K'xug watched in disbelief as Veau started to make the study room his residence. He manifested a porcelain table out of nowhere with wine cups and a bottle of wine. He simply plopped down onto his chair, pouring out a drink for himself.

"Couldn't you have just waited quietly?" K'xug frowned.

"You want me to stand in the corner of the room and wait like an idiot?" Veau smiled lazily, gesturing to K'xug. "Take a seat and have a drink."

"..."

K'xug was obviously hesitant, looking at the porcelain chair in disapproval. If it were in the past, he would have taken a seat without being asked or told. It was second nature to him to take a seat and share wine with Veau, Zeau, Xue and Hana.

"I'm amazed you can shamelessly do something like that."

"If you want to stand in the corner like an idiot," Veau said as he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not stopping you."

K'xug closed his eyes and massaged his head in frustration. After contemplating for a long time, he finally decided to take a seat and Veau pushed a cup of wine towards him. K'xug only stared at Veau in response, not making a move to accept that cup of wine.

"You don't have to take it."

"...then why pour it for me?"

"It's a form of courtesy."

"Tsk, weird devil."

Veau gulped down a few cups of wine, smiling wryly. "If you accept that cup of wine, it means you will forgive us."

"We won't."

"That's right," Veau said as he nodded, pouring himself another cup. "Don't falter, K'xug. Don't ever forgive us."

"Why would I ever do something stupid like that?"

"Because me and my brother were stupid enough to throw away everything else." Veau answered, swirling around the wine in his cup.

"If you were given another chance to go back into the past, would you not have done the same?" K'xug scoffed. "I remember how your master shared with me the life story of you and Zeau, but I also remember the days of being tortured."

"You are right, we might have done the same but it doesn't change the regret that comes along with it."

"Did you ever consider us your friends?"

"I did," Veau responded instantly, glancing over to K'xug with a half-hearted smile. "Even if I denied it."

K'xug sighed, not knowing how to respond to those words. He refused to accept the cup of wine and yet, he also refused to stand up and walk away from this table.

"You weren't the first friend to betray me, but I hope you are the last and that it won't happen again."

"It won't happen again," Veau said. "There is no point now, and I'm tired of it all."

He silently watched Veau drinking cup after cup.

Meanwhile, Hana observed the messy surroundings of Xue's residence and her hands started to itch. Unlike the past where there were servants to keep the place tidy and clean, Xue had no one by his side to do such a thing now.

Moreover, he couldn't stand seeing any angel standing before him after everything that had happened.

"If Cecil was watching us now, she wouldn't have liked it either." Hana muttered to herself, rolling up the sleeves of her robe.

She worked to clean the room, and she noticed another presence beside her right after. It was Zeau, and he was doing the same as she was.

"It reminds me of the past." Zeau whispered quietly, his lukewarm expression made it hard for Hana to fathom his motives. "We used to help clean up after them like this, didn't we?"

"...hmph."

"Hana."

"The two of you should just leave when you are done–"

"Don't forgive us."

Hana paused, the documents in her hand almost slipping out. She turned to look at Zeau, pursuing her lips as she placed the documents back on Xue's table, her hands on her hips.

"Of course! I may not be smart, but I am not dumb enough to forgive you or Veau."

"Good." This time, his expression lightened up and he showed his usual genial smile, and for once, it was sincere. "You can't grow soft-hearted on us, alright?"

"..." Hana pouted, looking away from Zeau. "I will never. You hurt Xue."

"Promise?"

Zeau stretched his pinky towards her. There was no deceit or hostility in his tone, instead, she could hear a tinge of sadness in his voice.

She had kept every pinky promise she had sworn upon.

However, Hana wasn't sure if she would be able to keep this pinky promise. She knew the war had ended, and they wouldn't fight one another any longer.

From now on, they weren't friends but they weren't enemies, but it didn't change the fact that they were once friends. It didn't change the fact that she once experienced the kindness of these two demon brothers, whether they were faked or not.

"Before I do that, I...I have a question."

"What is it?"

"During the time you spent with us, did you...hate it?" Hana asked cautiously.

"...no."

Hana looked at Zeau in amazement, and with how easily she picked up on people's emotions, she could definitely tell.

There was no lie in Zeau's words.

