JACKSON AND THE OTHERS were in the living room of the Holy Home. They've been patiently waiting for Sunggyu and Woohyun's return, but they have not heard of them ever since they left for Beijing.

    "I knew it. Following Taeil's stupid plan was a mistake. We should have gone with them instead of staying here doing nothing." Junhyung suddenly stated as he barged towards Taeil angrily. But Hyunseung, his lover, pulled him away from the prince of sloth and said, "We only have to wait. It's better if we stay here and guard Jiyong's soul and body. The risk of an ambush is greater here than in Beijing." 

     Taeil, who was peacefully sitting beside Jackson, thanked Hyunseung and glared at Junhyung right after.

    Junhyung pushed Hyunseung's hand away and walked back to the sofa to sit beside his brothers. He was getting worried. His brother was alone with a demon he wasn't even close with, and an entire day has already passed and they still haven't even heard of anything from them. It was only natural for him as a leader to start panicking.

     "Nothing will happen if you worry like that angel." Suho reminded him.

     "Nothing will happen if we just stay here and wait." Junhyung immediately fired back.

     The Arcs and Demons thought the two were going to fight, but suddenly, someone knocked on the door, making everyone stand in full alert.

     "Relax. Enemies don't normally knock on the door." Mark calmly stated as he looked at the brothers who were already getting ready to summon their weapons. 

     "Well, visitors don't usually knock at this hour either." Jihoon pointed out. But Mark walked towards the door anyway to see who it was so the others wouldn't panic anymore.

     As Mark was walking closer, his heart started beating fast, and at that moment he knew who the visitor was. So he ran and opened the door. And as expected, it was none other than Woohyun and Sunggyu.

     "Miss us?" Sunggyu coolly asked.

     "They're back!" Mark immediately shouted; practically jumping towards the two so he could hug them tightly.

     When the rest of the brothers saw who the visitor was, they quickly ran towards the door to greet the two a warm welcome. The two exhausted brothers finally entered the Holy Home. Everyone immediately gave them space. As much as they want to ask how their quick trip to Beijing was, there was something else that was a lot more important than hearing about the two's supposed honeymoon.

     "So, how did it go?" Sungjae asked anxiously.

     "Please...PLEASE tell me you have it." Taeil added, almost like he was begging for the answer.

     Sunggyu and Woohyun looked at each other. They both had sad expressions on their faces, and just seeing their expression alone made the brothers' eyes widen from shock. They already knew the answer to their most awaited question.

     "N-No...this can't be." Junhyung said as he looked at the two with disbelief, "You...failed?" He asked them with a sad expression. Even Mark almost cried.

     "Don't mock me, angel." Sunggyu stated, and finally, with all jokes aside, Woohyun took out an old box from his bag and showed it to the brothers, "Failure is not an option anymore. Did you seriously think Kim Sunggyu will come back empty-handed?"

    Everyone looked at the box with shock. They didn't know how to react anymore once the truth was revealed. Everything just came rushing in. They didn't expect themselves to be this close to victory.

     "Is that-" Jackson didn't have to continue because Woohyun nodded his head to confirm it.

     Suho, who hasn't even said anything since the two arrive, suddenly fell on his knees. Without saying a word, the brothers saw tears falling on the floor. Lay was supposed to comfort him, but Jackson went to him and hugged him instead, then Taeil and Hyunseung joined in. 

     Sunggyu smiled, but clear tears were already falling on his cheeks as he looked at his brothers.

     Woohyun looked at the angel beside him and nudged him, "What are you waiting for? You're the leader, right? Then comfort you weeping brothers."

     Sunggyu tried to laugh it off, but while clenching on his fist, he ran to his brothers and kneeled as well to finally hug them.

     "You did it. You actually did it." Hyunseung stated as he hugged Sunggyu tightly.

     "I wasn't going to fail Jiyong again. I'm never going to fail any of you again." Sunggyu told his brothers as they hugged each other tighter.

