Ishihara // ATEEZ ✔

41 |1| Desire

The events up to this point have happened too fast it feels like a stupor; too much has happened in such a short amount of time. No matter how far they run away, they can't escape it; no matter how well they hide, they will be found. They managed to flee, but they can't cover up the fact that they are from Lucida and that their lives are to serve their queen. Nyla had welcomed them with open hands, but their fate stays the same: they are servants of the queen and they cannot run away until Emira says so. Right now, Emira's answer is clear: she still has her hands on them; they are not going anywhere. That's why right now, they're getting prepared to visit their one and only queen, but it's not going to be a happy occasion.

Nyla had wasted no time in assembling their own army, giving the honours to Akira to lead the troop. As usual, Yunho stays loyal by her side, ready to pick his duty up as her lieutenant once again. She would have never guessed where Nyla could have hidden their army, which are made up of 300 soldiers, because she knows that she has never seen them around the palace. Seonghwa, Wooyoung and San were in charge of gathering them, and they stood in front of the main giant doors, hands behind their back and faces ready to accept further instructions. The young masters line up at the landing of the main stairs, thinking of how it came to be like this.

Seonghwa has his bow and arrows at his disposal, ready to lead the group of 30 archers. Hongjoong has supplied the rest with their weapons, saying that the blades he prepared for them are new and sharp. He is bringing a sword of his own, at the same time bulking himself with daggers stuck to his boots. San is comfortable with a spear, as he has a pretty good aim, and he can kick his enemies if it's necessary. Wooyoung forgoes his sword and chooses to equip himself with a pair of flails. Yeosang is not good at fighting, but he insisted on following the group, saying that they would need his skills if they ever get injured in the battlefield. Akira and Yunho stand beside them, looking at each of the faces of the soldiers, unfamiliar to them but right now, they are fighting on the same side. The soldiers are stocked with all kinds of weapons, from swords, longbows to battle axes and flails. They do their last checks to their equipment, vehicles ready to embark.

Akira touches Seonghwa's hand, signalling him with her eyes that she wants to talk to him for a moment inside. He follows behind her, carefully closing the door behind him.

"What's wrong-"

He stops mid-sentence as he is startled by Akira's sudden action; she hugged him, wrapping her arms around his body so tight that he feels she never intends of letting him go. He returns her embrace, stroking her hair gently with his left hand. She stays buried in his chest for a few minutes, unmoving and soundless. He only hears her steady breathing, her chest rising and falling slowly. She pulls away, but he can't read her expression.

"I..." she looks at him, her pupils trembling. "I wanted to say thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything. For being there when I was lost in the forest, for being honest with me about my blood, for teaching me what the flowers symbolize even though I can't see their colours, thank you for... being the first person that I fall in love with. I want to say sorry for being selfish, because for the first time I felt what love really is and I wanted it to stay that way. I don't want you to get hurt, but that seems to be the only thing I'm giving you."

She gives a peck to his cheek, closing her eyes as she feels her heart being weighed down by agony. As she moves back, he swiftly cups her face and plants a kiss on her lips, one that is full of love and longing. There are no tears this time, but the kiss itself is a testament to the pain they feel but are unable to express.

He frowns as they let go of each other, saying, "Stop talking like that, you're making it sound as if this is the last time I'm going to see you. We're going to save Jongho, defeat your queen and go back to Nyla together. After all of this is over, we can spend more time with each other until we won't know what to do anymore."