"I never once regretted the time I spent with all of you, and I'm confident that Veau shares the same sentiment as well. To us, no matter how much we denied it, you were truly our friends."

Hana lowered her head and sucked in her lips, she lifted her shaky hand and locked her pinky with Zeau.

"I...I will never forgive you, and will never grow soft-hearted," Hana spoke with a hoarse voice, her eyes welling up in tears. "So why did you do it?"

Zeau blinked in surprise.

Hana slammed down the documents on the table, rubbing at her eyes furiously as she glared at Zeau. "If you knew it was going to turn out like this, why did you have to hurt us like that?! What did we do wrong?!"

Veau and K'xug overheard the same conversation from the wine table. The cobalt blue-haired devil lowered his eyes, drinking his wine with a hint of bitterness in them. Whereas, K'xug stood up and approached the emotional Hana, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"We opened our hearts up to you, and we treasured you as our dear friends. Why...why did you have to break something that was perfectly fine?!"

"..."

Zeau closed his eyes in pain, still organising the room mindlessly. He didn't dare to face the crying Hana and speak to her. He didn't dare to look anyone in the eye, not even his brother.

"Forget it, Hana." K'xug comforted her quietly. "We can no longer go back to the past, and neither can we change it."

Hana wailed, looking at the exhausted Xue on the couch and she cried even harder. She collapsed onto the ground as K'xug tried to support her.

The wine table was completely empty as the filled wine cups were only used by Veau. They no longer sat together on the table, talking about their daily experiences in their life, bickering and laughing it off.

The easy-going Xue with a toothy grin.

The trickster Veau with a lazy smile.

The quiet K'xug as he chuckled at their antics.

The good-natured Zeau as he played a peacekeeper.

The energetic Hana as she beamed at them.

"Cheers!"

Their cups clinked together as droplets of wine spilled out from their cups, glistening in the light. Their smiles were radiant and full of joy.

Alas, it has all changed completely.

"Right now, this is our present." K'xug whispered to himself.

The soft whimpers and anguished sobs from Hana filled the room. Veau drank away his wine quietly and Zeau continued to clean the room despite it being tidy enough. K'xug shut his eyes in defeat and comforted the red-haired angel in his arms.

Meanwhile, Xue laid on his couch with a haggard expression and it was obvious he wasn't experiencing a good sleep, his eyebrows furrowed heavily as he grunted.

"Ugh..."

The atmosphere was heavy and there was no semblance of camaraderie from the past. They were neither friends or enemies, and that was all they were.

***

A soft touch like a feather brushing past his skin, her warm fingertips glided across his forehead and he heard her soft sigh. This same fleeting touch made his heart palpitate, since he knew it'll be out of his reach soon enough. He heard the rustling sound of her white robes as she leaned down, and the sound of her clear and gentle voice tickled at his ears.

"You should wake up."

Xue breathed out, opening his eyes.

The sunlight filtered in through the curtains and Xue heard the low swishing noise of the stark white curtains as a breeze blew in, and pieces of documents on the study table flew down to the ground. If one looked closely, they would realise that the raven-haired woman standing beside Xue didn't react to the sudden wind.

It was just her familiar figure and her familiar face.

There is no scent.

Even though she was smiling down at him like he wanted.

There is no warmth.

Even though she was beside him like he wanted.

There is nothing real about you.

He had lost count of the number of times he had hallucinated about Cecil Lan, whether she stood beside him and watched him work. Whether she leaned in with a playful smile as he worked on another document regarding the general affairs of the three realms.

"You must be tired."

Xue closed his eyes, adjusting his position and the blanket draped over him fell to the ground.

"Why aren't you looking at me? What's wrong?"

"..."

"Are you...angry?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"You abandoned me. I never asked you to sacrifice your life for me. You could have just allowed me and the world to die."

"I did something like that? That's great."

"What's so great about that?"

"Because I saved the people I loved, and most of all, you."

"In the end, you still left me behind."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that. Even in my dreams, why...are you still apologising to me?"

"That's why I'm saying sorry, Xue. You can't stay here any longer. It's time for you to leave."

A sudden touch on Xue's hand made him gasp awake, and he turned his head. It was Hana who withdrew back in shock.

