The day was beautiful. The warm sun shone down on earth. The white fluffy clouds drifted with the winds and the backdrop is the bright blue sky. There was only one word to describe it – peaceful. Humans went about their days. Some enjoying the sun and others hurried inside their tall buildings, unaware that they are being watched from up above.

A little boy, look to be around the age of ten, his black hair hung just above his shoulders, he wore a pink and white striped t-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. In his hand was a clear, yellowish – orange rock. He held it up to the sun and the colour of the rock reflected onto his smiling face, “Mommy, look what I found!” He cried at a middle age woman sitting on a small wooden bench under a large tree.

“Kibum, stay away from the water!” She called to him. 

“I’m fine,” he whined, but he stepped away from the edge of the lake and ran back to his mother. He plopped down next to her and laid his head on her lap. He opened his palm and showed his mother the treasure that he just found, “Don’t you think this rock I found is pretty?”

She brushed a lose strain of hair away from his face and smiled down at him, “That’s not a rock, but it’s a gem.”

He looked up at her confused, “Gem?”

His mother nodded, “Its call amber, a fossilized tree resin.” 

His mouth formed a shape of an O as he twirled the amber around with his fingers. The amber slipped out of his fingers and rolled on the pavement toward the lake. He jumped up and ran after it. He was not going to lose his precious gem to the lake. 

He heard his mother called after him, but he ignored her. He was so concentrated on running after the gem that he did not see the young woman standing next to the lake and ran into her. He ran into her with such force that he fell backward onto his , as he watched his amber rolled into the lake. 

The young woman turned and looked at him. He started to cried. She bended down and grabbed him just under his arms and lifted him from the ground, “Are you alright kiddo?”

He was not hurt and if it did, he did not care. He was more upset that he lost his amber. He nodded, “I’m sorry for running into you.” He then quickly walked to the edge of the water, kneeled down and started to bawl.

The woman walked over to him. She towered over him, her body blocked the sun and casted a shadow over his little body, “What’s wrong?”

“I lost my gem!” He wailed. “I lost my amber!” The young woman raised an eyebrow.

His mother ran over to them, “I’m sorry. He just found a gem called amber and it rolled into the lake. He was going after it when he ran into you.”

The young woman smiled, “Let me see if I can find it for you.” She kneeled down at the edge of the lake, rolled up the sleeves of her white shirt, submerged her arm into the water, and fumbled around, in search of the missing gem. The water near the edge of the lake was shallow enough for her to touch the muddy ground beneath it. She smiled as she brought up the gem and handed to boy, “Here. Take care of it.” She patted him on the head. 

“Amber!” A young man ran up to her. “What are you doing?” The man looked at Amber from head to toe. One side of her sleeve was wet. He shook his head from side to side, but let out a small grin.

The little boy stopped his sobbing and stared, wide eyed at Amber, “Your name ... Amber?”

Amber grinned, “Yup and this here is my worrywart friend, Joon.” She wrapped her arms around one of Joon’s arm. “What’s your name?”

The little boy ran to her and wrapped his arm around Amber’s waist. She was shocked and astonished. The boy looked up at her and grinned from ear to ear, “My name is Kibum, but my friends all call me Key.” Amber frowned.

His mother had a look of apology in her eyes as she pulled Key away from Amber, “I’m sorry. He is usually a good kid. I don’t know what had gotten into him today.” 

Amber bit down on her bottom lip and bowed at the older woman, “That’s okay.” She then turned to Joon. “We should get going.” Joon nodded and took Amber by the hand.

“I hope we meet each other again, Amber!” Key cried after them. “I’m going to ask you to marry me then!”

“Kibum, what are you saying!” his mother reprimanded him. 

Little Key just smiled as he watched Amber walked away with Joon, “I like her, mommy.”

As Amber and Joon rounded the corner and was far away from Key and his mom. Joon cleared his throat, “That was the demon wasn’t it?”

Amber nodded, “I thought he was just any regular human kid at first, and then he ran over to hug me. That was when I recognized his facial featured.” 

