Every war had a price.

                  This was hers.

                  Sena’s footsteps matched the loud beating of her heart. It was almost frantic, though the word wasn’t exactly a befitting descriptive term. She rarely ever prayed, but a small part of her mind whispered to her it was time to start. She hoped, with all her heart, that it was not one of her Elites. Her bangs were all over her face. The pale skin looked almost translucent with sweat on the smooth surface. There was nothing ladylike about the Sena that marched in big, wild steps towards the ground floor.

                  Hyunwoo suddenly felt that the elevator took too long and the space was small and stuffy. She didn’t have an imposing aura like his leader, Wu Yi Fan, a cunning mind like Kim Joonmyun, or even a pair of very sinister eyes like Byun Baekhyun. But something about Yoon Sena literally pulled people in, and not exactly in the best way imagined. She was like a whirlpool, dangerous and deadly. She commanded respect even without asking for it. And she was more beautiful when she was angry. Even more dangerous when she was saddened.

                  In the main entrance, the golden door opened. The twin dragons that served on top of the gate as decoration were separated by half. She slowed down, but the mad thumping of her heart intensified, until all she could hear was the maddening sound of her own. The world seemed to fall into silence. Zhang Yixing, her most beloved doctor, the sweetest of the Elites, lied on the ground, blue-ish marks on his body. Zhang Yixing, who had always been so accommodating and lovely. Zhang Yixing, the only good in the bleakness of this world. Gone, dead, killed –

                  “Leave,” Sehun commanded with a tired voice, but Sena was oblivious to his presence. Her eyes were glued to the bodies, refusing to believe in reality. Her world was spinning madly, and it took all her self control not to go spiralling down that storm of chaos.

                  “No,” She clenched her fists. She couldn’t hear what others were saying, but she knew she could speak. Tears were pooling by her eyes, and it was only for her pride that those pearly drops refused to fall. Those people were looking at her, eyes shocked and their jaws apart. Even Sehun, who stood very still by his spot, gazed heartbrokenly at her pitiful figure. She looked so sad, so disappointed, so mad, and so small. “Lift them up to the underground level.”

                  “But, Lady Sena…”

                  She turned around, ignoring the looks of the guards and pressed the button of the transparent lift. Sehun repeated her command once again, and then followed after her. She closed her eyes, and ignored the curious glances of the people around them. Sehun felt a painful squeeze at his heart and soundlessly stepped forward, so that his tall stature could hide her petite figure. It was only then, that she realised that he had been there all along. She leaned towards his back, and silently cried.

                  They put the bodies in the laboratory Yixing owned privately. He used it almost all of the time, when he wasn’t in some kind of task with the other Elites. Slowly, the guards left and even Hyunwoo, the Suzakku messenger, who originally wanted to relay his condolences for the Lady, stopped himself when he saw the ashen face and eyes red from holding back tears. He understood almost immediately that she needed her own space to mourn for the victims. He bowed down and walked away.

                  Sena Yixing’s face and wiped away the tears on her face. “I’m sorry, Xing. I would miss you… so… so,” much. She could not finish her words and continued wiping away the liquid that fell down her cheeks. Zhang Yixing, the sweetest of all, the most innocent of the corrupted was now gone, his void never to be filled. There was a small contempt smile on his swollen face. She bent down and kissed his forehead earnestly, and the mark she left on him burnt her lips with the kind of flame that would follow her to damnation.

                  Sehun stood by the door, eyes looking anywhere but her. It was only when Sena walked towards the second body, that he felt dread, sadness and most of all, unbearable disappointment. Disappointment that he could not save him. Disappointment that he wasn’t the one lying there, so that he wouldn’t have to see her face when she knelt down on the floor, holding his hand, and cried as if she was the one dying, instead. Pain pierced his heart, and unknowingly, two bullets of salty tears fell onto his cheeks, followed by many more.

                  Kim Jongin’s hand was cold when she held onto it, clinging tightly and never letting go. Sena cried so hard, face buried onto his chest and sobbed so sorrowfully like the entire world had just collapsed and there was nothing worth saving. She cried for his beloved and his short life. She cried for herself and this growing pain in her heart. Her body was aching but there was no wound. Tears would not bring him back. She knew that. But she didn’t know how else to express this unbearable sadness in her chest.

                  Sena felt damned. She felt helpless. She felt lost. And she could literally feel the heart shattering, sound so loud it drowned her own sobbing mess.

