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The valley of Eternal Spring had never known a more beautiful omega than Sim Jaeyun. His beauty was so striking that travelers from distant lands would journey for weeks just to catch a glimpse of him in the marketplace. They would whisper among themselves that even the moon goddess must envy his luminous skin, and that the stars themselves grew dim when he smiled.
Jaeyun stood in the garden behind his family's manor, his fingers trailing through the petals of white roses that climbed the stone walls. The morning sun caught the highlights in his dark hair, and he sighed. He was twenty-one years old, and while his two older brothers had both found their fated mates years ago, Jaeyun remained unmated, unbonded, untouched by the invisible threads that were supposed to pull omega and alpha together.
"They say I am too beautiful," Jaeyun murmured to the roses. "That alphas are afraid to approach me, thinking themselves unworthy."
It was a cruel irony. His beauty had become a cage. Alphas would stare, would approach with trembling hands and stuttering words, but they would always retreat. Some claimed they felt unworthy of his presence. Others said that to bond with him would be like trying to cage the moon itself.
His mother had grown worried. In their world, omegas who did not bond by their twenty-second year often faced a life of loneliness. She had consulted the Oracle of the Crystal Lake, an ancient alpha whose gift of foresight was legendary throughout the realm.
Jaeyun did not know what the Oracle had told his mother. He only knew that three days ago, his mother had returned from the pilgrimage with tears streaming down her face and would not speak of what she had learned.
Now his mother called him inside.
The manor's sitting room was heavy with tension. His father sat in his usual chair. His mother stood by the window, her hands clasped tightly. Both his brothers were there too.
"Jaeyun," his mother began. "The Oracle has spoken."
Jaeyun felt his heart constrict. "What did she say?"
His father stood and placed a hand on Jaeyun's shoulder. "She says that you are destined for an alpha, but not one of this world. Not one who walks in daylight among ordinary people."
"I do not understand," Jaeyun whispered.
"The Oracle says you must be taken to the Mountain of Shadows," his mother continued, tears flowing freely. "There, at the peak, you must be left alone. An alpha will come for you, one who cannot be seen, one who moves in darkness and shadow. This alpha will be your mate."
"A monster," Sunghoon said bitterly.
"The Oracle said this alpha is powerful beyond measure," his father added. "That this being can command the very elements, that no weapon can harm it, that it has never been seen in true form by any living soul."
Jaeyun felt the ground tilt beneath him. "And if I refuse?"
His mother's sob was answer enough, but his father spoke the words anyway. "Then our family will be cursed. Our lands will wither. Our bloodline will end. The Oracle was clear. This is the price of your beauty, the destiny written in the stars before you were born."
The next three days passed in a blur. Jaeyun's mother packed his finest clothes, as if dressing him for a wedding rather than a sacrifice. She wove flowers into his hair with shaking hands. His brothers offered to fight, to flee, to do anything but deliver their youngest sibling to this unknown fate, but Jaeyun refused.
"If this is meant to be," he said quietly, "then perhaps this alpha is truly my fated mate."
He did not believe his own words, but he spoke them anyway, for the sake of his family.
The journey to the Mountain of Shadows took two days. The mountain rose from the earth like a jagged tooth, its peak perpetually shrouded in mist and darkness. No trees grew on its slopes. No birds sang in its heights.
At the base of the mountain, Jaeyun's family said their goodbyes. His mother clung to him, her tears soaking into his white ceremonial robes. His father embraced him with fierce desperation. His brothers looked away, unable to watch.
"I will be well," Jaeyun told them, though he did not know if it was true.
The climb was lonely and cold. The path wound upward through gray stone and darker shadows. Jaeyun walked slowly, his heart beating steadily despite his fear.
The peak of the mountain was a flat expanse of smooth stone, surrounded by swirling mist. In the center stood a pavilion of white marble, impossibly delicate and beautiful in this desolate place. Inside was a bed covered in silk sheets the color of midnight, and a table laden with food and wine.
Jaeyun stepped inside, his hands trembling. He was alone. Completely alone.
He sat on the edge of the bed and waited.
Hours passed. The sun must have set, because the darkness deepened. Jaeyun's stomach clenched with anxiety, but also with something else. A strange anticipation. His omega instincts were stirring.
Then he felt it.