     "I'll be a better brother and a leader, and I'm not doing it to make up for anything anymore. Because I realized that what I need is to look towards the future rather than get stuck in the past. It's time I think about what I could do, rather than what I could have done." Sunggyu then added.

     For the Demons, it was words that meant a lot to them as brothers. But for Woohyun, an angel who was able to get a quick glimpse of Sunggyu's true feelings, it meant a lot more. It was huge progress that will only be realized by him.

     "Thank you for doing your best Kim Sunggyu." Woohyun thought to himself as he watched Sunggyu and the rest of the Demons who were in a tight embrace.

     The angels stood beside each other and looked at the brothers with awe.

     Junhyung finally loosened up and wiped the tears that unknowingly streamed down his cheeks. Jihoon went to Woohyun and patted his back to congratulate them on their successful mission. Everyone just watched the brothers in silence. Giving them the respect that they needed at the moment.

     The Arcs knew that they had to move now to not waste time, but the angels decided to give the Demons their moment. This will be the last time they'll hug each other as six. Because soon, they'll be hugging each other as seven. A number these boys have not heard of in a very long time.

*****

 "Thank you," Sunggyu stated as he approached Woohyun who was silently sitting on the sofa.

     The Arcs were on standby, but Woohyun decided to relax alone before joining his brothers in the dining room. He and Sunggyu just got back from Beijing. He was as excited as the Demons were. This was a big deal for everyone. But Woohyun wanted to slow down a little. Things were happening too fast that he doesn't even know if he's in the present or if he's still just envisioning everything.

     "You shouldn't thank me. You were the one who really convinced Iblis to hand over the heart." Woohyun answered back, and Sunggyu sat beside him without saying anything for a while. The two somehow felt awkward with each other, especially after their talk when they were chained up back in Beijing.

     The two were quiet for a couple more minutes until Sunggyu finally decided to continue their conversation.

     "So this is it. After everything that we've been through, Jiyong's just moments away from being...here. From being alive." Sunggyu told the angel sitting beside him.

     Woohyun chuckled and nodded his head, "We've gone through so much. And now that we're actually on the final stage of our plan, it suddenly seems so surreal. It's like I don't even know what to do after this."

     "Well, we still have the King to think about." Sunggyu pointed out, and Woohyun chuckled again.

    "I'm confident." Woohyun then says, making Sunggyu look at him with a confused expression.

     "Confident? About what?" He asked.

     Woohyun took a deep breath and reached out for Sunggyu's shoulder to pat him, "That this time...we'll win."

     Sunggyu smiled and nodded his head. It was too early to conclude on anything, but it was also good to have a little trust in the words that came from an angel who had the power to see the future.

     "Hopefully this time you guys aren't hiding something from us anymore," Sunggyu stated.

     Woohyun puts his hand down and shook his head, "Don't worry. Starting today...no more secrets."

     Sunggyu wanted to say something back, but he decided to just reply to him with a small smile. He nodded his head again. Then he stood up from the sofa and looked at Woohyun, "Well I have to go. I'll see you later angel."

    "Bring Jiyong with you when you do demon." Woohyun replied, and Sunggyu finally left the living room to join the others.

     The Demons were already inside the prayer room where Jiyong's body was placed. Kharon and Dongmin were also with them, and so was Seunghyun who was going to perform the exorcism.

     Minhyuk was lying on two chairs that Hyunseung and Suho put together. His body was just beside Jiyong. If you looked at him, it seemed like he was just peacefully sleeping. But its only been a day, and Minhyuk's fingers were already starting to turn black. It was a sign that they had to hurry because Minhyuk couldn't contain Jiyong's soul any longer. The more they wait, Minhyuk's body might completely rot.

     "You guys ready?" Sunggyu asked the moment he entered the room.

    Seunghyun was arranging some of his items on the altar. He glanced at Sunggyu and answered him, "Just a moment."

    "No need to hurry my prince," Kharon commented.

