Hongjoong snaked his arm around my waist the moment I reached his side, hand resting comfortably above my hip bone where the cold touch of his fingers seared itself into my skin despite the layer of fabric separating us.

"You are a sight for the whole city," he whispered as he held the eyes of the strangers gazing our way, daring them to keep staring as he noticed me shift my way from one foot to another at the attention.

I stopped as his words settled the air between us, tearing my eyes from the sea of midnight wings to look at him instead. To look at his instead, admiring the way specks of white littered their darkness like the stars visible through the glass dome overhead.

"Yet it is only your eyes I long for," I said, watching how they turned to glass as I spoke.

A voice pierced the air, suddenly and powerfully. Not violent, but with a sense of graceful strength that finally allowed the breath I had been holding to escape my strained lungs as the eyes of the crowd released me from their hold.

The basilica fell silent as everyone turned to Lilith, watching as she stepped onto a dais at the very top of the cross-shaped room.

A flash of starlight skin caught my eye as slender legs ascended the steps of the podium, visible through silk so pure and uncontaminated it could have been woven from the night sky itself. Her dark wings were raised tall and proud behind her as she came to a halt.

"Tonight," Lilith began, pausing for a moment to let her ebony eyes travel across the sea of people gathered before her, "Tonight we are gathered as a family, as one people who will witness the end of an era and stand together in welcoming another."

Her fiery hair posed a stark contrast to her dress which worshipped her lithe body, the fabric complimenting and caressing every cut and curve as it flowed down her figure.

Her face was kind, her expression even more so despite her eminent beauty which was ethereal in a way that was almost cruel. She had the face of an angel, heavenly features sculpted by otherworldly powers.

Hongjoong pulled me closer, and I reveled in the comfort of his touch as she continued.

"Light and darkness," she said, her melodious voice powerful as it traveled across the room, "Since the beginning of time, the two have been perceived as polar opposites. Like good and evil, their influence on the war between the two worlds was crucial to the outcome, and to the sentence we have endured because of it."

Regret settled in the depths of her eyes as she spoke, and my heart became heavy as her next words rang through the air.

"Many of you were born in the darkness as a consequence of the choices I made during the war with Illenium. I valued life over sovereignty, but in doing so I realized, too late, that you would never truly be able to live without the things that were sacrificed instead. For that I am, and will always be, deeply sorry."

Even if the fallout of the battle had been different, if my people had been the ones forced into exile in the world below instead, I knew that my mother would never have stood where Lilith did then. My mother, the true villain of the story, would never have apologized.

"Still, light lives on in even the darkest of places. Even in Odeion which has dwelled in the shadows for centuries, a sleeping paradise surrendered to the night, some light has stayed with us."

She gestured at the grand chandeliers and candelabras along the walls, bathing the basilica in an amber glow as a swift breeze made the flames of the torches by the altar dance, "As beautiful as the darkness is, it would never be complete without the light."

"So tonight we welcome a brighter future. A future led by loyal and dedicated rulers, not to mention generous and kindhearted allies." I felt heat rush to my cheeks as her eyes found mine.

"Tonight," LIlith said, raising her arm as the Lunar Flame materialized in the palm of her hand, "Tonight we reclaim the light."

A wave of deafening silence swept across the room, drowning the hushed voices and whispers that had haunted the crowd seconds before, as all eyes fixed on the onyx, yet I found myself unable to look away as she held my gaze.

Her eyes were the same colour as the stone in her hand. Like nightmares and mysteries and mortality, they were too tempting to let go. They reminded me of the modesty and arrogance that lingered in the shadows of my heart, imperfectly in every sense of the word.

Perfectly ebony black, they were the very opposite of mine like the Lunar Flame was that of the Imperial Gleam. The stone could have been cut from the night itself, a rough and jagged piece of the skies on the other side of the glass dome overhead. It belonged somewhere greater.

Lilith descended the steps of the dais, the sea of people parting before her as she said, "The kindness of an angel has brought us another chance at life. And love, most of all, is what will show us the way as we move forward."

Instinctively, I made a move to glance at Hongjoong, chest aching from the urge to admire him, but just before Lilith reached the altar, she made a turn.

I watched as she came to a halt before Lucifer who stood beside his son. Without hesitation, she offered him the Lunar Flame, the dark stone a stark contrast to her starlight skin.

