Prologue: The Sinner

A woman was seen running barefoot at a quick pace, passing numerous trees in the forest. She did not care that several sharp plants had scraped her skin. Her blood dripped little by little, leaving a long trail in the damp soil.

Her long silver hair swayed right and left as she increased her peace. Her eyes darted around the corner, feeling extremely afraid that someone would find her in her current situation, which was beyond the word of mess.

"I'm wrong. Please forgive me." She mumbled as she ran.

Her chest rose and fell, following her fast activity to support her breathing. She looked over her shoulder, and there she saw him still standing in the same place with hurt in his eyes. It was so palpable that she could feel it piercing her flesh and breaking her bones.

She hardened her heart and continued to tear their distance as far as she could. She could not give in, and she should not.

Tears streamed down her face as the expansive view of a river entered her vision. In just a few steps, she would drown herself to clean her tainted soul. She could hear her heart palpating against her rib cage so hard that she was sure he could listen to it.

She halted right in front of the soul river, watching the calm water calling her to purify herself. She gulped and took a last glance at her back, and her breath hitched as he made his way toward her.

"No," she whispered, but she did not know if it was for him or herself.

"Don't, Nevea."

Nevea loved it when her name came from his mouth. His voice was a drug to her, making her drunk and losing herself in the melodious of it. But right now, that voice scared her to the core because the effect it had on her was beyond her control.

She shook her head and jumped into the river without a second thought because if she did, she knew she wouldn't be able to do that anymore.

"No!" The man's voice roared in the forest, making the leaf in the tree shake, and several magical animals ran in fear.

Nevea could hear his pained voice, but then it was swallowed by the water as it entered her body, dominating her sense. Finally, she closed her eyes, letting her body absorb all the essence from the water to purify herself.

Second, passed to minutes, and a panic streaked into her system. Nothing happened to her; she could not feel anything flow in her body as though the river had rejected her.

Nevea's body started to float on the surface with a gleam of dark light around her body. Her heart shattered to pieces when she realized that, unlike in the past, there was nothing she could do to get her pure form.

She did not stand up and let her tears flow down to join the water. She had lost hope. Nothing could mend the sin she had made.

"Don't cry, my love." The man said, his tone layered with hopelessness.

A pair of horns entered her vision, followed by the golden eyes that were staring through her soul. His beautiful orb was filled with so much sadness like her own.

"Zach…." She whispered in a hushed tone. Her tears had not stopped; they flew uncontrollably.

The man named Zach scrunched down and took her in his arms. He circled his arm into her petite body, feeling her shaking under him. He stroked her wet silver hair so tenderly as if he feared his rough movement could pluck a single strain of her hair.

"I did not forget you," Nevea closed her eyes, inhaling his scent to calm her franticly beating heart.

"You did not forget me," Zach said with relief that was so evident in his voice. For the first time, the love of his life did not forget her feelings for him after she went into the river.

He broke the hug and took her face in between his palms. Zach leaned in and kissed her temple, down to her eyes and cheeks, and ended up on her plum lips. He kissed her gently even though nothing in him could be categorized as gentle.

Nevea would not lie that even now, she was still scared, yet she abandoned those feelings and let herself follow her true heart. She put her arms around his neck, wanting to feel him closer and deeper until they felt like one. Then she could feel his hand creep to her waist and his chest pressed against hers.

Zach could taste the salt on her lips and the sweet taste only she could have. Their kiss grew to the hungry one as he trailed his fingers at the front of her body, right under her bosom, and Nevea's skin prickled at the touch.

"Zach—" She let out a breathy word.

The moment Nevea parted her lips, he let his wet tongue in and dominated her warm mouth, and Zach basked in the surge of pleasure in his vein. If what they did was sin like Nevea and her kin claimed, then why did it taste like heaven? And how could being a sinner only bring him a feeling of contentment?

Nevea pushed his chiseled chest, making him stop. Her deep blue eyes locked with his golden ones. The love and lust were dancing happily in their orbs, celebrating the unity of their feelings.

Nevea placed a hand upon his cheek, her thumb grazing his mouth, feeling the softness of it on her skin. She put a chaste kiss on his, then said, "I love you, Zach."

