His voice was the last thing he had heard; it had come to him faint and weak. He heard it in a void filled with nothing but coldness. There had been a deadly silence in the blackness.

Now, he heard the sound of life. The sound of lush leafs being caressed by wind, the sound of birds singing in the dawn. It was the echo of a living forest.

It was the warmth what woke him up.

The demon moaned on the ground, twitching subtly as he struggled to come to his senses. His first move was to raise one of his claws to his chest, where he could still feel pain. His eyes opened slowly, and when they did fully, they reflected the faint light that pierced the vegetation above him.

Uriel sat up carefully. He glanced at his surroundings, with an expression that hinted his wariness and confusion. He looked all around in hopes of finding a threat, but saw nothing but soft grass and welcoming shades by the trees. He was alone in the woods, in a familiar yet foreign landscape.

The forest was not unnatural. It was not gigantic and void of life. The bark of the trees did not look as dense and thick, and the bushes did not tower over him.

He had managed to cross.

Adrenaline began to flow once more in his veins, as he stood with a pained snarl. Even though he had to hold his side, he began to step forward. His eyes filled with recognition and relief, but as well with a newfound fear.

After taking the air he needed into his lungs, he changed the way in which he breathed in. He began to make his way up the terrain, in order to pass by the trees that were in his way. His steps were slow, but decided. He prayed that the faint scent he noticed was real, and not a figment of what he had sensed in the darkness.

It was all he could focus on. His hidden dread was all too terrifying for him to acknowledge. His hope helped him push the horrible thoughts away from his mind.

Some of his worries faded when he walked past some rocks that blocked his view, finally reaching a verdant space. He halted for a second, overwhelmed by too many feelings. But then he rushed, forgetting completely about his own pain. He dashed down a small ledge, his feet carrying him fast ahead. In seconds, he cut the space that separated him from them.

Ariel barely had time to realize that another demon had invaded her surroundings. When she looked up from Aurora, she already had felt the touch of his hands. Her blue eyes blinked in surprise, she jolted in her sitting position, and her arms almost stopped supporting Aurora’s unconscious body. She was almost crushed in between Uriel’s arms; he had dropped down and hugged her tightly from behind.

“You are alright…”

Ariel stayed still, silent. She was not able to react in a coherent manner yet.

Uriel kept holding her for some seconds. But after his outburst of emotion, came his doubt. He opened his eyes, and they were full of remembrance. His daughter had been apprehensive of him, and he had to remind himself of what she knew.

Slowly, he opened his claws. His arms began to slide off her frame slowly, to let her know he remembered her hurt. Yet…when he attempted to let go, her claw slammed fast onto one of his arms. The grip was tight; it pulled him back into the embrace.

Ariel stammered, letting out an uneven breath when she begged him to not let go.

“It’s okay.”

He answered, whispering worriedly behind her as she leaned back onto him.

“I hurt you.”

She nuzzled herself onto his chest, closing her eyes tightly, while still being careful of not scratching him with her horns.

“It did hurt. And maybe still a little bit.” He felt a twinge of hope when she admitted. “But telling me was a start.”

Small steps. He still remembered how long it took to help Alexis walk, how they mended their bond. It needed time.

Like him, she wanted to overcome the hurt, for both. They had shared too much to let it drown their love. Both acknowledged how messed up things could be; however, they would try to do their best against it.

Both would have stayed like that for a little longer, if not for the groan that echoed. Father and daughter quickly looked down, to the one who had just woken up.

It was a good thing that Ariel had wrapped an arm behind her sister, because if not, her wings would have flapped wildly. The first thing Aurora tried to do was tense, while lying down. And when that barely worked, she tried to stand up, too fast.

Luckily, Uriel helped Ariel hold down the wing that moved up in a dash. They gently kept her seated, preventing her from hurting herself while she breathed in alarm. It did not take long for her sharpened eyes to relax, when she realized that what held her were not angels, but them.

“…Uriel?”

