"Are you ready to see, dearest Min?"

"Yes. Show me. Show me what is happening to the World."

With his soul, Yun penetrated the dark subtle night slipping in between them. "Though your eyes clearly convey doubt."

"I am ready, Yun and yet still afraid."

"There is a darkness, darker than the rest, looming on the peripheries of life. I do not ask you to disregard fear. I am asking you to trust me."

"I do, Yun. Do not doubt it." Min took Yun's hand into his, reinforcing his words with the physical touch. Together, they soared into the star-filled skies.

Tonight, the stars shone brighter than usual.

All was present. To witness the end of day, the end of night, and the end of the world which they had so faithfully watched over from lightyears away. To shout out the last muted cheer, to whisper the last hollow call of love, and to talk about that which will cease to exist when the night is done.

Tonight, silence spoke loudest. Clear. Clear as the cloudless blue sky. Deep. Deep as the dark blue sea.

The wind welcomed the two angels into its cold embrace. Up here, silence reigned. They no longer heard the deafing cries and shrieks from below. They no longer heard the cacophony created by havoc and destruction. They no longer heard the hopeless prayers from the people. Silent. Disturbingly so, and yet, the World was not forsakened by life. The burning flames shimmered like a symphony of heartbeats, each one a place called home.

They rose through the congregation of grey clouds in the midst of discussing rain. At fifty thousand kilometers above ground, Yun and Min stopped, timing themselves perfectly. Min tightened his grip on Yun's hand. Yun watched his better half pray in silence. Even at such heights, would his prayer reach? Yun looked away from his companion as not to disrupt his efforts with uncertainty.

"Tonight is darkest. We must go to them, Yun. It is our duty." Before Yun could reply, Min was gone.

With hate, fear, and Molotovs, angry mobs crowded the streets in search of answers. Yun found Min observing them from above.

"Yun. We must save them from themselves."

"No, dearest Min." He placed his hand on Min's shoulder.

"No? What could you possibly mean by no? People are dying! It is our duty!"

"Look around you! People are dying everywhere!"

"You have changed, Yun."

"And you said you trusted me."

"I do but like the people, I need answers."

"Come with me, Min." Yun removed his hand from Min's shoulder and floated upwards to the 51st floor. From the small window, they watched as a mother tucked in her children. She struggled a smile against the relentless current of tears.

"It is Kana." Min whispered as the woman went down to her knees and prayed. The sound of heavy footsteps and angry voices grew loud.

"Let us be quick, Yun! We must help her before it is too late. She has children who still needs a mother."

"It is already too late."

Hooded figures broke through the door and dragged her from the room by her hair. No one intervened. Not Yun. Not Min. Not the now motherless, futureless children.

"I do not understand. Why? Why must you be so heartless, Yun? Even if we can no longer hear Kana's prayer, we can still see her desperate display of faith. Why must we abandon her so? Why must I abandon her? I, who had seen her grow from a sweet child to a loving mother. I, who had saved her from the smallpox when she was nine, a burning car wreck when she was seventeen, and a mortal wound when she was twenty-five."

Yun sensed Min's frail body convulsing in pain. With no way to comfort his companion, he joined silence. Yun drew Min away from the darkened window and propelled downward.

"Yun? Where are you taking me?"

"My dearest Min, to the final stop, to the answers you seek."

Yun and Min descended into the awaiting alley where a petite woman cladded in white stood.

"What is this, Yun?"

"Soon, you will see."

Projected on the walls was not one shadow but many. "Conquest. What did you want with these pieces of filth?"

"A game, War. I promise to entertain."

"Want me to get more?"

"This is more than enough."

"What's up with these prisoners of War...?" The black-haired man laughed at his own joke. "Get it? Prisoners of war because War brought them here as prisoners?"

"Just shut up, Famine. We don't need any of your cold jokes."

"Well someone is certainly not having fun. So... did the show start yet?"

"Our main star has yet to arrive. The greater being took interest in her and sent her an invitation to his world."

"Sounds like our Conquest is jealous."

"Jealous?! Only I may enter into the greater being's domain! No one else! Do I make myself clear?!" She sent a stream of searing white flame towards one of War's prisoners.

"Ha! That Conquest wraith. Very stylish in white."

"Much better than that white unicorn you gave her once upon a dream."

"Hey, don't hate on the unicorn, War. Just because you can't appreciate how accessory worthy it is."

"Oh good, another char-roasted human to add to my collection." A blonde man flew down from above and stood next to the red head War.

"Nice of you to join us, Death."

"Fashionably late."

'Quiet! It's time. Our star will arrive any second now." And so she did. A little girl no older than ten. "Welcome home, Athena. I've been waiting for your return with bated breath. Now... shall we get on with our little game?"

The girl pleaded on behalf of her meaningless existence. "Please... I don't want to die."

"Ah, but you will, my dear. I will make you beg for Death. He is handsome, is he not? Do you remember my words from before? I will persuade you to change your mind and..." With an illusion of warmth, counterfeit eyes, and a deceiving smile, Conquest whispered her sweet words. "My love... I never fail to persuade."