Present 

Gayo laughs. His laugh echos inside the cellar. "There is no love powerful enough to resist my words, stupid human." He states resolutely. Meanwhile, Wangji keeps holding Xian in his arms.

"What the hell are you doing just sitting there? He is dead." Gayo says irritatedly, before he hears XiChen whisper, "No...please..."

Gayo, who had forgotten about Shin, now goes to her. Her body remains unmoving. 

"What is wrong with her?" He asks, observing the blue vein-like marks forming on her body.

"She is dying." Someone answers from behind him. He turns around to find Xian standing next to Wangji; he looks perfectly fine.

The sight leaves Gayo speechless. For the first time since his creation, Gayo feels uncertain about his abilities. He looks at Shin, and right in front of him, his sister turns to dust.

"Impossible!" Gayo mutters, not believing his eyes. He looks at XiChen, who is sitting next to Shin's ashes, and his need for survival kicks in. He looks at Wangji, and it strikes fear in his heart for some unknown reason.

"XiChen, snap out of it. She is gone. Kill them."

XiChen finally looks up. He cups Gayo's face in his hands, "When a jade is born from a lotus, in the womb of clouds."

Gayo's brows knit together; XiChen continues, "Thrice died; twice part alive; will rise the fourth time in his mother's home;"

Gayo moves away from XiChen, "Why are you repeating the prophecy? Wait. How do you know the prophecy!?"

XiChen picks up the shell locket, "And a Vermillion wolf prince with the blood of night, come together,"

Gayo' eyes widen, and he starts shaking his head, all the while looking at XiChen questioningly. 

XiChen stands and walks to Xian. Gayo's eyes widen, "XiChen, come back to me, my boy." He urges. 

XiChen looks at Gayo and delivers the last line of the prophecy, "two jades, will end the curse; one of flesh and one of stone; on the first day of the nineteenth year."

Gayo laughs like a maniac and shakes his head. Then his face darkens, "XiChen, you know that I had every Jade killed, every single one, except you."

XiChen smiles. It's heartbreakingly sad, "Yes, you did. That was the first time a Jade born from a lotus, died."

Gayo looks at XiChen questioningly; XiChen shakes his head, "I guess I owe you an explanation. After all, you did spare my life."

Gayo's brows knit together, "XiChen, we love each other!"

XiChen ignores him, "Did you think that I was the only one born from a lotus in the womb of a cloud?" XiChen pats his chest and continues, "You were overconfident, master."

He looks at Xian, "Do you know which bloodline the man standing here comes from?" XiChen pauses, "Of course, you don't. He comes from Bai bloodline."

"Bai...." Gayo mutters and adds, "That is not possible, I can't smell it in his blood.

"Of course, you can't. I made sure of it when I made Xian drink the wine at the party." XiChen explains.

"Bai... " Gayo mutters again, and XiChen continues, "Yes, master, Bai... Cloud. Do you know that he has a mark on his chest, just like mine: A white lotus."

Gayo's eyes widen.

"The day you marked me and cursed me into this immortal existence, taking away my family and freedom, I have hated you. You didn't even spare your sister, all because she was in love with me. You corrupted her mind, and made her into someone she hated the most." XiChen points at Shin. "I had asked you to leave her alone, but you did not even grant me that. You took away her purity to satisfy your ego. Did you think I didn't know that it was your blood that controlled her every move? It was your words and persuasion that turned her into a..." XiChen doesn't complete his sentence. He can't bring himself to do it.

"XiChen.... " Gayo tries to step closer, but XiChen moves back. "You thought I was the one that the prophecy spoke of, but you were wrong. Xian, my younger brother, was the one the prophecy spoke of. Your soldiers killed him before I could save him. That was the first time; the first time he died."

XiChen pauses before continuing, "Then four hundred years ago, Xian took rebirth, I was unaware. When I came to know, I rushed to protect him, but once again, I was too late. But, it brought me closer to understanding the prophecy. For it was the second time he had died, but he didn't truly die. A part of him was bound to this man." XiChen points at Wangji. "I decided that I will protect the Xiao and Bai line. I knew that you had come to know of their existence and were hunting them. You killed so many innocent people to get your hands on them; to make yourself more powerful. Master, drinking their blood doesn't have the power to make you stronger."

XiChen looks at Wangji. His eyes soften, "I am sorry I couldn't protect your Xian. But that was fate too."

Wangji looks at XiChen questioningly.

"Xiaohui," XiChen answers with unshed tears in his eyes.

Wangji's eyes widen; XiChen looks at Gayo once again, "That was the third time Xian died without dying."

Gayo gasps, and XiChen continues, looking at Wangji, "This man, do you know who this is, master?"

Gayo stares at Wangji.

"He is a born wolf of Zhu line and the crown prince of Wang Kingdom."

