Cursed was she to protect mankind, the wicked blight that plagued the world.

Maeyune brought her legs to her chest and buried her head into her knees. She fought to regain her sense of purpose, to reevaluate her role as the Moon God's chosen warrior.

How could man do that to innocent children? she seethed.

She could not remove Reo's memories from her head. They were ingrained into her mind, into her soul. She remembered his pain and his fury; she relived Yunra's anguish and Shivra's sorrow.

It all made sense to her now. Reo's rage, the fire... The discovery of the heinous crime had changed him and corrupted Yunra's life force.

Maeyune had wanted to end the lives of those scientists. Every inch of her body had yearned for their obliteration. Even though none of them had contributed to the experimentation themselves, they had all known the abominable truth.

She had been so close to killing them. With her own hands, she had wanted to claim senseless justice.

She clasped her arms around her head, shuddering to take a breath.

Was this the path she wanted to take?

"May I join you?"

She lifted her head and found Reo standing a short distance away. Despite her deliberate attempt to hide, he had managed to find her. She'd eloped to a spot outside one of the hangars, away from prying eyes. Although she wanted to be alone, his presence was comforting.

She nodded wordlessly. He sat beside her and rested his elbows on his knees. And for a long time, neither of them spoke. Words only seemed unnecessary as they gave each other space for their own thoughts.

Closing her eyes, Maeyune inhaled fresh air and smelled the stench of metal. She missed the scent of forest and trees, of gardens and stone. They were the perfumes of the moon temple, of home.

It was a long while before Reo broke the silence and shared the words she had been waiting to hear.

"Five years ago," he began softly, "a few celestials started to disappear. No one knew where they went, and no one asked any questions. Everyone assumed they had quit and returned home, that training had finally pushed them to their limit. And then one day, I overheard my friend, Dodge, yelling at his colleagues about exposing their practice to the world. He went missing, too."

Maeyune listened silently. A tiny pebble on the ground became the subject of her distant stare.

"I started having these nightmares," Reo continued, "of a dark room with children crying for their parents. One night, I finally had enough. I couldn't sleep, so I decided to wander the base to find some peace of mind. And that's when I found the hidden lab."

He paused to gather his thoughts, his brow creasing. "They were experimenting on celestials, on children. The scientists were trying to learn the source of celestial energy, how to...extract it from their blood."

Horror molded Maeyune's face.

"I found Dodge chained to a chair," Reo said, voice quiet. "His skin...What happened to Trix and Benny, those scientists did the same thing to him with some kind of black smoke. I watched him die right in front of my eyes. And then, I just lost control.

"I burned everyone alive," he confessed. "I killed those scientists and the celestials that they had kidnapped. All I could see was red. I was so angry, I accidentally killed Dodge's daughter, Kyra, too. So I did the only thing I could after that. I ran."

Although he spoke with a hushed voice, Maeyune heard a thick layer of remorse. His gaze traced the compact clouds in the sky. There was no sign of hate in his auburn eyes, only a look of atonement.

When a long moment of silence passed between them, Maeyune finally asked, "Why did you not tell me?"

He could not meet her eyes. "I'm sorry, Maeyune. To be honest, I didn't trust you."

She felt a sting in her chest. "And did you not trust the rest of the world, too?"

"I was afraid of how the celestials would react," he murmured. "You know how I reacted."

And how she had reacted.

"I didn't want Berans fighting each other when we were already fighting the Iron Prophet," Reo said. "Believe me, I wanted the whole world to know. I wanted someone, anyone, to know. I couldn't even tell my family, and Leron works for the Council. Heaven knows the dangerous crusade he would have started to end those experiments. And to think the Head Councilor was the one responsible."

He paused for a short while, a thought crossing his mind. A small smile crept its way to his lips.

"You know," he said, "I never properly thanked you for saving Leron and Adeline. Thank you."

At this, she was able to muster a genuine smile. "You're welcome. I was honored to meet them."

Before he let the moment pass, he added, "I like your aunt."

His words drew a sudden laugh from her. For the longest time, he was stunned. He was sure he had never heard her laugh before.

She responded, "Oh, she's rather fond of you."

They grinned at each other, taking in the joy that was their families. Her thoughts ventured to her friends, and she pondered on their reactions if they had found out about the experiments, too.

Distress filled her abruptly, stealing her smile. Reo was right. They could not afford a civil war, especially now that the Wobeck were a problem.

Was she doing the world a favor if she remained silent? Her eyes glazed with guilt. Was this truly the definition of her role as the Moon God incarnate? To protect all of mankind, including those who submitted to evil?

