“Let go of me! Let go!” Haneul demanded angrily as the winged stranger whisked her further and further away from the towering cliff where Baro and Gongchan were bitterly battling one another. The last image that the flustered girl had glimpsed was the furious angel seconds away from killing the distraught demon where he stood, howling Haneul’s name as the strange kidnapper bore her away into the night. She was utterly terrified of the possibility that Baro had never seen the blow coming, and her only light in the universe had been snuffed out. The thought alone made her queasy with worry, and so she shoved aside her concern for the demon to concentrate on her own dismal situation.

The ground below was a purplish-gray blur, smeared with the occasional brown of a stubborn shrub clinging to the rocky terrain in a desperate attempt to grow. Haneul was currently sailing above the stony steppes overlooking the city, sheltering the beach and its adjoining resort town from the rest of the world. The air was cold, bitterly so as the wind rushed in and chilled her to the very bones. She knew not where the stranger was taking her, and she had no mind to discover his destination. Screeching defiantly, she wrenched an arm free of his grasp and began beating him in the side of the head. “Let me go, damn you!” she cried angrily. Immediately, they began a rapid descent, and the rocky ground below came rushing up to meet them with such speed that Haneul felt her heart jump into . They did not crash, however; sure-footed despite Haneul’s blows, the stranger beat his wings to abruptly slow their fall, allowing him to touch lightly down on the ground and gently place Haneul onto the rock. As soon as her shoes hit the ground, she sprung free of his grip and ran over to a nearby scraggly tree, ripping off a branch and whipping around to face her captor while wielding the branch threateningly.

“Are you gonna hit me with that now?” the stranger pouted, and in the glaring moonlight, Haneul could see that her captor was an angel, with silvery-grey wings and soft features. His hair was messy and light brown, tied loosely in a bun that bobbed behind his head; he wore a purely white suit, with a silver vest and a light blue tie. His eyes were lazy-looking, lidded and half-open as he rubbed the side of his head tenderly, but even from a distance, Haneul could discern the cold, calculating disdain swimming in their dark depths. She took a hesitant step back as he stepped forward, extending his hand to her. “I won’t hurt you, Haneul. I meant to introduce myself, but you went tumbling over the side of that cliff, you see, so I didn’t have the time,” he explained gently. Though he sounded genuine, Haneul knew that the scheming angel had likely caused the gale that had buffeted her off the cliff in order to make an excuse to grab her. “My name is Dong-woo. I am Gongchan’s superior,” he introduced himself with a low bow and a gentlemanly smile.

“I don’t care who you are!” she snapped, concern for the demon making her irritable. “You take me back, this instant!” she demanded hotly, brandishing her stick. She doubted it would be any use against the weapon he likely had stored beneath his elegant white suit, but she wanted to seem mildly threatening, hoping her anger was enough to sway him.He stared back at her calmly, her plan seemingly having little success.

“I am afraid I can’t do that,” he sighed regretfully. “That would place you in harm’s way.”

“You sure didn’t have that thinking when you sent that demon after me!” she shot back, and felt slightly satisfied as the regal man’s features twisted into an expression of shock. He then smiled wanly, holding out his hands as if he were offering her something.

“My dear Haneul, I do apologize for scaring you. You see, I had planned to save you from the clutches of that bloodthirsty demon, but that blasted Jinyoung interfered on the orders of your, ah, guardian, as you like to call him,” he explained, his lips curling into a slight sneer as he addressed Baro in such a way. “I never intended for any harm to come to you or your precious soul,” he added with a bow of apology. My guardian… Baro… Oh, I hope he’s all right, she fretted silently, ignoring the angel’s pathetic attempts to satiate her. Regardless of intent, sending a demon after her was a reckless thing to do, and she certainly was not so apt to forgive him immediately; more than that, if he was Gongchan’s superior, that meant he had a vendetta against Baro, and that made her despise him even more. Why can’t they just let us be? She pouted miserably in her mind. She glanced back at the spot where Dong-woo had been to find him gone, and she screamed as a hand clamped down on her wrists, making her drop her makeshift weapon. “I do not take kindly to being ignored,” he hissed in her ear, holding her tightly from behind.

“I don’t forgive you!” she growled back. “Baro has no cause to hurt me. Why can’t you leave us alone?” she huffed, ripping herself free of his tight grasp and separating herself from him, placing herself several feet away. He remained where he was standing, his dark eyes cold and calculating, weighing what words he should say next to influence her. I won’t let him bring me to his side, she resolved.

“Haneul, Baro does have cause to hurt you. He’s a demon; he is after your soul. How hard is that to understand?” he sighed heavily and shook his head, as if saddened by her resistance. Haneul knew it was a ruse; he cared nothing for her, only her soul, fluttering deep inside her body, pure and clean. Baro is the only one who wants me for me, she realized wretchedly. Though, the thought made her smile, considering the strange irony.

“You’re the one who doesn’t understand. Baro doesn’t want my soul anymore,” she responded with a huff.

