Author's note: Sorry for the late update, I was feeling unwell, hence...the lack of update on Wednesday. Also, Selamat Hari Raya Haji to all the Muslims out there! 

“So, you didn’t answer me.” Xue said, staring at the cobalt blue-haired man seated opposite him. 

“I don’t answer a lot of things, Xue,” Veau raised his eyebrows. “You need to be more specific.”

The two men were seated opposite one another around the porcelain table. On the table laid a chessboard, and Xue moved a chess piece of his own. They were playing in the middle of the heavenly forest, surrounded by animals that spied on them within the shadows. 

Beside the two men, a tiger spirit was sprawled across the grass, drifting off to sleep as it basked in the warm sun. The tiger spirit yawned noisily, showing off its pointed teeth, glinting in the sunlight and the weaker animals cowered deeper into the shadows. 

“Your turn,” Xue gestured to Veau, resting his chin on his palm. “And you were talking to me about love, and asking whether Hana was important to me, remember that?” 

“So you want to know about love? Is that your question?” Veau questioned in a casual manner, picking off a long blade of grass near him as he moved another chess piece. “I won again.”

Xue clicked his tongue, waving away the chessboard on the table. He gave another wave around the table and a jug of wine appeared, along with two empty cups as he started to pour out the wine. 

“Yes, about love. I have heard my mother mention that word a couple of times to me, but I can never seem to understand it.” 

Veau flicked the blade of grass towards the tiger whose mouth was still opened wide from yawning, tickling its mouth. The tiger flinched, narrowing its eyes at Veau unhappily and the devil continued his actions to disturb the tiger. 

“If you have your dearest mother to explain it to you, why do you need me to answer that question?” 

“Veau, seriously, have you listened to how my mother explains it?” 

“Enlighten me.” Veau answered nonchalantly, still disturbing the tiger with the blade of grass as he started tickling the top of its head too. 

The tiger bared its canines teeth, snapping at the blade of grass which Veau keeps dragging out from its reach. 

“It is going to pounce on you if you keep doing that.”

Veau smiled lazily, glancing at Xue. “Go on, tell me what your mother said about...love.”

Xue cleared his throat, adjusting his voice to a higher pitch to make it sound feminine. “Xue, my dear son, let me tell you about love. Love is magical and wonderful. It will change your life in ways you will never imagine, and even change you into a better person.”

Xue even made sure to act like his mother, his mannerisms completely feminine. 

Veau snorted, watching as the tiger stood up on all fours, baring more of its teeth as an angry glint appeared in its cat-like eyes. 

“See? It doesn’t make sense to you either, doesn’t it? I do love my mother, but everytime she talks about love, it isn’t like what I feel. Honestly, it all sounds like a bunch of crap--” 

Veau threw the blade of grass as it landed softly on Xue’s nose, making Xue blink in surprise. The next thing he knew, he saw a shadow leaping onto him and Xue yelped in shock. 

“Your mother is somewhat right,” Veau responded as he looked on casually at Xue dodging the irritated tiger. The god-in-training used his light magic to place a calming spell on the tiger. “And also, do not speak like that ever again. You are making my ears bleed.” 

“There you go, buddy, back into the forest!” Xue soothed the tiger, shooing it away at the same time. “Go, go!” 

Veau drank down his wine, smiling lazily. “Your bodyguard should have appeared by now, to keep that tiger off you.” 

The tiger went back into the forest, appeased and it held the blade of grass in its mouth. 

“Asshole.” Xue growled, settling back down on the table and gulping down his wine. “Hana needed K’xug for something, so they are together now.” 

“You don’t feel anything strange admitting that?” Veau questioned, still smirking. “Or even thinking about that?” 

Xue furrowed his eyebrows. “Why should I? They are friends, and I am their friend. Hanging out as friends, there is nothing wrong about that.” 

“Not even the slightest bit of...jealousy?” 

Xue gave Veau a baffled look. “Why would I be?” 

“Hana isn’t the one, it seems. Maybe.”

“What?” 

“Someday, probably, you’ll understand what your mother is trying to say about love,” Veau shrugged. “As ridiculous and nonsensical it might sound when she tells you about it. And you'll understand the annoyance of having that green monster hidden inside you.” 

“That…” Xue gave him a puzzled frown. “That doesn’t answer my question in any way.” 

“I never said I would answer your question, did I?” 

“...bastard.” 

“A tame insult, I have been called worse.” 

“Yeah, just like how they call you a perverted devil in my heavenly realm.” 

“I think it can’t be compared to how they call you a poop god in my demon realm, no?” 

Xue stiffened.

Veau chuckled at the priceless look on Xue’s face, giving him a wave. The devil transformed into a black mist, floating away from the heavenly forest.

