Stardust understood that the end was near. The Astral Plane continued to show within that vortex-like gap in the eternal night, but it was a poor substitute for the blue skies and yellow beams of the sun. The atmosphere had rapidly grown frigid and stale. By the time she arrived at the spot where she’d seen that fatal, terrible lightning strike, her breath was already fogging in the air.

    This shouldn’t be happening so fast… Seulgi said numbly, The Earth should have retained heat, heat from its core…

    Stardust didn’t care to answer. In truth, she wasn’t sure why this accelerated cooling was happening, and currently she lacked the capacity to dwell on it. All she could think of as she descended between those buildings into a small, gated courtyard, were the extra seconds she’d taken to kill Cade.

    This is my fault.

    Solar and Moonbyul were at the center of the courtyard, on a bed of grass that was in the process of being frosted by the new cold. Corpses of Eodum’s minions littered the area around them. At a glance, the Representations looked peaceful. Maidens of fiery orange and aqua blue, laying together, staring up at clouds of darkness that they could no longer see.

    Stardust reached them, knelt, and gently shut their eyes. Their chests were marked by large, blackened burn marks like grotesque starbursts, skin drained of color.

    A sniffle from behind her caused Stardust to turn. Though all the girls had arrived - Yerim tucked in Sooyoung’s arms, Joohyun standing rigidly to the other - it was the stoic, ever-calm Seungwan who began to cry first. Tears trickled from her unblinking eyes, trained on the two dead women before them.

    I let Seungwan down, Stardust thought, I let the world down.

    “So that’s it, huh?” Sooyoung said in a low, whispered voice. “We lost?”

    “N-not necessarily,” Jooyhun said, clearly attempting to keep herself calm, “We can still fight him. With the powers that you and Seulgi have now…”

    “What does it matter if the Earth is destroyed?” Stardust asked. Was this that sense of approaching doom she’d felt? Had it not been a prescient vision of her own fate, but that of the world at large? Could she have prevented this? But how was she to know? How was she to have understood that, in the end, it would be her own hubris that would bring them all to ruin?

    I could have acted sooner. I could have prevented this from happening. she thought bitterly.

    Despair took Stardust’s heart, infecting it like a virus, spreading throughout her body and making her feel weak, apathetic.

For the first time in her short existence, Stardust felt grief. Direct grief, not just a distant emotion experienced secondhand through her host. At the fringe of that grief was a shade of similarly bleak sentiment, one that was even more unfamiliar to her: self-loathing.

She was supposed to be the world’s savior. She was supposed to prevent such a thing from happening. How could she have allowed her cursed ego to get the best of her? Such a cliche downfall, such a common flaw that she should have been able to see it from the start.

    Stardust slumped over, no longer fighting the moisture that pressed against her lids. She turned her face to the snowy mid-June sky of a doomed world, and cried. She had failed.

    Stardust remembered the people that she and Seulgi had worked to protect, the women and children who had looked upon them with wonder, the men who had rallied behind her in battle. Their situations had been dismal; loved ones slaughtered, livelihoods brought to ruin, but they hadn’t given up. They had carried on, guided by a woman who had shown them that all was not lost, that things could still be salvaged, that they had to persist, to carry on despite the Darkness.

    As they were, Seulgi and Stardust wouldn’t be able to do what they needed to do. They needed to become more. They needed to become what they Represented to the people of Earth. The opposite of Eodum.

They needed to become Light.

Something came to her then, extending through her consciousness, linking it directly to Seulgi’s. They shared thoughts and memories openly, two personalities mingling and combining within a single body. A great lucidity was granted to them both. The lucidity of centuries, the lucidity of a force far beyond them. It extended beyond what Cosmic Representations could comprehend. A realm of abstract concepts and laws, a place where nature and sentience were one, where Life and Death deferred to Fate and Destiny.

Within Seulgi and Stardust came a perfect melding of Representation and host, a true synchrony of intent. Certain facts became apparent to them, multiversal facts that were common knowledge to those who had reached that fabled, beatific place above the multiverse.

