Summer.

That year, summer was especially hot and the sun was scorching down from the skies.

The heat waves were so visible on the roads and it was very humid.

The temperature did not help at all while the six boys’ were busy with their concert preparations.

The date has finally be decided, the stage and performances were planned out and now, only days and days of rehearsal remains. Every ticket were sold out for their concert almost immediately after it was launched.

Very soon, it will be VIXX’s third concert – LIVE FANTASIA ‘Elysium’.

‘Did one of you guys break the AC again?’ Jaehwan started to whine and complain about the heat.

‘It’s on.’ Wonshik sighed as his sweat dripped uncontrollably and hitting on the wooden flooring of their dance studio.

‘Then, why am I still sweating this much? Ugh, can we take a break? Please?’

‘Yeah, let’s take a break,’ Hyuk agreed.

The three of them flopped onto the cool floor and placed their backs against the mirror. It felt so much nicer lying around and cooling down after the many hours of practice.

‘Where are the hyungs?’ the youngest asked.

‘Bet they’re on a date,’ Jaehwan joked as he gulped down the entire bottle of water.

‘I don’t really think they have that kind of time… with all this rehearsal going on,’ Wonshik said truthfully.

‘We’re back!’ Hakyeon finally came into the studio. ‘You guys slacking off while we were gone?’

‘No! We just decided to take a break while someone went off on a date,’ Jaehwan teased.

‘Haha. We didn’t.’ Hakyeon said, rather amused by Jaehwan’s annoyed expression. ‘We went to the coffee shop down the streets and got you guys some refreshers. Come in.’

The leader went into the room empty handed but the one who followed him had two hand full of drinks for them all.

‘Uwah~ Hakyeon-hyung is so mean!’ Hyuk laughed as he saw the struggling vocalist. ‘He’s making our Taekwoon-hyung hold everything~’

‘You should’ve helped him carry at least one of them,’ Wonshik shook his head.

‘Yeah, so you can hold hands with the other,’ Jaehwan laughed.

Hakyeon and Taekwoon looked at one another for a second and blushed.

‘There’s… no way we can do that in public,’ Taekwoon mumbled with his cheeks flushed red.

‘Ah! Hyung is blushing! I bet you wanted to hold hands with Hakyeon-hyung the entire time!’ Jaehwan teased the older.

‘Really?’ Hakyeon looked at the embarrassed Taekwoon.

Taekwoon nodded. He admits it and covered his face with his large hands.

‘By the way, where’s Kong?’ Hakyeon noticed.

‘He went off to send Soo-ah to the airport remember?’ Wonshik told him.

‘Wish we could have gone to see her off as well,’ Hyuk said.

‘We’d attract too much attention if all six of us went.’

They sighed.

‘Well, let’s go back to practice and wait for Kong to get back,’ the oldest suggested.

‘Okay!’

~

‘So, this really is goodbye huh?’ Hongbin said as he helped the girl roll her luggage through the airport.

‘I guess so,’ Soo-ah smiled. ‘Will you be alright?’

‘I… don’t know but we’ll see. Are you really going to move on?’ He asked her.

‘Yes. Finally.’

‘What happens after you do?’

‘My mission here is finally completed. What awaits me now is finally getting the chance to have a new life. Finally a chance to start new again. During the time when I was still human, I ended up becoming the vessel for the Goddess of Death to possess me. I grew weak and only thought about revenge which made me a vulnerable target. Because of that, I couldn’t leave this world in peace or reincarnate like everyone else. I wandered as a soul for a long time until the Heavens decided to give me a second chance. Now that everything has been restored to normal and Dreamscape finally sealed away, I can finally move on.’

‘Thanks.’ Hongbin told her as they arrived to the gates. ‘For everything.’

Soo-ah shook her head and gave him a warm smile.

‘I should be the one thanking you and your members. It’s because the six of you, no eight, never gave up on one another and kept on fighting for each other’s sake. Without you guys, this opportunity would have never come to me and I would forever be unable to be reborn. All your kindness and friendship brought me back to the light as I saw how each of you bonded with another.’

‘Do you think he will have a good life as well after being reincarnated?’ Hongbin asked.

‘Of course.’ She smiled. ‘You helped him find love and cared greatly for him during his time in the real world. He, who was once in doubt and insecurities. You were by his side when he needed someone the most.’

‘But, I wasn’t able to see him off even during his last moments…’

Soo-ah patted the boy on the back.

‘Lee Hongbin,’ she said.

‘Hmm?’

‘I once told you that falling in love with the darkness was a forbidden thing right? But I take that back. You are indeed the balance between light and darkness. You were able to help the Dark Hakyeon find his way to the light and helped him learn what it means to truly love someone. You have always been the pillar of balance for your group even since the beginning of time. Your role is never meaningless and you are much greater than you think.’

Hongbin looked at her curiously but smiled in relief to know her thoughts.

Then, the announcements were made and Hongbin handed Soo-ah her luggage. They were empty luggage only meant to make others think that the girl was off to take her flight but in reality, she was about to past through the door of transcendence and rebirth. The gates lit up only enough for Soo-ah and Hongbin to see and as she stepped into the light, she vanished into another life.

~

That night, Hongbin finally had a dream. The dream of wonders and strangeness.

Even with Dreamscape sealed away, they were all still able to dream. The only thing was, their dreams returned to how it has always been. They had no control of their dreams but they also didn’t have to fear of those nightmares they’ve had for the past several months.

Hongbin stood inside of a large room filled with many books in which towered over him from one floor to the next. At the front center of the room were three statues, three Goddesses to be exact, whom held onto a thin golden thread that linked them to one another.

Where am I? He wondered to himself.