"You are the First Prince of Hell and Odeion, and my most loyal friend," she said, tenderly, "You, Lucifer, are my light-bringer."

My breath caught as I watched them, and my heart swelled as Seonghwa turned to his father with pride written across his face. Lucifer, speechless, stared at the ruler of Odeion with wide eyes, swallowing thickly before, at last, accepting the stone.

Lilith was by my side in a heartbeat, sighing as she straightened herself and all eyes went to the blond holding the onyx instead. Like his son, Lucifer wore an indigo robe complete with intricate gold details and elaborate needlework revealing the shape of a lion on his back.

Utter silence fell over the crowd as he placed the Lunar Flame atop the pedestal at the heart of the altar.

A second passed, and then another, and another, before the stone began to brighten. A faint glow grew from within the dark onyx, subtle and delicate at first, and then, all at once, a column of blindingly white light exploded from the stone and shot upwards.

The ray of light collided with the crystal orb above it before continuing through the glass dome overhead. Like a spear, it pierced the night skies like the Gleam had done in Illenium, disappearing in the dark clouds which visibly brightened at the impact.

The sight caused a chorus of applause and cheers to resonate through the basilica, flowing from every corner of the building as dark wings fluttered in celebration and glasses were raised.

Lilith leaned slightly towards me, and I found myself mirroring her actions as I turned to her. "And like a morning star, the sun will, at last, rise again," she said, her voice barely more than that of a whisper.

The smile playing at her lips, however, could have drowned out even the loudest of cheers around her, yet it was only for me to see. It was so pure that I couldn't help but return it as I watched a look of pure, uncorrupted relief and joy flicker across her dark eyes.

〄

The ray of light from the Lunar Flame emanated a brilliant glow that bathed the Aubade Basilica in a rich shade of ivory. If it hadn't been for the gilded interior and dark wings of the crowd, the scene before me could have been mistaken for that of Illenium.

I stayed close to Hongjoong as we weaved through the sea of demons, some gathered in smaller groups scattered about the room while others danced across the polished floors, bodies swaying to lively music.

We drifted from one court to another, the people eager to greet their future ruler and his white-winged ally.

A sense of timid curiousness overcame me at every new face I encountered. Names were thrown about and hands offered to me, rewarding my every answer with kind smiles and delighted laughs bubbling from the depths of dark souls.

The end of an era was nearing, and they were looking at me as if I was the one who had saved them from centuries of suffering.

But no matter the appeal of their praise and gratitude, I felt unworthy of their admiration.

Even among demons, I felt like the biggest sinner of them all knowing that, if it hadn't been for the heirs to the Court of Deadly Sins, Hell would have drowned in darkness. Odeion would never have seen the light of day again had it not been for Hongjoong, yet every compliment was directed at me.

The Seven Princes of Hell looked beautiful as always. I had stolen glances at them all night, admiring their chiseled faces and flawless features which, in the light from the Lunar Flame, looked angelic rather than sinful.

Where Seonghwa and his father had worn indigo purple, the rainbow of the underworld was completed by the others; Asmodeus and Wooyoung in cobalt blue, Abadon and Yeosang in azure, Beelzebub and Yunho in viridian, Mammon and Jongho in Amber, Belphegor and Mingi in bronze, and Satan and San in Crimson.

Obsidian fabric clung to Hongjoong and I's bodies, matching the sky above which would often be visited by anticipating and anxious eyes as everyone waited for dawn to break the midnight spell that had been cast on Odeion.

When, at last, the skies overhead began to brighten, Hongjoong's hand was quick to slip from my waist and find my own instead.

My lips had barely parted in a question before he was suddenly moving, quick steps leading us through the masses and towards the entrance which rose tall and proud at the very end of the room.

The crisp evening air hit us all at once as we escaped the basilica and the son of Lilith bounded down the steps to the enormous plaza stretching out before the vast structure we left behind.

"Hongjoong-" I tried, stumbling as I tried to keep up with his increasing speed. He rushed across the neatly arranged stones of the ornate gardens, passing grand sculptures whose blank eyes followed us with no sign of hesitation.

Only when we reached the very end of the plaza did he stop, chest heaving as he turned to me with flushed cheeks and a smile so bright it made my breath catch.

Before us was nothing but endless skies and ocean, stretching out as far as the eye could see. We were all alone by the edge of the cliff, the danger and beauty of it all striking as the twilight skies continued to brighten.