Through willpower and focus, Seulgi Stardust was able to parse this information, receive it in a way that was relevant to her. She thought of their circumstances, of the outcomes and conclusions that lay ahead. Many were disturbing, dead-end disasters that served no purpose to hark on for a prolonged period, but others - fewer, but still there, still possibilities - were hopeful. She picked at these, one by one, plucking out the details, the chunks of information that served her best. She didn’t have the mental capacity to hold all of that knowledge within her, so she seized the most important pieces, clung to them as gravity drew her back to reality.

With a sharp inhale, Seulgi Stardust returned to herself, countless lifetimes worth of knowledge having run by her within the span of a second. She took a hand from both of the fallen Representations. Though their flesh was cold, a touch of Vis ran through each one like the random, unviable pulses of a mortal body that teetered on the brink of collapse. The death throes of a heart as it lost the ability to pump any longer, desperate to continue serving the body that had all but failed around it.

Distantly, as if from another world, they spoke to a concerned Joohyun:

“You’re right. We can still beat Eodum,” Seulgi Stardust locked eyes with Sooyoung. Swathed in gold, holding tight to her sobbing love, the younger girl had a knowing, steely expression on her face. She might not be entirely aware of the transformation that had happened within her friend, but she had an inkling. “Sooyoung. It’s up to you now. I think I can give you an opening, but it’ll be brief.”

“What are you talking about?” Joohyun asked, confused.

“It doesn’t matter. All of you,” Seulgi Stardust said, looking around at her friends. Aside from Sooyoung, a mix of worry, despair, and confusion was plain on each of their faces. “Get ready for a final push against Eodum. On my cue, attack Bridge Tower.”

Seungwan wiped her face with her hands. “What are you gonna do?”

A part of Seulgi Stardust wanted to explain, but time was short, and she couldn’t be held back by protests and misgivings.

“I’m going to clear the eternal night. I do not know how long that will last, but it will weaken Eodum enough for a direct attack on him.” Again, Seulgi Stardust regarded Sooyoung. “From there, the rest is in your hands.”

“And what will this take?” Joohyun demanded, sounding panicked, “Did Seulgi agree to this? It sounds like-”

“Peace, Joohyun,” Seulgi Stardust said, lifting a hand, “Seulgi and I are in complete agreement. She understands the consequences.”

“And what would those be, Stardust?” Seungwan asked.

The two sisters stood before her, one defiant, the other resigned. Both aspects of Seulgi Stardust felt a pain, a dual love that twisted in both directions, yet somehow created no conflicts.

So this is what perfect synchrony is. I can see myself clearly… for the first time.

“A large amount of our unique Vis,” Seulgi Stardust answered honestly, “We may not survive, but the cost is nothing compared to the result.”

“You really have changed…” Seungwan whispered, shaking her head in bewilderment.

A pale-faced Joohyun looked at her sister, then back to Seulgi Stardust.

“I-I won’t let you!” Joohyun said, stepping forward and summoning her swords. “I won’t let you take Seulgi from me!”

Seulgi Stardust sent out a portion of her power - less than a sliver - and extinguished both blades. Joohyun stood there, shocked and indignant, hands open as if she were still expecting her weapons to be there.

“This is my decision, Joohyun,” Seulgi said softly. “Please. Don’t make this any harder than it needs to be.”

Joohyun flinched, and in her eyes was a great reflected distress, memories of terrible events elicited by Seulgi’s thinly veiled threat. For that, Seulgi felt cruel, but she understood that necessity was rarely the easiest route. Or, at least, now she understood that.

    Stardust shared a brief glance with Seungwan. Distress was apparent on the auburn-haired Representation’s face, but Stardust knew she would give no trouble. It was one of the many things Stardust loved about her: above all else, Seungwan was a pragmatist.

    One by one, with lingering, forlorn glances, the other Representations left. Yerim held to Seungwan, her heart-shaped face peeking over her older sister’s shoulder like a child’s.

