A troop captain walked up to the mouth of Sunken Deep, took off his helmet, knelt down in silence. The captain’s subordinates followed. After that the subordinates’ subordinates. Most of the soldiers had no idea what’s happening. Yet they wordlessly followed their captain.

In one minute, the valley transformed into a silent sanctuary, sacred and solemn.

A soldier was called to the front. He’s as clueless as the others.

“Lieutenant Heechul, from now on you are the captain of your unit.”

Heechul’s first reaction was that he heard it wrong. Captain? Me?

Though subtle, the tiny crack in Leeteuk’s voice didn’t go unnoticed.

It started sinking into Heechul when captain Leeteuk walked over with a captain’s badge. As Leeteuk fastened the badge onto Heechul’s shoulder, Heechul stared at the other. Concealed behind Leeteuk’s emotionless expression, through those eyes Heechul glimpsed Leeteuk’s internal turmoil. All questions about to escape Heechul’s mouth turned into whimpers. He was rendered speechless when he witnessed sorrow so… devastating, pain so… heart-piercing. Heechul wasn’t sure. But he felt Leeteuk’s hands shaking.

Dread grew by the minute in Heechul. The dread turned to fear, and then to despair. At the valley entrance where everyone was absolutely quiet, where only the wind’s wailing was audible, Heechul’s heart beat like a scared child.

“Hangeng…” Heechul was trying every means to avoid it. Nevertheless, the name just slipped out.

Leeteuk shook his head and quickly turned away. And that sent a pang into Heechul’s heart. Taking a few faltered steps back, Heechul looked at Leeteuk, and then at the still smoking valley. Adamantly he shook his head, as if that could turn back time, as if that could alter any ending.

All of a sudden Heechul burst into a sprint, and dashed into Sunken Deep. “HANGENG!!!!”

Captain Leeteuk, together with a few soldiers ordered to do so, immediately followed.

Once set foot into Sunken Deep, amidst the smoldering debris, the final journey of captain Hangeng played out in Heechul’s head.

Hangeng, pursued by a black mass of undead, ran into Sunken Deep. His blood-stained armor reflected the frosty moonlight. Sweat rolled down his forehead. Wounds on his face dyed the droplets red.

Pain was plain on Hangeng’s face, due to the wounds, due to exhaustion. However, as soon as Hangeng entered the valley, the captain’s face brightened. Joy and hope surfaced through the pain. His steps calmed. His pace eased. He kept moving forward.

He’s letting the undead catch up on him.

Finally, Hangeng reached a tiny hilltop. He stopped. Turning around Hangeng let out a satisfied smile, overseeing the flock of undead closing in. Those glares, dripping with bloodlust, no longer haunted him. Those claws, eager to rip him open, no longer frightened him.

Hangeng closed his eyes, opened his arms as he embraced the final moment. Countless undead jumped on Hangeng, buried him, smothered him, broke him, crushed him. Drawing in his dying breaths, Hangeng heard a loud bang, and saw firelight cast into the sky. That shot an everlasting peace into Hangeng’s soul...

I am no hero. Facing a dark mass of enemies at the battlefront, not knowing if and when I could return home, I was scared to death.  War cries petrified me. Scent of blood terrified me. My heart trembled. The back of my neck prickled.

The moment the coin of fate landed and sealed my destiny, I was soothed. Clarity embraced me and cleansed all unknowns in my veins. From then on, my strides were certain, and relieved. It's a relief to know how my chapter will end, and what role I will play in this battle.

There is no better way to express my gratitude and love, towards my motherland, those who love me, and my brother comrades; than laying my life on their path to victory in this battle, and the peace as well as prosperity to come.

I am blessed with an upbringing full of virtues of humanity. There was not a moment I did not miss my family. There was not a moment I did not yearn to have this war over and reunite with them. Striding forward with the knowledge that I am not able to return home, that I am not able to see my family again, I do not regret, for I know my family will be proud of Hangeng.