“Poor thing. Do you really think he loves you?” He sneered, and the malice in the remark shook her for a brief moment, sending her off-guard; it was enough for the angel to sink his claws into her. He took casual steps forward, his smile mocking. “He has you fooled, my dear, that much is for certain. Demons love nothing but bloodshed and ruin- it is their nature. They have not the hearts to feel as we do.” Haneul remained frozen as he stopped in front of her, gently running a finger down the side of her face, as a lover would. His eyes were not full of warmth, however; they were full of a mixture of disdain and contempt, glaring hard in the dark depths. “It is not your fault. Demons are wily and cunning, and easily corrupt the hearts of weak humans like yourself.” She gasped as he jabbed her hard, right in the middle of her chest. No, she thought weakly. “He is using you, breaking you down until the moment comes where you cannot deny him; then he will swoop in, whispering sweet words into your ears and prying that sweet soul from your body,” he murmured, leaning forward to whisper the mocking accusations into her ear. Haneul trembled before the angel, his words clawing away at her racing heart. No, that’s not true, she resisted meekly, but her mind was recalling all the moments they had shared, attempting to discern the genuineness of the demon’s kind smile, his loving eyes. Could it all be a lie? a voice meekly wondered in the back of her mind. Is it all one clever ruse?

“No!” Haneul shouted, jerking away from the angel and his corruptive mouth. “You’re wrong about Baro, and demons!” she accused. “They… They were human once. They know what it means to love and hate, to be sad and be happy… That simply doesn’t disappear,” she frowned firmly. “I simply cannot believe that everything I’ve experienced with Baro up until now has been a lie… That everything I have felt has been for nothing! Baro… Baro may have tried to fool me once, but not now. He truly wants to see me happy, and I want to see him happy!” She pointed an angry finger at Dong-woo, shouting, “You’re the cunning one! You’re the one with the eyes on my soul!”

If Haneul’s words had any effect, the angel was clever at hiding it. Instead, he chuckled deeply, until his snickers rose in to a mocking cackle that shook his entire body. Haneul’s courage began to fail in the presence of such confidence, and she desperately fought to keep the doubt from creeping back into her troubled mind.

“So what if it’s true?” he grinned darkly at her, confusing the girl. “Do you think I care if he is genuine or not? If he is in love with you, it’s all the more entertaining to wrench you from his grasp,” he growled, and she cried out as he grabbed her by her upper arms, squeezing the muscle tightly as he held her firmly. He brought his face close, his malicious eyes boring into her own, seemingly staring right into the depths of her soul. “You cannot save him. He is a demon, and forever will be; the path to salvation is barred to him forever.”

“I refuse to believe that,” she answered confidently, but inside, her faith was shaking. Can he really not be saved? Surely, surely, there must be a way…

“I don’t care if you believe it or not,” he smirked back. “It matters not, because I will kill him. He is a demon, Haneul, and I will cast him down into the fiery abyss whence he came. Make it a little easier on yourself, and forget the worthless boy,” he instructed. Haneul stared fearfully into his eyes, lost in hopelessness. Angels are supposed to be righteous and just, she thought as tears came to the corners of her eyes. They’re supposed to protect you, but this… This malice… He is no angel, she decided, jerking away from him and angrily wiping her eyes. She glared determinedly back at him.

“I will save Baro, somehow. I know he can be saved,” she vowed, causing Dong-woo to narrow his eyes at her. “More importantly,” she began as she pointed at him. “I will make sure that you never, ever lay your hands on Baro!” He snickered at that, pulling a crystal dagger from inside his vest to throw it in the air and expertly catch it by the handle.

“What can a mere human like you do?” he mocked, the moonlight dancing across the crystalline blade splashing across his face. Haneul noticed that his fine features were hard now, and she began to fear the wrath she may have incurred from being so stubborn. “You’ve realized it, haven’t you?” he grinned maliciously, stepping toward her. “Let me show you what your devotion to this demon has earned you. Perhaps a little lesson will teach you!” Haneul cried out and threw up her arms, attempting to shield herself, but before the demon commander could strike something heavy crashed in front of her in a tangle of limbs and feathers. She stumbled back as a blood-soaked wing ruffled clumsily before her, splattering the red liquid across the surface of the rocks.

“Gongchan!” she gasped. The angel crouched down before her, placed directly between herself and his divine leader, panting heavily. One wing hung awkwardly, the spine bent with spotty patches where feathers had been savagely ripped away. His clothes were torn in many places, but the upper left corner of his shirt was completely shredded, and a massive laceration dug deep into his shoulder, oozing bright red blood. It was so deep that Haneul spotted a piece of glaring white bone peeking out of the messy gash, and she grew sick. If he looks this bad, I can only imagine what Baro must be like! He could even be… she chased away the thought with a vigorous shake of her head.

“What of the demon?” Dong-woo demanded, seemingly unconcerned about his underling’s potentially fatal wound.

“He slipped away,” Gongchan admitted quietly, and a scream slipped from Haneul’s lips as Dong-woo backhanded Gongchan so hard that the white-winged angel went sprawling into the dirt. Despite the ill blood between them, Haneul did not wish for the angel to suffer so, and she crouched down beside him, rolling him onto his back. He coughed, blood trickling down his chin from his busted lip, and his cheek glared red where the angelic commander had struck him.