Following his example, I carefully sank to the ground, letting my legs hang over the edge of the cliff. We were above the clouds, hand in hand, and the son of Lilith had never looked more beautiful than he did as he said, "I wanted to share my first sunrise with you."

I saw memories in his eyes, painted across their ebony depths. I remembered the feeling of my hand in his as we ran through the library in Illenium weeks ago, fingers desperately interlocked and chests aching with the pain of knowing that we could never be together.

I remembered Hongjoong's breath which had caught in his throat as his eyes widened at the sight before him as the sunset offered him all of the colours it could muster. And I remembered when I had, at last, given in to my desires and kissed him.

I had given him the sunset, and he had given me the sunrise. I had welcomed the night into my life just as he had done the day. And now, he was the darkness to my light.

"I love you so much that it could kill me, Dahlia," Hongjoong said. My name was merely a whisper as it left his lips and he brushed a thumb across my cheek.

"You hold my heart in your hand. I'm entirely at your mercy, mind, body, and soul. I'm all yours." I watched him with wide eyes as his lips parted. And then the inevitable happened.

In a heartbeat, his lips found mine and I melted fully and completely into him and all of me was his just as he was mine. "I love you too," I whispered against his lips before my breath was stolen once more, "So, so much."

His hand ventured up the length of my arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake as cold fingers grazed the bare skin, easily seeping through the thin silk of my dress as it explored the rest of my body.

It found home at the small of my back and, with the help of the other, he pulled me into his lap, removing any and every inch of distance that had previously kept us apart, lips never leaving mine.

I wanted him closer still. I wanted him on top of me, wanted him under me. I wanted him so much that it terrified me.

Trembling with desire, my back arched as a low sound parted Hongjoong's lips, a primitive combination of yearning and frustration, and his fingers dug into my skin.

Every gulp of air was rushed and ragged with craving, my sight blurry with want. And in that moment, as he held me close, teeth nipping at my lip, I felt as if there was not enough time in the world to satisfy my hunger, not enough air to soothe my aching lungs.

I had to have him. It was a matter of life and death. If I couldn't have him now, it would eat me up inside. I would die.

Hongjoong's hands were restless as they roamed over me, grabbing my hair in his fists, pulling my waist to his, hips shuddering as we moved against each other. Words were not enough, and his mouth taunted me as if to prove that, pulling at my neck.

Wherever his fingers touched me, brushing against the feverishly hot skin, a burning trail would bloom in their wake, even more so as his lips moved daringly down my throat which bobbed as I swallowed thickly.

I shivered as they dove into the dip between my collar bones and pressed a single kiss to my skin. I sighed at every touch, a soft and frail sound that made his eyes grow darker as they found mine once more.

I had fallen beyond that of a sinner, too far from redemption to be salvaged as I scrambled to undo his robe, the midnight fabric pooling around us as my shaky hands found the gilded buttons of his tunic.

The virtues of my old life could no longer reach me.

He mirrored my every movement with desperate determination, and when my dress, at last, slipped past my shoulders as his shirt had done a dizzying moment of silence settled over us as he froze, eyes worshipping every inch of my body which was now laid bare before him.

Hongjoong tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and I felt as if time itself had come to a halt.

"What are you doing?" I asked, out of breath as I watched a sigh part his lips.

"Admiring you," the son of Lilith boldly stated.

"I just needed a moment to catch my breath. You, Dahlia, are the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes upon," he said, and my chest ached with feeling as he spoke, "The fact that you're here right now, in my arms, all mine, is beyond anything I could have ever imagined."

As he leaned closer once more, placing a kiss to the side of my neck he had just exposed, he whispered the most wonderful praises and names in my ear as the sun peeked over the edge of the horizon and an array of colours erupted from every corner of the sky.

Wide brushstrokes of brilliant hues coloured the previously dark canvas as he spoke, and I had never been more in love.

Beloved.

Cherished.

Moonshine.

Heaven sent.

Angel.

My story could have ended there. I could have lived in that moment forever, blessed by the knowledge that the man before me would die for me and I for him, that he held a piece of my very soul in his hands. But alas, it didn't.

Because we would soon find out that those sweet, forbidden fruits in life we had indulged in did, in fact, spoil faster than we could have ever predicted. And I would be the one to blame.