The moment Veau and Eona saw each other, they froze. A long silence passed before realisation hit them, they weren't actually existing in this moment, they were just a fragment of a nostalgic memory.

They found it strange how they appeared alone, with no one, in this fragment of memory. However, the two of them merely wore a melancholic smile, walking towards one another.

"It's been a long time, Veau," Eona whispered.

"..."

Veau didn't respond, merely remaining quiet. He continued walking towards her, his head lowered.

"Right now, you've become more of a fool compared to the person I knew in my memories." Eona spoke again, her voice a mixture of sadness and reprimand.

The two of them walked past the other at that moment, their clothes brushing against each other with a feather-like touch.

"That sounds like something you would say..." Veau trailed off, coming to a halt.

The two of them froze in place, and their eyebrows furrowed. The flower petals slowly drifted in the background, landing on the ground next to where Veau and Eona stood.

"...if you met me now." Veau finished his sentence.

"...?" Eona widened her eyes slightly, the bewilderment present in them.

"...!" Veau gasped quietly, unable to formulate any words in his mind.

That's when they started to withdraw back their conclusion from earlier.

This might not be a fragment of their memory.

This isn't a memory!

It could be...reality!

Nevertheless, even after arriving at such an answer, neither of them dared to turn and look. Whether it was due to the overwhelming hope or the fear of disappointment, they didn't dare to do anything.

Neither dared to move an inch.

Their expressions were full of emotions that couldn't be described in words.

There was only one way to prove their existence was real in this mirror dimension, and not a memory. If they could feel the warmth of the other, it was real.

They would be real, right now, at this moment.

Veau exhaled shakily, his eyes wide.

Eona raised her trembling hand, covering her mouth in disbelief.

It couldn't be real, could it?

That same thought kept swirling in their mind.

It felt as if years had passed before something broke the heavy atmosphere between them, distracting them.

"...!"

It was a low tremor followed by the distinct sound of glass cracking. The next second, their world tilted and a sudden force threw them off their balance. Veau managed to stabilise himself until he heard a shocked gasp behind him, without thinking twice, he reacted.

He spun around and reached his arms out, holding Eona by the shoulders. The warmth of her body pressed right into his hands, and Eona felt the same warmth emanating through his palms.

"...you..." Veau struggled out, unable to finish his words due to disbelief.

"...!" Eona glanced to his palms on her shoulders, her golden eyes trailing up to his face.

The low tremor continued and the sound of glass cracking resounded ominously. Anyone could see the dimension they were in was breaking apart, the flower petals hovering above the ground. Nevertheless, the two of them could only remain in place, showing a complete disregard for their surroundings.

"You...are real." Veau whispered out.

Eona paused before breaking out into a beatific smile. "You scoundrel, you really came back in here once again."

"..." His breath hitched in his throat, and his hands on her shoulders began to tremble. "...how...?"

"It turns out that desperation and the intensity of one's emotions keeps a part of your soul in here," Eona explained, the smile remaining on her beautiful face. "Whether you like it or not."

She let out a soft laugh, tilting her head.

"Isn't it funny? What our grumpy old master warned us about became true."

Veau let out a sharp breath, he couldn't decide if he should laugh or cry. He didn't think his thoughtless decision in the past would keep a part of her in this world.

A part of her that is still alive.

"Eona."

His hands slid down her shoulders as if he wanted to pull her close, right into his arms. His expression was nothing like his indolent self he had always portrayed.

Just then, there was another tremor and Eona furrowed her eyebrows, hissing in pain. Veau was startled as he heard a pained noise from her and he found himself stumbling forward, passing right through Eona's body.

The two of them spun around and faced each other in shock, no longer embracing one another.

"What is–" Veau started to ask, and he was interrupted.

Their whole world tilted again, and this time, there was an overwhelming force that pulled Veau away from Eona. He couldn't resist against it, staggering back and he almost collapsed onto the ground.

"...!"

"Veau!" Eona exclaimed, her golden eyes wide in shock.