A presence. Not threatening, but vast. Powerful. The air itself seemed to vibrate with alpha pheromones unlike anything Jaeyun had ever experienced. They were rich and complex, with notes of rain on stone, of midnight forests, of something ancient and wild. Jaeyun's body responded instantly, his scent glands releasing his own omega pheromones in response.
"Do not be afraid." The voice came from everywhere and nowhere, deep and smooth. "I will not harm you."
Jaeyun stood, his eyes searching the darkness. "Show yourself."
"I cannot. Not yet. But I am here, omega. I have waited for you."
"The Oracle said I was meant for you," Jaeyun said. "That you would be my mate."
"Yes. You are mine, as I am yours. But there are conditions to our bond."
"What conditions?"
"You must never see my face. Never seek to know my true form. I will come to you only in darkness, and you must trust me without sight. If you can do this, if you can accept me unseen, then I will give you everything. A home beyond imagining. Comfort and care. My devotion and my bond. But the moment you look upon me, the moment you bring light to see my face, our bond will shatter, and I will be lost to you forever."
Jaeyun's mind raced. To bond with an alpha he could never see, to accept a mate who existed only in shadow and voice. It was madness. And yet, those pheromones called to something deep in his omega nature.
"Why?" Jaeyun asked. "Why can I not see you?"
"Because I am cursed. Cursed by my own actions, by pride and arrogance. I can take no true form in the light. Only in darkness can I exist as I truly am. Only in darkness can I touch you, hold you, love you as a mate should."
Jaeyun closed his eyes, thinking. If he refused, the curse would fall upon his family. If he accepted, he would live with an alpha he could never fully know.
But something in that voice, in those pheromones, in the very air around him, felt right. It felt like coming home.
"I accept," Jaeyun whispered. "I will be your mate, unseen alpha. I will trust in darkness."
The relief that flooded the space was palpable. "Then come to bed, omega. Let me show you that I am real, even if you cannot see me."
Jaeyun felt hands, warm and gentle, take his own. He could not see them, but he felt them, solid and strong. They guided him to the bed, helped him lie down on those silk sheets. He felt the mattress dip as the unseen alpha joined him.
"I am Heeseung," the voice murmured close to his ear. "And I will cherish you, Jaeyun. Every day of our lives, I will cherish you."
Hands cupped Jaeyun's face in the darkness, and then lips, soft and warm, pressed against his own. The kiss was gentle at first, questioning, and then deeper as Jaeyun responded. He felt the solid weight of Heeseung's body above him, felt the strength in those invisible arms as they held him close.
The bonding that followed was unlike anything Jaeyun had imagined. Without sight, every other sense was heightened. He felt every touch with electric clarity, heard every whisper and sigh, breathed in those intoxicating alpha pheromones until his head spun with pleasure. When Heeseung's teeth found the bonding gland at Jaeyun's neck, the omega cried out, not in pain but in overwhelming rightness.
The bond snapped into place between them, a golden thread that tied soul to soul. Jaeyun felt Heeseung's emotions flooding through it. Devotion, desire, fierce protectiveness, and beneath it all, a deep and aching loneliness that had finally found its cure.
When Jaeyun woke, he was alone in the bed. Sunlight filtered through the pavilion, but Heeseung was gone, as he had promised he would be. But the bond hummed in Jaeyun's chest, alive and warm, assuring him that his mate was near, even if unseen.
On the table, the food had been replaced with fresh fruit and warm bread. There was a note, written in elegant script. Explore, my omega. This is your home now. Everything here is yours. I will return when darkness falls.
Jaeyun rose and dressed, then stepped out of the pavilion. What he saw took his breath away.
He was no longer on the desolate mountain peak. Instead, he stood in a palace of impossible beauty. Gardens stretched in every direction, filled with flowers he had never seen before, in colors that seemed to sing. Fountains danced with crystal water. Birds with iridescent feathers sang from golden trees. The palace itself was built of white stone and glass, with towers that reached toward the clouds.
Jaeyun explored for hours. He wandered through libraries filled with books in every language, music rooms with instruments that played themselves when he approached, galleries hung with paintings that moved and breathed. There were servants, but they were strange, translucent beings who bowed when he passed and spoke in chiming voices, offering him anything his heart desired.
In a wardrobe in what seemed to be his personal chambers, he found clothes of the finest materials, all in his size, in colors that complemented his skin and eyes. There were jewels and ornaments, but also simple, comfortable things.