    Briefly, Sooyoung remained behind.

    “You know you won’t live, right?” the younger girl said, “That whole ‘possibility of not surviving’ thing was bull.”

    “I know,” Seulgi Stardust said. “But Joohyun needed some kind of hope. Without it, she wouldn’t have left without a fight.”

    Sooyoung nodded. “How will I know when you’re ready?”

    “The eternal night will clear. I am unsure of the details.”

    Another nod.

    “I wish I could say more, but we don’t have the time,” Sooyoung said. “Thank you, Seulgi. For everything... But mostly for being my friend.”

    Seulgi smiled, a cold chill running over her skin. “Goodbye, Sooyoung.”

    In a burst of golden light, Sooyoung departed.

    Snow had begun to fall, and ice was starting to form on solid surfaces; buildings and statues glittered in the Astral Plane’s undulating Vis-light.

    Seulgi Stardust shut her eyes and doubled her hold on Moonbyul and Solar’s hands. They were almost gone. Perhaps a minute of life remained before the void swept them away. Fortunately, Seulgi Stardust would need far less time than that.

    Within the shared space of a consciousness, in an empty bubble sequestered from the rest of the Astral Plane, two women stood face to face.

    We’re using both our Vis to do this, right? Seulgi asked, Half each?

    From the lens of their vision, both could see the scene playing out before them. Around their body, a silver glow had begun to form, lifting the ends of their hair and ruffling their clothing. Solar and Moonbyul were bathed in it as it rose up, gaining speed, approaching the heavens.

    You’re a mortal, Stardust said, You have no Vis. There is no ‘half’ for you. You will be killed.

    Seulgi did not pause. Instead, she chuckled. For once, I appreciate your bluntness. Do you think you’ll survive?

    If I only use half of my Vis, yes…

    The silver glow grew brighter as it struck the eternal night, splashing up against the clouds, working between them, separating them. A great cry sounded out from the direction of Bridge Tower, a wounded, indignant scream. It made both of the women smile, displaying their similarities, making them appear as reflections on a pond.

    What do you mean, ‘if’? Seulgi questioned.

    Stardust sighed.

    I owe you, Seulgi, Stardust said casually. For allowing me to invade your body, your thoughts… your emotions. I apologize for all the grief I’ve caused you. I think it’s time for me to repay that debt.

    Seulgi wanted to argue, but she understood that it would be foolish. She could feel Stardust’s resolve. The silver-haired Representation was ready to fight and subdue her, if needed.

    Well, at least Joohyun will be happy, Seulgi said, attempting to keep herself composed, She looked like she would kill me if I died.

Stardust let out a chuckle. There’s that morbid sense of humor.

What about Seungwan? Seulgi asked, smile fading.

She’s the strongest woman I’ve ever met. She will understand, and… move on. Stardust’s mouth twitched, but then steadied.

There was a protracted silence between them then, and Seulgi looked out at reality. The snowflakes that had started to drift down fell at a sluggish pace, so slow that they almost seemed not to move at all.

When I wake up, I’ll remember all of this, right? Seulgi asked, mostly just to say something.

Stardust shrugged. That I can’t say. I will send a telepathic message to Joohyun so she can retrieve you when the time comes.

Won’t the others need her help fighting Eodum?

Stardust shook her head. That’s Sooyoung’s fight. They would only hold her back by joining. The best they can do is help protect the people of Earth from the aftermath… I suggest you do the same.

Well… this is it then, I guess, Seulgi said, surprised that she was on the verge of tears. That made sense, of course. Despite their differences in personality, Stardust had been more than a friend. She had, in a very literal sense, been a part of Seulgi. Listen, Stardust, I just wanna say...

Stardust held up her hand, placed it on Seulgi’s shoulder. It was warm and novel, with a steadiness that reminded her of her father’s hands. It was then that Seulgi realized that she’d never actually touched her alter ego. 