"Xu-Xue? Are you awake now? You wouldn't wake up and your hands started trembling, I thought you were freezing. You even kicked off your blanket..."

He bolted up from the couch and glanced around. He realised he was still in his study room and the memories came rushing back to him. After he called Veau and Zeau in, he laid on the ground to close his eyes for a second.

Who knew he'll be completely knocked out due to exhaustion?

He didn't even know he was exhausted, since even in his sleep, he was haunted by the memories and visions of Cecil Lan.

"Are you okay, Xue?"

"I'm fine," Xue said with a heavy sigh, ruffling his hair as he brought his head up. "I bet those two would have left by–"

At that moment, he witnessed a familiar yet bewildering sight. Veau, Zeau and K'xug were seated around a porcelain table with cups of wine in front of them, conversing.

"...I am clearly the innocent one here." Veau finished his words, taking a sip from his cup with an indolent smirk.

Zeau sighed, shaking his head at his brother.

Meanwhile, K'xug regarded Veau with a frown of disapproval and he still refused to take a sip of the wine. "You never change, weird devil."

"And you are stiff as usual. I just have the right thing to lift your mood–"

"Shut up. I'd rather keep a pet snake than listen to you."

"Oh? So I'm more terrifying than a snake. Ah, while you are on that topic about snakes, I can show you something–"

"Enough."

"A formidable warrior like you is so afraid of a tiny glass container?"

"If it's from you, is it really just a tiny glass container?"

Veau showed him a lazy smile in return, and he immediately shoved the container into K'xug's face and opened it.

"Aagh!" K'xug was horrified, shielding himself from the container as he reeled back in fear.

"Look, it's all empty. Now, you aren't as stiff as before," Veau said as he nodded in approval. "Your frightened expression says it all."

Zeau looked away from the scene, unable to control his laughter.

K'xug groaned in annoyance, placing his hand on his forehead. "Stop this damned sadistic bastard, Zeau."

"You say as if I have been able to stop him for the past hundreds of years I've known him."

"Then at least, stop laughing."

"Just...give me a minute." Zeau struggled to answer, his shoulders shaking with mirth.

Veau sipped at his wine, a hint of delight gleaming in his eyes.

Xue blinked rapidly at the sight, glancing at Hana. If it were in the past, she would still possess a look of naivete and still hold Xue in reverence. However, the Hana before him was different from the past.

"Why are you sitting there in a daze?" Hana asked, tilting her head.

"For a moment, I..." Xue answered, looking back at the group of people on the table. "I thought I had returned to the past."

"No, it's still the same as ever," Hana responded and shook her head. "We aren't enemies now, but...we aren't friends either."

Xue let out a snort, reaching into his robes and procuring a broken mirror. He gazed at it, a wry smile on his lips.

"That's right, if it was in the past, she would still be in a place where I could reach her."

Hana noticed the forlorn expression on his face and she furrowed her eyebrows, reaching out and covering the mirror from Xue's eyes.

"Don't look at it, Xue. The more you look at it, the more...pain you will feel."

"I know, and that's why I'm looking at it," Xue said, a tinge of madness in his grey irises. "I can forgo everything else, except anything related to her."

"You..." Hana closed her eyes in defeat, sighing as she walked towards K'xug in resignation. "Alright, I give up. I know how hard-headed you can be."

"For once, I agree with Hana Katae," Veau suddenly spoke up, raising an eyebrow at Xue. "Don't bother looking at it anymore. It won't help."

Xue and the soul fragments within him all flared up at the same time. They all shared the same sentiment of how Veau would understand them.

"Haha, your eyes are spewing out flames," Veau chuckled lightly, swirling the wine in his cup as he remained nonchalant to Xue's hostility. "You must be thinking how I would begin to understand anything about your pain?"

"You wouldn't know."

"Have you forgotten, Xue?" Veau tilted his head, his hands revealing the necklace he kept underneath his black robes with corners lined with purple. "Everyone here has lost someone precious in their lives."

Moreover, out of everyone here, Veau understood Xue's pain the most. Unlike Cecil who isn't known to be alive or dead, Eona's soul had long dispersed into the air. The wind in the heavenly and demon realm carried her soul but she could never return to his side.

Xue paused, his anger dissipating.