The next second, the cracks in the dimension stretched all the way down and there was an opening within the cracks. Eona turned her head towards the opening, a familiar energy flowing through it.

A man stepped through, his ash blonde-hair tousled by the violent wind that entered via the opening. However, his usual grey eyes were replaced by a pair of demonic red eyes. He wore enormous black wings on his back instead of white, and he donned a black robe.

Despite that, his facial features were the same and the two of them recognised him immediately.

"...?!"

"Wha–"

Eona and Veau gasped in disbelief.

"Xue?!"

They called out at the same time.

Xue lifted his head, his demonic red eyes looking towards Veau. His eyes were always filled with burning hatred and hostility towards Veau, but this time, the burning hatred was nowhere to be found.

There was only hostility.

"You were too consumed by the anger and suffering of both you and your people," Xue growled out, narrowing his eyes. "I will never forgive you for anything."

Veau recovered from his shock, showing Xue a smirk. "Do you think I revealed my past to you to earn your forgiveness? Don't be naive."

"Of course you wouldn't, you...just wanted to trap me in here," Xue smirked back, stretching his hand out and his spear appeared out of thin air, pointing towards Veau. "So, whatever you do, I won't forgive you--and whatever you do..."

Xue grinned.

"I will never go down the same path as you."

Eona's body was no longer transparent, and she sighed in relief. She looked towards Xue and Veau, her concern apparent.

To their surprise, Xue lowered his spear and shifted his attention towards Eona instead.

He closed his eyes and opened them a second later, his eyes going back to his familiar grey ones. He lowered his head, giving Eona a nod.

"Thank you, Eona," Xue spoke in a grateful manner. "For allowing me to remember, and for allowing me to return to her side once more."

"I do not know what you have seen but..." Eona nodded back, a relieved smile on her face. "It's the least I could do, to make up for this scoundrel's mistakes."

Veau was baffled.

A tiny smile flitted past Xue's lips.

"In return, I'll break you out of this mirror dimension as well."

Eona widened her eyes in shock.

"No, wait–!" Veau yelled.

Without any hesitation, Xue surged upwards into the air, the spear in his hands. Light and dark magic combined together at the tip of his spear and he collided against the invisible barrier at the top.

Veau summoned his own wings, flying towards Xue at the same time.

The cracking sound intensified, stretching across the entire dimension and in an instant, everything shattered into pieces.

***

Haru gestured towards a group of people behind him, telling them to duck down. Afterwards, he gestured to his lips and the people hiding within the shadows complied to his orders. There were three demons patrolling the area they were in, their eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"I can feel their presence somewhere near here."

"Hurry and find them!"

"Lord Veau and Zeau wanted us to finish things up quickly here."

"Idiots, don't make a commotion! There are angels still around here, we won't have enough energy to fight them off and find those mortals!"

One of the demons was too close for their liking, and Cecil, who was one of those people hiding within the shadows, decided to take matters into her own hands. She sneaked up towards one of the demons, ignoring the dull, throbbing pain in her thigh.

If they find us, it would be bad.

We have been playing this hide and chase game for two days now.

We are starting to feel fatigued.

For the past two days, they had been hiding, waiting and moving slowly. There were only a small group of them against the angels and demons scattered throughout the Sacred Forest. Due to the predicament they were in, Linqin could only wait for them at a certain spot in this forest and it was crucial for them to pass the horn to her at that appointed place.

Kiyae noticed Cecil's actions and she nudged Ryo who was crouched down beside her. The two of them nodded at one another, matching her pace as they sneaked up behind the other two demons.

Just then, one of the demons felt an ominous presence behind him. He gasped, spinning around and Cecil summoned her vines out. Their movements were rapid, wrapping around the demon almost instantaneously. In an instant, his limbs were restricted and his mouth was covered by the vines. She didn't equip her vines with thorns and instead, she whipped out something from her storage bag.

It was a concoction in a small, glass bottle.

She removed the cover, letting the demon take a whiff of it. He grunted and struggled but a few seconds later, he was completely knocked out.

"Don't worry, it isn't harmful." Cecil muttered out, placing the demon on the ground with her vines.

