Cold wind and rain whipped harshly against the outsides of the large carriage they had procured as they travelled at high speed over the uneven forest road leading away from Ranhara and towards Kijj.

Wang Jun came as promised, hiding himself as Ara loaded the sick people in, telling the other clergy to go back. They wished her well, said they would pray for her - some begged her to stay where at least she would be safe - but she set off without looking back.

They wouldn't be there by the time she got back.

If she could save this many people - at least save them from encountering the Demons a second time - then that would be something to tell at least. No one could say she hadn't helped out, then. Even during such a horrible time, she was practically being torn apart by people needing her. She was exhausted, she had no time at all for visions and she was almost surprised when they played out exactly as she saw them. She never expected they would be so true to life - the streets running red with blood.

As they approached each checkpoint and were cleared to leave without any fuss, she realised how lucky she was to have Wang Jun by her side. There's no way they would have a chance without him. If she had never met him - if he had never come to find her... where on Earth would they be now?

For that, she had to be grateful.

They couldn't tell how much time had passed when the carriage eventually ground to a halt.

Had they arrived?

Was it another checkpoint?

"Stay here." Wang Jun instructed as he exited the vehicle, the driver having opened an umbrella for him.

Ara peeked out through the crack in the small curtains draped over the window.

Werewolves.

They were even bigger than she had imagined and it was hard to tell if they were more human or more wolf at that moment, though it didn't really matter. Perhaps that was how they always looked. Wang Jun was speaking to one man in yellow clothing - he was dressed like a guard but without any form of weaponry. Wasn't that odd? But then again... Werewolves were practically invincible; old age was their biggest threat by far. Kijj being the closest nation wasn't the only reason Ara has chosen there, it was that Werewolves could afford to not care about the politics of the outside world because absolutely no one would dare mess with them, and she believed they would extend a helping hand to them.

So when she noticed the guard's hairy hand turn into a very large paw with sharp claws, Ara found herself flying out of there faster than she could think.

"Wait!" the guard turned his attention to her as she held her hand out and stood in front of Jun, her big eyes peering up at the truly massive man in front of her. "We don't mean any harm. I am the Witch Ara." she added desperately, fishing around in her pouch and presenting an official document from the King.

The werewolf snatched it from her and skimmed over it, tossing the paper on the muddy forest floor.

She dared not pick it up.

"You..." the man's waist bent further and further until he was at eye level. His nose twitched as he sniffed, a low growl rumbling in the base of his throat, looking between the two and a shiver ran up Ara's spine as his harsh, deep-set black eyes darted over to the cart of people. "look like a Witch."

He stood up straight once more.

Ara looked to Jun, whose expression was unreadable as he stared straight forward.

The wind had stopped.

Rain fell down in straight, heavy lines, splattering through the leaves on the trees.

The guard's gaze held them in place as he slowly approached the cart, sticking half of his body through the door.

"Why did you come out?" Jun hissed. "You needed to stay inside."

"Because it looked like he was going to kill you!"

The guard muttered something on his radio and a few minutes passed before three more giant Werewolves came out of the wooden hut stationed by the border and began inspecting the cart.

The first guard returned to them, noticing how anxious the woman was.

"They may come in." he said finally, nodding to the other guards who quickly took command of the vehicle, sitting alongside the driver who helplessly looked to Ara as they began moving once more.

"Wait! Wait!" Ara called, panic rushing through her as the cart set off. "I need to go with them! They need my magic."

"We have our own ways doing things here - it might not be too late for them." the Werewolf said.

"They are Witches as well, I need to help them!"

The Werewolf looked at the pair before him - the man unusually silent, the woman trying her best to convince him to let her go inside.

Who was she trying to fool?

"The Witches need our help. You two do not."

"The driver isn't sick and you let him in, please! He doesn't know any magic!"

"We will take care of him. You don't need our help." the Werewolf said, his temper running short. "You two need to go back. We will take care of the Witches."

"I am a Witch! I am the highest ranking Witch in this entire nation - I am the most powerful one! I don't need asylum, I just want to help them!"

The Werewolf looked between them once more. The man's eyes were squarely fixed on the ground as the small woman didn't let up.

"No."

"What is wrong with him? Why wouldn't he let me in with them? He didn't even know who I was!"

Wang Jun kept his eyes on the ground as they made their way to the nearest village.

"You still did a good thing." he said finally. "No one can say you didn't help."

Ara's feet trailed to a stop as Wang Jun slowly walked ahead.

This was probably going to be the last day of her life.

"I'm going to go back to the Palace." she said finally, catching Jun's attention. "If I'm going to die I may as well go down fighting. I don't want to be hiding forever."

"This is what you want?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I won't let you die."

"And how do you suppose you'll justify yourself to your King?"

"Don't worry about that."