"So why have you called us here? We still have matters in the demon realm to take care of." Veau asked, changing the topic abruptly. "I doubt you wanted us to watch you sleep."

"I won't keep you here for long, it's just matters regarding the three realms," Xue said in annoyance, standing up and approaching the table. "Sevont and Tano have decided to leave the two realms to us. Other than rebuilding and forgoing our animosity towards one another, there are still some matters that take precedence."

"The rebels from both sides." Zeau pointed out.

"There are bound to be some who aren't happy at the outcome of this war. They won't stop until they see their enemies topple." Xue nodded at Zeau's words, furrowing his eyebrows. "They only wish to see one side come out victorious. Their influence must not spread to the children or the future generations, so take care of them on your side."

"Bringing up a new generation of demons and angels who only know peace?" Veau stated wryly. "How laughable."

"You could just let me end your life. You won't have to see those detestable angels anymore."

"If we still regarded the angels as enemies, do you think we would have allowed you to sleep so peacefully?" Veau smiled in a relaxed manner.

"For now, of course you don't," Xue shrugged, glancing down at the wine cups. Some were half-filled and some were empty. "But who knows? That might change in the future, just like it did in the past."

"..."

"..."

"..."

A heavy silence enveloped the table where they were all gathered.

Hana bit on her lower lip as an anxious look flitted past her eyes, she didn't know if a fight would erupt between them again. K'xug reached out to her, squeezing her hands in a comforting manner.

Veau and Zeau could only focus their gaze on the wine cups. They couldn't refute Xue's words because of what they did in the past.

"Do you need us to prove ourselves?" Zeau asked cautiously.

"No, I no longer care," Xue answered with an impassive glance, his hand stretching out to take two empty cups. "Because I have no expectations towards any of you any longer."

"..."

"..."

"I will neither forgive nor forget what you have done to all of us."

Zeau and Veau watched in surprise as Xue began to pour out some wine into the two cups he held in his hands. Just then, he pushed the two cups towards Zeau and Veau.

"From this day forth, we are no longer enemies but that's far as it goes."

Xue didn't join them at the table and simply marched back towards his study table. He sat down and started to browse through the remaining document he had yet to look through.

"We'll start to hold regular meetings between the two realms soon, and in the future, we'll include the mortals in," Xue stated, not looking up at them as he continued speaking. "Whether you choose to attend it or not, I do not care. Any representative from the demon realm would suffice."

Veau and Zeau looked at the cups that Xue had poured for them, and they were reminded of the memory of a certain drunk Xue. He poured out two cups of wine for them, and in his drunken state, he boldly exclaimed that from that day forth, Veau and Zeau would be his brothers for life.

"..."

Zeau breathed out shakily and he moved towards the half-filled cup, drinking it down. His eyes glistened with tears as he reached over to Veau, patting him on the back.

"Let's go home. We...have outstayed our welcome."

"Okay."

Veau reacted in the same emotional manner as Zeau, gulping down the wine. The study room was only filled with the sounds of Xue looking through the documents and the occasional scribbling of his ink-stained brush.

K'xug and Hana could only observe this depressing atmosphere in silence, the two of them showing conflicted expressions.

Without saying their goodbyes, Veau and Zeau stood up from the seats and their bodies disappeared into a mist-like form, trailing out the door.

"By the way, Hana. I might need your help with something."

"Ye-yeah?" Hana stiffened, trying to hide her tears. "What is it, Xue?"

"Without the interference from the Creator, more and more vessels are appearing in the mortal realm. They need guidance to be able to properly adapt to the demon and heavenly realm."

"You are asking me...to guide them?" Hana questioned, her eyes wide in disbelief as she pointed to herself.

"Only for those who will be attuned to the heavenly realm."

"I am capable of doing it, but I can't oversee them all." Hana pondered.

All of a sudden, Xue burst out laughing at her words.

"Why are you laughing at me?" Hana pouted. "I am only one person, I can't handle them all!"

"You have grown well, Hana." K'xug grinned, patting her on the head.

"???"

"So you get it too, K'xug. If it were the past Hana, she would be flustered and doubting herself. Hana, I'm glad to see you being confident in yourself now."

"Hmph, of course!" Hana harrumphed and puffed out her chest. "I know I am strong now! In the past, I wasn't able to fight off my bullies whether they were angels and demons, but now, I can do more than that!"