The demons realised one of their comrades was missing and brandished their weapons. Alas, they were too late as Kiyae and Ryo jumped in front of them.

"Hiya." Kiyae winked.

"It's boring to fight like this." Ryo yawned.

The two of them took advantage of the demons in their panicked state, rendering them unconscious quickly.

"How can you only think of fighting all the time?" Kiyae clicked her tongue.

"A good fight is a good life!" Ryo retorted, clenching his fist.

Cecil gave Ryo a confused glance.

"No, that's wrong!" Kiyae shook her head, clenching her fist as well. "A good life is being surrounded by cute and pretty things!"

Cecil shifted her confused stare to Kiyae.

"Pretty things!"

"Fighting!"

"Cute dolls!"

"Drinking!"

"Shut up!" Haru barked out, smacking the two of them on their heads.

Cecil looked at Yun and the bespectacled-man only sighed in resignation, his palm on his forehead.

"Why can't they be quiet for once?" Yun sighed out.

"It's great to see everyone still full of energy." Cecil smiled.

"Don't encourage them," Yun folded his arms across his chest. "It'll only make things worse."

"Found you!"

All of them looked over, startled. It was an angel that spotted them, her white wings flapping as she surged toward them. The group was taken aback and Haru cursed to himself, wielding his sword as orange-red flames sprouted out, licking at the blade of the sword.

"I won't let you!"

Another voice exclaimed from above, and their shadow covered the angel rushing towards the group. The owner of that voice landed right on top of the angel, and they recognised the stranger to be Feng.

"Ugh, Feng! You...you betrayer!"

"Sorry, just this once, I won't be on your side."

The angel shut her eyes, grunting in pain. Feng restricted the angel with a spell, light magic ropes popping out from nowhere and restraining her body.

"Is Linqin still there?"

"She is, but she won't be able to hold on any longer," Feng nodded, gesturing to them. "I scouted out ahead, there are easier paths to take to reach Linqin quickly!"

"Lead the way." Yun ordered.

"Of course, and we should hurry!" Feng agreed before she sprinted off. "Please, try your best to keep up with me!"

They knew Cecil was injured and hence, Feng carried Cecil along on her back. After going through this process many times, Cecil gave up trying to protest against the group.

"I'm sleepy." Ryo whined.

"I'm hungry." Haru mumbled out.

"I'm tired." Kiyae grumbled.

"Please, just shut up." Yun said, adjusting his glasses.

Cecil couldn't help but laugh at their exchange, suddenly finding newfound energy to carry on this journey.

***

Copper brown hair that glistened under the heavenly sky.

The familiar different-coloured eyes.

Scars that littered his face and body along with his wings that were a mix of both angel and demon.

Moreover, the rare, charming smile that adorned his handsome face.

Hana couldn't believe it.

Her eyes were wide in shock, her black robes fluttering to the wind that accompanied the man flying down from the sky above her. Since her outfit before was ruined, she could only wear the black robes that the demons wore.

"...K'xug."

His smile grew wider.

"Hana, I finally found you."

Chaos erupted around them, but the two of them could only see each other.

On the other hand, Zeau assumed it was an ambush from the remnants of the angels until he saw a group of demons descending from the sky along with another familiar face.

His teacher and master.

Valoel.

"Grumpy old man?" Zeau muttered out in disbelief.

Valoel landed gracefully in front of Zeau, keeping his wings as he stood in front of Zeau, eyeing him in disapproval.

Meanwhile, the angels assumed it was an ambush from the demons, brandishing their weapons. They faltered upon seeing an old angel and K'xug, alas, that momentary distraction caused the demons that fell from above to collide right into them.

"Ahh!"

"Ouch!"

"That damn old man–!"

The remaining angels saw it as an act of aggression, moving into battle without hesitation. At the same time, the demons that accompanied Zeau stepped forward, attacking back. Just like that, within a span of a few seconds, an all-out war has started between the rebels, which were the angels and the demon army that Zeau brought along.