Stardust gave one of her trademark smiles, the flashy kind with just the right amount of teeth, the winning smile of a storybook heroine.

I know, Seulgi. Stardust said. Amazingly, her eyes shone with tears as well, Trust me.

They embraced. It was like hugging an old friend, a long time ally that was about to march into battle.

Stardust pulled away, rubbed the moisture from her cheeks, and returned her posture to its proud, straight-backed demeanor.

I have only one request of you, she said, turning to face her destiny, Tell my story. Spread the word of what happened here. Let the people of the universe know that I, Stardust, stood in the face of the fearsome Geulim Ja, and I did not flinch.

    With that, Stardust strode away. With each step, Seulgi felt their connection lessening, watched as the form of her alter ego separated into a star-flecked mist of silver. Seulgi let out a long, tired sigh as the bubble of Astral Plane within her began to fall apart, crumbling like an old castle of stone, revealing nothing but pure, blinding light beyond.

    On the plane of reality, Seulgi Stardust tightened her grip on the fallen Representations’ hands, lifted her face upward, and saved the world.

***

    Behind the cover of an overturned car, Bogum reloaded his rifle. His hands were still clumsy when it came to that, shaking with nervousness and weak from the stress of battle, but he managed to slide the clip into place. Bogum peeked his head over the top of the car, bringing his gun up again, searching for a target.

    At the center of the street - Bird’s Eye Lane, the same street he grew up on, a broken shadow of its former self - Wendy and Joy were a pair of killing machines. Surprisingly, it was the petite Wendy who did most of the work. She was capable of some kind of extremely powerful telepathy, sending out invisible blasts from her hands that rippled through the air, selectively tearing apart the zombies that were unfortunate enough to be in her way. Joy executed the ones that managed to escape Wendy’s attacks, striking them at the neck with precise, quick swipes of her yellow lightsabers.
    Bogum’s mom had pointed out that getting up close with the zombies was a dangerous move, but Joy had only grinned in response and flaunted one of the devices at her belt. When activated, the device generated a shimmering shield that covered the vulnerable parts of her body.

    As Bogum watched from behind his cover, a zombie tried to grab Joy by her shoulder, only for it to be thrown backward from the force of her shield. She ended it with a casual stab in the face.

    Bogum could’ve sworn he’d seen that kind of shield in a movie somewhere, though it was less iconic than a lightsaber, so he couldn’t place it. Seulgi would probably know. He shook his head, adjusted his grip on the gun. He knew he shouldn’t be too concerned about her, but how could he not? Yeah, she had superpowers, but what kind of hellish armies did she have to fight?

    From behind their barricade of cars and assorted furniture, Bogum and the other regular people provided suppressing fire to help Joy with the cleanup. Their shots were really just a formality; Bogum was confident that if Joy and Wendy wanted to, they could defend this entire street on their own without a problem.

    In fact, that particular wave of zombies had already ended by the time Bogum was ready to fire his next shot. That was fine by him. The less he had to shoot this gun, the better.

    Beside him, the remainder of his neighbors relaxed, drank water, and took a moment to reload their weapons. Most of them didn’t talk to him much; he guessed that it was because he was the only one who was really friends with the two mysterious, magical women that had saved their neighborhood. “Friends” was even a loose term. They had pretty much explained nothing of their pasts, or the reason why they stuck around to help.

Oh well. Like a lot of things that had gone down recently, Bogum found it was best not to think about the “why’s” and “how’s”. He’d just learned to roll with the punches and move on. A good example of this was the fact that the sky was now filled with black clouds and red lightning, no matter what time of day it was. That had happened a little after he’d seen Seulgi on TV, like a great, unending thunderstorm rumbling in from the east. There was no rain, and the lightning flashes never seemed to actually connect with the Earth, but it was eerie nonetheless. Even now, looking up at it, Bogum felt a sensation like the shivers he got when someone wrote at the wrong angle on a chalkboard.

“How’re things going for you guys?” Joy asked, breaking Bogum out of his trance.

