‘If we are forever destined to be together, why are you leaving when I need you the most?’

The Earth village was a ghost town. There were no people left because today marks the fifth year since the cycle has been disrupted. If the guardians are able to win and fulfill their goal, they will become human by the end of the battle. By this time, the guardians had been preparing to fight the red force. Suho and Lay, Kris and Tao, Kai and Kyungsoo, Xiumin and Chen, along with Chanyeol and Baekhyun were already up and been training. Sehun was training alone most of the time because Luhan easily got tired. Everyone but the youngest anima knew about Luhan’s situation. They tried to tell him but under the prince’s orders, no one was allowed to tell him.

“I’ll tell him in time” Was the only reply Luhan gave every time they tried to convince him.

Unable to go against his wishes, they remained silent. Of course, the maknae remained unaware of the situation and only jokingly comprehended it as Luhan getting to old to catch up to him. It usually ended with Sehun becoming childishly boastful and Luhan giving him occasional forehead kisses, which would make Sehun stop talking almost instantly.

One day, Luhan didn’t get up from his bed and stayed there the whole day, claiming he was really tired and that they shouldn’t worry anyway. Sehun had his suspicions but he decided that it couldn’t possibly be true. He asked for permission to leave the inn with a promise to get Luhan some bubble tea.

“Sehun, don’t go alone. Take Kai and Kyungsoo with you, at least.” Luhan called out after Sehun but his statement was rather ignored for Sehun had already taken off alone.

“Kai, Kyungsoo, please don’t let him go alone. Follow him.” Luhan ordered softly, still in his bedridden state.

“Don’t worry, hyung. We’ll find him–” A loud crash interrupted their conversation. Kai looked out the window and panicked.

“Hyung! I have two things: one, Sehun’s back and two, he brought a really big problem with him!” Kai disappeared into thin air saying that he’ll warn the others. Kyungsoo stayed by Luhan.

“Kyungsoo, go help them. I’ll be fine. No one will find me here.” Luhan said, pushing Kyungsoo away.

“But hyung–!”

“Go!” Luhan sternly ordered. Hesitantly, Kyungsoo moved away and jumped out the window. The battle was fierce. He saw the red, gigantic, gaseous monster swinging to and fro, attacking the other guardians. Although, they were earning a few tears on their sleeves, the guardians stood their ground and continued fighting the red eye. Just then, Kyungsoo saw Sehun looking at something in the center of the evil being. He focused his eyes and saw a man. It was Pal Gam.

“Kyungsoo!” He looked towards Kai’s voice and saw his outstretched arm. Nodding, Kyungsoo transformed into a gun and Kai wielded him, inserting his own power to be amplified by Kyungsoo. The gun started shooting bullets that vanish into thin air and appear in front of the lesser monsters, making them disappear.  Suho wielded Lay’s moon blade, also known as woldo, in his hands, producing sharp water strikes as he attacks. Kris and Tao were levitating in the air and made deep slices on the monster. It gave out a shriek and swatted at the pair. Baekhyun and Chanyeol attacked next. Giving fiery slices to the monster, it growled loudly and blew a red fog towards them. Baekhyun in his southern-claw form changed his offense position to defense. He covered Chanyeol to prevent him from inhaling what seemed to be a poisonous smoke for the plants around withered as soon as it hit them. Evading just in time, Xiumin wielded Chen, straight double-edged swords, switching while the monster was distracted. After a while, they were able to lessen the amount of the weaker monsters within range. Within a few seconds, the lesser monsters were gone and their bodies were disappearing from the land. But, the sky was still dark. If anything, it seemed that those monsters were only there to exhaust the guardians. Slightly tired from fighting, they remained on the ground. The red monster dissipates into the air and vanished as if it wasn’t there before. Pal Gam stands back on the earth and faces the guardians.

“You are worth nothing. Guardians… some guardians you are…” he scoffed at them.

“You were supposed to keep peace into this world but what did you do, you destroyed it even more!”

“Us? We were protecting the world but you harnessed the power of the red eye. You are destroying this world!” Kris argued. Pal Gam laughed.

“I am destroying this world? I am saving it from you! Your beasts are the reason there cycle was created. Ever since you came here, lives were lost!”

“You have killed people because you accepted power from evil!” Kai shouted.

“Unlike you, I have power to fix the world. The red eye will grant me power to get me back what I’ve lost…”

“What are you talking about?”

“You have no idea what I have lost. She was the most important person to me.”His gaze was distant and soft.

“But, no matter, the red force will bring her back once I have finished you!” His eyes were quickly replaced by a sharp redness.

“You will die, guardians! You will die today!” With a roar, he sent red energy orbs at the guardian’s direction. The guardians moved out of the way and proceeded to attack Pal Gam. However, none seem to do much damage for him. Nevertheless, the guardians were continuing with their attacks. Finally, Kai sent forth his great power and meshed it with Kyungsoo. There was a big light and Kyungsoo’s form evolved. Each hit took a part of the monster Pal Gam encased himself in. Followed by the others, the guardians continued destroying the shell, protecting Pal Gam. Xiumin threw paralyzing icicles at the monster, rendering it unable to move. However, to the guardian’s surprise, although the enemy has taken multiple hits, he was still alive. He laughed menacingly and sent a great energy onto the ground. All of a sudden there was an earthquake. It took apart the land and almost made the inn collapse. Evading the attacks, Sehun stood on a clear area. He produced his twin swords and called upon the wind. Sehun gathered up a tornado and hurls it toward Pal Gam.