As the sun began to set, Jaeyun returned to the bedchamber. His heart beat faster as darkness fell, and then he felt it again, that presence, those pheromones.
"Did you enjoy your day?" Heeseung's voice came from beside the bed.
"It is overwhelming," Jaeyun admitted. "This palace, these gardens. How is any of this possible?"
"I have powers. Powers that allow me to shape reality, to create beauty. I made all of this for you, Jaeyun. So you would never want for anything."
Jaeyun felt hands take his own, drawing him close. "I do not need palaces and jewels. I need only you."
"And you have me." Heeseung's lips brushed Jaeyun's temple. "Every night, I am yours. Let that be enough."
And for a time, it was.
Days turned to weeks, weeks to months. Jaeyun's life fell into a rhythm. During the day, he explored his beautiful palace, read books, tended gardens, and learned to play instruments. The translucent servants kept him company, but they were not real companions.
At night, Heeseung came to him, and those hours were filled with conversation and touch, with the deep connection of their bond. Heeseung was intelligent, kind, funny and thoughtful. He told Jaeyun stories of the world beyond the palace, of history and magic, of things Jaeyun had never dreamed of. They would lie together in the darkness, talking until dawn began to break, and then Heeseung would kiss him goodbye and fade away.
But as the months passed, a restlessness grew in Jaeyun's heart. He missed his family desperately. He missed seeing faces when he spoke to people. And most of all, he missed the simple act of looking at his mate, of seeing the expressions that accompanied those beautiful words.
"I want to see you," Jaeyun said one night, the words spilling out before he could stop them.
The darkness seemed to freeze. "You know you cannot."
"But why?" Jaeyun sat up in bed, frustration clear in his voice. "What could be so terrible about your appearance that I cannot look upon you? You say you love me, that I am your mate, but you hide from me."
"It is not about hiding," Heeseung said, and there was anguish in his voice. "Jaeyun, please. You promised you would trust me."
"I have trusted you for four months. I have lived in this beautiful cage, alone every day, content with only nighttime companionship. But I am lonely, Heeseung. I miss my family. I miss the sun on my face and the company of others. And I miss knowing you fully."
"I could bring your family here," Heeseung offered quickly. "For a visit. Would that help?"
Jaeyun's heart leaped. "Truly?"
"Anything for you, omega. Anything except showing you my face."
Two weeks later, Jaeyun's family arrived at the palace, brought by Heeseung's magic in the night. Their reunion was tearful and joyous. His mother held him for long minutes, assuring herself that he was truly well. His father and brothers explored the palace with wonder and growing relief, seeing that Jaeyun lived in comfort and safety.
But when Jaeyun told them of his mate, of the alpha who came only in darkness and could never be seen, their expressions grew troubled.
"This is not natural," Sunghoon said bluntly. "What alpha hides from his omega?"
"Perhaps your mate is not what he seems," his mother said carefully. "Perhaps he is truly a monster, and fears your reaction if you saw him."
"Or perhaps he is hiding something worse," Jay added. "Perhaps he is not even an alpha at all, but some creature playing at being one."
Their words planted seeds of doubt in Jaeyun's mind, seeds that grew and festered after his family left. He began to question. Why would Heeseung create such beauty if he himself was hideous? Why would an alpha with such power and intelligence be cursed? What had he done to deserve such a fate?
And beneath it all, a darker question. What if his family was right? What if he had been deceived?
The doubt ate at him, turning his contentment to anxiety. He began to pull away from Heeseung at night, his responses less warm, his trust crumbling.
"What troubles you?" Heeseung asked one night, concern clear in his voice. "I feel your distress through our bond."
"I need to see you," Jaeyun said. "I need to know who I am bonded to. Please, Heeseung. If you truly love me, you will show yourself."
"If I truly love you, I will protect you from the consequences of that sight. Jaeyun, I beg you. Do not push this."
But Jaeyun's mind was made up. If Heeseung would not show himself willingly, then Jaeyun would find a way to see him regardless.
The next night, Jaeyun pretended to sleep. He felt Heeseung arrive, felt the bed dip as his mate settled beside him. He waited until he heard the deep, even breathing that indicated Heeseung had fallen asleep, and then, slowly, carefully, he reached beneath his pillow.
He had hidden a candle there, and a flint to light it. The servants had tried to stop him, their chiming voices urgent with warning, but Jaeyun had insisted. Now, his hands shaking, he struck the flint.