"Zhu...Prince... " Gayo mutters.

"Yes, master, Zhu...Vermilion. He is a vermilion Wolf prince, who is part night creature."

"No, he is a night creature. I can't smell wolf on him!" Gayo argues.

"Of course, you can't, master, I made sure of that when I shot him the day he turned, and I brought Shin back from Wang Kingdom."

"He is the prince Shin wanted to marry!...and Shen... "

"Shen, is indeed his uncle. Zhu Shen, the prince of the Zhu tribe."

XiChen puts his hand out, and Xian hands over the Jade knife to him. 

"And this, master," XiChen lifts the jade dagger and shows it to Gayo, "It is the jade dagger that can kill you. And today is the first day of Xian's nineteenth year."

Gayo contemplates what XiChen had just told him and suddenly laughs, "So, this boy is your brother! That's so poetic. But XiChen, my love, if you kill me, you will die too; the curse binds us."

Xian's eyes widen. Nothing about this was written in his ancestral books, "What!?"

XiChen stays calm, "I don't care, I just want you dead. To end your existence has always been my only wish." XiChen smiles, and anger flashes across Gayo's face, "Is that so. Well, in that case, there is still one thing you missed."

"Mn?" XiChen stops smiling.

"You never heard the complete prophecy. You never heard the last line."

XiChen's face falls.

"I will tell you the complete prophecy: the reason I am invincible." Gayo smiles and starts reciting the prophecy in a sing-song voice. "When a jade is born from a lotus, in the womb of cloud; thrice died; twice part alive; will rise the fourth time in his mother's home; and a Vermillion wolf prince with the blood of night, come together; two jades, will end the curse; one of flesh and one of stone; on the first day of the nineteenth year; the time after, dawn marks dusk."

Doubt crosses XiChen's face, and Gayo smirks, "My boy, the last line makes no sense. I have searched and read a lot about time. Dusk and dawn can never exist at the same time. Then how can dawn mark dusk? Ha!"

XiChen's confidence falters. He stands in front of Wangji and Xian, shielding them. "I will stall him. Take Zhau. Protect each other. Go!"

Xian comes forward and shakes his head, "Is it true that you will die if he does."

XiChen nods, "Yes, we are bound."

"Brother, is there no other way?" Xian questions; XiChen shakes off Xian's hand, "Don't waste time. Go!" He yells.

Gayo laughs, "Where will you run? He has had my blood. I will always be able to find him." Gayo says, pointing at Wangji before his eyes turn red, and he pounces on Xian.

He is about to bite Xian's throat, when two things happen simultaneously: Wangji pulls Xian towards himself and reverse their positions, and XiChen, who is already holding the Jade knife, plunges it in Gayo's heart before Gayo can hurt anyone else.

Gayo screams; he removes the dagger from his chest and throws it away. XiChen winces and collapses on the floor. Xian runs to him and holds him in his arms. "No... What did you do!?"

"Stupid boy, I loved you, and you tried to hurt me!? Nothing can hurt me until the prophecy comes true." Gayo tries to smile, but the pain in his chest makes it impossible for him to do so. He looks at his bleeding chest. He realizes that it's not healing, "What is happening?" Gayo wonders. 

"But the prophecy did come true." Wangji states; both XiChen and Gayo look at Wangji like he has lost his mind.

Wangji takes a deep breath and crouches next to Xian. "Like everything else in the prophecy, dusk and dawn are names too, like Bai is cloud and Zhu is Vermilion. Dusk and dawn are not referring to the time at all."

Gayo's eyes widen; Wangji continues, "Think about it, Gayo, the prophecy is all about Xian and me. So how could the last line not be about us as well?"

Gayo's body starts to tremble; he coughs up blood.

"Gayo, I am Xian's Dawn, and he is my Dusk. That is how it's been for four hundred years. And just now, when I bit him, I marked him. Dawn marked Dusk, completing the prophecy."

Gayo laughs again and coughs up more blood. XiChen winces, his body starts to tremble as well. A second later, he too coughs up blood.

"XiChen, I am sorry, but you are the only one that is going to die today!" Gayo says, a wicked smile transforming his whole face.

'Why does he look like he has won!?' Xian wonders as Gayo takes out a small bottle filled with clear liquid and gulps its contents in one go.

A second later, Wangji falls to the floor, holding his stomach, he lets out a blood-curdling scream and starts coughing up blood.

"Jun!" Xian shifts his attention to Wangji and supports his back; Wangji continues to cough up blood.

Gayo smiles as his wounds start to close.

The cellar starts to vibrate as a blue glow starts radiating from Xian's chest, "What did you do to my Jun?" Xian growls.

{Note:- Word count 1787

Please Vote to show your support for this update if you have enjoyed it. 

Thank you for reading. 

 Have a nice day.}