    If it was the old Sunggyu, he would have already gotten mad at their guardian and told him that it's stupid to stay calm at a moment like this. But Sunggyu nodded his head in understanding and joined his brothers instead. He knew that nothing good would come out if he gets mad and make Seunghyun feel pressured.

     "How's Minhyuk?" He asked while looking at his brothers.

     "He's starting to rot," Jackson answered while pointing at Minhyuk's fingers. It would have been strange if others heard it, but Sunggyu was actually glad that it's only his fingers.

     "We'll just let Lay heal him. It wouldn't be a problem even if Minhyuk and Lay aren't connected. Minhyuk's absorption power will allow Lay's healing abilities to heal him." Dongmin reassured the brothers.

     "Well thank god for Minhyuk's power because it would be a very big problem if they're connected without it," Suho stated since it meant that the two have already had sex.

     If you don't remember, an angel and a demon can be immune to each other's basic powers if they are connected. And one way to be connected is through having an intimate relationship with each other.

     "Seriously Suho? You just had to say that at this moment?" Taeil asked with his right eyebrow raised.

     "And besides, Sungjae would kill him." Jackson butted in.

     "Wait, are those two even official? Or are they like Jihoon and Taeil?" Suho then asked, making Taeil hit the back of Suho's head in annoyance.

     "What do you mean like Jihoon and Taeil? We're not in a confused relationship. We are very much official as Jackson and Mark." Taeil defended.

     "Oh please, you're not even close to their relationship. Those two are almost like a married couple. If you ask me, you're more on a Hyunseung-Junhyung level kind of relationship." Suho answered, and finally, Hyunseung cleared his throat, immediately ending the stupid conversation.

     "Thank you," Sunggyu stated as he grinned at Hyunseung.

     Like what the others think, Sunggyu sees Hyunseung as a leader of the group as well. He's like the Seunghyun of the Arcs. Like the second commander who's more feared than the first commander.

     "I'm glad that you guys are starting to be lively again." Dongmin suddenly commented, making the brothers look at the Arcs' guardian.

     "Well, Jiyong's about to join us soon. We should be smiling when he wakes up." Suho answered, and everyone agreed.

     "I suggest you give the prince a little space first when he wakes up. It would be troublesome if you swarm him. He's been dead for months." Kharon reminded the Demons.

     As much as they want to give Jiyong a group hug when he wakes up, their guardian was still right. Jiyong might not even know what's going on when he wakes up. So to not confuse him, they decided to let Kharon and Dongmin explain everything to him first.

     "I'm ready." Seunghyun finally stated, and the brothers immediately joined him at the altar.

     "What do we exactly do with the heart?" Sunggyu asked as he stood beside Seung.

     Seunghyun doesn't answer him and instead takes the box where the heart was placed. He went towards Jiyong's body and opened the box. He was about to put the box down, but Taeil immediately stopped him from doing so.

     "W-Wait!" He shouted.

     Everyone looked at his way. They were confused about why Taeil was suddenly stopping Seunghyun. But when they remembered who the actual owner of the heart was, they immediately gave Taeil way so he could go to where Seunghyun was standing.

     "M-May I?" He asked, and Seunghyun nodded his head and showed the heart to Taeil.

     Taeil hasn't seen the heart yet. He wanted to check it earlier, but he didn't have the courage to do so. But this might be the last time he'll actually see it, so Taeil finally decided to take a look.

     He gulped and looked down on the inside of the box. The moment he saw the still-beating heart inside the box, blood tears immediately streamed down on his cheeks.

     It was an actual beating heart. He doesn't know how it could even be possible. There was no scientific explanation for it. And as technical as Taeil may be, he understood the impossible. And though it was only a heart, it seemed like he was looking down at the entirety of Woo Jiho.

     "I miss you." He whispered, whipping the tears on his cheeks, only smearing the blood more.

     Jackson took a deep breath and joined Taeil so he could look at it too. 

     Woo Jiho was Taeil's once lover, but he was also Jackson's friend. The others might be grateful that they have a heart to resurrect their brother, but for these two, it meant something different. Jiyong waking up means that the last living part that Jiho has would officially be nonexistent. It was both a win and a lose.

