lying near them stared dully at them. It's a living nightmare.

  "Where's Jiyong? He's alive, isn't he?" Dara asked urgently, praying that he isn't somewhere on the floor of the palace like this poor guy infront of them. The bodies were too many to count.

  "Stay here." Donghae commanded. "Move and you'll be dead in a second." 

  He disappeared into the chaos and Dara pressed her back against the wall, trying to ignore the screams of agony and ferosity that were going on in there. Breathing is getting labourious because of her rib. What if the broken bone had pierced her internal organs?

  There was another clang of swords and a muffled yell right on the other side of the wall that made Dara jumped before someone emerged from the other side. Donghae managed to get his brother, who was bleeding in his sides and arms too. The Ice Lord would never dreamt that Dara would be physically be in a place as dangerous as this. Not when he had personally sent her away.

  "DARA!" Jiyong almost cursed when he sees her pale form leaning again the wall in fear. What the hell! She's not supposed to be here! He didn't believe it when Donghae had tore him away from the battle ground shouting in his ears that Dara is here. 

  Dara's head snapped up at the sound of his voice calling her name. Her eyes travelled from his panic-striken face to his bleeding body as heartache gripped her, drowning out the pain from her own injuries. But the fact that he is still alive among the chaos... He is still alive. He is still with her.

  " you, Jiyong." Dara sweared for the first time, bursting into tears. "I ing hate you!"

  "Why are you here?" Jiyong yelled, his chest gripped by the pain from her tears. With a jolt, he realised she's bleeding. Why is she so terribly pale?

  "You want to give me away to Soo Hyuk now?" Dara sobbed, yanking out the letter from the inside of her clothes. 

  Jiyong's face softened and he ran up to Dara and crushed her in his arms. But something was wrong. Dara shrieked in agony and pushed Jiyong away. He stared down and realise that her rib was broken. 

  "What did you do, Dara?" Jiyong whispered in horror.

  "JIYONG!" Donghae screamed from within the courtyard, "SEUNGRI IS IN THE GREENHOUSE! WE'LL HANDLE THIS PLACE! GET SEUNGRI OUT." 

  Hearing that, Jiyong grabbed Dara by the wrist and pulled her along with him. There's no time to send her out now. He can only personally guard her from here. 

  
  The area around the greenhouse was eerily quiet and clean. There was no signs of bloodshed anywhere around. 

  Dara gasped and pointed into the structure, where they could clearly see a figure that is shackled up with his head bowed. Somewhere near him, there was a body of a woman that was laid carefully on the ground, her arms folded neatly across her abdoment, hiding an ugly, fatal wound. 

  "No.." The Ice Lord muttered, fearing for the worse. He took off for the prisoner, easily hacking away the chains that held him in place as the youngest prince collapsed on the floor.

  "Hyung." The fifth prince uttered weakly, opening his eyes as his older brother helped him up without a word, worry scribbled over his face. "You shouldn't be here." He mumbled, before his eyes widened perilously to something behind Jiyong.

  "WATCH OUT." He cried.

  The Ice Lord wheeled around on the spot just as the King released his arrow from the bow from their back. He felt a small nudge and the arrow planted itself straight into his chest.

  Only that it wasn't really his chest.

  He didn't even dare to look beside him. He didn't want to think about the possibility of it hitting anyone else. He found himself frozen, praying harder than he ever did before that the arrow has struck him, but he's just too numb or tired to feel it.

  But god is cold to him.

  Dara glanced at Jiyong's horrified face, and then down at herself. The tail of his arrow is protuding right below her neck.

  God is kind to her. 

  She dropped and only then did Jiyong reacted, catching her before she hits the ground. 

  "Shoot him." Dara whispered. Shakily, Jiyong pried Dara's fingers off his bow and mechanically loaded an arrow. But he was trembling. He was trembling so hard that he couldn't aim. Someone was crying and its too distracting for him to focus. 

  He's the one that's crying.

  Mercifully, his younger brother took his weapon from him and released the string. 

  The King who was never supposed to be finally joined his mother.

  Dara look down at her wound. The blood has turned black.

  "The arrow is poisoned." She said hoarsely. Jiyong felt like he's the one dying instead.

  "You should go." Seungri said softly to the pair, refusing to look at Dara. He knew where the arrow struck. And he knew that time is running out.