“Seem like he’s still have thoughts of you stuck in his mind,” Joon started to unrolled her sleeves. “You’re shirt is all wet.” When he was done up rolling her sleeves, he quickly ran his hands over it. Steamed rosed from the sleeve, once he removed his hand the wet sleeve became dry. “There good as new.”

She chortled. “What’s so funny?” Joon asked.

“You treat me like I’m a child,” she playfully sulked. 

Joon reached over and pinched her cheeks, “That’s not it. I just care for you more than anything else.”

Amber’s happy smile faded into a sad one, “I’m sorry.”

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and they started to walk again, “What are you sorry about? I am the one that choose this. I am happy just the way things are. I know I can never replace him. As long as you care for me, trust me and think of me from time to time, as you do now. I am happy.” He smiled sadly. 

Amber rested her head on his shoulder, “Thank you ... for being there for me.” Joon was reborn as an angel and he considered this his second chance. From the moment, that he re-opened his eyes as an angel, he looked for Amber. Since then he never left her side. 

Amber had retreated inside of herself and no one, not even Donghae could help her. She was broken, again, and this time nothing can fix her. That was what she felt until that faithful day when Joon decided to kidnapped her and taken her to a deserted island. He was so persistent that it cracked her wall and she was eventually able to open up to him. How long were they gone for? She was not sure, but she knew that it had taken her mind away from reality. 

During that time, Joon had made her felt happy again. She is happy now, but reality is reality and Minho kept floating around in her mind. However, life must go on and she cannot dwell on what had happened. His memories still lives on inside her. She cannot forget and she will not forget.

“Are you going in on your own?” He asked her as they arrived in front of the school’s gate, the school where everything happened. She nodded. He let go of her and gently kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll come back here in a few hours. Hurry back because if you don’t my heart might wither.”

Amber laughed and punched him lightly on the arm, “Cheesy much? Maybe I should just leave without you when I’m done.” Joon pouted, as he watched her disappeared behind the large gate.

Sulli retracted her wings as she landed in a small garden within her small cottage on heaven. Before she took another stepped a figure came flying at her, “You’re back!” 

“Nice to see you too, Krystal” she chuckled. “Where is everyone?”

Krystal let go of her and pouted, “They all had things to do. Victoria is training some new angels and Luna is monitoring the earth.”

Sulli raised an eyebrow, “What about Amber?”

Krystal skipped inside the little cottage, “You don’t remember what today is?”

Lines appeared on her forehead as she tried to think of what is the significant of today, “Oh! That day ... it has been ten years already?” 

Krystal nodded as she seated herself onto a white couch in the living room. She clapped her hands and a teapot, two teacups and two plates of strawberry short cake appeared on the coffee table. She patted her hand on the seat next to her, “Sit.”

Sulli took the seat next to her. Krystal poured the tea into the cup and offered one to Sulli, which she took, “Ah, I missed heaven’s food. Demon’s food just doesn’t taste the same.”

“When do you have to go back there again?” 

Sulli set the cup back down on the table, “Not for awhile. Being their watcher is not so much fun. It’s horrible down there, always dark and gloomy.”

“How are the others?” Krystal picked up the two plates of cake and handed one to Sulli. She cut a small piece with a fork and put it in .

“Well, Onew had taken up the Lucifer’s title of Emperor, so he’s now Lucifer’s right hand,” Sulli took a bit from the cake and she smiled happily. “Jonghyun had becomes a hermit. He stays inside the library reading all the time and then there is Taemin. He’s in charge of taking care of me while I’m there and he stick next to me like where are attached at the hip.”

Krystal covered as she laughed because it was full of cake, “He’s your little demon puppy.”

“That’s not funny,” She frowned. “Anyway, did Amber go there by herself?” Sulli asked as she finished the last piece of her cake.

Krystal shook her head, “What do you think? That guy never leaves her side.”

“True, he’s so hopeless,” she sighed. “He still doesn’t see that Minho still hold majority of Amber’s heart.”