K'xug landed right in front of Hana at the same time, rushing forward and embracing her. His wings surrounded her in an instant, and he buried his head into her shoulders.

"I'm glad you are okay."

"..."

Hana was still in shock, her arms hanging limply by the side.

The scene of them embracing was a complete contrast in the middle of the battlefield.

"You hasty brats," Valoel clicked his tongue, summoning out his sword and he dragged an angel back by the collar of his robes that rushed past him. "Why are you always so impatient to fight?"

Valoel lifted his sword, preparing to swing it.

Zeau widened his eyes as he sensed the light magic energy consolidating within the blade of the sword, and he leapt back.

Valoel swung the sword and his attack sliced through the stone floor like it was a piece of paper. A burst of light magic emerged from the part where the attack was from, acting as a barrier. In an instant, the battlefield was separated into angels and demons.

The battle came to a halt.

"Tsk, still as strong as ever." Zeau hissed.

"That's enough, Zeau," Valoel warned. "Let your thirst for vengeance and anger go now."

"Shut up, master," Zeau roared, his expression twisting in anger. "Why are you stepping now after all these hundreds of years of isolation?!"

"This has gone on long enough," Valoel answered, glancing at the angels and demons. "None of you cross the line, but if you really want to..."

Valoel smiled amiably.

"I won't stop you."

The angels and demons gulped nervously, taking a step back.

Zeau flicked a couple of needles towards the wall of light magic, watching them dissolve immediately. He clenched his jaw, glaring at Valoel.

K'xug managed to bring over Hana to the other side of the barrier before Valoel cast it.

"Why..." Hana mumbled out.

K'xug withdrew back from the hug, staring at Hana in bewilderment.

"Why did you come and find me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" K'xug tilted his head, frowning. "To bring you back."

"...bring me back?"

"The spell that Zeau cast on you, I'll get rid of it together with you," K'xug said, giving her a comforting pat on her head. "Don't worry, I'm here with you now."

"I..."

"...?"

"I don't want to go back."

Hana reached up, pushing his hand away from her head.

K'xug grew still.

"I can't go back, and..." Hana looked K'xug straight in the eyes, upset. "...an-and I won't."

K'xug was still silent.

Hana retreated a few steps back, keeping her blue irises on the man before her. There was a vulnerable look in them and her lips were trembling.

"...why not?" K'xug finally asked.

Hana hesitated, her hand on her chest. "How could I do that? How could I go back?"

"What do you mean?"

"I...I am no good, I am not smart and I am not good at fighting too," Hana spoke, her voice growing louder and louder with every few words. "I caused you, Xue and Cecil so much trouble. I don't deserve to stand by your side, I don't deserve any of it."

Tears welled up in her eyes, sliding down her cheeks.

"I hurt all of you! Especially Xue!" Hana exclaimed. "How can...how can someone stupid like me stand by all of you?! Look what I have done!"

"..."

K'xug didn't say a word back to her.

"Someone like me...li-like me..." Hana cried out, tears streaming down her face profusely as she stammered in her words. "Useless. Weak. Dumb."

The pessimistic thoughts in her head came back once again, haunting her and gnawing at her soul.

"Hana Katae...Hana Katae!" she called out her name bitterly, scoffing. "She shouldn't be here."

"...!"

"..."

Valoel and K'xug looked at her in horror. They couldn't believe she would utter such words.

"Someone like her should just disappear! Forever!"

Her words cut right into K'xug, digging into his heart.

***

《 start 》

If I didn't exist...

You wouldn't have disappeared and gotten captured.

If I didn't exist...

Xue wouldn't have been put through such pain.

If I didn't exist...

I wouldn't be able to give them a chance to let me hurt Cecil.

It would be better!

It would be better if I didn't exist at all!

《 stop 》

***

Author's Note: If you notice inconsistencies in the chapters ahead and before, please kindly point them out, thank you! These chapters were written when I was in a rush, and I wasn't in a good state of mind either. 

My whole month of April was spent being sick, 2022 hasn't been fun for me so far...

I hope 2022 has been nice to all of you though!