EPILOGUE

A HEART FILLED WITH JOY

The once sparkling sands of Duivel has turned dark by the time the Grand Duke of the Night Realm and his mate reach the shore.

Bodies pile before them; some are already dead and the others are at the verge of dying.

The two faeries looked around. No matter where their eyes laid on to, all that they can see are blood being spilled—enemies or not. It was a painful sight, Naeun thought, but she couldn’t prevent it. A war would never be a war without bloodshed and all of these are meant to happen.    The Night Lord, sensing his mate discomfort, reach out for her hand and give her a soothing smile. “We will survive this no matter what.” He tried to assure her but deep inside, he knew that their chance of winning is pretty thin. His mate return his smile and give his hand a comforting squeeze. “We will. I know that we will,” she said but like him, she know that all of these are lie.   Taemin let go of her mate’s hand and look at her directly in the eyes.   “You know, I would rather hide you than see you fight but it is your choice to make,” he said with brows knitted together but it gradually loosen as his lips morphed into a proud smile and continued, “And I know that you are more than capable in protecting yourself. So please if you are choosing to fight, don’t die.”   “I won’t,” she said. “I wish nothing but to see the mortals and the faeries to be united again and I will live to see that day to come, and so do you.”   Taemin’s smile grew wider and he muttered, “Then let’s go and make the devil experience what hell is like.”   With a snap of a finger from the Lord of the Night, black smoke appeared and engulfed them both like a cocoon of darkness.   It lingered for a several seconds. Once it vanished, Naeun’s body was now protected with a black armor that mirrors the Night Lord’s. On her right hand appeared an obsidian blade that appears so dark. She tried giving it a swing and she was surprise on how light it actually was.   I can do this, she thought. There is no place for fear. For a better day, I will do this.   Naeun glance on the Night Lord for the last time to give him a nod and together, they charge to the battlefield.   “I will go around to see the rest of the situation, you go look for Sehun. Shout through the bond if you spot the devil. And.. be careful,” Taemin communicated with her mate without looking. Just like what he has said, the Night Lord quickly shift his direction to check up on the other Grand Dukes.   Naeun needs not to be told twice as she stride towards the battlefield to look for the commander or any familiar faces while slashing enemies along her way.   She was careful on hitting the most vital places and avoiding to kill anybody. Her heart is loud and pounding but she keep herself intact. Come on, Naeun. There is no room left for fear, she mentally scolded herself.   Two Duivel sentries came rushing towards her, one to her left and the other charges directly in front of her. She inhaled sharply and quickly recall the pointers that the commander gave her during her trainings. The one on her left was faster and raise his sword for attack. Naeun deflected the blow with her obsidian blades but to her surprise, she accidentally put too much force leading for her blade to slice the enemy’s head off. And She froze.         “What have I done?” I whispered to myself as I watch the sentry chocking on his own blood. “I killed him, I—I killed somebody. What have I done?”   “Naeun, move!” I heard a female voice shouted behind me and the next thing I knew is that I found myself rolling on the sandy floor. When I look up, I saw Hayoung clad in an armor identical to mine, only hers was filthy with dried blood.   She may look delicate on regular days but the Hayoung that I knew is different from what I am seeing now. On the battlefield, she transformed into a fighter—no—a warrior. She’s like a female warrior that I once read on books when I was a child. She was brave, she was tough, she was ready to kill for the sake of her realm. And I am nothing like her.   “Are you alright?” She asked me and offered a hand to pull me up.   “Y-Yes, thank you. I was spacing out. Sorry,” I said looking down.   “This is a battle,” she frown, “A real battle, Naeun. There is no time for spacing out. It can get you killed.”   “I know, I’m sorry. It just that… I happen to kill someone and I..” Words died out in my mouth when I saw her face. She was looking at me angrily and I couldn’t help but to shift my gaze back down.   “Then you shouldn’t be in here,” she said coldly. “Just like what I have said, this is a battle, a war. Deaths are cannot be avoided in times like this so if your heart is weak, you should probably runaway and escape to safety. Go before you put yourself in danger.”   “I—” Before I can even defend myself, Hayoung quickly walks away and get back on her battle. I watch her fight. Her eyes shows no mercy as she deals with four Duivel sentries rushing on her.   My feet stayed rooted on the sandy floor. I stood there motionless and contemplating Hayoung’s words until I heard a sharp cry which turns out to be coming from her.   One of the enemies has caught my friend off guard causing her to tumble down. I saw the sentry grin devilishly at her and his blade sliced her arm, cutting the flesh open. Hayoung screamed. She tried kicking him but not a single blow landed on the sentry. Another sentry closed in and raise his sword for a killing blow and that is when my blood churn.   