Zach wiped the tears that started to flow on her cheeks again. Then he touched her pointed ears, and she leaned in on his touch, "You are my heart, love." He whispered against her lips.

"This is not going to work, Zach—"

"I will protect you. It's okay. I am more than capable of doing that."

Nevea's head repeatedly shook, her chest starting to hurt again just with the thought of their doomed future. "You don't understand. You will die. I don't want you to die."

"You underestimated my power, love." He kissed her neck as he said that, leaving his mark on her body.

"No—"

Before Nevea could finish her words, the sound of thunder and light emitted through the dark sky, and Zach's body was thrown by strong force until his back hit the hills. Nevea's eyes grew wider, and she covered her mouth with her palms.

"Ugh—" Zach winced in pain as he felt paralyzed by the power.

As if his pain was not enough, numerous arrows flew in his direction, hitting his body one by one until his scream of agony filled the entire forest.

Nevea left the river and crawled to get to the side of the hills as she had lost too much energy.

"No, please, no." Nevea bowed down, hitting her temple on the solid soil. "Please let him go. It's my fault. I am the sinner, not him. Please, please."

Her plea was drowned in silence. No one cared about her desperation; they were focused on striking an attack on Zach. She could not bear to see him being caged again. She would rather die than let him lose his life, which was precious to him and her.

Nevea shifted her eyes to see blood drop from Zach's mouth, but the man still gave her his smile. The one she fell in love with.

"Now!"

Nevea's eyes immediately noticed someone shoot an arrow with a glowing light in Zach's direction. Then, with the help of her little wings, she moved as fast as she could without even thinking.

It was a miracle that she could use her wings despite her power decreasing with each second that passed. She stopped right before Zach and played her part as his shield.

"Nevea, no!"

The arrow instantly penetrated her body, giving her a tremendous kind of torture. Then Nevea's body dropped into the river. Slowly, Nevea felt her wings being plucked from her back with robust power.

"You are not worthy of your wings," an old man's voice echoed in her ears with venom in each of his words. "You and your demon will be punished for the sin both of you commit."

After the old man said that, she could not hear anything. As if everything around her went still. Nevea lifted her hands like she was trying to reach something, but she could only grasp the air.

"Zach, Zach, Zach…." She called for him in despair, like she was chanting a prayer for him to come to her. She felt the pain intensity in her body, and she knew in no time that she could never see Zach again.

"Nevea…." Zach made her way to the river with the remains of his power left. He closed his eyes, trying to muster his strength back to get into her. It did not work the first time, but he kept trying until he finally could get his hand on her cold body.

"Zach, Zach…." she called desperately. She wanted to feel him just once. She needed to know that he was alive.

Suddenly, a warm hand clasped hers. She did not know if it was an illusion near death, but she could feel his warmth fill her body.

"I failed you, Nevea."

Zach's tears fell onto Nevea's cheek, and she tried to wipe the tears from Zach's eyes, but her vision had failed her. It was so dark; she could not see anything.

She started to lose her sense one by one, which only meant her death was near. Finally, she gulped hard and tried to speak, "Hug me, Zach. Please."

Zach complied. He hugged her tightly while trying to give back the essence of life she had given her before, but it did not work. Her body kept getting colder and colder, and he could also feel his heart going to be frozen.

A blue light suddenly surrounded their bodies, giving the impression that something magical had happened when it was because Nevea had started to evaporate from his grasp.

The blue light shone brightly in the night as Zach could no longer feel Nevea's body on his arm anymore. He broke down, crying like a madman.

Zach screamed and roared. He wanted to burn everyone who had taken his only source of love and peace. He wanted to tear them apart and watch them burn into flames.

"Nevea, my love." He tried to catch the blue light but to no avail. He had lost her entirely. He would never be able to witness her blue eyes shining in excitement, her crisp laugh, and her warmth again.

What was the point of him living in this cursed realm without her? He was nothing without her.

The power left Zach's body, and he let the water eat his whole body. He did not care whether he would die or be alive.

"My Nevea, my love." He muttered those words multiple times as his consciousness faded to black. In his heart, he prayed to meet her again, even though he never believed there was someone powerful enough to grant his wish.

"Let's meet again, my love."

And Zach was utterly lost to the pain.