He carefully walked up to the center and saw that someone was standing there, waiting for him on the other side. The figure smiled warmly as he saw Hongbin approach him.

‘Hongbin-ah,’ the other called to him.

Hongbin’s heart raced, throbbed and pained with reminiscence. He immediately rushed to the voice and tightly held onto the other’s smaller body. Hongbin couldn’t contain his tears. He didn’t think he would ever get a chance to meet the older one more time.

‘I…’ Hongbin was lost for words even though in his mind, he had millions of things to say and wish to convey to the other.

The other smiled and held Hongbin back. His head laid still against Hongbin’s shoulders.

‘Hongbin-ah, thank you.’ He told the younger.

‘Hyung…’

‘You gave me everything that I have ever wanted and loved me without any conditions. You accepted me for who I am and regardless of my past. You were able to love me, who was once born into the world from darkness, while everyone else casted me aside. I thought I was the ugliest being there was in this world with no other paths to take except doomed to be in the shadows for an eternity. But you, Lee Hongbin, helped me find the light in my life and told me that I’m beautiful for who I am. I am, and will forever be grateful to you and the others.’

‘I…’ Hongbin’s tears continued to choke his words. ‘I love you.’

The other leaned towards Hongbin and gently placed a kiss on the younger’s shivering lips. Lips that wish to say more but the older didn’t need to hear it, as his heart already knows what Hongbin wanted to say.

‘I love you too.’

Finally, the other was able to move forward and become the light. He, who was nothing but the darkness since the beginning of time was finally able to become the light itself. He was no longer just the ‘Dark’ Hakyeon.

Instead, he had another story to tell, waiting to be free and become who he has always wanted to become.

Hongbin looked up towards the small pigments of the light floating up into the sky as ‘Hakyeon’ finally left.

Just one last tear, just one more time, but with a smile of relief.

‘Even if our time together was short, I’m happy to have been able to love the adorable you. You, who was said to be the darkness yet appeared so innocently like a child. I know very well now that this is not a goodbye but instead, another beginning. I hope that when I wake up again, in another time and another life, that you will once again be by my side and the one I love.’

~

The fans were lining up since early morning even before the doors were opened. The beautiful St☆rlights lined up one by one for their turn to get into the concert that evening.

This night was special, not just to the fans but also to the six who had been working hard to prepare such a stage for all.

Four years since they have debuted and tonight is the first night for their new concert.

Elysium.

A paradise.

A place of new beginnings and a place of transcendence. This is a place for a new story to unfold as another chapter ends.

‘Boys! Get ready to stand by!’ the concert director told them through their head pieces. ‘The concert will start in approximately ten minutes.’

The staffs scattered across the back of the stage in order to make the final preparations and making sure that everything was working. This night had to be nothing but perfection.

‘Jaehwan-hyung, what are you looking at?’ Hyuk asked the older as he saw Jaehwan peeking out secretly onto the stage.

‘I’m nervous… Just look at all those people!’ Jaehwan gasped while being half nervous and half excited. It wasn’t just him but everyone else was feeling the same.

Hyuk patted the older on the back.

‘Do you think they’ll like it? Our new song and performance?’ Hyuk felt the butterflies in his stomach just thinking about going up in less than ten minutes.

‘They have to! They’ve got to!’ Jaehwan tried to calm down his anxiety by being as positive as he could.

‘They will.’ Wonshik gave a big pat on Jaehwan’s and Hyuk’s shoulders from behind. ‘Be confident.’

‘Wonshik is right. I’m sure they’ll like it. After all, not only are we releasing Fantasy finally but this place, it’s a paradise and a story that needs to be told. We’ve done all we could and I’m sure the fans will appreciate it nonetheless,’ Hakyeon told them.

‘And the choreography is intense! I hope I won’t make a mistake…’ Jaehwan sighed.

‘Don’t worry, Jaehwan-ah. I’ll watch over you,’ the leader smiled at him.

‘That’s going to make me even more nervous hyung!’ Jaehwan started to revert back to his jokester self and flailing his arms around cutely in front of the members.

‘Jaehwan-ah,’ Taekwoon came up to join them. ‘It’s going to be alright. Everything is going to be fine as long as we stick together and never give up. Plus, we aren’t just performing these stages for ourselves and our fans but also in for the two who can’t be here with us tonight.’

‘Hyung…’ Jaehwan settles down. ‘Do you think they’re watching too?’

Taekwoon and Hakyeon glanced at one another. They both smiled in agreement.

‘I’m sure they are and cheering us on from above. So let’s do our best for their sake as well okay?’

Jaehwan smiled and nodded in excitement.

‘Okay!’

The members gathered around once more before making their way onto the stage.

‘Real V! V-I-X-X! Fighting!’

The thorn covered stage, the surreal performances and the many stars that joined them that night… this night was unforgettable. This night, their stages, were dedicated not only to their fans but also to the one called the ‘Dark Taekwoon’ and the ‘Dark Hakyeon’.

* * * * * * * *

Ever since the beginning, ever since the story began, the six had encountered many challenges and obstacles. But those challenges allowed them to learn and rely on each other. They were able to form a bond that no one else could possibly have ever imagined.

They have fallen, they have risen. They laughed and cried together throughout time. Despite the hatred and sadness they endured in the past, in the end, they were able to leave with a smile.

 This night, a night in which they called the ‘Elysium’ was filled with a sea of beautiful blue lights and a stage for the other two that went off to find another beginning. Though the two could not join the six members in person, they will always remain in their hearts.

VIXX is a South Korean idol group of six, no, of eight.

Cha Hakyeon.

Jung Taekwoon.

Lee Jaehwan.

Kim Wonshik.

Lee Hongbin.

Han Sanghyuk.

And the two lights that will always remain by their side, watching over time for an eternity.

 End.