500 years ago

Hyukjae wandered down his corridor house, his hand carefully tracing the patterns on the wall when someone suddenly placed a hand over his mouth and dragged him inside one of the many rooms along the hall. He gasped clutching his chest in fright then turned around to see Donghae grinning at him while placing the lock of around his door. 

"Donghae!" Hyukjae scolded and crossed his arms. "You scared me. I thought we were being invaded."

"I'm sorry." Donghae apologized although the playful smile on his face made Hyukjae doubt the sincerity of his words. "I just wanted to get you alone before I go."

"Go? Go where?" Hyukjae asked since there wasn't anywhere to go. Not in the middle of this endless war. "Where are you going?"

Donghae's smile fell for a second but then returned as soon as he had his arms wrapped around Hyukjae's waist. "I love you."

Hyukjae placed a hand on Donghae's chest and backed away a little when he tried to lean in for a kiss. He narrowed his eyes and already had an inkling as to where his lover was going but he needed to hear it from him. "Where are you going?"

Donghae stared into Hyukjae's eyes a little more and when he saw his stubborness reflect in them, he felt his heart ache a little as he already missed seeing them. 

"I received my summons today." Donghae informed and tightened his hold on Hyukjae when he felt the latter try to pull away from him. "I have to present myself in three days or else they would come for my brother."

"Three days?" Hyukjae asked softly as he tried to control his feelings. "That's...so soon..."

"I know."

Hyukjae understood Donghae has a duty to fulfill and he probably did too if his father wasn't so wealthy and bribed their leaders to leave him alone. He's sure they would have targeted him to get recruited in the war as well. However, that didn't take away from the pain in his heart that this might very well be the last time he would see Donghae. If he doesn't die in the war then he would certainly have to wait until it was over and...no one's sure when it'll ever be over. 

Donghae could see and feel the sadness in Hyukjae. He used his right hand and placed it under Hyukjae's chin and slowly lifted his face up to look at him. Sure enough, there were already tears b in his eyes. Hyukjae couldn't bear to stare into Donghae knowing full well what kind of fate was waiting for him tomorrow and closed his eyes, tears falling one after the other. Donghae could only kiss the tears away and pulled Hyukjae for a hug. 

"Stay safe." Donghae whispered in his ear and smiled - feeling content when he felt Hyukjae wrap his arms around him and held him tight. He could feel him tremble in his arms which only made him feel even worse about leaving. 

"Don't be an idiot." Hyukjae mumbled against his shoulders as more tears flooded from his eyes. His hands grasping around Donghae's clothes in his desperate attempt to make him stay. "I'm not in love with an idiot. Don't try to be a hero."

Donghae chuckled at Hyukjae's words and snuggled against the side of his neck, inhaling his scent in the process. He needs to remember this. This is the only thing that will keep him sane out there. The sweet scent of strawberries and soft feel of his hair. He needs to remember how perfect Hyukjae feels in his arms and how good it feels to be held by him. The memories he has of him will be his secret in surviving and coming back from the war - the need to be back in his arms again. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"JUNGSU!" Donghae yelled as he saw another one of his comrades get slain before his eyes. He stabbed the enemy that was in front of him with his sword and ran back to retreat behind one of the debris around them. Donghae gasped for breathe and closed his eyes trying to picture Hyukjae in his mind. 

Can't die. I'm not gonna die. 

Donghae opened his eyes again and scanned the battlefield. Among the screams and bloodshed, the thing that stood out the most with Donghae was a man riding around in a red horse. His eyes widened when he saw him decapitating one man after the other. At this point, he's not even sure who's on who's side but he knows that regardless of who's side that man was on, he must be stopped. 

Without giving it a second thought, he grabbed his sword and lunged an attack his way. The man's red horse was startled and reared back standing on two legs causing the man to fall on the floor. Donghae screamed and was about to plunge his sword through his chest when the man blocked it with his own. He tried to keep going but the other was incredibly strong and he was incredibly tired. Donghae's feet faltered back and the man dressed in red garb took that as his opportunity to get up on his feet. 

Neither one of them said anything and merely kept attacking each other. Donghae tried to be aggressive and maim him but his opponent was a skilled swordsman. He hissed when the other's sword sliced through his arm and groaned in pain when he fell down on his knees after he had kicked him. Donghae's reflexes was quick despite being beaten down. He moved his body to the side just in time to avoid the sword that was about to impale down on him and mustered up all the energy he could and tripped his opponent backwards. 

The man in the red garb lost the cloth that he was using as a mask and revealed his face. Donghae was just about to bring his own sword down on him but froze when he saw his eyes staring back at him glow red. 

"What the-...Who are you?"

The man didn't say anything and merely smirked at Donghae as someone from behind him stabbed him from the back. Donghae's eyes widened as pain shot through him in an instant. He felt the sword slice through him futher as it was drawn back out of his body. He fell down on his knees as blood slowly sputtered from his mouth. 

"You were so close." The man with red eyes said with a smug smile on his face. "But alas, I always win." He turned around in search for his horse but then gasped and widened his eyes in shock when he looked down and saw the sword he dropped earlier was impaled right through his chest. Donghae groaned in pain from behind him and used the last of his energy to pull the sword out of the body. He dropped the metallic armor first before he followed it with his body. 

"I'm bringing you down to hell with me," was Donghae's last words before succumbing to pain. The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes was the man falling down on the ground in front of him; his glowing red eyes slowly fading into pitch black. Then, everything went dark for him as well. 

Donghae was awoken by the feeling of a very wide and wet tongue his face. He groaned and made a face when said creature's breath started to invade his nose in a very unpleasant manner. Donghae slowly opened his eyes and was met face to face with a pale white horse face. His eyes widened at the sight and immediately scampered away from the animal. By doing so, his fingertips felt the stiff feeling of a dead body behind him. He yelped and stood on his feet backing away from the corpse only to finally take notice of what was going on around him, or rather, what was not happening around him. 

Everything was frozen. People around him stood still as though time itself had stopped. 

"What the-...What the hell's going on around here?"

"Messy, isn't it?" 

Donghae gasped and turned around to see who else was experiencing this bizarre moment with him, only to freeze at the sight he saw. The man walked closer to him but when he turned to face him...all he saw was his face. He was looking at himself!

"Wh-Who are you? What are you?!" Donghae panicked and started looking around his surroundings. "Where am I?!"

The other 'Donghae' simply ignored him and walked around the man that Donghae had killed right before he died. He crouched down on one knee and touched the man's face and almost instantly he turned into ash. Donghae's eyes widened with shock and fear. 

"What the hell just happened!? What did you do?!"

"Relax, mortal. Do not fret for you won the war for mankind."

Donghae's head ached with confusion. Wait. He can still feel pain...does that mean he's not-...

"I'm afraid you are," His "other self" said as though reading his thoughts. Donghae was finally able to see into the person's eyes and saw that his eyes glowed similar to the man he just killed earlier but instead of red it glowed a golden color. Nevertheless, it still sent chills down his spine. "Death does not numb the soul I'm afraid."

"Y-You mean I'm..."

"Dead.." 'Donghae' with the golden eyes finished for him. "But do not fret for, as the person that defeated War for mankind, you get a special reward."

Donghae was still not processing what was happening to him. He looked around his surroundings but everything remained frozen. There were still hundreds, probably thousands of dead body around him. He's seen two very strange men in the battlefield and one of them has turned the other into ash while congratulating him. 

...Did he just say that the war was over?

"The war's over? No one needs to fight anymore?" Donghae sounded hopeful a