The fire is strong and bright. It plays trickily on his face, like the fingers of a child. Soon his body is all covered in those flames, who burn and lick, and destroy the thin shell that is left after his soul went to paradise.

A shell, nothing more, I try to think, but i don't succeed in keeping the tears away. They flow over my cheeks like raindrops, a strange feeling I had almost forgotten. When was the last time I cried? I can't remember.

I do not cry without a reason, nor do I smile so often. But I feel these tears are not only my emotions that at last have become overwhelming, but also a silent farewell to a vampire I respected and loved. He did so much for me. Even after I became a Prince, he gave me council, protection and trust. He trusted me in times I did not even dare to trust myself.

I do not have many friends, mostly because many people seem uncomfortable with my lack of emotions. Paris never felt that way. He only used to say: 'Smile Mika, for life is too short not to.'

I never understood what he ment. until now. When I see how they brush away his ashes, I realise that nothing lasts forever. In a stupid, childish wish, I believed he would stay with me for all times, always be there for me.

But times go on, everything changes. Another childish wish of mine, that nothing would ever change. And now we were on the edge of war, the fate of all vampires in the hands of a young halfblood.

In one way, I wish Desmond Tiny had called out my name, that day in the hall of Princes. To get the chance to proof myself, face death yet again and take fate in my own hands. But my heart tells me, like Paris always did, that I must trust the boy. He is the only one that can save us now.

I walk in the mountain. It's day outside, almost everyone is asleep, but even though I'm tired I cannot sleep.

Persons, friends, loved ones I've lost keep flowing through my mind. I wonder how it is to be dead.

Paradise. It sounds good. I don't think there are many that will miss me if I died. It is a tempting solution, just leave all the troubles and sorrows behind, flow to Paradise where everything is perfect and I would meet the ones I love again. But a thing Paris once said sounds clearly in my mind.

"Paradise is not real. Nothing is perfect, and the Paradise we always dream of doesn't lie behind stars. It is here, in this world we chose to live in. Only here we can make our dreams come true, and really be happy. For without sorrow, there is no happiness, and if there is no sorrow in Paradise there will not be happiness either."

That's a scary thought. Only here, in this world, we can really be happy. This place filled with blood, hate and tears is our Paradise.

I sigh. The halls are empty. I walk into a small tunnel and reach the door outside. It cmirks when I open it, and I blink when the bright sun hits my eyes, the eyes of a creature of the night. When I stretch out my hand, I feel the sun burning it. Burning, like Paris. I close my eyes, try to remember our time together. But my memories of our first meetings, my choice and time as his assistant are vague. I know that in a couple of years, my memory of his face will be too.

The sun burns, and I go back inside. A flood of sadness and melancholy suddenly overwhelms me. The days of the vampires are counted, soon all we've fought and died for would be gone. Even if we won the War of Scars, the humans were taking over more and more of our space.

Though I hated to admit it, we were a dying raise, mythological creatures, doomed to fade away and be forgotten, only to be mentioned in fairytales. And a Paradise lost forever.

-"Lord Mika?"

I turned around and faced a younger half-vampire in green robes, looking scared. I knew he had arrived only a few days ago, alone. His sire died in a battle with vampaneze on the way to the mountain. His blue eyes were sleepy.

-"Yes?" I asked, gazing at the boy. He could be no more than eighteen years old.

-"I...I'm sorry to disturb you my Lord, but..." he sighed and tears filled his eyes. "I couldn't sleep. Is it sure no vampaneze will attack the mountain?" He looked extremely embarrassed about crying in front of a Prince, and quickly tried to wipe away the tears that kept flooding.

-"Nothing is sure anymore," I said, feeling a strange pity for the boy. He closed his eyes and nodded stiffly, before bowing and turning around to leave. I stopped him and softly wiped away the last of his tears, giving him a little smile.

-"Smile please," I said. "Life is to short not to."