"Kirin." Kirin heard an awfully familiar voice.

"What do you want?" He replied, annoyed. He looked back, over his shoulder, and found his little brother, who once bothered him with threats to no end. "What?" He asked again, wondering why Keon is staring at him so intensely.

"I won" t be easy on you." Keon declared, with a confident smirk.

Without waiting for Kirin to even call his aura, Keon attacked him. Like usual. And then, when their swords clashed, Keon smiled, much to his surprise. "What is wrong with you?" Kirin asked.

Keon chuckled, stepping back. "Celestia… I really want to see it, you know." He said, eyes sparkling.

"What"s with you all of a sudden?" He asked. But Keon just smiled.

"Thank you, Kirin… My big brother." Kirin never thought he"d hear those words from Keon"s lips. He was taken aback, a strange feeling overwhelmed him. Then, Keon stepped further back, and he looked away. Keon"s eyes fixed at something far, far away, with a peaceful smile on his face. "Tell Alaric that I"m glad to have met him."

"Hey, what are you saying!?" Kirin exclaimed, feeling his heart race. He demanded for an answer. "Keon!"

"And to Freyja. Tell her thank you, and that I"m sorry."

Finally, Keon turned to Kirin once again, and he chuckled. "And of course, to you, Kirin."

"Wait! Keon!" As Keon started drifting away, Kirin chased after him. "Wait! Stop!"

But Keon didn"t stop. He continued drifting away, disappearing from his sight.

~ o 0 o ~

"Freyja hasn"t eaten anything." Alaric blocked Kirin"s way, who"s about to go out of the room.

It has only been four days since they"ve fled the phreinian headquarters, and sought shelter in the nearest village. Kirin just woke up a day ago from a coma. And Freyja, she hasn"t been eating properly ever since Alyon rescued her from the collapsed headquarters.

When Freyja lost consciousness amid the collapsing phreinian fortress, she was lucky that Afra had just enough strength to make a shield around her, and keep her from harm. Because Freyja did not follow Alyon and Alaric as she promised, Alyon returned to the fortress. That"s when he discovered the unconscious Freyja, holding onto Keon.

As soon as Freyja woke up, and found herself in the village, she, Alaric and Alyon burned Keon"s corpse, and scattered the ashes to a cliff. Freyja did not stop crying, watching the winds take him far, far away. She knew how much of a free bird Keon was. She knew that he wouldn"t want to be buried in one place, under the ground. He deserves to be free. Even so, Freyja built a stone grave herself, just near the cliff where they scattered his remains.

For days, she sat in front of it. Not eating, not drinking, saying nothing, doing nothing. Not Alyon, not Alaric, not even the then unconscious Kirin could take her away from the spot. Her body was in pain, after the recoil from using her aura, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.

Alaric wanted Kirin to convince Freyja to eat, but Kirin won"t even do anything. "Of course it hurts!" Alaric shouted, tears on his sapphire eyes. "Of course we are all mourning! But does she really intend to starve herself to death! Just what the h.e.l.l is she thinking!?"

"…Its your fault for dying Keon. You are so stupid!" Alaric crouched, trembling, not even holding back his tears. Kirin remained silent, as Alaric continued crying. "Say something Kirin! What are we supposed to do now!?" Alaric stood up, grabbed Kirin by the collar, but Kirin only looked down.

"Sorry." Alaric looked down, letting go of Kirin. "Keon is your brother, but still he…"

"I don"t know Keon long enough but at least I could say that you mustn"t ruin what he did. That man did something that even I, the prince of Phrein couldn"t do, nor celestials for that matter. If it wasn"t for him, we could have all been dead right now, and I"m sure he knows about that." Alyon interrupted. "I don"t understand humans. But I do understand that we owe our lives to him. So, it"s pointless hurting yourselves. Thank him, instead." Alyon turned his back and walked away.

Still without a word, Kirin walked outside of the room, and out of the inn.

~ o 0 o ~

Keon was eleven when Freyja first met him. The memory was so vivid, as if it was just yesterday. Freyja was attacked by a giant boar while gathering herbs in the woods, and Keon killed it. Keon was injured that time, and was being chased by people, calling him a monster. When Freyja first saw him, he reminded her so much of Kirin. Well, that"s because they are brothers.

Keon was very p.r.i.c.kly, and he hates Kirin a lot. But, Freyja and him became friends in no time. They were close in age, they sparred with each other, they laughed and they even cried together.

When Freyja and Kirin were captured by the Aethelmaers, Keon betrayed his father, and helped them escape. Then, he jumped off a cliff when he thought Freyja was dead. And he returned! As a pirate, no less!

Freyja smiled, recalling every single memory they shared.

Keon travelled with pirates, even became their leader. And when they met again, he was still the same old Keon she knew even though he grew so tall. He was cold and p.r.i.c.kly outside, but in truth, he"s very sensitive. Whenever she"d feel insecure, disheartened, especially about being beside Kirin, Keon would always back her up. He was always there.

And even though Freyja knows how Keon always competes with his brother, he never said anything bad about him in front of Freyja. Never.

"I wonder… what would happen if you met me before Kirin?"

Freyja took a deep breath, tears streamed down her face again. "I"m sorry. I pretended to be oblivious, but Keon, how can I NOT know? How can I NOT understand what you are trying to say? That night, in the blizzard, I was awake. I was just so afraid to react." She confessed, in a soft, soft whisper. "Because I am selfish. I love Kirin, and we both know it. But I didn"t want to lose you. I didn"t want to make things awkward. If that"s what will keep you beside me forever, I"ll pretend I didn"t know anything." She continued, the guilt shaking her entire being. "Are you punishing me? I know, I"m horrible. I"m so sorry."

Freyja wiped her tears off, but they just kept coming. "Come on, feel free to hit me… I ended up hurting you the most, I"m sorry. Are you laughing right now? Are you mad? I am afraid of ghosts, you can scare me, if you like. Haunt me like h.e.l.l." She said, laughing. "Please… I"m begging you."

Freyja stopped talking to herself, as soon as she felt a presence behind her. She looked back, finding the silver-haired young man standing behind her.

"Kirin? Are you okay?" She asked, not even bothering to wipe her tears off.

"Not bad." Kirin replied, walking towards her with a straight face.

Freyja fell silent, her eyes back on the stone grave. Then, she heard Kirin speak in a soft, gentle, voice.

"Sorry, big brother couldn"t protect you."

Freyja looked up to Kirin, tears gushing out of his emerald eyes. "Thank you for saving us, Keon." Kirin said, with a smile. "In our next life, I"ll be a better brother." He promised.

With that, Kirin turned his back and walked away. But he stopped for a while. "Freyja," he called.

"Yes?"

"I had a dream. I dreamt about Keon. And he asked me to pa.s.s a message to you." Kirin said, earning her ears in an instant.

"Keon said thank you. And I"m pretty sure he"d be worried if you don"t eat." With that, Kirin left the girl by herself, who started bawling her eyes out again.

~ o 0 o ~