• The empty shells of the buildings stood alone, lifeless, isolated. The yellow sandstone could barely be seen among the sands. The rising moon crept over the buildings, revealing the ruins of war, the bloodied sands, the remaining casualties. The dead lay sprawled over dunes, under fallen roofs, over the other dead. The sound of a woman’s wailings for her son pierced the silence of the despairing scene. The tears in the eyes of the mothers and wives glistened in the moonlight, their shrieks and cries echoing through the empty shell of the sandstone, through the clear skies, and through the hearts of the few survivors.
    Plumes of smoke rose from the bombs in the shell building. The crackling of the roaring flames could be heard from miles around, the sound of vultures’ wings beating the windless sky hardened a young boy’s heart. Desert rats squeaked and crawled over the dead, as if searching for their own survivors. A young boy stood, leaning against a burning tree for support, and wondered. Wondered how it had all happened, wondered how much had happened in the small village below, and wondered how he could have allowed it to happen.

    Sion lurched. He held his head in his cold, bloodstained hands, as he collapsed against the tree. He sighed as he heard his mother’s cry for her lost sons, and her wondering if her last hope, Sion himself, had been lost to the realms of the dead. He could hear, and almost feel, the tears she shed. When he closed his eyes, he could see the whole scene replaying before him. When he touched the rifle by his side, he could see the look in her eyes, he could smell the fear from her, he could hear her silent screams as the bullet pierced her heart.
    He opened his eyes, only to close them again for fear of crying. He had killed someone. He had killed his betrothed. How in the name of the Gods could he be forgiven? He had committed the worst sin, the evilest sin- he had killed the other soul. The other soul was that girl. That kind, beautiful, loving girl. The betrothed one. His betrothed one.
    She was the other half. Her. Seishi. Her blonde hair and green eyes marked her out as one of the Devil’s Children. Just like him. The Devil’s Children were those who defied his tribe’s heritage. Those without black hair and blue eyes. Those who were different. Sion hadn’t always been different, no. He hadn’t always been a Devil’s Child, an outcast. He had changed over the years to reflect the other. The only other Devil’s Child in the tribe for the last thirteen generations. Seishi.

    He turned away, no longer able to bear the sense of loss and self-hatred. He walked away from the empty building, away from the people he loved, away from his dead lover. He did not know where he would go- he had always lived in that village, never moving around- and yet, he did not care. He needed to get as far away as possible.

    Sion kept walking. Walking for days on end. It reached the point where he no longer knew where he was from or where he was going. His darkening eyes looked over the sunny desert, through the shivering summer air.
    A hooded figure, dresses all in black, stood out from the yellow desert sands. Its dark grey eyes seemed to float in the shadows of the hood. It reached its arm out towards him, gesturing for him to come closer.
    “Come to me, Sion…” said the figure, still gazing at him with those dark eyes. Sion took a step forward and stopped. The figure seemed to smile, and started to walk towards him. A light breeze picked up, blowing through Sion’s hair, and causing the figure’s hood to fall.
    “Se- Seishi…” stuttered Sion, as he stared into her now green eyes, clutching at the rifle at his side. “I- it can’t be… You… You’re-”
    “Dead?” Seishi smirked and took the final few steps towards him, flicking her hair out of her eyes. “Quite.”
    “Then how-?”
    “How am I standing here before you?” Sion nodded ad smiled as she finished his sentence, just like she had always done. It couldn’t be anyone but her. It had to be Seishi. “It’s quite complicated, but simply put: The Gods brought me back. For you.” The girl reached out and gently stroked his cheek. The feel of her cool hands weakened Sion, his knees weakening, his control fading.
    “I’m sorry, Seishi. I’m so, so sorry… I- I didn’t mean to! I didn’t want to! I- I just-”
    “Sshhh… It’s okay, Sion… Everything’s okay… I’m here now… Shh, baby, shh…” Seishi spoke quietly, whispering the words into his ear. Sion could feel her unnaturally cool breath in his ear, her death-cold fingers gently caressing his neck. She smiled. “I missed you, Sion, my dear…”
    “I missed you too…” Sion smiled back at her and bent down, so his lips were level with his. He closed his eyes and kissed her.

    As soon as his lips met hers, the desert winds picked up speed. Clouds darkened the skies. The plants around them withered and died. All signs of life had gone.
    They were all that remained. Them, and the fire.
    “Seishi! What’s going on?!” screamed Sion as he broke the kiss. He looked around worriedly, then turned back to her and froze. He fell backwards, trying to get away. Her eyes had turned a bloody red, her hair like the flames around them.
    “It is the will of the Gods, Sion.” She bent down to him and pressed a finger over his lips, suppressing his scream. Her fingers felt like stone, despite her fiery appearance.
    With her other hand, Seishi took out a small knife. Sion’s jaw dropped as he saw it. He had given her that knife as an engagement gift. Just as he father had given his mother. His father’s own knife, his fiancée’s knife, was now going to be used to kill him. Right here. Right now.
    Sion smiled and laughed nervously. “I’m sorry, Seishi. I’ll see you in death, as will I see the Gods for my judgement.” He closed his eyes and waited for the blade to pierce him. After a few moments, he felt it’s cool edge against his throat. A single tear fell from his eye, slowly dropping onto the blade. “I’m sorry…” he muttered.
    Seishi smiled menacingly. “Good bye, Sion. In death will the two Devil’s Children be united.” She pressed the knife against his throat, and tugged it slightly to one side. Blood trickled slightly from the wound, and Sion fell onto his back, waiting for death to take him.

    “I’ll see you on the other side.”
    “See you there.” Seishi smiled and watched her lover die, and walked off, towards the horizon. As the sun set, and the moon began to rise, she disappeared. As her soul faded, her last words echoed through the night: “In death, shall the Devil’s Children unite.”