Rage filled my inside and I thought heard myself roar. The next thing that I knew, I was on all fours dashing towards them and leap on one of the sentries.   I turn, I turned into my panther form, and with my sharpened teeth I ripped apart the sentry’s throat. I did it again to another and to the rest of the sentries who are making their way to our location. I am pacing around Hayoung with a predatory stance, growling inhumanly on every sentries dared to cross the line that I drew. Blood drips away from my whisker. I let out a long, deadly roar and watch as the sentries scramble away from us with great speed.   Once that I am sure that the area is safe, I forced myself to shift back and check her wounds. She has gone pale due to the blood that she lost.   “Here take my hand,” I said and she obeyed quickly. I closed my eyes and let my warm light travels onto her. Slowly, I felt as my magic works on her body, mending all the cuts and wounds that she has taken from hours of fighting. Hearing her gasp forced me to pry my eyes open and smile when I saw her skin anew. I healed someone again!   “Y-You saved me.. and healed me. How?” Confusion clouded her eyes.   I shook my shoulder and said, “Can’t explain. Can you stand? I thought I heard your brother. He is somewhere nearby.”   “R-Right. Uh, thank you for coming to my aid.” She smiled at me warmly.   “No, thank you. You help me out there. I wouldn’t get myself together and fight if it wasn’t for you.”   I no longer wait for her response instead I jog around the shore to see the rest of the battle.   My heart sank when I took in the scenario. There are too many dead lying around yet the battle has only started. I—well, we—have not seen the worst of it yet. I knew that there is a much worse case scenario than this and I am silently preparing myself for it.   Hayoung catch up on me and stared at the battle happening from afar. “I never thought that I’ll get too see another blood bath. I hated it too.”   “Verboden has been peaceful for long, I guess no one really expect that they will go and fight another battle. Perhaps war is indeed inevitable.” My voice sounded foreign that it gave me chills. Suddenly, my encounter with the Great Sibyl flashed back and the cold that has been seeping inside me worsen. What can I do if I am really the key for this to end?   “Well, well, what a pleasant surprise! I never thought I will see you in the battlefield, darling.” My heart skip a beat when I heard the voice from behind.   “I thought the Winter Lord kept you locked in my dungeon. How come you are now standing here in front of me? My, my, what an open opportunity for me to kill you! You should not went out,” he grinned and then advance towards me but Hayoung was in front of me instantly and deflected his attack.   “Wrong move, princess!” Thamuz laugh maniacally as he conjured another blade out of thin air and quickly shove it on Hayoung’s gut. “This is between me and darling Naeun,” he added.   “You! How can you be so ruthless?!” I shouted out if pure hatred as I charge towards the laughing devil.   I pay no attention of where exactly I am to aim. I was driven by too much anger that I rushes to him blindly; Sehun would be disappointed if he sees how badly I fought right now. All my attacks were simple—entirely predictable—but I don’t give a damn. My blade collided heavily with Thamuz and my head is filled with the sound of metals scraping against each other.   He was quick to notice my openings and he acted up to use it to his advantage. He knew that I was being careless, he grinned, and change to offense. Taking the opening to his advantage, Thamuz slashes an uppercut attack which send my blade flying away from my grasp, leaving me defenseless.   “,” I cursed under my breath and took a step back.   “There is no point of fighting me, Naeun. You know how I obviously outmatched you so why dare? If you are expecting for someone to come to your aid, you are wrong. There is no one here to save you, not even that princess friend of yours; everyone’s occupied.” The devil pace around me as I take my stance anticipating another attack. He look at me with great disdain and stated, “You know, my instincts has been shouting at me to kill you; it keeps on telling me that there is something about you that is dangerous but I am contemplating, what exactly special about you?”   “Perhaps I am the one who’s going to end your wickedness,” I hissed which earned a laugh from the devil.   “Is that so? The six powerful grand dukes of Verboden has been trying to do that for a long time but look, here I am, still alive and kicking! So tell me darling, how will you do it?”   You are the key for this to end… You are the key for this to end… You are the key for this to end…   The Great Sibyl’s words echoed on my mind once again. I shook my head hard in attempt to clear her solemn voice away but still it lingered.   I was torn away from my own thoughts when a sharp pain vibrated from my scalp. Thamuz was pulling my hair and forced me to look at him. Icily he said, “See? There’s no way that you’re going to beat me.”   “Keep your filthy hand away from me,” I demanded but he only yanked it further. Rage filled my inside once again but this time, it’s different. Because aside from rage, a weight of powers flow through me.   I yielded to that thrumming power in my blood. Clouds start gathering around the evening sky and thunders echoed from afar. I became a storm, fierce and dangerous.   I grip the devil’s hand ho