“He see, but Joon said he doesn’t care,” Krystal sighed. “All he ever wants is to be next to her. That is all he asks for. He can never replace Minho and he knows that. Plus, he was the only one that pulled Amber out from her sorrow.”

Sulli poured more tea into her cup, “Maybe not now, but ten years or twenty years from now things may change.”

“You see it?”

Sulli shook her head, “Since that time I can’t see into Amber’s future. All I see when I tried to look into her future is darkness. She does not want us to look into her future. She does not want to know anything. She is content with what she has right now.”

Amber walked up to the site of the tree. The tree was gone, but they erected a large labyrinth around the site of the tree. Standing over ten feet high, the labyrinth was made up of marble and bricks. There is a large ornate, wrought iron gate at the entrance of the labyrinth. When she asked for it to be built, she made sure that only angels could enter it. She ran her hand over the lock, a sharp instrument pricked her palm and a small drop of blood ran down the lock. She heard a click and pushed the gate inward. The gate creaked opened and shut behind her once she stepped in.

She slowly walked the paths that lead her into the heart of the labyrinth. The smell of roses hit her senses like a ton of bricks. Vine roses, white, red and yellow entwined and climbed the surrounding walls. In the middle, where the tree once stood, was a large water fountain. It was three tiered, the bottom one the largest - in a shape of a lotus; the second was slightly smaller - in the shape of an opened rose, and the last one being the smallest was in a shape of a tulip.

The birds where enjoying their bath when Amber walked in. They flew to her singing, one landed on her shoulder and lightly pecked at her cheeks, chirped at her and flew off after its companions. 

Amber took off her shoes and walked onto the lush and soft green grass that surrounded the fountain. She lay down and looked up at the sky. A small drop of warm tear ran down the side of her face, “How are you doing today, Minho? I miss you. Everything repeats itself every day, but one thing hasn’t changed... you are not here with me. Another year passed so here I am again. I wonder if you miss me as much as I miss you...” 

She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the wind, the water tickling down the fountain, the sound of the grass rustling and in the distance the sound of the birds singing their love songs. The peaceful hum lulled her to sleep. 

Then, a voice jarred her from her sleep. “Can you hear me?” The voice said, faintly, sadly, and desperately. “Amber...” 

Her eyes flashed opened. She stood up so quickly that she felt light headed and fell back down on her knees. She held her head in her hands. The ground felt so unsteady underneath her. She slowly removed the hands from her face. She blinked. She was no longer inside the labyrinth.

Thick white and grey fogs surrounded her. She could see no more than two inches in front of her. The wind blew at her and it sent shivers up her spine. Then she heard it again – in the distant void – the voice called her name. The voice that was somewhat familiar to her ears. 

Unsure of where she was, she decided to walk towards the voice. It seemed like time had stopped. She walked and walked. Then she saw a shadow behind the fogs. Tall and slender, a familiar figure. She felt her stomach twist, as she walked closer. “Is that you?” The familiar, deep husky voice asked her.

She stopped just inches from him. She felt a warm droplet of liquid on her collarbone and reached up to touch her cheek. She realized that she was crying, “Min ... Minho?” She muttered through her sobs.

He looked the same, but paler, and miserable. He wore a sad frown upon his face and when she stepped toward him, he stepped away from her, “Am I dreaming?” He shook his head. “Then where am I?”

His stared straight into her eyes, “You’re in the in between. The land of nowhere.” His voice was cold and depressing. There was no warmth in it. Amber felt goose prickles on her arms. 

She stepped towards him again and yet again, he stepped away. His actions hurt her and her anger flared up inside of her, “What is it?”

He shuddered at her voice. Some sort of liquid ran down his face, but when she looked closely, it was crimson red, blood? She thought. Unconsciously, she reached for his face. A harsh cold wind blew at her and she instinctively closed her eyes. When the wind stopped and she opened them, Minho was no longer standing in front of her.

She looked around, but the fogs were still as thick as ever. She walked around blindly, but stopped when she sensed a presence behind her. She whirled around to see Minho on his knees, “I’m sorry.” His tortured voice begged her. “I came to say goodbye.”