     "It's still beating because the spirit of the owner of that heart is still fighting as much as he can to keep it alive." Dongmin suddenly explained, surprising the others.

     "The body might be gone, but the soul isn't. Woo Jiho might have known about this, and with the little life that his soul has left, he kept that heart beating until the end." Kharon explained further, and the tears that Taeil tried to stop started streaming down of his eyes again because of what he heard.

     Kharon and Dongmin knew that Woo Jiho was stuck in the abyss because his heart was taken by the possessed Kharon. Woo Jiho may slowly perish and never exist at all, but for some reason, he's still fighting for his life to keep the heart beating. It was like his final gift for his lover.

     But once his heart is with Jiyong, he can now be freed. The heart will now be recognized as Jiyong's, which means that there is nothing else that is binding Jiho on earth anymore. And Taeil could finally move on while thinking that he can one day see Jiho again as an angel in heaven.

     "I think if Jiho was going to let someone use his heart, he'd rather have someone rich, powerful, and handsome like Jiyong," Jackson stated to lift Taeil's spirit up.

    Taeil finally smiled. He exhaled and looked at the beating heart for the last time, "Even when he's dead, he still wants me to be happy. And I know that he knows that Jiyong being alive would bring me so much happiness." He stated, and Jackson nodded his head and patted his best friend's head like he was a kid.

     "He was always selfless like that," Taeil added, and Jackson took out his handkerchief to wipe away his best friend's tears.

     "Let's say our final goodbye then. You might be able to see his reflection now after this, so make sure to thank him when you do." Jackson stated.

     No one really knew about it except for Jackson and Jihoon. But when Jiho died, Taeil actually spent days trying to look for Jiho's soul in the mirror. But he never did find him, and Taeil just gave up on it completely.

     Taeil gulped. He tried his best not to cry anymore as he finally bowed deeply to thank Woo Jiho for the last time.

     Jackson did the same, and to their surprise, the rest of the Demons followed.

     "I'll see you again." Taeil finished, and finally, he and Jackson went back to where the Demons were so Seunghyun could continue to what he was supposed to do.

     "As impossible as this may seem, I only have to place the heart inside, and Jiyong's body will do the rest. I just hope he'll accept it. Jiyong is a powerful demon, and this heart only belongs to a mere human. Even if this heart absorbed the blood of the ghoul that attacked him, it still might not be enough." Seunghyun reminded the Demons. He doesn't want to ruin their excitement, but he didn't want them to be disappointed either if this failed.

     "So you're telling us we might not wake Jiyong up at all?" Sunggyu asked since it was him and Woohyun who went through all the trouble to get the heart from Iblis.

     "I'm saying we have two possible outcomes," Seunghyun stated.

     "Then let's see what the outcome is then," Dongmin answered.

     Seunghyun looked at him and Kharon and asked them to remove the glass case that covered Jiyong's body. When it was removed, Seunghyun placed the box on a small table. He went to Jiyong and unbuttoned his shirt first, revealing the spot where the heart was supposed to be placed. He then wore black surgical gloves and finally took out the heart as gently as he could to not drop it.

     The demons were watching in anticipation.

     Seunghyun slowly walked towards Jiyong's body. He was moments away from putting the heart inside, but like how their life has been recently, something always had to happen first before they get their happy ending.

     "Wait!" Someone shouted. But this time, it wasn't Taeil but the Demon's guardian, Kharon.

     The Demons looked at Kharon confusingly. Kharon was silent for a second, but then he and Dongmin looked at each other with shocked expressions.

     "What's going on?" Sunggyu asked, suddenly feeling nervous because of how the two guardians were acting.

    Seunghyun was still holding the beating heart in his palms. Everything was silent for a second, but then they felt something rumbling. At that moment they remembered...that as much as the Arcs and Demons wanted to see the strongest prince live, there is still a strong King who will do everything in his power to keep him dead.

- END -