“Luna…”

She carefully took his hand within her own trembling ones. He was quickly growing older. Right in front of her eyes even. She knew he was old, of course. He had lived for over 680 years. It was only normal for him to die. He had lived a long life. But still, Suddenly seeing him wither in front of her while he had looked strong and healthy for as long as she had known him? It was like a rock hitting her in the stomach.

She momentarily looked up at her younger brother, sitting on her grandfather’s other side. He met her eyes only briefly. In understanding. She could see he was having a tough time as well, even if he was trying to keep up a brave front.

“I’m here, grandfather,” she finally responded. He let out a relieved breath.

She let the back of her free hand caress past his wings, the feathers soft to her touch as ever. Even if they as well, were falling apart now. Feathers coming loose.

They were a kingdom of angels. Always had been. And yet… the time had apparently come, for the last true angel to depart this world. There was a time where the members of the royal family had all been blessed by massive wings, longevity and charisma. The former especially, according to the stories, the source of magical energy. Energy from the heavens themselves. And yet, for some reason, the phenomenon had suddenly stopped. Nor her parents, nor her aunt had had wings. Neither did she and her brother. In fact, she couldn’t even remember having met anybody other than her grandfather who did? And he wasn’t even really her grandfather. More like great-great-and a many more great’s-grandfather. Everyone after had seemed to live a regular human’s lifespan. Luna still had her blonde hair and blue eyes to prove she was an angel but that was about it. Besides the useless visual aspect, everything else had disappeared from their genes at some point.

“I am sorry. For having to leave you.”

Luna smiled softly, ignoring the knot in as best as she could. “It’s about time you get some rest.”

“But you and Jaehyun…” he glanced at her brother at his other side. Luna saw him smile down at his grandfather much like she had done. “After your parents-“

“Shhh. We will be fine. We are both grownups.”

Her grandfather closed his eyes and for a moment Luna thought it was over. She held her breath, until eyelids opened up again.

“You have to listen. Both of you. With my death, the dome protecting our kingdom will waver. It is… was connected to my life-force.”

“Dome?” Jaehyun questioned. Luna watched him glance at her, wordlessly asking if she knew anything more than him with a confused frown.

“Have you never wondered how war with devils has waged on, yet our kingdom has remained spared? Eyes will turn towards this place soon.”

Jaehyun glanced up at her once again, but much like before she had no answers to give. The words catching her just as much off-guard as they did him.

“There is no time. You have to protect each other. Each other and the alae. As long as it remains safe within your care, you will have a chance. Go to it. Use it to create a dome anew. Protect yourselves and….” He coughed, a disgusting kind of cough, blood splatters upon his pillow case. “And the kingdom.”

He took in a deep breath, his throat squeaking. “You are the only ones who can open its safe-place. Don’t let anybody else get to it. Whatever they say…,” he took a breath, clearly having difficulty speaking by now, “don’t believe them. They will be lying. If you no longer have them, it will be over for our kingdom. You understand? Use them. Use it.”

Luna nodded, even if she barely understood anything at all. She had at least seen the alae though. As a child. So very long ago, and yet she could never forget how beautiful and golden they had been. A mystery to her, really. How could they have been preserved so well? Locked away in the dark. She hadn’t seen them for years now. She knew it was for a good reason. Or so she had been told time and time again.

“We will be fine,” she heard her brother speak silently. Calmly. Both of them had always been pretty good at keeping calm. At keeping their emotions at bay. Still, when she saw the body of her grandfather relax at his words, she felt a single tear slip down her cheek. Until another followed. Even more when his skin seemed to grey out before it almost evaporated. His entire body and wings, turning into some sort of ash right in front of her eyes. It would have been beautiful had it not been so very morbid. So very sad. She had heard of this, but to actually see it… and to realise it would be the very last time as well? No more real angels were alive now. This was it. It was over. It was surreal.

Both Luna and her brother remained like that for a while. Their hands that had been holding onto their grandfather’s now filled with light grey ash alone. It almost felt disrespectful to move. To continue with life like they had before. Because nothing was like before. And it never would be again. In fact, Luna wasn’t even sure on how to continue.

Luckily, she wasn’t in it alone. Jaehyun was the first to get up. “I’ll need to check with the general. If it’s true that this ‘dome’ is no longer protecting us…” She was grateful that he at least seem to know what to do. She nodded at him, and heard him leave the room after.

Shaking her head, she finally forced her hand to tilt slightly, watching the substance slip off. Onto blue sheets. Her knees were starting to hurt from kneeling besides the bed. A bed of death now. The realisation made her stand up as well. Knees buckling. Cheeks wet. No matter how much loss she saw, it never really got easier.

She followed after her brother eventually. It wasn’t like life was waiting for her. What else could she do? It seemed as if all sound was dimmed, however. As if her thoughts were so loud they were tuning everything else out. Even if, ironically, she couldn’t grab on to a single one of them.

“Where was the horde last spotted?” She heard her brother ask. She didn’t miss his slightly trembling hand, grabbing onto his belt. He was just as afraid as her.

“The Purple Marshes.”

He nodded, briefly making eye contact with her, “good,” he finally spoke, “good. We still have a few weeks of time then.”

Did it even matter though? The horde was claiming all it passed. All land. Every living being. It was leaving mass murder in its wake. And if they were to believe their grandfather’s words, it would be making its way over to them soon without this so-called ‘dome’ protecting them.

For some reason, she doubted he was just being delirious. Why hadn’t he warned them before though? Why hadn’t he given them better instructions on what to do now?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Luna stared out in front of her. She felt eyes upon her. The eyes that weren’t on her brother, that is. She tried her best to avoid them. She wasn’t good at this kind of stuff.

Citizens had gathered in the throne room. To mourn along with them. Because they deserved to mourn in the same way they were. The loss of family wasn’t something they would share with her and her brother, but the loss of the last real angel was. With it, a part of hope had seemingly died along with it. Their faces looked tired. Lifeless even, some of them. They had surely heard as well then.

Luna could tell Jaehyun was doing hist best to speak to their hearts, however. And Luna thought he was doing a good job. She was glad she wasn’t alone in this. They would support one another. Jaehyun had always been the public face. The one who took action. Luna preferred remaining in the background. She had spent her childhood years in the library. Reading books. Learning. Thinking… Fantasizing.

Not like Jaehyun, who was proficient with a sword after years of training. As well as diplomatic matters. She was glad there was at least someone qualified to follow in their family’s rulers’ footsteps. Even if she truly believed neither of them were quite ready for this yet, they didn’t have a choice. They’d learn. Jaehyun would become the new king. And she would support him as well as she possibly could.

It had only been a day. Yesterday, he had still been here. Ruling effortlessly as he had done for ages. Literally. And yet now… They were the only two left. In tis palace that suddenly seemed too big for them. Too empty.

Luna’s head snapped towards the doors as they swung open