Chapter 1

A dark lock of hair fell in her eyes, as the gentle rush of the spring breeze passed by, creating a rhythmic rustle from the leaves overhead. She quietly lowered her book to glance at the figure resting on her lap. His silvery bangs fell gracefully across his face, covering the eyes she loved dearly. She gently brushed the strands away, letting her fingers linger there for a moment longer.

A small grin formed on her lips. "You're awake," she stated teasingly, playing with the collar of his shirt in an attempt to tidy it.

"Hmmph." Was his reply as he lazily opened up his eyes.

The golden orb slowly descended the horizon, tainting the sky in crimson colours as the wind made contact against their skin.

"Don't you just wish we could stay like this forever?" She said wistfully, letting go of the collar to trace the outline of his jaw.

"We can't have everything we want," he said distantly. After a short pause, he continued, "It's going to be all right."

"What?" She stared at him, puzzled

"The trip tomorrow,"

"Oh…" Her face darkened. "So you are going after all…"

"I'm sorry Kyra, but I have to do this." He whispered, his voice full of pain.

"Please don't go…" she pleaded, clenching her fists in desperation, as tears swelled up inside her eyes.

"I know it's going to be dangerous, but Trean needs me there." He replied sternly, removing his head from her lap, slowly moving into a crouching position. "Look…" He put a hand to her cheek, "this is important for Trean. You know that. I can't turn my back on him."

She glanced up to meet his warm gaze. "If you leave tomorrow, I'll never see you again." She said shakily, as the salty droplets slid down her cheeks.

"Don't say that," he told her sorrowfully, kissing her tears away, "I promise I'll come back."

She shook her head gravely. "Don't lie. You know nobody ever came back from there alive…." She buried her face inside her hands, as more tears fell.

"I don't want to leave you, you know that." He pulled her hands away, and gradually shifted onto his knees, their foreheads almost touching, "I love you more than anything else in this world…"

She blinked. This is the first time he ever said that to her. Her shocked expression gradually melted into a soft smiled, full of sorrow. "I love you too, Ryo."

If only… this can last forever…

I don't want to lose you…not yet.

I want more time… I need more time…

"I'm coming with you," she stated abruptly.

Even if I never get the chance come back here… at least I will be able to spend my last few moments with the one person I want to be with.

"What?" He narrowed his eyes.

"I'm coming with you," she repeated, more firmly this time.

"No, you are not." He replied, sitting down at the green patch beside her. "It's too dangerous. I can't let you risk your life like this."

"It's my choice Ryo," she whispered, taking his hand between her own, "I want to be there for you… and to know you're safe."

"I can't fight knowing you could be hurt nearby. I don't have the time to be worried about you in the middle of a battle."

"I can take care of myself," she told him stubbornly, "I might be a priestess, but I'm a darn good one. I can support well enough to keep myself and the party members alive."

"Look, I'm not criticizing your support skills," he explained, squeezing her hand, "It's just that I can't help being worried about you. And… you're naturally distracting." He added as an afterthought, breaking into a small grin. "I remember the first time I met you, I almost-"

She cut him off. "Not almost. You did run into the tree." She smiled. "How can I forget that? Ryoku the best assassin in Midgard, reduced to running into a palm tree."

"Actually… I was hoping you'd forget that part..." He rubbed the back of his head good-naturedly, grinning. "I couldn't help it. You were so beautiful that I couldn't take my eyes off of you."

"Liar," she laughed, "you accidentally got sun block inside your eyes, and crashed into that tree because you couldn't see where you were going."

"Uh… that's… what I meant to say?" he replied innocently, "we had so much fun back then…. Before all this started."

"Before you met me, you mean…" She looked crestfallen.

"No… Kyra, that's not what I meant. You're the best thing that ever happened to me."

She blushed. "But this is my fault. Leika ran away because of me," she stated guiltily.

"That's not true. It was my fault," Ryo sighed, "I never knew she felt that way about me… Trean and I have been best friends for years. I never thought for a split second that his little sister would fall for me of all people."

"I have to admit, you certainly are attractive,"she teased, giving him a small peck on the cheek, "I'm glad I met you. No matter what happens in the future. That won't change. I just wish things turned out differently."

"Me too." He shook his head, as the last trace of light disappeared from the horizon. "Out of all places, she had to go to Glast Heim Castle, where the FallenAngels reign."

Kyra shivered. "I hope she's all right…"

He nodded. She better be, or I don't know how I'm going to live with myself, knowing it was my fault.

"I have to find her, and take her back," he said with determination, "I've know her for years, she's almost like a sister to me."

"I may not know her as well as you do, but she's my friend too." The priestess glanced up at the sky. It was a clear night out. "You can't change my mind about this Ryo. I'm going no matter what."

"I don't want you to get hurt, Kyra." He pulled her into his arms, as she snuggled closer, tucking her head under his chin.

His warmth was comforting, "Fallen Angel is the strongest guild around. If you want to look for Leika inside their territory you need as many priests with you as possible. I can't do much, but support is the one thing I'm good at."

"I trust you with my life, but there's so little we can do when we're up against them," he grimaced, " we have a bad history with them, which means they won't hesitate in killing all of us off if they find us inside their territory."

"Still, if more people come with you, you'll have a better chance to survive." Kyra pointed out, "I don't need your permission for this. I'm sure Trean would love to have me on this trip."

"It doesn't matter what Trean thinks. It's Faya's opinion that matters. She might want you to stay at the castle to help defend against any sudden attacks. You don't have to do what I say, but you need to follow her orders."

She shrugged. "There're so many priests inside the guild. I don't see why she has to keep me here."

"Leika's missing and Dento's coming with us tomorrow. If you come as well, the guild would have only 3 priests left. Three priests aren't enough to support 28 people in a sudden attack."

"It's not like anybody can get past the entrance in the first place." She snorted. "With 5 dependable wizards in the guild, constantly Quagmiring and Storm Gusting, nobody stands a chance."

"Anything can happen in a castle siege. Faya's not the type to leave any room for error." He plainly stated, "Look, this isn't the way I want to spend my last night with you. I don't want to argue. Can't we just enjoy the time we have?"

She smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry for getting carried away. Let's talk about this when we get back to the castle."

Ryo leaned back against the trunk, pulling Kyra with him. She settled against the curve of his shoulder. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, refusing to let go. Their gazes drifted to the blanket of stars overhead.

If only everything can stay this way… forever.