“Oh, uh, fine,” he said, handing her and Wendy a pair of water bottles. “Kinda just… hanging out.”

Joy nodded as if that was the exact response she expected. “I wish we could go around to different places and help other people, but there’s just too much going on here.”

“Well, Evanie did send that message out pretty far…” Wendy said, sounding worried, “Others could’ve responded to it…”

An unnaturally cold wind blew in then, causing Bogum to shiver. Wendy and Joy seemed unaffected by it, continuing their conversation as if nothing had happened.

“Like the stories of those women who can control the wind and fire popping up in Texas?” Joy said, grinning over the mouth of her water bottle.

Wendy chuckled. “If Sana and Dahyun are down there, I’m sure-”

The brunette was cut off as a flash of light came over them. A spear of silver drove its way over from the east, then spread out to cover the entire sky. The clouds were torn like a piece of wet, ragged cloth, separating into shreds that melted away under the metallic light.

All around them, Bogum’s neighbors craned their necks up and pointed. Strips of blue sky revealed themselves, and powerful rays of sunlight poured down. Within one of those strips of azure was the pale, distant shape of the moon. For some reason, the sight brought him an overwhelming sense of hope, glowing inside of him like hot embers. He found himself smiling.

Beside him, Joy let out a disbelieving laugh and gave Bogum what she likely thought was a gentle punch on the shoulder. He tried not to wince, or think about the fact that it would probably bruise.

“It might just be a hunch, but I think your sister’s kicking out there.”

***

    Summer walked through the ranks of undead, barely paying attention to them as she watched the eternal night wash away. The ekimu - as Evanie so cutely insisted on calling them - were unable to touch Summer normally, but with their source of power being disrupted, they became even more helpless. They dropped to the ground, wracked with seizures, the Barathrial slime that covered them melting away as silver-tinged sunlight shone on them.  

    Tyler touched down beside her, appearing from the shadows like a ghoul.

    “You owe me fifty bucks,” Summer said without looking away from the gorgeous spectacle above them. The hole where Sooyoung had broken through the clouds still showed glimpses of the Astral Plane, lavender-colored snatches of stars that Summer thought looked quite beautiful.

    “They haven’t actually won yet!” Tyler said indignantly. He pointed to Bridge Tower, the final bastion of Eodum’s influence on the planet. The fog that surrounded it had thinned out considerably. Pieces of the steel frame were visible again, rusted over by the decaying nature of an eternal night. “That’s where I just came back from. Eodum seems pretty confident that he’s got this.”

    Summer chuckled and shook her head. Leave it to Tyler to root for the bad guys, as long as it meant he’d get paid.

    “Stardust just destroyed the eternal night and severely weakened Eodum by herself. I’m positive that Sooyoung’s got it from here.”

    Tyler’s expression grew distant. Summer followed his stare, watched as a sparkle of golden shot its way across the sky, the shadow of a girl that looked like she was skating across the air.

    “You know, when she answered Evanie’s message to come help, I kinda expected her to stay where she was needed,” Tyler said peevishly.

    Summer rolled her eyes. “You can’t just expect people to obey you like that. Especially her. Be grateful that she even showed up.”

    Tyler shook his head, jammed his hands into his pockets, and kept pace with Summer.

    “Well, maybe she can help Sooyoung fight Eodum,” he muttered, staring at his feet as he walked, “This is one of the million times I really wish I could step in and do something.”

    “I thought you wanted to win the bet?” Summer asked, cocking an eyebrow.

    “Uh… right, yeah. Forget I said that,” Tyler said in a low, shamed voice.

    Summer smiled and patted her poor, cursed friend on the back comfortingly.

    Tyler looked around, as if just realizing that something was missing.

    “Hey, where’s Evanie, anyway?”

***

    Evanie sat cross-legged in front of a building. Above her was a big sign that said “Main Avenue Student Center”. She’d been there all day. The cup of tea that Summer had delivered to her was still warm in her hands. Inside, down a long hallway and through a set of double doors was a crowd of five thousand, six hundred and twenty-four people. Hours ago, when the eternal night had started to come out in full, there had only been three hundred and two people hiding in there.