“You--!” Xue looked at the direction Veau disappeared to, transforming into a white mist himself. “Come back here! ” 

Chasing after the black mist through the forest, Xue was suddenly struck down by a force and he landed harshly on the ground. He squeezed in eyes close in pain, groaning, he slowly opened his eyes and all he saw was pure darkness. 

He breathed out, frowning to himself as his hand went to his chest. 

Why do I feel this overwhelming sense of dread all of a sudden? 

He trod forward, cautious and just a distance ahead, a spotlight shone down on him followed by another spotlight shining down in front of him. A trail of black mist circled around the area before Veau revealed himself, smiling lazily at him. 

“We are finally at this point.” 

Xue frowned, and he stumbled back in shock when he saw another version of him step forward from where he stood. 

“Yeah.” 

Xue watched the exchange between “him” and Veau, blinking rapidly. Though neither of them registered his presence, he was completely invisible. Moreover, this version of “him” didn’t seem right, there was clearly something wrong. 

“How long has it been since I last saw you? Thirty years? You have changed completely, and...it seems to be for the worse.” 

“Isn’t it all thanks to you?” 

Veau laughed, smirking. 

“You are going to kill me.” 

“What else?” 

The two people left the spotlights and clashed swords, one good and the other evil. Though, with both of them fighting in the darkness, it was hard to tell who was the good or evil one here.

The next moment, Xue felt another force hitting him and he dropped to the ground again. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and pushed himself up, but he didn’t have a chance to find the culprit as the fight between “him” and Veau had changed. 

Veau was on the ground, sitting up with one knee and he was covered in blood. He was in full demon form, but he was in a tragic state, blood dribbling down from his mouth. 

“As expected, you won. A trip down in the mortal realm to collect your souls made you fully recover, and it made you...callous.” 

“I defeated him, defeating you wouldn’t be hard either.” 

Veau closed his eyes and sighed heavily.  

“Let’s just end this, old friend. I am tired of being bored and tired.” 

“Old friend? I was never your friend, Veau. And neither did you consider me one, did you? You had planned to betray me from the start.”

Veau smiled lazily, looking at “Xue” that had a blank look in his eyes. It was clear to anyone that “Xue” had lost himself to his own sanity, and his own despair. 

“What can I say? I am the devil after all, someone that is from the wicked demon realm.” 

“Xue” scoffed at the cobalt blue-haired devil, raising his spear. Veau looked at the spear looming over him, a serene look on his face as he sighed once more, looking at the actual Xue observing the scene in the dark. 

“You and me, Xue, we made a lot of mistakes. Perhaps, if we both had another chance, we would have done things differently...and chose a different path.” 

“Xue” paused, narrowing his eyes at Veau. 

“Choosing a different path? There was no other path!” 

Veau disregarded "Xue", his gaze focused on the actual one.

“Don't you think so, Xue?” 

The actual Xue realised Veau was actually talking to him, and he felt that, truly, there was no different path he would have chosen at this point. He opened his mouth to respond, and somehow, he felt an overwhelming sense of rage piling up within him, forcing him to shout his words out without thinking. 

“What other path would there be?! You tell me, Veau!” 

“A path that you and I, in another time, would have to make.” 

Veau gave the actual Xue a genuine smile. 

“If it even exists.”

The scene went black again as the spear plunged through Veau’s chest.

The next second, Xue found himself facing his own self, but this version of him was covered with blood. There was an empty look in “his” eyes, lacking any kind of emotion.

“You shouldn’t be here.” 

Xue recoiled back in shock. 

“Get out.” 

He watched as his own spear impaled his chest.

***

Xue bolted awake with a startled yell, panting heavily. 

I haven’t had a nightmare like this in a while. 

Why...why has it come back again? 

The man shook his head, gulping his saliva down as he glanced around, noticing that he was in a cave. There was a fragrant scent of cooked food lingering in the air, and he heard a fire crackling in the background. He glanced over to the pot with a cloud of steam over it, and he heard quick footsteps resounding throughout the cave. 

“Xue, is that you?!” Hana exclaimed, her voice echoing. “Are you finally awake?!” 

A few seconds later, Hana appeared and she clearly saw Xue sitting up, his eyes wide in surprise. 

Hana squealed happily, rushing forward and wanting to throw herself at Xue to engulf him in a hug. She gasped, halting abruptly, shaking her head vehemently. 

“No, no, I have to wait until Cecil comes back to tell her!” Hana said, turning around and she ran out of the cave. “Cecil needs to be the first oneeeeee! Just hold on, Xue!” 

The moment Hana turned to leave, she revealed another person behind her and the copper brown-haired man stepped forward. 

Xue watched Hana leave, still confused and his attention went to the new stranger in the cave. A trace of recognition flitted past his grey eyes, and Xue faltered back in shock, almost falling back down to the ground. 

A second later, he narrowed his eyes in askance, straightening himself. 

“...K’xug?” 

