Seonghwa is excited about seeing Yeosang today, he had planned a wonderful day for them. They're supposed to be meeting at the large fountain in his town, just outside of the city. This has become their favorite spot to meet each other. Seonghwa always says how handsome Yeosang looks while standing next to it.

Seonghwa hasn't left yet, busy packing a picnic basket with some food for the two of them today. He's been planning on revealing his feelings for Yeosang today, so he wanted everything to be absolutely perfect. Seonghwa makes Yeosang's favorite, a chicken sandwich, and packs it nicely into the basket. Seonghwa finishes his sandwich and puts it into the basket as well, getting ready to leave for the fountain.

Seonghwa is feeling nervous, his palms sweating as soon as he arrives at their meeting spot. He's not here yet, Seonghwa thinks to himself. Seonghwa takes a deep breath, happy he can try to calm himself down before Yeosang gets to him. Seonghwa has been planning on revealing his true feelings to Yeosang today and it's been worrying him. Yeosang feels that same way, right...?

Yeosang leaves his house, heading for the fountain. To get there, he must pass through the city, which he hates doing because there are always the King's witch hunters stopping people in hopes they'll find witches for the execution that day. It makes him feel uneasy as soon as he steps foot into the city.

Yeosang tries to keep to the outskirts of the city, unknowingly being followed by one of the witch hunters. Yeosang walks with his hood up and looks down, trying not to cause any attention. He gasps when his arm is grabbing, whipping himself around and he sees the witch hunter. Fear fills his entire body, but he tries to be calm.

"What's your name, boy?" The witch hunter asks Yeosang, keeping his hold onto his arm.

"Yeosang," he replies, keeping his eyes away from the hunter's. If he saw them, Yeosang knows he would be caught. This is how all witches are caught. They always give everything away with their eyes and he's not about to fall for their traps.

"Yeosang. Look at me," The hunter tries, not wanting to use force just yet, even though he's already grabbed ahold of Yeosang.

Yeosang shifts, not knowing what to do. He can't stop thinking about Seonghwa. He must get to him... He's going to worry when Yeosang doesn't show up at the fountain on time. Yeosang believes in his ability to get away, his heart pounding faster than ever before.

Yeosang starts to lift his head, feeling the hunter's grip on his arm loosening, so he makes his break for it. He runs as fast as he can away from the hunter, but it's no use. At the other end of the side street he was on, there are more hunters. Yeosang tries to use his magic to pull down a log between him and the hunters, but there are even more on his left and right. He has no chance. Yeosang is taken.

Seonghwa sighs, leaning forward on the fountain to put his hand into the water, swirling it over his reflection. He's late, Seonghwa thinks as he lifts his hand to check his watch. Why is Yeosang late? He's always so early to their meetings due to his stupid always-wrong watch. Seonghwa is usually the late one. He must have gotten caught up on his way here, but it shouldn't be too long... Right?

After a few more minutes and as Seonghwa's uneasiness gets more and more bothersome, he stands up. Something isn't right. Yeosang is never late and he would never be this late even if something had come up. Where is he at?

Seonghwa picks up the basket of food and starts heading towards the city, knowing Yeosang has to go through there to get to the fountain. He should look around there first before heading to Yeosang's town.

Seonghwa gets to the city after a while, seeing a big crowd of people in the square. There must be an execution today. Seonghwa wonders if Yeosang stopped to see it. He quickly shakes his head, thinking Yeosang wouldn't do that. From the way he's talked, it seems like he sympathizes with the witches. Seonghwa couldn't understand why, but after Seonghwa revealed his past, Yeosang hasn't said anything about witches at all to him.

Seonghwa's eyes widen as he gets closer to the square though, seeing Yeosang with two other people – they're all in shackles and handcuffs. The kind that the King implemented to restrain a witch's magic. What is going on...? What is Yeosang doing with those people...? There must be some kind of mistake.

An announcement starts to ring through the square. It's the King. He's announcing that there's going to be an execution in the square today in just a few minutes and for everyone who wishes to witness it to gather around.

Hearing this makes Seonghwa's heart instantly drop, starting to piece everything that Yeosang has said in the past together. "Y-Yeosang..." Seonghwa barely gets the name out of his mouth, starting to run towards where Yeosang is being led to. Seonghwa's eyes begin to uncontrollably water as he runs, dropping the basket. This can't be. This can't be happening. Not to Yeosang. He's not bad...