    Horde after horde of the ekimu had come, and Evanie’s spirits had swallowed each of them. The spirits had already eaten more than their share for the day, but her work wasn’t finished yet, so she kept feeding them. Evanie hoped that they wouldn’t expect these kinds of treats often. They probably would. The spirits were spoiled like that.

 At first, the people inside had been afraid of her. That was okay. Evanie didn’t blame them. Besides Summer, not many people liked to be around her for long. When she’d shown the Earthlings her spirits, some of them had run away. Most of them came back, though, when they were chased by ekimu. Evanie wondered why these people hadn’t been trained to fight, but she supposed it might have been a genetic issue. Or something. The humans of this world were flabby and weak. They were tall, yes, but what good did that do when they grew tired after three minutes of running?

The spirits stirred as a triplet of ekimu came shambling out onto the street before her. When they noticed her sitting there, they began to sprint. Faster than they moved normally, but still so slow. The marks on Evanie’s skin flowed out into the space in front of her, and the void shot out in a thin cord. It pierced through the three ekimu by their chests, then them up, insides first. When the spirits had finished mopping up the mess, they returned to her body, settling into the rivers of markings on her arms.

“I told you to stop doing that,” she chastised, “Summer says it scares the kids.”

All she got in response was a devious, echoing chuckle.

Evanie turned to the windows on the side of the buildings. Sure enough, a few teen-aged children were standing with their hands pressed to the glass, staring out. Evanie gave them what she hoped was a cheery wave. It didn’t have the intended effect; they just hid from her view.

There were a lot of kids in the gymnasium, some almost as old as her, crying and cowering. She knew how they felt. Those kids just wanted to be protected, just wanted to be happy and safe, so they sought the comfort of their parents' arms. There were kids who didn’t have parents, and they stood alone, hugging themselves and crying. Alone.

Evanie was far too familiar with that.

She didn’t know how to make the kids feel better; she wasn’t charismatic like Tyler or kind like Summer. So instead, Evanie protected them. She figured it was the least she could do.

Evanie placed her lips on the rim of her cup and tilted her head back to drink. The tea was bitter and lukewarm, the kind of flavor that made your mouth feel dry afterward. A bright silver glow spread across her as she drank. She ignored it until she was finished. She’d learned that most things in life could wait for tea.

When she looked up, the black clouds were disappearing, and the sky was turning blue again. There were small bits of purple there as well, with stars in them, like little slices of outer space.

Evanie placed her cup down, then spread her hands behind her and leaned back. She began to hum as she watched the storm clearing above her, and a smile found its way to her tiny lips.

It was a nice day.

***

    Sooyoung watched from a rooftop as Seul’s Vis collided with the eternal night. She braced against the resulting shockwave, clutching Yeri at her side.

    For a moment, the Darkness tried to resist Stardust’s assault. It held fast, essence gathering strongly around the point of contact in a desperate attempt to prevent the inevitable. Those defenses caved in not a second later as the silver tunneled its way between them, an explosion of radiance that made even Sooyoung squint her eyes, shade them with her hand.

    “Do you feel that?” Yeri said in a hoarse voice, “That power…”

    “Yeah,” Sooyoung said, massaging the blonde’s shoulder to comfort her. “It’s hard to believe that’s Seulgi.”

    From between the broken clouds, bars of sunlight began to peak out, one such ray falling directly onto the space in front of Yeri and Sooyoung.

    “The sun!” Yeri said excitedly, jumping slightly in her partner’s arms, “That means Solar is alive!”

    Sooyoung smiled, then looked up, squinting. The imprint of the moon - the translucent, half-formed version of it that appeared during daytime - winked at them from beside a slice of Astral Plane. Sooyoung felt herself grinning harder.

    “Moonbyul, too,” Sooyoung said, pointing. “See?”