“Hah! No matter what you throw at me, I will be protected by the red–” His eyes widened as he felt his power suddenly shut down. He looked back and saw Sehun who has made a cross mark on his back, cutting his cloak, revealing the mark of the heart of the red eye.

“Haha….I still have enough power to do one more thing…” He looks at Sehun, smiling with malice, and then turns toward the direction of the slanted inn. Sehun looked back with confusion.

“A heart for a heart, guardian of the wind…” And so, Pal Gam sent a great orb of inexplicable size hurling toward the inn, laughing as it blasted the inn to bits.

“Luhan-hyung!” Kyungsoo shouted. Sehun looked at the destroyed inn with horror. In a moment, Sehun let out a howl; his twin swords vanishing into the nearby air. Sehun’s hair turned white and his eyes were brightly blue. In his hands, magically appears a sword. It was a long sword with golden lining on its hilt. It was surrounded by a strong force of wind and it shone as Sehun held it up. It was Durendal. Standing of where Sehun used to be was now a powerful beast; enraged by the fact his beloved was gone. Pal Gam continued laughing distastefully at the side. He was still alive. Suho saw the red aura leaving Pal Gam bit by bit. He sighed as the fight was now over. But from the corner of his eyes, he saw Sehun’s beast.

“Sehun…? Whatever you are doing, stop! Don’t kill him!” But his cries fell on deaf ears as Sehun’s beast regained full control of the wind guardian.

“No!”

Sehun roar reached the skies and he surged forth and struck Pal Gam in the chest. The sword gave a cry as it cut through the human. The red aura was no longer around the former advisor. Pal Gam gave one sad look as he awakened back to his old self, who he was before he succumbed to the red eye.

“My dear Yeonsoo, my beloved wife… I can finally see you.” In a second, his body started disappearing into small petals and flew into the sky. Sehun’s beast brought the sword down and tears ran down his cheeks uncontrollably. He had just regained back everything again and yet his Luhan was gone. Sehun continued to mourn for his beloved, not noticing the gaseous form of the red force converting into a thick thorn. Before the others could warn him, it struck Sehun at his right shoulder blade. The mark symbolizing his and Luhan’s connection glowed dimly and vanished, leaving only a bloody wound. Sehun coughed out some blood. The other guardians were frozen on spot. Once again, the red force retreated just behind the wind guardian and moved to finish him. A voice resonated through the climactic situation and Luhan was in the air. His eyes and hair were red. With the last bit of his powers, Luhan flew straight for the enemy.

“Hyung! Stop! You’ll kill yourself” Luhan gave a solemn gaze as he turned toward Chanyeol and Kyungsoo’s voices.

“Take care of Sehun for me…” he called to them with a pained smile. With that, Luhan focused on the red thorn now facing him. He closed his eyes and upon opening them, the beast was out.

“Hey, are you worried that he might forget about us again?” Luhan asked his beast. It gave a soft chuckle.

“No, I have a feeling we’ll meet each other again.” Soon enough, Luhan and the red thorn collided. There was a big explosion. Meanwhile, Sehun has collapsed to the ground. Suho turned him and tried to keep him awake.

“Sehun… Sehun… Stay with us!” Sehun saw Luhan’s smiling face before he fell unconscious.

No one noticed as a small red spark flew up to the sky and vanished.

******

“Sehun-ah…”

“Sehun-ah… Wake up.”

“I need to tell you something.”

“Hyung, is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Luhan, I’m so glad you’re okay. I thought you–”

“I don’t have much time, Sehun.”

“Hyung, what are you saying?”

“Sehun, know very well that I love you and that I’ll always be with you.”

“Luhan, I don’t understand. I just got you back and now you’re leaving?”

“I can’t stay and you know that.”

“Hyung, please don’t go. I need you!”

“I’ll be by your side no matter what, Sehun.”

“Luhan!”

“I love you…”

Sehun opens his eyes to a bright room. He looks around and sees the guardians.

“You’re finally awake. We were so worried.” Suho hugged the maknae. Kyungsoo passed him a glass of water. He drank it, coughing slightly.

“Where are we?”

“You’re in the Xi Kingdom, in my brother’s room.” He saw Hye Eun entering the room, wearing blindingly white clothes, carrying a few white lilies. In the bedside table, he saw a couple of bracelets. He grabbed the two of them excitedly and wore one of them. He couldn’t wait until he sees Luhan. They could finally be together after long centuries of waiting. He turned to his friends.

“Where is Luhan?” Sehun’s eyebrows creased as he watched their faces morph into sadness.

“Why do you all look like that?” He asked, fearing the worst.

“Where is he?!” Sehun almost growled at their silence.

“Sehun–” Kai started but Sehun leaped out of the bed, making his way out the room shakily. Baekhyun ran after him.

“Hey! You’re not healed yet!”

“I don’t care. Where is Luhan?” Sehun’s words continued to echo through the room. His cries for Luhan were almost deafeningly heartbreaking as he cried the older guardian’s name over and over again. The rest of the guardians were trying to put him back to Luhan’s bed.

“Help us bring him back to Luhan’s bed.” Kris shouted. Eventually, after a few more minutes of struggling, Sehun was tired and was laid back under Luhan’s covers. He moved under them, thinking as if it was Luhan. That night, Sehun cried himself to sleep in his dearly loved one’s bed.