Seonghwa gets to the giant crowd of people, pushing through everyone as fast as he can, getting thrown around a bit. People are cursing at him as he shoves them, needing to get to the front as fast as he can. He's breathing heavily as he keeps pushing through, trying to keep the tears out of his eyes. He's not going to let these wretched onlookers see him cry, is he?

The King's henchmen are already tying the people, including Yeosang, to the poles. They're all lined up to be burned one by one it seems.

Seonghwa lets out a heavy breath as he finally gets to the front of the crowd, seeing one of the people on the poles already being lit on fire. The guard lighting the tied person is on the opposite side of Yeosang, he being at the other end of the line. He will be last.

Seonghwa can't hold back his screams when he sees Yeosang, his face soaking with sweat and tears, "What are you doing here, Yeosang?!" He screams to him, clawing at the fence keeping the crowd away from the fire, "What is happening?!"

"They're burning these witch motherfuckers," One of the people in the crowd yell at Seonghwa.

Seonghwa ignores the man, not even able to hear him, as he is solely focused on Yeosang.

Yeosang won't look up at Seonghwa, feeling immensely ashamed in himself. Seonghwa knows the truth now, Yeosang thinks. He knows what he is. Seonghwa knows that Yeosang's kind killed his parents. Ruined his life. Yeosang feels too afraid to look at Seonghwa, not wanting to see his disappointed face. He could never love him now. Tears start to pour down Yeosang's face, "W-Why...?" He questions himself, "W-Why did I have to be born like this?" His voice only being audible to himself.

"Yeosang!" Seonghwa cries out, "P-Please look at me..." He begins sweating even more from the fire, the second person in line getting lit up by the guard. Seonghwa hopes his voice is getting through to Yeosang, the entire square being filled by screaming from the witches that are burning.

Yeosang's body is covered in sweat, it soaking through his clothes, and his face is wet with the mix of his tears. He wishes he could just get this all over with. He thought he would be able to have one good thing in his life, but now it's all pissed away. Yeosang tries to close his eyes to block out everything.

Seonghwa pushes at the tall fence thing in front of him, blocking him and the crowd from the fire and the witches, sobbing his eyes out as he screams to Yeosang.

"I-I don't know if you can hear me, but you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Yeosang! You've brought so much joy into my life! I-I know you did nothing wrong. You did nothing to deserve this, m-my love..." Seonghwa screams out through his tears to Yeosang, confessing his love to him, "I've fallen in love with you, Yeosang!" he screams with all of his might, needing him to know his true feelings.

Yeosang lifts his head to look at Seonghwa when he's confessing and it makes his heart pound intensely, his face still wet from sweat and his own tears. Seonghwa loves him...? How could this be? Yeosang feels his body prickling with goosebumps when he hears those words. Those words make him feel alive again when he had already accepted his fate. He begins to struggle against the pole, seeing the henchmen walking over to him. Yeosang begins to scream loudly for Seonghwa.

Seonghwa sees that they're about to light Yeosang up and he can't take it anymore, he tries with all his might to climb the fence holding him back. Guards yell at him to stop, but Seonghwa pushes on. The metal rings are digging into his palms as he climbs the fence. Blood begins to stream down his forearms, but he's almost numb to the pain. He has to get to Yeosang.

Yeosang starts to get lit on fire, it starting at his feet. He lets out a bloodcurdling scream of pain, the feeling of his skin burning up and slowly melting towards the bottom of his body being more than he can handle.

Seonghwa finally gets to the top and falls over the fence, hitting the ground hard, but he gets up, running on pure adrenaline as he stumbles while running to Yeosang. Seonghwa sees the fire started at Yeosang's feet, him too feeling the heat and will likely catch on fire soon as well.

Seonghwa grabs Yeosang's face and cries while looking into his big brown eyes, "P-Please Yeosang... Let's leave... We have to get out of here, my love," he begs, "I-I wanted to spend my life with you, Yeosang... I love you so much, please don't d-die..."

"I love you too, Hwa," Yeosang confesses to Seonghwa through all the pain, the fire rising, but they're holding each other, unable to register anything in the background. They only see and hear each other.

Seonghwa kisses Yeosang through his pain, "D-Don't go..." Seonghwa begs, trying to untie him, "Fuck!" he yells, unable to get the ropes undone.

"Seonghwa..." Yeosang starts, his voice quieting down, "Please get out of here... You must live on... Please,"

Seonghwa shakes his head, still sobbing as he refuses to leave Yeosang's side. He's hysterical, not even realizing that he has also caught on fire, it spreading to his pants.