For the light… For virtues of humanity…

Please my brothers. Triumph our battle. Bring my heirloom home and tell them, I die a Y-ian soldier.

……

Life is good. But they chose to die.

I asked them why…

They told me… because…

There’s nothing to live for…

… but something to die for…

……

Days later, while the Y-ians were still grieving the loss of their captain, Kyuhyun and Eunhyuk walked into Sunken Deep.

Kyuhyun was shaking badly. He clung onto Eunhyuk. “Such cruelty… They… They… burnt… How could they…?”

Eunhyuk tightened his grip on Kyuhyun, tenderly pulled the other closer.

“Those were humans… flesh and blood… loved by their families… Those were LIFES! HOW COULD THEY?!” Kyuhyun broke down and sobbed. His body, crumbled under the weight of melancholy, shivered hysterically.

Eunhyuk embraced Kyuhyun and whispered into the cleric’s ear. “Stay strong my dear.” He kept soothing Kyuhyun, rubbed circles into Kyuhyun’s back, planted soft kisses onto Kyuhyun’s cheek, tenderly spoke into Kyuhyun’s ear. “You can do it. Stay strong. You can do it my dear.”

After a long while, the high cleric gathered himself up. Pressing his lips together Kyuhyun walked up to the tiny hill where Hangeng spent his final moments. He turned to exchange a glance with Eunhyuk, who gave the cleric an encouraging nod. Kyuhyun looked around at the valley. Sunken Deep was now littered with charred human flesh. Kyuhyun almost lost himself again as he pictured the agonies and shrieks that shook this valley earlier. Kyuhyun abruptly shut his thoughts. He had to concentrate on his task on hand.

Right hand raised, Kyuhyun readied the resurrection spell in his head. He had never attempted the spell at such scale. It would demand an unimaginable magnitude of magic, a point Kyuhyun tried to avoid thinking about. He prayed before casting the spell. Please… I beg You… Please bless my spell casting…

……

Eyes closed, Kyuhyun began chanting the revival song. Light emerged out of Kyuhyun’s palm, enveloped the high cleric, enveloped Eunhyuk, the hilltop, the whole valley. Light shot up into the night sky, overshadowed the stars.

The light was white. The light was cold. It seeped into and frosted all crevices in the valley. It summoned all souls floating about, wandering in the area.

Both Kyuhyun and Eunhyuk had their eyes blinded in the light. They heard the souls swirl and wail around them. As those grew louder, the valley got more and more chilly. Wind started to howl and finally deafened them both. They were like gripped in a whirlpool of unknown power.

More and more Eunhyuk could tell Kyuhyun was struggling. The spell casting energy, life and even sanity out of the cleric. Eunhyuk grew concerned.

Kyuhyun felt his stomach churn. Swallowing his body’s protests, he pushed himself further. He strived to finish the revival song before he himself collapsed.

With the final note, the last bit of strength evaporated from the high cleric’s body. Kyuhyun’s deflated body slumped. Immediately Eunhyuk caught him.

……

It took a while before the blinding light faded away.

“Kyuhyun!”

Eyes closed, Kyuhyun was super exhausted. He was grateful he now had Eunhyuk by his side, one he could lean on when he’s weak, one he could gaze upon when his spirit thwarted.

When Eunhyuk called his name, Kyuhyun sensed shock and dread from the other. He frowned. By all means, those were the last things he expected. With all his might Kyuhyun pulled open his heavy eyelids, he saw… and blinked… and opened his eyes wide… in disbelief… alarmed…

Surrounding them were… countless… creepy skeletons… Ghostly, spine chilling blue flames peered at the two from those bony sockets.

Those living skeletons began crowding around them. A voice cut through the cold air and into their heads. “At your command. High Cleric.” Blue flames danced coldly in those orbits, when those words echoed in Sunken Deep.

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A/N: Is anyone still reading?

A/N2: Happy to work on my stories again. HELP!!! Who can discipline me pls? Hope you enjoy this chapter!