"Take me back to the capital." she said firmly.

"Have you ever even fought before? Your hands are so soft I get scared they might melt in my grasp, there's no way you can win, even without magic!"

The pair frowned at each other, Ara's body heaving with frustration as she powered on ahead.

"I never said anything about winning."

"If you had've stayed in the cart, then-!" Jun began, "Then maybe they would've let you all through!"

"He was going to kill you!"

"I knew you cared."

"Of course I care, I love you!" she yelled, her hands curling into fists and Jun found his frustration dissipating somewhat as her anger - valid and respected anger that she was so used to hiding no matter what - expressed itself through her childishly stamping a foot and marching forward.

"I'm going to take care of everything." he called after her, smiling as she scowled in response.

"Why are you so angry about not being able to go with them?" Jun asked as they ate together in the village they'd managed to find.

It had been abandoned some weeks earlier, but they'd managed to find what they needed: a place to wash up, clean clothes for Ara in the tailor shop and she helped herself to what was left in the jewelry store while Jun prepared some dishes using whatever was still okay to eat in the restaurant.

"Because it's going to make me look bad."

"Not at all!" Jun argued. "You're a hero."

"Well what about you, then? You think your prince is going to let it go that you actively helped save some of our people?"

"His Highness Crown Prince Jing Han doesn't care. It was only a handful of people." Jun said airily, turning the fish over as it boiled in the broth he managed to make. "I, too, only care about you. I only helped because it was you."

Ara wasn't sure how to respond.

"You hate us?"

"Of course not." he replied, looking over to her as she rested her head on her arms on the window of the restaurant where the moonlight shone through. "Do you hate us?"

Ara blinked slowly, turning her head to look at him.

"Does it matter?"

Jun paused for a moment, licking his lips as he thought through everything.

"It might. Shall I let you go back first?" Jun asked, flipping the fish again and lifting the boiling pot off the fire.

"I'll leave first in the morning." she said, scooting over to the fragrant fish and digging a spoon directly into the flesh where it was easily separated from the bone, not caring when the juices splashed onto the cheap flax material of her newly procured dress. "I spotted a few carts around here, I'll take one to go back."

"There aren't any horses." Jun raised an eyebrow as he blew on the broth.

"I don't need horses."

Right. She was a Witch.

Jun smiled, glancing up at the beautiful, self-assured woman he fell for as she nibbled at the food he had cooked, spitting out the bones and sipping the broth.

"You're a good cook." she commented eventually.

"I'll cook for you every single day." he smiled, reaching over to wipe her chin with his handkerchief, and to his surprise she didn't protest.

"Maybe in our next lives." she yawned, avoiding his gaze as she got to her feet.

She managed two steps past him before his strong arm snaked around her waist and pulled her back, planting her squarely onto his lap.

Silence fell between them, the only disturbance being the cicadas outside in the muggy, humid summer night. Ara's heart thumped harder as she remained still, allowing Jun to hold her tightly, and she wondered about the why of it all. What was the point of her existence? Surely she wasn't born just to be a servant to the Royal Family? Was she? Was she never supposed to find her own happiness? Min was the first person she had ever fallen in love with, but that love was doomed to fail from the beginning. Then along came Wang Jun... and she couldn't see how that was going to work out, either.

If tomorrow would be her last day, what would she have to say for herself when she died? Who was she to answer to? More importantly, was she satisfied with the life that she had lived?

Parts of it had been colourful.

Parts of it had been boring.

At least she could say she had lived through a war, if it could even be called that. A quashing, more like, she could at least say she made it to the end.

Truthfully, she had no regrets. She didn't regret not being more open and generous towards those who used and relied on her and she didn't regret withholding information and making people do things for themselves even if it endangered the lives of average citizens. She didn't regret meeting the Demon whose arms she was currently wrapped in, whose calm breath she could feel on her neck, who was the cousin of the Crown Prince that had flattened her country.

There was no reason to feel bad for only caring about what she wanted.

People needed her all day every day for something.

She didn't care if they thought badly of her for falling for a Demon but even she had to admit that, given the circumstances, it would be absolutely unforgivable in the eyes of her fellow Ranharans.

Kijj wouldn't have her.

Would any other nation?

Could she even make it to Western Pernesia?

Did she even want to go?

"What do you want to do?" Jun mumured against her neck, pressing a gentle kiss to her exposed skin.

"I'm going back to the capital." she repeated.

"And after that?"

"There won't be an after." she said, resting her head against his.

"Please don't say such words." he breathed.

"I appreciate the love you have given me, Wang Jun." she replied, defeat overwhelming any other emotion she may have had. "I wish that everything was different."

With a heavy sigh, she hesitantly pulled herself away from him, placing a kiss on the top of his head and made her way towards the empty inn for her last night of sleep.