She knew one thing: she would use every resource she had to hunt down any last immoral malefactor and to ensure those experiments never happened again.

"Those scientists were able to extract celestial energy after all," she told Reo. "That device that controlled your mind...It contained my energy."

Reo shook his head before she could apologize. "It wasn't your fault, and you know that."

"I know," she replied, shutting her eyes tight. "I...I know."

"How did you find out about the experiments anyway?"

"I made Deiyu confess everything," she said, eyes opening to peer at the quiet sky. "King Chiyan is aware of the experiments, and that is why he authorized Deiyu and Tin to develop that device. Deiyu told me it was for times when I was not there to provide assistance. He assured me that there were no more...celestial studies taking place."

She watched the frown deepen on Reo's face. With a soft sigh, her mind sauntered off to the heavens.

"The gods made a terrible decision choosing us as Vaius's next defenders," she murmured. "Our intellect has done more harm than good. Why choose to give ultimate power to the weakest, most emotional creatures capable of so much atrocity?"

Reo considered her words. He waited but a heartbeat before he answered, "Faith."

Surprised, she regarded him curiously. She hadn't expected a reply.

"Faith," he repeated, "and well, necessity, too. But I would say faith. Their faith in us, and our faith in them."

Maeyune's brow furrowed. "I never expected you to be one to talk of faith."

He shrugged, his expression pensive. "Maybe not, but it was your faith in me that made me realize there's a lot worth fighting for."

A smile danced on his lips, and his eyes returned to the clouds. Like a wise High Priest, he intoned, "The gods give their hardest battles to their strongest warriors."

Then, giving her a grin, he added, "You're the strongest person I know. I'll admit...Sometimes I ask myself, 'What would Maeyune do?'"

There was admiration in his smile. And she was sure there was something else, too - something that made time slow and her heart shudder.

She held his unwavering gaze. With tame confidence exuding from his body, he never turned away. His auburn eyes under long lashes were sure and steady, just like the sun in the sky that she knew was always there, rain or shine.

She remembered the day when they had first met. In those same dark eyes, she had seen curiosity and mistrust. And then after their first conflict, there had been animosity and resentment.

So much had happened between them since the treaty signing. She had never taken a moment to think about it. Their differences had nearly shredded their provisional alliance and had almost destroyed the partnership between Shivra and Yunra.

Now, they sat side by side, he having finally unlocked the Sun Goddess's true power. Their common enemies were all but eliminated.

And they had accomplished all of that together.

Her breath caught in her throat when she realized how close he was sitting to her. His arm barely grazed hers, and she could feel the culminated heat of his energy and his body.

In one single, fleeting moment, she watched his gaze fall to her lips.

Her heart pulsed, and adrenaline coursed inside her. She moved before she could stop herself. It was so easy, leaning forward, closing her eyes, and pressing her lips against his.

Warmth bubbled to the surface of her skin.

Reo's lips were soft and warm, a texture that quickened her heartbeat. An instant later, she felt their cushion part against hers. As the heat of his energy cascaded down her body, time became a meaningless entity.

It came slow, that glowing flood that began in her chest and rose to envelope her mind in a haze. The purest golds and silvers of their energies meshed together, swimming between their kiss. It made her forget the troubles that surrounded her.

Never before had she experienced bliss like this. With only the tender touch keeping them together, it felt...wonderful.

In this dark, vulnerable world, all she wanted was to know how much the moon meant to the sun.

But as her heart and her mind soared, a new flavor invaded their kiss. She tasted it like the foul skin of rotten fruit. It severed the tie between their energies.

Fear. His fear.

She felt him cringe.

His mouth broke away from hers. She saw the terror that besmeared his face before he turned away.

Then, he spoke with urgency. "I'm sorry. I don't think I-"

He never finished.

Her heart took a steep plunge into her stomach.

With each passing second, the mist inside her head began to evaporate and slowly returned her logic. Distraught with burning humiliation, she moved away, eyes wide at the realization of what she had just done.

"Please forgive me," she sputtered. "I don't know what came over me."

The air between them had grown frigid. She watched helplessly as he rose to his feet, he avoiding her eyes.

"I...I should go." He said no more. She heard his footsteps as they retreated into the hangar and disappeared inside the rest of the facility's noises.

And just like that, she was alone again.

Bewilderment expanded in her chest, choking her. What happened?

A voice breached her mind, rising from the shadow that stained her soul. It was not so much an answer, but a jeering observation.

Look at him doing what he does best, the voice sneered. Running.