Light flared.
Jaeyun turned to look at his mate for the first time.
What he saw stole his breath.
Heeseung was beautiful. Not monstrous, not hideous, but beautiful beyond words. He had the face of an angel, with high cheekbones and a straight nose, lips soft even in sleep. His hair fell across his forehead in dark waves. His body, bare above the sheets, was lean and strong, all elegant lines and smooth skin.
But it was his eyes that captured Jaeyun's attention. Even closed, there was something otherworldly about them. And as Jaeyun stared, they opened.
For one frozen moment, their gazes met. Heeseung's eyes were a deep amber, filled with love and terrible sorrow.
"No," Heeseung whispered. "Jaeyun, no."
The candle fell from Jaeyun's nerveless fingers. Hot wax spilled across Heeseung's bare shoulder, and the alpha cried out, more in grief than pain.
"I am sorry," Jaeyun gasped. "I am so sorry, I had to see, I had to know."
But Heeseung was already fading, becoming translucent like the servants. "You broke your promise. You broke our trust. The curse cannot be broken now. I will fade into shadow and cease to exist, and you will live on, bonded to a ghost."
"No!" Jaeyun reached for him, but his hands passed through Heeseung's body. "Please, there must be a way to fix this!"
"There is no way," Heeseung said, his form growing fainter. "I was cursed by the Moon Goddess herself, for my pride in believing I could control who loved whom, in using my powers to manipulate hearts for my own amusement. She said I could only be freed if an omega loved me truly, bonded to me without sight, and trusted me completely for one full year. We had eight months, Jaeyun. Eight months, and you could not wait."
Tears streamed down Jaeyun's face. "I was wrong. I was foolish. Please, let me fix this."
"I love you," Heeseung whispered, now barely visible. "I will always love you. But some things, once broken, cannot be mended."
And then he was gone.
Jaeyun collapsed on the bed, sobbing. The bond in his chest felt torn, bleeding, a wound that would never heal. Around him, the palace began to crack and fade. The beautiful gardens withered. The servants disappeared. Within hours, Jaeyun found himself back on the peak of the Mountain of Shadows, alone in the white pavilion, clutching the sheets that still smelled of his mate.
He had everything he thought he wanted. Knowledge of Heeseung's face, the truth of his mate's nature. And in gaining it, he had lost everything that truly mattered.
But Jaeyun was not one to give up easily. If Heeseung had been cursed by the Moon Goddess, then Jaeyun would seek the goddess herself. He would beg, plead, trade his own life if necessary. He would not let his mate fade into nothing.
With a determination born of love and desperation, Jaeyun began his descent from the mountain.
The journey to find the Moon Goddess was not easy. Jaeyun traveled for weeks, following rumors and legends, seeking anyone who might know how to reach the goddess's domain. He slept in fields and forests, his fine clothes becoming tattered and worn. He begged for food in villages, traded his jewels for information, and pushed forward even when his body screamed for rest.
The bond in his chest was a constant ache, a reminder of what he had lost. Sometimes, in the quiet moments, he could still feel Heeseung's presence, faint and fading, like a candle flame guttering in the wind. It gave him hope. If Heeseung still existed somewhere, even as a shadow, then there was still a chance.
Finally, an old woman in a mountain village told him of the Lake of Silver Stars, where the Moon Goddess was said to appear on nights when the moon was full. Jaeyun traveled there, arriving three days before the full moon. He made camp by the lake's edge and waited.
On the night of the full moon, the lake began to glow. Silver light rose from the water, coalescing into a figure of breathtaking beauty. The Moon Goddess stood before Jaeyun, her hair flowing like liquid starlight, her eyes ancient and knowing.
"So," she said, her voice like the ringing of crystal bells. "The beautiful omega who broke his promise comes seeking favors."
Jaeyun fell to his knees. "Please. I know what I did was wrong. I broke my word. I failed the test. But I am begging you, please do not let Heeseung fade away. Punish me instead. Take my life, my beauty, anything. Just let him live."
The goddess regarded him with those ancient eyes. "Do you know why I cursed Lee Heeseung?"
"He said it was for pride. For manipulating hearts."
"Yes. Heeseung was once my most beloved servant, the spirit of love itself. I gave him the power to bring mates together, to help souls find their destined partners. But he grew arrogant. He began to think himself above the natural order, began to force connections that were not meant to be, to separate those who were destined, all for his own amusement. He caused great suffering."