“Goodbye?” He nodded. “But ... you left me a long time ago, that night ... when you exploded.” 

He shook his head and pointed his index finger at her heart, “I was always there, but now it’s time for you to let me go.”

She took in a deep breath, closed her eyes and opened them again, “I tried to let you go, Minho, but I still want you. Your voice still lingers around my ears. No matter how hard I try, how hard I pray, it never works.” Tears fell from her face and she wiped them away with the back of her hand. “I tried to shake you off, but I still feel you ... in my heart. I want to hear your voice so badly that I find myself drifting farther and farther away from reality.”

She clutched her shirt in her fist, just above her heart, “It hurts. The more I tried the more I want only you. The memories of your eyes, your smiles and your touch still linger ... torturing me.” Her breath caught in as she tried to subdue her tears. “The thought of you make it so I can’t do anything, think of anything, but I knew ... deep down I knew, that you are not there, no matter how hard I look around for you – I would never find you. I try to erase you and replace your memories with someone else, but you still linger in here.” She pounded at her chest. The tears and the painful cry escaped her then.

Minho watched her with his sadden face. His eyes were full of remorse, “I’m sorry. I cannot be here for you. I cannot keep my promise, but if you love me you have to let go, so you and I can both be happy.” 

“W ... where ... a ... are ... y ... you going?” she stuttered.

“It’s time for me to be reborn. As what I do not know, an animal or a human, but I am being reborn. However, I cannot go until you fully let go of me.” He walked closer to her then and his pale face seemed to have more colour in it. He ran his hands through her hair and she felt a gentle warmth run through her body, it was soothing to her.

She reached up for his hand, but hesitated, she looked at him and he finally smiled at her, “Will I get to see you again?”

“Maybe, but I wouldn’t recognize you,” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “It’s time to let me go.” 
He hugged her tightly. His soft fingers caressed her back, as he whispered into her ears. He put his lips against hers and kissed her passionately. The kiss was bitter sweet, mixed with the saltiness of her tears and the feelings of the moment. He pulled away from her. He reached for her hand and held it, as he slowly stepped away from her. His body began to dissolve into the fog, he let go of her hand and he was gone. 

Amber felt the fog suffocating her, as it pressed in on her and then everything went dark. 

She felt someone’s hands on her body, shaking her, “Amber! Wake up!” She did not want to. She wanted to go back, but she knew that it was too late. She had let him go. It was for the best, for him and for her. She opened her eyes slowly and saw Joon looming over her. Worry was written all over his face.

It was dark out. She realized that the sun had set, “What time is it?”

“Late,” Joon said as he helped her to her feet. “I waited and waited. I didn’t want to interrupt, but when dusk came and gone, and you didn’t return I was worried.”

Amber looked around to find that Joon had lit torches and candles as the source of light within the labyrinth, “I saw him.”

“You saw who, Minho?” She nodded. “But he’s ...”

“Dead, yes. But I held onto him. I held onto his existence and he could not be reborn,” Amber laced her fingers with Joon’s fingers “He came to say goodbye.” 

Joon gently led her out of the labyrinth, “What did he say?”

Amber held onto Joon arm with her free hand, whilst the other still holding his hand tightly, “If I love him, I must let him go.”

“... Did you?”

Amber smiled sadly, as she thought of the words that Minho had whispered into her ears before he vanished, “I’m hungry, let’s go get something to eat.” 

"I will love you forever, but think of the one that has been there for you all this while. He had been there more than I was when I was alive. You may not love him as much as you love me right now, but you do love him. I can no longer be there for you, but he can. Look at him. Love him."

A breath of wind blew past Joon's ears. "Protect her and love her in my place," a voice whispered at him. He smiled and clasped his hand tighter around Amber's.

Sorry for such a long update, but being the last chapter I thought why not.
Thank you so much for following my work, commenting and reading.

Thanks Arlen! You're the best!!

Keep a look out for my new fan fiction and maybe you can check out some of my current one. *WINK WINK*