"Indeed, you are strong and dependable." K'xug nodded in approval.

"As expected from someone I regard as my sister." Xue grinned toothily.

"Praise me more!" Hana tilted her chin. "Yes, I am the great Hana Katae!"

K'xug and Xue were amused at her arrogant mannerisms.

"Also, don't worry about being alone," Xue stated as he continued grinning. "Haru, Yun, Ryo and Kiyae will be joining your side very soon."

"Really?!"

"Yes."

Hana smiled happily to herself, grabbing onto K'xug's hand and fiddling with it. She resisted smacking his arm because that's what she always did when she wanted to spread her joy.

"There's just one problem, Xue." K'xug interrupted, letting Hana play with his fingers.

"Are you speaking about the entrance to the two realms from the mortal realm? The Death's Edge?"

"Yes. It has been long destroyed in the previous wars, and so, they created teleporters, but even those were destroyed. The mortal realm has grown distant and our existence in their realm is considered a myth. The current war made things even worse."

"Tano and Sevont will take care of that."

K'xug raised an eyebrow. "Tano said he was washing his hands off everything. He even dragged Sevont along with him."

"Once you are a ruler of a realm, you can't simply leave as you please." Xue smirked, a devious glint in his grey eyes.

"..."

"They want to leave? Hah, as if I'll allow that. Back in those days, they ran away from their responsibilities and I had to pick up the slack."

K'xug gave Xue a deadpan.

So that's where he adopted those bad habits from.

He couldn't help but feel a tinge of sympathy for Sevont and Tano. Just like how he traumatised Xue about his Supreme God duties, it seemed like Xue would be doing the same to the two of them.

"Ah, Xue! That's right! I remembered the reason why I was here in the first place! Don't think we will stop checking up on you! Look at how exhausted you have been! Aren't you eating proper meals and getting good sleep?!"

"..."

"I should have picked up some herbal recipes from Cecil! No, maybe I could ask the remaining kitchen staff in the palace. From now on, I'll stand here all day and watch you swallow down that food! How much did you overwork yourself to collapse onto the ground like that? Even Zasiok had to explain it himself!"

"Hana, surely there's no need to–"

"I don't want to hear any complaints from you! I'll tell this message to Haru, Kiyae, Ryo and Yun too. If you don't listen to me, I'll shove herbs into your mouth instead! Don't you know how to take good care of yourself? You are all big and grown-up now!"

"Ugh. K'xug, stop your–"

"Once Hana starts nagging, even I am useless against her."

"Just think about what Cecil would feel when she returns and sees you all exhausted! Don't think I'll be as soft-hearted as I was in the past! Since Cecil isn't here to scold you, I–"

Xue hung his head down in defeat as Hana began to nag at him endlessly. K'xug stood there watching the amusing scene as he shrugged his shoulders in resignation.

However, Xue was saved from the torture when Haru, Kiyae, Yun and Ryo came bursting into the study room. Apparently, it was time for a break and they decided to drop by for a visit as they carried snacks given by the kitchen staff in the heavenly palace.

"Haha, our almighty Supreme God!"

"Are you the gloomy Xue today or the cute Xue?"

"My friend!"

"Did we interrupt anything? Hana, you seem frustrated. Are you alright?"

They could never gain back what they have lost, but they could still accept that loss and continue on their journey. It was only through this acceptance that Xue could finally see the other paths opening before him.

It wasn't just that one path he was fated to walk on.

Other than being happy, he realised this was another form of kindness he could give to himself. He was no longer enveloped by misery, hatred or torment. Even so, his journey has been brought to an abrupt stop, and it was all because of one thing; one person.

Someone he would never, ever let go off.

It was only when she returned to his side would he resume his journey once more.

In the midst of the chaos in his study room, Xue picked up the broken mirror he had placed on his table. His expression was bitter yet full of fondness.

"I won't cry anymore."

Just then, a smirk curved at his lips.

"But when you return, prepare yourself because..."

He leaned in, pressing his lips to the mirror.

Your entire lifetime will belong to me.

***

《 start 》

Even if you have left me behind, I won't do that.

It can take a month.

Three years.

A century.

A million years.

My time will only resume when you are beside me again.

《 stop 》