The goddess's expression hardened. "So I cursed him. I took away his form, made him a shadow. I told him he could only be freed if he found an omega who would love him unseen, who would trust him completely for one full year. It was meant to teach him humility, to make him understand what it means to be vulnerable, to need another's faith."
"And I failed him," Jaeyun whispered, tears streaming down his face.
"You did," the goddess agreed. "But tell me, omega. Why do you seek to save him now? Is it guilt? Is it the bond that ties you together?"
Jaeyun looked up, meeting the goddess's gaze. "It is love. I love him. Not because of the bond, not because of guilt, but because in those months we spent together, I came to know his heart. He is kind and gentle. He made me laugh. He held me when I was lonely. He gave me everything I could want, asked for nothing but my trust, and I betrayed him. But I love him still. I love him more now than I did then, because I understand what I have lost."
The goddess was silent for a long moment. Then she spoke. "I will offer you a chance, omega. But it will not be easy. I will give you three tasks. If you complete them, I will restore Heeseung to his true form and break his curse. But if you fail even one, he will fade completely, and you will never see him again. Do you accept it?"
"Yes," Jaeyun said without hesitation. "I accept."
The goddess nodded. "Your first task is this. In the Mortal Realm, there is a tree that grows at the edge of the world, where land meets void. This tree bears fruit of pure starlight, and I require one such fruit. Bring it to me before the next full moon."
Jaeyun set out immediately. The journey to the edge of the world took him through dangerous lands. He crossed deserts where the sun burned like fire, climbed mountains where the wind tried to tear him from the cliffs, and navigated forests where creatures of nightmare prowled in the shadows.
His omega nature, usually a source of vulnerability, became his strength. He learned to use his scent to calm aggressive beasts, his natural empathy to navigate treacherous social situations in the villages he passed through. And always, the fading bond in his chest drove him forward.
He found the tree at last, growing on a cliff that overlooked an endless void. The tree was beautiful, its branches heavy with glowing fruit. But as Jaeyun approached, a massive serpent uncoiled from around the trunk, its eyes glowing red.
"No one takes the starlight fruit," the serpent hissed. "Many have tried. All have failed."
"Then I will be the first to succeed," Jaeyun said, his voice steady despite his fear.
The serpent lunged. Jaeyun dodged, his movements quick and graceful. He could not fight the creature, he was an omega, not a warrior. But he was clever. He noticed that the serpent moved to protect the tree, always staying between Jaeyun and the fruit.
So Jaeyun ran. He ran around the tree, forcing the serpent to chase him in circles, faster and faster. The serpent was large and powerful, but also clumsy. It tangled itself around the tree's trunk, hissing in frustration.
In that moment, Jaeyun darted forward, leaped onto a low branch, and plucked a single glowing fruit. Then he ran, the serpent's angry roars echoing behind him.
He returned to the Lake of Silver Stars and presented the fruit to the Moon Goddess.
She examined it and nodded. "Well done. But your second task will be harder. In the deepest part of the ocean, there is a palace of coral and pearl. In that palace lives the Sea King, and he possesses a vial of tears shed by the first omega to ever exist. These tears have the power to heal any wound. Bring me this vial."
Jaeyun had never learned to swim well, but he did not hesitate. He traveled to the coast and dove into the ocean. The water was cold and dark, and the pressure increased as he swam deeper and deeper. His lungs burned, his vision blurred, but he pushed forward.
Just when he thought he could go no further, he felt hands grab him. He looked up to see beings with the upper bodies of humans and the lower bodies of fish. Merfolk. They carried him down to the ocean floor, where a magnificent palace of coral and pearl rose from the sand.
The Sea King was an ancient being, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as the ocean itself. "Why does a land-dweller come to my domain?" he asked.
Jaeyun explained his quest, his need for the vial of tears.
The Sea King stroked his beard. "I will give you the vial, but only if you can answer my riddle. What is more precious than gold, more powerful than magic, and breaks more easily than glass?"
Jaeyun thought hard. He thought of his journey, of everything he had learned. And then he knew. "Trust," he said. "Trust is more precious than gold, more powerful than magic, and breaks more easily than glass."
The Sea King smiled. "Correct. You have learned much, omega." He handed Jaeyun a small crystal vial filled with shimmering liquid. "But beware. The journey back to the surface will be harder than the journey down."