K’xug took a few steps forward, opening his mouth before he scratched his head, clueless as to how he should greet Xue in the current situation. In the end, he settled for an awkward wave. 

“...”

“...”

The two men stared at one another in silence. 

Xue was trying to gauge whether there was hostility in K’xug, whether this hybrid angel and his closest aide would stab him in the back like the others did. 

...or was he just an illusion?

Meanwhile, K’xug was surprised to see how much suspicion there was in Xue’s eyes, it was as if their friendship of hundreds of years meant nothing to him. It was as if it had all disappeared, and Xue treated him like a stranger.

Xue knew this K'xug wasn't an illusion, but the real deal.

“...where the hell have you been?” 

K’xug sighed, nudging his head to the hidden cave room behind Xue. 

Xue turned to look, though he remained alert for any movement from K’xug. He spun around to look back at K’xug, cautious, before he pushed himself up and headed to the hidden cave room. 

Conjuring a ball of fire, he paused for a moment when he realised the colours of the fire had changed. Instead of its usual orange hue, the fire was now a mixture of green and white, just like how it was when Mir transformed. 

It was the final form of the fire element, foxfire.

Xue had finally reclaimed all of his powers back for the fire element, the centuries of training he had to go through to reach this final form. 

K’xug, on the other hand, wasn’t surprised unlike Xue, since the fire element that Xue used had always been this colour. However, to Xue, it felt like a million years since he last saw this colour. 

Xue's lips twitched in a tiny smile, and he focused back on the hidden cave room, entering it. The moment he did, he saw the embalming tools on the table stained with blood and the chains hanging down from the wall, which were also covered in blood. 

K’xug joined Xue from behind, and Xue spun around, instantly alert as he retreated a few steps. It was as if Xue was preparing for a fight to happen. 

K’xug instantly raised his arms up, bewildered yet conflicted at Xue mistrusting him. 

I won’t do anything to you. 

Relax.

Xue recognised that K’xug was surrendering and not planning to do anything. However, he remained alert especially when K’xug started to bring out his wings. 

K’xug grunted in pain, and it was clear as day that his wings had been damaged badly.

It was then Xue noticed the numerous wounds on his body, both old and new, and those wounds weren’t there when Xue last saw him. Xue glanced back at the embalming tools on the table and the chains on the wall, and the painful truth finally dawned on him. 

“You…were trapped here and tortured?” 

K’xug kept his wings, grimacing as he nodded slowly in pain. 

Xue had no idea what to say and he exited the hidden cave room, leaving K’xug behind. 

K’xug stared at the room he had been kept in and tortured in for decades, his steps hurried as he left the room as well. 

It was uncomfortable to be in there.

Once the two men were back at their makeshift base in the cave, the two of them looked at each other for a second, before looking away. The atmosphere was strained, and since K’xug couldn’t speak, it was even more difficult. 

“...”

“...”

“So this is where you have been the entire time?” 

K’xug nodded. 

Xue observed him, seeing nothing but the truth in his eyes. There wasn’t a suspicious glint in K’xug’s different coloured eyes like the other angels and demons he had encountered. There was always the hint of deceitfulness and undying hatred in their eyes. 

Nevertheless, with K’xug, his closest aide and his capable assistant, Xue saw nothing but sincerity. Seeing that earnest look on his face, Xue found himself lowering his guard a little, because the only other people who had shown him this same look were Cecil and Hana. 

Zasiok: “You are finally awake, Xue.” 

Xue: “...I don’t sense the others.” 

Zasiok: “They are out cold, it might take them a little longer to wake up.” 

Xue: "...I am surprised to see you awake first."

Zasiok: "Turns out, being tortured increases your tolerance for pain."

Xue glanced at K'xug, feeling a heavy weight in his heart.

Xue: “Isleif?” 

Zasiok: “He’s here, still out cold. When he first dropped in, his appearance still looked as horrible. But now that you are awake, his appearance is back to normal.” 

Xue: “He changed back?” 

Zasiok: “Completely.” 

Xue: “...” 

Zasiok: “Don’t worry, we’ll be sure to give him a good thrashing in here. Like we promised.”

Xue: "..."

Xue: "...you are all really strange."

Xue heard Zasiok snorting inside his mind. 

Zasiok: "You are calling yourself strange, Xue, we are you."

A small, wry smile flitted past Xue’s face. 

Somehow, Xue felt that something had changed inside him. He didn't know what it was, and neither did he know what caused the change. 

...but he knew, things were going to be different from now on.

***

《 start 》

I cannot believe it. 

It really is him.

K’xug.

…

...how is one supposed to react after seeing their closest friend who disappeared for decades?

How am I supposed to react?

Does he hate me like the others? Does he want to kill me like the others? 

...do I have to look at him as my enemy now? 

I already lost a friend.

...do I have to lose another?

《 stop 》