“What’s wrong with you?” Haneul snapped angrily up at him. “He’s your subordinate, and he’s wounded!”

“He’s a failure,” the man replied icily, gripping the crystal dagger tightly in his hands. “A failure deserves to be punished.” Angered by his disdain, Hanuel pillowed Gongchan’s head on her lap, unsure what to do. Tears rolled down her cheeks, splashing down on the angel’s pained face. Haneul gasped lightly as Gongchan’s eyes opened slightly, and he raised his arm to rest a hand on her cheek.

“Don’t…Cry,” he begged, then grimaced and grabbed at his bleeding shoulder, writhing in agony.

“Don’t speak!” she insisted, then glared up at Dong-woo.

“You’re the real demon,” she hissed. He laughed at her, placing a hand on his hip as he sneered down at her.

“Only moments ago, this boy was your enemy, trying to kill your beloved Baro!” he mocked. “Now, you’re all concerned because he has a scratch? Look at you, cradling his head like that. Who knew you were such a ? First that best friend of yours, then the two demons, now my subordinate. You really get around, don’t you?” The vicious, unrestrained insults left Haneul at a loss for words, but Gongchan growled and gripped at his crystal sword, struggling to raise it as he pointed it at his commander.

“Don’t… Call her that!” he snapped, his breathing labored. Dong-woo stared down at him levelly, almost as if he were bored; then, with lightning-fast speed, he kicked Gongchan’s sword from his hand and stomped his hand into the ground, making the younger angel scream in pain. Dong-woo loomed over them, his shadow eclipsing them in darkness as the moon disappeared behind his form.

“Look at you. You’re on the door to death, and you defy me like that?” he tutted, digging the heel of his shoe into Gongchan’s palm. The angel writhed in agony, gritting his teeth as the bone’s crunched beneath the maniacal angel’s feet.

“Stop it!” Haneul cried, grabbing the angel by the leg and attempting to pull him off. She was sent flying in the next second, her cheek stinging where Dong-woo had slapped her.

“Shut up, . Me and my boy are having a conversation,” he huffed, returning his attention to the wounded angel. “I ought to kill you right here,” he growled, twirling the knife in his hand and pressing it to Gongchan’s throat. Haneul felt her blood turn to ice, and she stared wide-eyed at the two angels, both unmoving. A thin trail of blood seeped from the edge of the blade, running in a river down Gongchan’s exposed neck. Dong-woo then sighed magnanimously and inched his blade free of the younger’s angel’s skin, leaving only a thin wound where the crystal had scraped his neck. “But, that’s a crime, and you’re not worth the effort anyway,” he sighed, standing and kicking Gongchan in the ribs before stowing his knife back in his vest and turning to Haneul. She trembled, hoping he did not intend to continue his kidnapping of her; instead, he bowed low, smirking all the while. “It is time I depart. Think carefully of what I have said, stubborn girl. Whether you remain at his side or not, my blade will find him, sooner or later. Be careful it does not claim you instead,” he warned before flapping his powerful wings and disappearing into the starry night sky. Soon, the rush of feathers and wind faded into the sound of crickets chirping, birds calling, and Gongchan’s labored breathing. Haneul remained frozen for a good few minutes, trembling at the threat. If he cannot kill Baro, he really intends to kill me so he can ensure my soul remains safe, she thought in shock. He is… unlike any monster I ever could have dreamed of. How could an angel turn so corrupt? She thought madly, but when Gongchan coughed once more, she ripped herself free of her thoughts and crawled to the angel’s side.

“Haneul,” he groaned, but she shushed him, ripping away fabric from his cloak to gently fold it up and press it against his wound. He gritted his teeth in pain, and the blood began to dye the fabric a deep red; however, after a while the flow stopped, and his expression loosened slightly as she reduced the pressure on his wound. “Haneul,” he repeated, his voice a mere whisper.

“Don’t speak. Baro will be here soon. I’ll get him to help you,” she insisted, not meeting his gaze. Her heart trembled alongside her body. “He… Will be here soon, right?”

“I didn’t kill him, or give him a mortal wound, if that is what you’re asking,” he responded tautly, and she felt her muscles relax as relief flooded through her veins. “I am sorry, Haneul, I never imagined-“

“Of course, you didn’t. I don’t blame you for Dong-woo’s actions,” she sighed, looking down at him with a small smile. I don’t blame you for my mother’s death, either, she thought. All along, she had been so mean to Gongchan, ignoring him, but he had always been trying to protect her, even if it disagreed with her own ideas. “I’m not angry with you, Gongchan,” she murmured, and she was surprised to see him smile broadly.

“I’m glad,” he choked out, and his eyes drifted closed. For a terrified second, she thought he had died, but when she pressed her ear to his chest she found his heart beating strongly. He’s just asleep, she realized with a relieved exhale, sitting straight once more and casting her gaze to the starry sky above. Baro… Where are you now? I hope wherever you are, you’re safe, she thought hopefully as she watched the winkling lights dance in the darkness.