Dₑₜₑcₜᵢᵥₑ ₖₐₙg ₚᵣₑfₑᵣᵣₑd wₐₗₖᵢₙg ₜₒ ₜₕₑ ₛcₑₙₑₛ ₒf ₜₕₑ cᵣᵢₘₑ ₛₒ ₕₑ cₒᵤₗd ₜₕᵢₙₖ. Sadly, today, it was more of a curse than a gift.

The sun beat down upon his neck. The black suit retained the heat as if he was branded by this torturous aching in his chest. "Sometimes, I forget what life was like before that aching." He recalled the heart to heart he and Morrison had five years prior. Neither of them realising that they were destined to be friends and influential in each other's lives. Granted, Detective Kang lived a centuries-long life and felt that the idea of destiny was a bit of a rocky martini, meaning it was only good if you were drunk.

...

But I am the author recording the tale so I will use whatever wording I see fit.

...

Morrison never underestimated his worth to the detective and vice versa. They have known each other long enough to understand it without being told.

"That's love, my liege. You have loved her forever, long before you've known her and long after. Of course, you know nothing but aching now." Morrison replied as if it was the most logical thing in the world. Detective Kang looked at his partner confused.

"What do you mean?"

"By Danu, you really don't get it?"

"You make it sound like the Fates had something to do with this, and you know my thoughts on those hags."

"Say what you will about them, but life works in mysterious ways. Perhaps you knew her in another life, one long before this one, and now your souls have found each other once again only to be lost... again."

"Conrí, you are too much of a romantic."

"My curse makes me that way, my liege."

"That was two centuries ago, Conrí, call me a friend now. You have stayed long enough to earn that title."

"Of course, my lie-friend."

Mídir just gave Conrí a wink before he raised the glass of ale to his lips and downed the remaining alcohol in a single swig.

The fire began to die prematurely as the sky darkened. The murmuring of those in the pub died as the unusual behaviour for the spring weather continued to raise hairs on the back of necks. Thunderbolts struck the ground outside and the pub's doors blew open as the cackling laugh froze the hearts of men. "Still looking for your precious, Elayne, are we?" The voice crackled and popped reminiscent of a deranged fire.

The honking of a car pulled Kang out of his memory. Once he realised he was in the middle of the road, he jumped to the sidewalk. The car stopped on the side of the road and the person driving got out. Her arms crossed themselves over her chest and she glared at him with a raised eyebrow. "The hell were you doing in the middle of the goddamn road! I could have killed you!"

Detective Kang looked at the woman. Her hair flamed with her anger and her pale skin looked much like alabaster for a sculpture. Her aura matched her fire for hair and it sparked like firecrackers. None of this intrigued him, however. What caught him were the eyes. A clear crystalline blue that knocked the wind out of him. No one in the history of the earth had those eyes. No one since her all those years ago.

The red aura snapped, crackled, and popped around her. Her blue eyes narrowed. Her stance shifted to a more hostile state with each passing second. "Well?" Her voice demanded, taking on a bit of an Irish brogue.

"Sorry, Miss, I was thinking about something," Detective Kang replied.

"I could have killed you!" The woman countered. "Sorry won't really cut it!"

"I apologise, I truly do, but I am in a hurry. Perhaps we could talk about this later. Where can I find you?" The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could say anything. Detective Lee Kang, the coolest man in town, felt his palms begin to sweat and his heart race. His body temperature plummetted as her cold eyes seemed to freeze and search his soul at the same time. His legs tingled with an odd feeling. He needed to get out of there.

The young woman with her eyes sighed in annoyance. "In the town square, there is a small shop called Allan Artefacts. I'll be there between the hours of two and six."

Before the detective could reply, another young woman came out of the car. "Elaine, hurry up! We're going to miss our reservation!"

"It's your mother's bakery, Daniela, I highly doubt we are going to miss anythin'!"

"You don't know that! Everyone loves her croquetas! I don't want to miss those!"

The woman with red hair, Elaine, raised an eyebrow. The other girl, Daniela, made a motion with her eyes as if to say "you know I'm right". With a sigh of something that seemed all too familiar to the other young woman, Elaine nodded. "Fine," she said.

Daniela grinned. "Good," she said before hopping back into the car.

Elaine turned back to Detective Kang and said, "You have until six. Anything past then and I cannot help you." The young man found himself nodding dumbly and watching her as she drove away. Her words echoed in his ears. He had until six that night.

Detective Kang found himself running back to the farms as he remembered another moment in time.

"Who are you?" A young woman asked him as she stepped closer to the large rose thicket. She had golden blonde hair and bright, clear, crystalline blue eyes. He glanced at her and stepped closer.

"I should be asking you that," he replied gruffly.

"If I tell you my name, will you tell me yours?"

"Do you know how dangerous I can be?"

"Do you know that my father would send a hundred men after you and yours for encroaching on our land and playing tricks?"

"Is that your threat to me, mortal?"

"It's not a threat. It's a promise, and I don't want bloodshed on sacred land."

"You have a say in that?"

"Perhaps."

"My name is Mídir, King of the Fae in this land. Who are you?"

"My name is Elayne. A pleasure to meet you." She smiled at him. Her golden hair seemed to shine even in the mist. "May Danu bless you and your Kingdom. I shall come back tomorrow with an offer, perhaps you may want to meet me here for midday." Before Mídir even replied, she flounced away with a springtime smile... and he stood there staring after her.