"I-I want you to live the happiest life you possibly can... I want you to grow old with no regrets... Please don't stay here, Hwa. I-I can't take away your life from you like this," Yeosang cries, using all of his strength to hold onto Seonghwa's face, staring deeply into his eyes. Yeosang can almost feel his heart breaking, the fire rising higher and higher.

With the fire rising and Seonghwa's skin beginning to burn and melt on his legs and parts of his arms, he continues to say no, "I can't leave you..." Seonghwa can't leave the love of his life...

The King yells for one of his guards to get Seonghwa out of there, not wanting to let the town see a common person die like this among the witches. It would be bad for his reputation. People are already scared from it. After the order, a large burly guard goes in, having to pry Seonghwa away from Yeosang. Seonghwa is screaming, crying and kicking like a child, not wanting to leave Yeosang's side.

Yeosang watches his love be pulled away from him, trying to show Seonghwa a happy smile for his last memory of him. Yeosang's vision begins to blur as the fire envelops his whole body. He tries to close his eyes, biting his lip to withhold from screaming from pain, wanting his last moments to be remembering his time he was able to spend with the love of his life. His whole time he spent with Seonghwa flashing before his eyes.

After a few moments, Yeosang went silent.

The guard hears the silence, so he drops Seonghwa's body when they're far enough away. Seonghwa falls to the ground like a rag doll, unable to move as he cries hysterically. He can't feel anything anymore, his body feeling like it's going to shut down until everything goes black.

The next time Seonghwa wakes, he's in a hospital bed and San is there sitting in a chair beside his bed.

"How are you feeling? The nurse said you had passed out," San asks Seonghwa, but Seonghwa remains silent, just shaking his head. He doesn't know what he's feeling. In fact, he doesn't feel anything at all.

Seonghwa turns on his side, away from his friend. He can't talk to anyone right now. His mind is empty. His heart is empty. He is empty.

Hours pass and Seonghwa is still laying in the hospital like an empty shell of what he once was. Will he ever feel better? Seonghwa is left in the dark of the hospital, night seeming like it came in the blink of an eye. Seonghwa's mind eventually starts up, being alone with his thoughts. The most horrifying thing that could happen to him, as he soon found out. He broke down. He's curled up in the fetal position while he wails, crying hard as he can't help but scream over his thoughts and memories of him.

All he can see is the orangey-yellow blaze of fire and his love's face.

Yeosang...

The next morning eventually comes, Seonghwa unsure if he ever actually fell asleep or if he's really just that numb. San opens the door of the hospital room, seeing Seonghwa still curled up.

"Hey, Seonghwa," San says in a calming voice, understanding what Seonghwa is going through. He's seen it before. San can't help but feel bad for Seonghwa... He's been through so much in his life and was finally talking to San about wanting to settle down with Yeosang and was telling him about his plans for that day when it happened.

Seonghwa just hums, still not able to get any words out of his mouth. His eyes look clouded and his hair is disheveled, his black locks going in all sorts of directions.

San comes over and takes his bag off, sitting on Seonghwa's bed and putting the bag beside him, "I... I don't know if this will make you feel better or worse, but I stopped by your house this morning and thought you would like to have this... I know how much you would always read it when you first came to our house," San says as he pulls out a children's book. The same one that Yeosang had asked Seonghwa about, the one with the message from Seonghwa's mother in it.

Seonghwa's eyes widen as he sees the book San pulls out and tears immediately begin to well up in his eyes at the sight, "M-Mom..." Seonghwa says in a whisper, taking the book and opening it to her message. Reading the message reminds him of how much love his parents had given him while they were still here. It makes him think about how much Yeosang loved him. How much Yeosang loves him. He can still feel his presence around him. He can feel all of their presences around him. Seonghwa knows that they wouldn't want him to be feeling like this. They would just want him to be happy.

San shakily scoots up to Seonghwa, taking him into an embrace, "I'll always be here for you, Seonghwa... Through it all. We're best friends, after all," San says softly, hoping that he's able to comfort Seonghwa in some way.

Seonghwa lets himself relax into San's arms, them being a commonplace he can remember him being in in the past. Seonghwa's mind begins to uncloud itself as he remembers the memories he had with Yeosang, not letting them make him sad like he has been.

Yeosang is still here with him.

He will always be there with him, in his heart.

End of Chapter Seven - FINALE