  Wordlessly, Jiyong picked Dara up in his arms just as cheers and roars of victory filled the palace around them as one of the rebel caught sight of the King's body. 

  "Goodbye, Seungri." Dara smiled weakly. 

  Seungri looked away, refusing to let his friend see his tears. 

  "I'll find you a healer." Jiyong croaked as he walked on aimlessly, his mind in denial. She'll live. She'll live. She'll live. Things aren't supposed to turn out like this. He's the one that's supposed to die. , he even left her a letter in case he did. She shouldn't be the one being punished. No.

  "Stop, Jiyong." Dara pleaded, knowing that its futile. It's too late. This is the real thing this time. Maybe she is fated to die in Dal like this all along. Maybe its predestinied for her to exchange her life for his, thats why god made this joke out of her to travel all the way into the future. 

  Jiyong collapsed as the inevitable reality crashed down on him, craddling her in his arms. His crying was raw, like the pain was an open wound. The sobs were stifled at first as if he's attempting to hide his grief from her, and then he would break down completely, clutching onto her for support, his whole body shaking. 

  "Don't leave me." He begged. "Please, Dara. Don't die." He pleaded helplessly.

  Her slowing heart managed to ache again at the state of him, and she reached to cup his cheek in her hand. 

  "Kiss me." Dara requested. For the last time.

   Jiyong leaned down and held her lips in his. She could taste the saltiness of her tears and feel the way his lips were trembling on top of hers.

  She didn't wanted to die. She was afriad. What will happen to her after she closes her eyes? She was mortified. But she couldn't break him further with her fears. Maybe she'll tell him about that if they managed to meet again.

  Let's be brave for once.

   "Sink me in that river after I'm gone." Dara said softly, and he broke into another wave of sobs, shaking his head fearfully. 

   "Please." He choked. "You're not going to die." 

   "I know." Dara uttered. Its getting hard to keep her eyes open now. "I'm just sleepy." 

   "Don't, don't fall asleep." He said in despair, holding her close to his chest. 

   She's the only one he ever loves.

   Dara knows that he'll be broken forever after she's gone. Nothing would be less painful for him to forget everything. But she's selfish, the idea of her existence being wiped off completely from Jiyong's life scares her more than what awaits her. "Can you think about me just once in a while?" She asked, her voice breaking for the first time since she was shot as the tears she had tried so hard to hold back ooze from her doe-like eyes.

   "Learn to love other people." Dara said, taking in his scent for a final time. 

   "I would only love you, Park Dara." Jiyong answered.

   Dara breathed out quietly. 

   "Goodbye, Jiyong." She said.

   Goodbye, Dal.

  It was dawn and the fields were barren. Two figures emerged from the distance, one carrying someone else in his arms.  The reached the flowing river, where everything began. He could remember the day he skeptically looked at the woman whom he saved from the river, her body clad in a foreign white dress that became slightly truslucent from the water. Indignantly, she introduced herself as Park Dara and asked for a something called a cab, claiming that they were in Seoul, a place that existed in 2015.

  She became the love of his life.  

  His heart was empty. Nothing but numbness pounded against his brain. The tears that had flowed unchecked from his eyes now became non existent in his barren mortal shell. The sheer nothingness that had grabbed onto his soul the moment he knows her heart had stopped beating threatened to engulf him completely. He look down at the pale girl who seems as though she is peacefully asleep. His knees buckled and he sunk them into the soft earth by the river bank.

  It was her wish to make this her resting place.

  He leaned his forehead against hers for the last time and gently, he released her into the river.

  Almost as if even the water is feeling sorry for the ill-fated couple, the rapid flows softened down immediately and guided her carefully to its bottom.

  A hand clasped onto Jiyong's shoulder.

  "Maybe she's finally back in the time where she truely belongs to." Seungri mutters.

  He said nothing, stating blankly at the river. She's long gone from view.

  Goodbye, my love.

I'm sorry.

Its cruel, but I have to.

Rest assured, there's still a last episode. 

Might be next week, might be two weeks later.

Last time for you to leave comments!

Forgive my spelling mistakes or typos.

At this stage of the story, I'm so grateful for you guys.

There is no story without readers. No tales can be told without anyone listening.

I love you guys.

-authornim