Ravi watched in silence as Taekwoon fought for breath on his bed. He was already pale to begin with, but the illness made him looked even paler. There was nothing else to do. Taekwoon hadn’t asked him to heal him, and so Ravi could only watch.

“Why don’t you ask me to heal you?” whispered Ravi softly as he stared down at Taekwoon. “Why did you do all those rituals just to ask about the time of your death?”

Even with his laboured breathing, Taekwoon managed to chuckle. “I’ve told you… I’m fine with this…” whispered Taekwoon back.

Ravi couldn’t stand looking at him anymore. He turned away, hanging his head down. Then, he felt cold fingers wrapping around his warm ones, and he squeezed them hard, knowing that it might be the last time he could do it.

“Do demons cry?” asked Taekwoon softly.

“No. They can’t,” replied Ravi hoarsely.

“Then why are you?” he asked again.

Ravi turned back to him again, some ink-like liquid flowing from his eyes. Taekwoon pulled his hand from Ravi’s grip and reached up, and Ravi quickly fell to his knees so Taekwoon could pat his head.

“Don’t cry,” whispered Taekwoon, “Soon, my soul will be yours. We’ll be together for a very long time.”

Hearing that, Ravi chuckled. Taekwoon knew nothing about what happened to the souls sold to the demons. And he didn’t want him to know, the same way he didn’t want Taekwoon to know that he hadn’t even marked his soul as well.

“Close your eyes. I’ll give you a little service,” said Ravi as he stood up, wiping the ink-like tears from his face. Taekwoon nodded, closing his eyes obediently.

With a deep sigh, Ravi looked down to Taekwoon for one last time. After this, they’d never meet again. He burned every details of Taekwoon’s face to his memory, before he leaned down and removed the oxygen mask.

Carefully and gently, he cupped Taekwoon’s cheeks and melded their lips together. Taekwoon gasped, lips parting, and Ravi took that chance to deepen their kiss.

It was something Ravi had never done before, but he knew that the principle was pretty much the same. Instead of absorbing Taekwoon’s lifeforce, he gave his own to Taekwoon, while he away all the illness in his body. This way, Taekwoon wouldn’t have to die that day. This way, Taekwoon would live healthily for a very long time.

But the price to pay to perform a miracle to an unmarked soul was a great one.

As he parted away from Taekwoon, he could already feel it. Taekwoon, too, must have felt what Ravi just did to him. His eyes were opened wide, still breathing hard because he couldn’t believe what had just happened.

“Ravi, you—”

“Live, Taekwoon. Be a singer like you have always wanted. Chase for your dreams. Never let it go ever again,” cut Ravi as he smiled at Taekwoon, the gentlest he had ever offered. In that moment, he looked much more like an angel than a demon.

Then, just like mist, he slowly dissipated into the air.

“Wait! Ravi, no! Don’t go!”

“Goodbye, Taekwoon. I lo—”

The wind swept away the remains of his figure, as well as his last words.