                  “What happened?” She yelled at Sehun, “Why did he kill Byun Baekhyun? He wasn’t supposed to infiltrate the center! His squad was only in charge of the invasion!”

                  Sehun could never tell. Even if he died a thousand time, he would never open up his mouth. He had to honour Jongin’s last wish, even if it killed him to do so. He would never speak up, especially not to Sena, because it would all be for naught if he did. All they ever wanted to do was to protect her. To shield her from the cruelty of humanity. The less she knew the better. So that she would not have to cry so sadly anymore. It would kill her to know of the truth behind their plan. Kim Jongin’s death was to be honoured with respect, not tears and disappointment.

                  They didn’t know how much time had passed since they first entered the room. It felt like forever. Sena was still down on her knees, weeping in silence. Her sobs had died down after hours of unstoppable hysteria. She lost her voice but it mattered not. A piece of her soul, or the entirety of it seemed to have gone along as well. “What did he say? Did he… say anything before he left for the mission?” Had he always known he was going to die… ?

                  Memories of the words Jongin told him two years ago came to Sehun’s mind. He promised he would tell her. But he couldn’t bear to tell her everything. Sehun would shoulder all the blame in hell after he passed away, but the thought of it didn’t scare him as much as the tears falling down Sena’s cheeks. No, he’d rather die than tell her everything. It would kill her, and Sehun would rather it killed him before it did to her. The heavy burden on his shoulder increased as he looked away, not having enough courage to look at her desperate eyes.

                  “He said he loved you… And that he was grateful… having had met you,” He halted and swallowed down the tears, “loved you…” And died for you.

                  Another stream of tears came out of her eyes; hot and so painfully bitter. He had gone to his eternal slumber, never to be awaken. His eyes would never open up again, and she was already missing the dullness in the stormy grey and how his hands would feel so incredibly warm against hers, but now they were cold as ice. She cradled his head into her arms, kissed his lips for one last time, and said with a hoarse voice what could have been a lullaby to his farewell sleep, “Sleep now, Jongin. You can let go of your pain. I will set you free.”

                  And in this very moment, Yoon Sena decided: she hated summers, she hated wars, and she hated this throne.

Princess, I’ve vowed to take a bullet for you. It’s a promise now and forever.

The moment I am gone, I entrust you to Sehun, as I am sure he will take care of you very well, the way I never could.

There are a lot of things I can’t seem to say, and a lot of things I promised you I would but never did. I won’t apologise for what happened to us, and I would readily take that offer again had I been given a second life to live on.

Sena, Love. This is my choice. This is the way I live my life.

But you should know this: in my life, I have never been sure of anyone until I met you.

And that is where my story ends.

Live on, Princess.

Live for me.

I’m sorry that I could never promise you forever, and I can’t spare you of the tears I’ve caused. I could only hope that one day, you would be able to find someone who loves you more than I did. 

I am always here for you, Sena.

I love you.

Always and forever.

***

                  Kim Jongin knew he was going to die.

                  It was the most foolish plan he had ever thought of, but he wanted this. There was no point living on with the void in his chest. For years, he had wondered about his purpose of living, and now that he had killed Grandfather with his own hands, his desire to live ceased until it became naught.

                  “That is a suicide plan,” Sehun had told him times and times again. “Sena would kill herself if you die.”

                  Sena wouldn’t. Jongin knew better than anyone. Yes, she would weep and she would be broken, but she was not so weak and fragile as to kill herself over him. The young girl might be selfish, but she was not heartless enough to throw away her whole clan for him. Ironically, his feeling for her had only seemed to intensify over the year, but that didn’t stop him from following his own plan. He wanted to die. He didn’t wish to live on, knowing that the emptiness would continue to grow over time.

                  In his last moment, Jongin pondered over the things he had done in his life, and as his eyes dropped completely, he recalled the memory of a young girl in yellow sundress, standing outside of the training compound, smile so bright it could have shadowed the sun.

                  At the age of twenty-two, Kim Jongin passed away peacefully with twenty-three bullets planted in his body. His death was honoured. His name immortalised, and the scars still remained on those who knew him best.

NOT THE END

We got two epilogues left!

A/N: I got a new fantasy story if you are interested: Hellbringers. Updates come quickly. Tell me what you think of this chapter by the way. It feels like a bittersweet ending and a sad goodbye with you guys.