    You did it, Seul. You saved the world.

    From nearby came a sharp gasp, and Sooyoung swiveled her head around to see Joohyun speeding off in the opposite direction.

    “She must be going to check on Solar and Moonbyul. Coming back from the dead is probably very, um… jarring,” Sooyoung said. She didn’t add the second, darker reason that she thought Joohyun had left.

    Will Seul’s body even be there at all? Or will it have been destroyed in the blast?

    There was a rumble through the atmosphere, a kind of shifting of cosmic energy that made Sooyoung’s Vis bristle. She blinked and looked in the direction of its source.

    Bridge Tower was the only piece of the eternal night that still resisted the power of Seul’s Vis. It looked out of place in the blue skies and sunlight.

    There was another rumble, and the silver beams began to converge on Bridge Tower. Something cried out, a high-pitched, vibrating tone that made Sooyoung grit her teeth, made Yeri whimper in fear. Another shockwave came, covering the land, sending rubble flying in all directions, whipping Sooyoung’s hair back behind her head and making her squint.

    “That must be Seul’s signal,” Sooyoung said, watching as the eternal night began to flicker and fade around Bridge Tower. “I think it’s time for me to go, Yeri.”

    “I have to go with you,” Yeri said. She did a good job of putting on a brave face, but her eyes betrayed her fear. “I can’t let you go alone.”

    Sooyoung shook her head, ran her fingers through Yeri’s hair, and planted a kiss on the shorter girl’s mouth. “And I can’t let you come with me. Looks like we’ve reached a stalemate.”

    “This isn’t the time for joking, Sooyoung!” Yeri said tearfully, “This is s-serious.”

    Sooyoung kissed away Yeri’s tears, savoring the taste of sweet skin and salty moisture. She inhaled deeply of the blonde’s scent, imprinting the flowery, almost candy-like smell of her angel into her memory.

    “I’m sorry. I think that’s just the way I cope,” Sooyoung whispered, thinking briefly of Seul.

    Mourn later. Save the world now.

    “Wait here for Joohyun or Seungwan to get back,” Sooyoung said. “I don’t think Eodum’s minions are gonna bother you anymore.”

    Yeri shook her head wildly, like a child who didn’t want their mother to leave.

“Please, Yeri,” Sooyoung said, feeling the sadness creeping on her, feeling herself wavering. “Please… don’t make this any harder than it already is.”

The waves of energy that Bridge Tower was exuding had become dull. Most of the building was free of the eternal night now. Curiously, the spots that had been “cleansed” were all rusted over, glass windows shattered, metal warped. As if the structure had experienced an accelerated aging of ten thousand years.

“I’m sorry,” Yeri replied. “It’s just that… I don’t want… I can’t lose you.”

“And you won’t,” Sooyoung said, and she meant it. “I’ll kill Eodum. I’ll come back to you. I’m going to win.”

Yeri looked up. The fear she’d shown before was gone, replaced by a pleading, burning sincerity that caused Sooyoung’s heart to ache.

“Promise me, Sooyoung.”

Sooyoung did not hesitate. “I promise.”

Yeri nodded, seeming to be satisfied.

“Goodbye, my love. I’ll see you soon.” Sooyoung whispered, and they shared a final kiss. Then Sooyoung jogged to the edge of the building, and took flight. As she went, she heard a small, melodic voice call out to her:

“I love you, Sooyoung!”

It sounded so sweet that Sooyoung had to fight the urge to turn around right there. But of course, she didn’t. She was stronger than that.

-------------------------------------------

One more interlude after this, then the final chapter with Sooyoung vs. Eodum. The interlude is titled "Soul Love (A Multiversal Interlude)"... You can probably guess what that entails (:

The next chapter will be titled "Finale (Park Sooyoung Battles The Forces Of Evil)", and will be the final chapter before I start writing all the epilogues. There'll be about three to four separate epilogues, I believe.

Thanks for reading, and make sure to upvote and comment if you enjoy the story so far (: