She was short of breath, her body felt heavy. But she still kept dragging the log through the camp, towards the corner where she was piling them up. Her eyes where set on them and the tools they had stolen for her. Her hands were full of cuts and marks, but her fingers did not quiver on the harsh otherworldly bark.

Only one thing made her halt; only one thing could stop her determination.

When two shadows loomed into view in the distance, she opened her hands and let the log fall. The motion made one of her bandages rip and fall, but she did not care about that bruise at all. No, because from the shades of the huge forest, only two shadows walked towards their hideout. Not three, but two.

Her face had worn a stern frown before, but now her eyes filled with worry. She called; her voice hinted her confusion, even with such a low whisper.

“Where is she?”

Only Uriel and Ariel walked to her, their steps tired. Their expressions were troubled as well. There was no trace of Aurora near them, and with each step they took towards their gloomy camp, the more Ayako realized she was not merely out of sight. She dreaded that her daughter would remain more time near those angels, which she knew to be wary of.

“Why is she not with you?” Her feet shot forwards, fast towards Uriel. “Why did you take so long to come back? Where-”

Uriel took a hold of her when she got close enough. Her inquiries were always too fast for him to answer with the same speed.

“Ayako, she is fine.” He took a deep breath, not really believing himself that it was okay. “We are fine.”

Ayako had not slept all night. She could not tell if it was day or night due to the looming trees, but she could tell that the dawn was nearing, that they had roamed the city all night. The sun would rise, and they would have spent another day without Alexis.

“You have not found him yet, have you?”

Ariel looked at her mother, noting well the disappointment in her voice. She decided to ignore the bleeding on Ayako’s hands and the cuts on her clothes, knowing that they had a reason to be there. She commented, slightly crestfallen and puzzled by her recent experiences.

“No. We haven’t. But…”

Ayako knew that look. The look Ariel would get when she would be thoughtful, when she would doubt her own words, much like her father would.

“But what?” Ayako looked behind them again, still wondering where her second daughter was. “We agreed that if she did not find a lead by walking between them, that she would come back and help me instead. Why did you let her stay behind?”

Uriel took a deep breath, always fearful of those piercing blue eyes. The way she was looking at him felt all too familiar, like the night he told her that Alexis tried to murder him.

He spoke honestly, for there was no point in hiding the truth of Aurora’s absence.

“We found someone else.”

Ayako blinked, unable to process those words quickly. The wary and confused look she gave them made the two demons sigh and exchange a glance. They themselves had not thought possible that they would find help in this world, so Ayako’s confusion was completely reasonable.

They did not enjoy the idea of her incoming reaction to what Aurora had agreed to.

———————

He had taken too long.

Whatever had happened between those grim walls during his absence, he would not know. One day was a lot of time.

Since Alexis had been knocked out in the courtroom, he had not been allowed to leave that dark cell. He had to endure the silent hours alone, unvisited in the morning.

At least not by him. He did not know if Alexis had been subject to the presence of those two.

He regretted not heading into the dungeons, greatly. But he could not near him in those moments. He could not ignore something that was much more urgent. Time was needed, and he could not spend it on him.

A day of grace. Probably not as merciful as the elders liked to think. He could see many more guards now, too many. Most had been scheduled by Einar. Some by the elders. And there was no difference from either, all of them pierced him with their stares as he advanced through the deep corridors.

What the devils did that night had an effect in this place.

And on him.

He did not need to ask the guard to open the door. However, it was not the same guard who had been standing there the other days. Gone was the young soldier, replaced by Einar’s right hand, a sturdy and angry looking warrior. He shot him an inquisitive glare before he moved sideways to let him in, and he never lowered his heavy mace while doing so.

Alexis was under heavy watch. And it matched how dark the cell looked today. When the door opened, he had a hard time spotting him inside. Even though he was shackled on the same spot as every other day, he was hidden in the shadows.

Angus entered slowly, unsure that his nephew was awake. He only realized he was when Alexis shot him a look under his hair. His head was bowed, and not for sleep, but in a resentful stance. His expression was hard to read, and it took him some time to detect the anger in his amber eyes, which set right on him as he neared.

“Alexis, are you-”

His call was cut short with a low snarl.

“Fuck, Angus.” Angus stopped halfway through the cell, because Alexis cursed. He did with anger. An anger that took him by surprise. Alexis had rarely showed this kind of anger to him before. Alexis’ weak yet focused expression was outright hurtful, for both. “What were you doing?”

Angus had a hand raised before, but now it lowered. He doubted in his own presence in this cell, even though he really had wanted to see him as soon as possible.

“Do not lie to me.”

Angus scoffed and smiled a little, seriously uncomfortable under that gloomy and inquisitive stare.

“Lie? What are you talking about?” He laughed a little, crossing his arms with usual confidence. “What would I lie for, kid? Are you still out of it? Do you have a concussion? Did they-”

Alexis snapped. He raised his head and moved his legs to make himself slightly taller against his shackles, baring his teeth while he snarled.

“Do not try to dodge my questions; you know damn well what I’m talking about. I have lived a long fucking time with you as well, enough to know when you are taking me for an idiot.” Alexis hissed his next words, demanding an answer from Angus, who stopped smiling smugly. “Why did you do it?”

Angus stayed quiet. He frowned, but maintained eye contact. That made Alexis all the more confident in his suspicions. He only needed to look at Angus’ eyes to know for sure.

“I heard of the fire.”

“And you think I set it off.”

“Who else? Tell me who else could have wanted to get so close in the night, Angus.”

Alexis’ tone was emphatic for a moment. He did not really want to believe in that fire; he had spent many hours hoping it was just a lie or a coincidence. But he was sure, and Angus was not helping him think otherwise with his vague remarks.

“Could have been an accident.”

The empathy left, drowned by the disappointment of being lied to. Alexis grew resentful once more.

“Or it could have been a madman who had gotten drunk enough to do something crazy.”

The harsh sarcasm hurt. But Angus was familiar with it.

“I did go to the tavern. But I was not around here that night.”

Alexis cringed with sorrow and anger, hating to be lied to so blatantly.

“Angus, you are also a horrible liar. You better know that.” His hateful glare disappeared, replaced by a fearful worried frown. “I am glad you did not show your face around here yesterday. They were yelling your name. Einar wanted your head on the block as well.”

“And I suppose he was the one who suggested I did it. He came here to vent on you, how surprising.”

“No.” Angus blinked, surprised by Alexis’ next thoughtful words. “Philander forbid anyone from getting in here.”

Alexis could still remember Philander’s whispers, early in the morning.

“If you could be corrupted, I wonder to which extent others can be. Tell me, Alexis, are you trying to lead others astray? Would you resort to twist their will in order to escape your fate?”

Philander knew who the culprit was. He knew as well, as soon as he heard the word arsonist from his lips. There were many implications, but no damming leads to accuse Angus.

Philander would not pressure further, but he would.

“Why. Why did you do it? You said it yourself; you know I would never forgive you.”

Angus did not care if he was heard by the guards right now. But he still used careful words that Alexis was thankful for.

“I don’t really care about forgiveness. Not even from you, nephew. I can’t care less if you hate me if you’re dead, you see?”

Angus noticed that Alexis took his words as a confession, even though they were a shield for the true culprits. Even if there was sadness in Alexis’ eyes for that arson, there was no horror and terror for the life of his loved ones.

“We both could end up dead. And only one of us needs to be. Only one of us can get out of this. What you did, was for nothing.”

Angus shook his head tiredly, glad that Alexis did not know that all that he did was save three fools from getting killed.

“Surely, nothing was accomplished by that silly attempt. But see it from my perspective. I do not have anything to live for, but you do. Any attempt is worth it.”

Alexis stared at him, incredulously. After a minute, in which he saw no remorse in Angus, the anger returned. Angus was again surprised when Alexis stood up forcefully on his feet. He grimaced, because his nephew bent his arms painfully in order to be able to look him down. He tried to lean away from the shackles and get closer, but he was only managing to fidget strongly while he yelled.

“Do not tell me what your life is worth! I do not want these bastards to take anything else from me! You mean something to me as well, and I hate that you can’t see it! If to protect you all I must go, fuck it! I feel THAT is worth it!”

“Alexis, you are not thinking straight. Death should not be-”

“There are two men in this cell, and I’m not the crazy one today, Angus! I am not getting out of here. Get it in your head, because you said so yourself.”

Alexis huffed. After some shakes, he slid down the wall again, incapable of keeping his arms twisted. He expected an apology. Angus seemed to ponder his words for a minute, somber and remorseful.

But his uncle had always been stubborn, and he would always be.

“You can’t ask me to accept that.”

Those words hurt Alexis, even though he knew them to be true. So he hurt him back.

“Then leave.”

After a long tense silence, Angus sighed, nodding slowly.

“Fine. I am sorry.” He turned slightly, reluctant to open the door without a few more words. “I’ll see you in the trial. I will also come in the mornings and-”

“No, you have not understood.” When he looked back, he received the coldest stare, from someone he did not think capable. “I want you out of my life, Angus. I do not want you near. I do not want you to come here. Don’t talk to me. Stop sending food. Stop arguing with the priests. And most important… stop trying to save me. If you won’t stay away, I’ll keep you away. I am dead to you, hear me? Leave me and let me rest in pieces.”

Angus was taken aback. He stood there at the door for some seconds, processing the words he was just given.

When he retorted, he did with the same harshness, even if it was out of love.

“You have always been an altruistic bastard, Alexis.” Angus looked down for a moment, whispering the next words thoughtfully. “Try to be more humble, and keep your head down as they cut it off.”

He opened and closed the door, leaving him behind with those last words to ponder. Alexis sunk into the dark again, alone at last. He did not attempt to take back his last goodbye while Angus marched through the outer corridor, not even if his heart was pounding.

He did not regret leaving them behind.

——————-

Runes, beautiful symbols that sometimes could express full sentences. In the silence and darkness, she caressed the lines, once more taking in their complex meaning. The words would echo in her mind, spoken by Ariel not many hours ago.

“If you look closely, you can see that human language takes from these marks. If you match carefully these two lines… Yes, like that. See how these two runes look like wind when drawn together? Their meaning is wings.”

Her sister had always lost herself in these old runes, not like her. They were beautiful words, which she had only seen in Ariel’s notebooks or Uriel’s books. They were engraved in many different forms and dialects, which she had never understood fully.

Their beauty had never been freely shown to her. Not for long. She had faint memories of his father’s remarks, from when she was very young.

“Uriel, you left the door to the library open, again.” Alexis would usher her out, glad that she was too young to read long books. “She shouldn’t be looking at these things.”

Her father never liked Uriel’s defensiveness, never one to keep his hoards of knowledge locked. The demon pointed his hypocrisy that day.

“You never forbid Ariel of entering. Reading is something essential.”

Alexis always found a way to bend the devil’s will, that time via his hidden apprehension. Only a few words were needed.

“It’s not essential that she reads those.”

She could not understand then, but Uriel did show a trace of understanding in his sad frown, even if reluctant. Ariel still was allowed permission into the library, but many books were hidden away from young hands, all which contained any details of a foreign and unreachable culture.

Her sister was aware of how Alexis changed. Before her birth, he would gladly feed Ariel’s curiosity; he would explain the meaning of those strange drawings. But with her presence, both soon discovered his zealousness for his own past.

That was why Ariel struggled to teach her anything along the years. She barely could give her the basics, what she learnt herself when she was able. And with so little, curiosity was kept at bay, until she learnt what supposedly took his wings.

That did not mean Ariel did not try. Yesterday, while Angus and Uriel talked, she did her best. Her claws did not stop moving, she kept writing most of what she knew, for her to copy.

In solitude, Aurora took a deep breath and closed her eyes once more. Her hand shook while she wrote for the hundredth time the alphabet, on what little space was left on the paper. Many words were noted on it, most of which Angus wrote before Ariel and Uriel left, for her to memorize in his absence.

Alone, for hours she sat there, trying to do as told.

She almost had a heart attack when she heard the main door slam open. Before she could even look back, Angus had already marched into the room and slammed a hand on the desk in front of her. Her sore hands dropped the quill that she had been using all night and day. The transition from a long eerie silence to the loudness of a harsh commanding yell was jarring, to say the least.

“You better be ready. Get everything and let’s get going.” He barely looked at her before he shot towards his own robes, which were hanged nearby. “Don’t you dare forget the ink and paper.”

Aurora did not dare question him, still remembering the scolding she got before; she was yelled at every time she failed to memorize the runes she was shown.

She had to ask one thing though.

“Did you manage to-”

“Of course, girl.” He shoved his arms into the arms of his formal clothes, giving her a raise of eyebrow while she picked her notes shyly. “You think this old man can’t push a cart?”

Aurora looked sideways, grasping the papers that Ariel had hastily made for her.

“It’s not that. Uriel could weight a lot, too much to push through the streets. And Ariel too.”

Angus patted his daily clothes under the fancy robes, dusting off some hay he hadn’t managed to get off.

“Ugh, more than hard it was annoying. Do you know how much hay I had to pile up on that cart to hide her long tail and his fat body?” He gave her another look and pushed her towards the door, not without her stumbling. “Stop worrying for them and more for yourself. I dropped them off safely at the edge of the citadel; you better not have been slacking while I was away.”

“N-no! I know this is important. I have tried my best.”

Angus snarled, seeing her clutch some small papers zealously. She began to sweat even more when he snatched them from her arms and threw them to the ground behind them.

“Then you don’t need those silly translations.”

“But those are-”

“What kind of scribe needs translations?!” He nudged her out the room and in front of the main door, only stopping to give her a few last serious reminders. “Use your memory and remember what she said to help you out. From now on, no writing words in any non-runic language. You better shut up in the presence of any angel, including me while outside. Only speak when spoken to. And most important…”

Aurora gulped, because he leaned a little to look her right in the eye. He was warning her.

“You are going to see him, but that is not as good as you want to think. It won’t be pretty, lass. If you dare move a single muscle to shift towards him, even if just one inch, I will kick you out of that courtroom myself. If you even think about it, I will know.” Her wings, even if demonic, fluttered very much like ones he had seen grow; and they betrayed many things. “Got it?”

She nodded nervously, repeatedly. He smirked, amused by how scared she looked of not entering that palace, of not being near the ones she cared about. He felt sad as well, reminded of other less trying times.

“Fine.” She flinched when he yanked her hood on, somewhat hurriedly. “Now, let’s stop wasting time. That silly trial is going to start in minutes. Do not miss a single step I take and don’t look anyone in the eye. Mouth shut.”

She did not need to be told to stay quiet. As soon as he opened the door and the light came into the dark house, her whole body tensed. Her wings crushed each other behind her, while her feet trembled onto the pavement. She instinctively put her head low, intimidated by the angels that came into view in the streets.

Angus had been stern out of need. Nonetheless, he reminded himself that she was just a teen, even if the circumstances did not allow her to act much like one.

She had been behind him, shadowed, but she soon found that he slowed his pace and kept her close at his side instead. Even his wings seemed to open a little more; they leaned to shield her tied and combed ones from behind.

They still looked like master and servant to any others, but she noted the difference in his body language. She did not feel as dreadful now, even though she was walking towards a dangerous and oppressive palace.

His eyes reminded her a little of familiar amber ones.

———

His vision was blurry, his eyes tired. He did not have a good awakening. What must have been only a couple hours of sleep felt like an eternity, one in which he was restless.

Once more, his tired feet were forced to walk through long vacant halls, towards that huge chamber. His mind barely registered the many soldiers that escorted him, neither the swords kept over him. The door opened, to a now familiar sight.

That did not mean he was comfortable with it.

He ignored every word said when he walked in. He dragged himself to the stand, and kept his eyes fixed on the stone while he was chained to it.

“The accused stands before the jury once more.” Alexis finally looked up, with a resentful grimace, which was directed at the elders sitting high above them. “The prosecution shall announce the agreement reached last night, between these high standing angels.”

Philander was eerily silent while the prosecution moved. Einar held a wing over his arm as he marched to the center of the room. He looked right through Alexis when he spoke, and even though he did with an emotionless tone, there was satisfaction and sadism in it, only detected by two other angels.

“There is no trace of doubt or possibility of argument. The crimes previously admitted and the despicable words spoken can only carry one sentence. This chamber declares the subject guilty of treason and heresy, in said order.” Einar let his wing point forward, noting how Alexis clenched his teeth in anger as he said the next words. “The penalty, death. It has been blessed by the elders.”

Alexis did not speak back or protest while the angels around murmured. He found no meaning in doing so. He knew already this was bound to be said today. Though he did cast a quick glance sideways, to the rows.

He felt both relief and sadness, when he noticed that Angus kept a detached expression for all this. And he had seemed to have finally requested a scribe, like all the others. His uncle looked to be more concerned about scolding his seemingly inexperienced servant than meeting his gaze. He kept avoiding looking at him, in favor of ushering her to keep writing after she had dropped her quill.

He made peace with the fact he was truly alone. It really eased his mind, even though it shouldn’t.

Einar did not seem to like his eerie calmness. It was obvious that he would have loved to relish in his fear and terror, but he got none now. He couldn’t even give him any beatings yesterday, thanks to the one that proceeded to take the lead now.

“Death, which won’t be carried through until we assert the remaining concerns of the elders. There is one thing to discuss before we set the day of the execution and its form.” Philander marched elegantly and solemnly, as always. He offered again, in a way he though merciful. “Most present here wish to believe we are only looking at a new form of devil. Many call for him to be burned alive. I would like to oppose those ideas. We are still looking at an angel, as I have stated before. Today, we debate his nature and being, his soul, if it still remains in him.”

“An unneeded debate, Philander.” Einar was leaning onto his stand leisurely, calm but eager. “However, I shall humor the futility of such claims. If the elders find them as amusing as the prosecution does, we shall hear more.”

Philander welcomed the invitation with a gentle bow, not fearful of the intense stare Einar gave him.

“They shall hear my inquiries, Einar.” Alexis tensed and readied himself, because Philander turned to him next. “And as well, all the answers.”

It was not an offer. The angel of red wings had questions, and he wanted him to speak. Any trial would subject the accused to interrogation, and this one was no different.

It began, not with a demand, but with a rhetorical question.

“You affirmed that you had wings like us. Were they truly lost due to your fall and duty?”

The judges and Einar shot Alexis a quick glance, remembering what kind of tone he used when speaking of the orb.

“Let’s agree that it was the indirect cause, in order to not cause any more offense, alright?”

Philander was glad that Alexis knew better, that he would answer simple barter. The hit he had given him last time seemed to teach him something. He would tolerate his not so well hidden snark in favor of progress.

“Indirect cause. But not direct, surely.” Philander brushed his own wings, worn through battle and time. “Only a horrific incident could steal these mighty tools from a being like us. An incident; or an attack.”

Philander spoke to the chamber, but Alexis knew that the next words were for him. There was slight pity and honest fraternity in his tone, while his eyes met his amber ones.

“You once lived here between us. But you were chosen, selected by our sacred orb. You were taken away to fight, to serve, to rid the human world of the only thing that has endangered our holy bodies through the millennia. That, I commend you for. You were bound to a demon. You were a hunter, but also prey. What did your eyes see in that world, before you lost them?”

Alexis felt hesitation. He kept quiet for a moment while looking sideways, conflicted. Though his fate pushed him through many dreadful days and nights, it also brought him moments he had not expected. Before his loss, he was indeed hunted. But he was not killed. He was spared; something that no one here believed to be possible.

“I saw my demon.” Alexis spoke only the truth, for he had no motive to hide it from these arrogant bastards. His voice had admiration, as he described a being that could have torn him to pieces if he had wanted to. “Fierce like a fire, mighty as a lion, as silent as the night; his sharp bright eyes found me first, before I could even spot his presence in the dark. His big claw could have easily ripped my throat out, when he first lifted me effortlessly. I could have died the night I met him.”

But he did not die. He was only chased, and then imprisoned. Once free, he suffered no harm. Not from him.

But that was something that no other angels would even consider.

“You surely begged for your life.” Alexis sighed silently, hearing Einar taunt from his stand. “Instead of fighting the creature to the death, you surrendered. It probably toyed with your wings until they were nothing more than shreds. It left you behind like a gnawed bone. And then, you did not even have the valor of ending your shameful life. You should have-”

Philander stopped him, rather harshly.

“I believe I have not given away my turn, Einar.”

The angel of silver wings took a deep breath, wishing nothing more than that Alexis had thrown himself off a cliff in that world. But he knew he got too emotional and rueful when it came to his unwanted heir.

“My apologies.” Einar ignored the look he received from the high priest while he composed himself. “Proceed, Philander.”

So he did. He cut to the point. He did not speak to Alexis, but to every other angel in the room, trying to give reason to his refusal to end his life after such a great loss.

“Einar does have a point. That cruel act would guarantee that any angel would seek death. But I am sure, that it was not possible for him to choose said path. Demons are not ones to let their prey roam freely. Not only he suffered pain and torture, but oppression. He was bound and locked; how else could he have survived for so long?” Philander pointed at Alexis dramatically, trying to compel the elders to change their minds. “Isolation and domination can take one’s sanity away, highness. I have seen devils steal fellow comrades away, for their own horrific amusement; they lived many years in misery until I found them in humid cells. I have lived through many centuries with nothing else but loneliness, and the taunts of an inhuman monster. Demons do not want us dead; if possible, they want our minds, our will and self being. The way in which I have seen him act can only be correlated to many years of manipulation and forceful rule. He was stolen from everything he was, alone. The least I must do is try to understand why he sought the now familiar nature of humans. Similar features, lost strength, unable to shield oneself. He surrounded himself with less evil hearts, even though imperfect and able to corrupt. That is why he shielded the tyrant; that is why he spawned one of them. His mind is shattered, and he will defend anything that relates to the creatures that now plague his existence. Evil has been around him for far too long.”

Those words made Alexis tremble. First with impotence, then with contained ire. His fists clenched, bound to shackles, kept still and incapable.

But while he could not show a single hint of hurt, another one could.

Angus looked sideways slowly, sad for the loss of a quill that had been useful for hours. At his side, shadowed by the pillars of the rows, Aurora pressured what remained of the quill in her hand. She had stopped writing what was being said, because she saw no point in writing things she would forever remember.

She wondered if this was what humans thought of her sister and her, when she last saw them as guests many years ago.

Aurora averted her eyes from her father, to cast a glance to the only one who knew of her presence there. Holding back tears, her grimace hinted her inner question.

Angus answered with a shake of head, more hurt if possible. He searched quietly in his robes, and then procured another quill for her. She took it reluctantly, shaken. Everyone was too focused in the scene below to notice a supposed master be kind to a simple servant.

While the girl struggled to keep her act, Philander had kept talking.

“I say we do not condemn him as a criminal, but as a victim. We will bring his past self justice, by ending the existence he now endures, trapped in his broken shell. He should be given the chance to die in his homeland, in a way that may bring him to an honorable afterlife. Tradition dictates that all servants of our crusade must be given the glory they deserve. I insist that not one single comrade of mine should lose their place near our maker, not for the acts of devils. Like Reut, I believe he is still an angel, one that has been changed due to the sins of that world. Let us purge him, and free him from the obligation of facing those monsters any longer. We shall not tolerate more harm to our dignity.”

Alexis shivered, because Philander turned again, to boast his convictions.

“I have erased the vilest beast from the face of the earth. But I understand that my duty has not ended. I thought that by killing Zelophehad, I had cleansed the world from the greatest menace of all.” Philander glared, not because he was angry, but because he had found a new enemy in his mind. “Now I understand. I see that I must return, and destroy the monsters that stalk us. Not to protect humanity, but to shield our souls. I will eradicate any devil I come across. All of them are capable of great evil, and I will be the first to step forward and fight it. Once this trial ends, I will not rest until they all lay dead.”

Alexis did not feel like he was in his own body. His heart pounded, while the threats kept coming, unending.

“Allow me to shield his soul, and I will serve forever, highness. Any devil spawned, now or in the future, I shall slay. I will seek his demon, his spawn, and end them.”

Enough.

“They won’t be my last foe. Even though I know it is an unending task, there should be no rest against the most cruel, evil and horrible creatures that have ever plagued our worlds.”

No more.

“Like Zelophehad, they will all pay for what they have done to us.”

Like drops of water, it all slowly added. And with those last words, Alexis felt like he was drowning. Like thunder, like if he had taken the most precious intake of breath, he opened his mouth. And words he could not take back flowed out.

“There can’t be any payback, dammit! My demon never laid his claws on my wings! That horrible act was not committed by a devil! Stop pretending everything wrong about life revolves around them! No claws ripped them off; I was not taken down by feral leaps or strong strikes! The only thing that still keeps me awake at night is the memory of a swift arrow weighing them down, the precise slices of cold daggers! It was no monster that went through it, no sadistic devil, but one of the humans you spent decades ruling and teaching!” Alexis slumped down, eyes fixed on the stand. He lamented, knowing they would not understand. “All that time, yet there was no difference. She had the same hatred a beast could have had, like many other hunters before her. Like all of you. It was not my demon who broke me down forever, when he should have been the one to do so. You all told me so. No matter how the eyes of that world looked, they all could hold warmth or coldness. It was supposed to be him, not her. N-not… her.”

He felt free even if pained. Those words had never left him without great guilt, even though they echoed for years. The moment felt long, eternal, like the many instances in which he had wanted to yell them.

Even if his confession had no effect in the angels around him, it did pierce through the beliefs of one heart.

Above, two wings shook and trembled, as pained as his could have been years ago.

Aurora felt faint, distant. In her mind, the memory of two blue eyes twisted and changed in blinding twists and flashes. The love in them clashed with icy coldness, which invaded the warmth she had always seen in her mother. It all pounded, back and forth, as her mind tried to find a way out of it all, desperate for her innocence.

She stayed still and silent, like if many arrows were about to fall over and strike her.