The merfolk carried Jaeyun upward, but halfway to the surface, a great shark appeared, drawn by the scent of the precious vial. The merfolk scattered in fear. Jaeyun was alone, holding the vial tightly as the shark circled him.
He thought quickly. He opened the vial and let a single drop of the tears fall into the water. The drop glowed, and the shark paused. The tear touched a old scar on the shark's flank, and the scar healed instantly. The shark, no longer in pain, lost interest in Jaeyun and swam away.
Jaeyun broke the surface, gasping for air, and made his way back to shore. He returned to the Lake of Silver Stars and presented the vial to the Moon Goddess.
She examined it and smiled. "Excellent. You show both courage and wisdom. But your third task will test your heart. In the Realm of Dreams, there is a mirror that shows the truth of one's soul. I want you to look into this mirror and bring me back what you see. Not a reflection, not an image, but the truth itself. Do you understand?"
Jaeyun did not understand, but he nodded. "I will do it."
The journey to the Realm of Dreams required him to sleep in a sacred grove, under the light of the full moon. When Jaeyun closed his eyes, he found himself in a strange, shifting landscape where the sky was purple and the ground was made of clouds.
He wandered for what felt like hours until he found the mirror. It stood alone in a field of silver grass, its surface dark and still.
Jaeyun approached and looked into it.
What he saw was not his face. Instead, he saw himself as he truly was. Not the beautiful omega that others admired, but something deeper. He saw his loneliness, his desperate need to be loved not for his appearance but for himself. He saw his fear of abandonment, his tendency to doubt others because he doubted himself. He saw his pride, his stubbornness, his capacity for both great love and great foolishness.
And he saw something else. He saw his strength. The strength to journey alone across dangerous lands, to face serpents and sharks and Sea Kings. The strength to love even when that love brought pain. The strength to admit when he was wrong and to fight to make things right.
The mirror shimmered, and Jaeyun felt something change inside him. He understood now. The truth of his soul was not something he could carry back in his hands. It was something he had to carry inside himself.
He opened his eyes and found himself back by the Lake of Silver Stars. The Moon Goddess stood before him.
"I looked into the mirror," Jaeyun said. "And I saw myself. All of myself. The good and the bad. The beautiful and the ugly. And I accept it all."
The goddess smiled, and it was a smile of genuine warmth. "That is the truth I wanted you to bring back. Not an object, but understanding. You have completed all three tasks, Jaeyun. You have proven your courage, your wisdom, and your willingness to see the truth, even when it is painful."
She raised her hand, and silver light filled the air. "I will restore Heeseung to his true form. But more than that, I will free him completely from his curse. He has learned humility. He has learned what it means to be vulnerable, to need another's faith. And you have learned what it means to truly trust, to truly love."
The light grew brighter, and Jaeyun closed his eyes against its intensity. When he opened them again, someone was standing before him.
Heeseung.
He was solid and real, his amber eyes bright with life and love. He looked exactly as he had that night when Jaeyun had lit the candle, but now there was no sorrow in his gaze. Only joy.
"Jaeyun," Heeseung breathed.
Jaeyun ran to him, and they collided in an embrace. Jaeyun buried his face in Heeseung's chest, sobbing with relief. "I am so sorry. I am so, so sorry."
"I know," Heeseung whispered, stroking Jaeyun's hair. "I forgive you. I forgave you the moment you left the mountain to find me."
The Moon Goddess watched them with a soft smile. "Go now. Live your lives together. You have both earned your happiness."
Heeseung and Jaeyun returned to the palace, which had restored itself to its former glory. But it felt different now. Warmer. More alive. Because they were together, truly together, with no secrets between them.
They stood in the garden as the sun set, Heeseung's arms wrapped around Jaeyun from behind.
"I can see you now," Jaeyun said softly. "In the daylight. And you are even more beautiful than I imagined."
Heeseung pressed a kiss on Jaeyun's temple. "And I can hold you in the sunlight. Feel the warmth on our skin. There is no more darkness between us."
"No more darkness," Jaeyun agreed. He turned in Heeseung's arms and looked up at his mate, his alpha, his love. "Only light."
They kissed as the stars began to appear in the sky above them, and the bond between them sang with joy and completion.
Some loves are worth any price. And some loves, once tested and proven true, become stronger than any curse, any doubt, any fear. Theirs was such a love.
And they lived, happily and truly, for all their days.