Again, Aurora did not say his name with conflicted resent, but with honest relief. She said it like she had in the past, like when she trusted his presence after a bad dream or a scary thunderstorm.

He smiled tiredly but gently, giving them both the most relieved whisper he could.

“I’m so glad you are safe.”

Aurora pulled herself up, and Uriel was comforted by the fact that she did not doubt to hold onto him to do so. She did not move away from them while she looked around, with no fixation for their previous umbrage.

“Where are we?”

The other two demons knew, having awoken more recently than her.

These parts were familiar. They had seen them for many years. Their crossing did not seem to have been precise. It had not taken them to their desired destination. But they were not that far. These were the forests where angel, human and demon had met, where they had shared many memories. It was a place they cherished, not that far from their home. A day away, at reach.

The abyss was meant for angels to pass. Without an angel, they could have ended up anywhere. Alexis had wanted nothing more than to send them home, to keep them close. And as chosen angels were forced to know, they were always grounded near the soul they had to hunt. Without Uriel’s presence in the world, he should have no apparent motive to phase through, no target.

The void had invaded Alexis’ mind in order to find a place where to bind him.

Uriel would have stood and helped the girls get up. If not for one thing. They were not the only ones who had sought one another.

Too focused on their reunion and relief, they had not sensed it. But now, the unmistakable smell of blood hit them. They all turned to look uphill when a shadow limped towards them. After reaching their view, Ayako stopped and leaned on a tree with a sigh; she then let out a faint whisper.

“There you are…”

With that, she finally allowed herself to drop to her knees.

“Mom!”

Both girls lunged, one almost flew. Uriel was surprised of the speed they managed when they hurried to her side, which he struggled to match.

Ayako hissed, because she acknowledged her wound for a second. She ignored it again when her daughters got close enough for her to hold them. Like before, she did not care for the bleeding on her left leg, even when the girls looked at it with deep concern. She pulled them close, and then snuggled her face tiredly against Ariel’s hair and Aurora’s wing.

“I was scared that you would not be here.”

A firm voice interrupted her thoughts. She had to open her eyes and stop focusing on the hold she had on her daughters, because the call was full of worry.

“Your leg is bleeding.”

Ayako smiled a little, realizing now how much it hurt in reality. She answered Uriel plainly, too stubborn to let it stop her.

“I had to find you.”

“No.” The demon scolded her plainly. Ariel had quickly procured some water from her rucksack, and Aurora had not doubted to rip some cloth from her torn angelic robes. He took both to attend Ayako’s wound. “You should have waited for us to find you instead.”

Ayako laughed, giving him one of the looks he had always lost against.

“Dear, you know I am not one to stay still.”

“Well, you better do now.” She flinched when he cleaned her wound with the damp cloth. She had already taken out the arrow herself, and had done some damage. “You are not moving from here.”

“I can’t do that.” The three demons frowned when she stated the obvious with a grimace. “He’s not with you.”

She made an attempt to stand. Uriel felt pride when he did not need to stop her, when Aurora and Ariel kept her down with their hands on her shoulders.

Under that firm unvoiced order, Ayako surrendered and looked at Aurora, who she knew to have fallen after Ariel and her. She needed to ask something that was tearing her up inside.

“Did he…?”

Aurora only had needed to look at Uriel for a second to know that Alexis had managed to get into the abyss.

“Yes.” She and Ariel appreciated the nod Uriel gave them, even if it showed his concern for their current separation. The ache was there, in his heart. “He must be here, somewhere.”

Ariel looked at Ayako and warned with a flick of tail. She could very well read her mind, without really doing so.

“You are not going to search for him. Not like this.”

With her worst fear gone, the hunter sighed and let them lean her against the tree in a sitting position. Ariel outstretched her leg to inspect it, while Aurora made sure she would not move at all.

“Then, you three go find him. I’ll wait here.” She tried to move Aurora’s claw off her shoulder, with a concerned smile. The next words she said held true care, true love. “Please, go and make sure he’s safe.”

She was anxious. They could smell the fear around her, even if she was trying to hide it.

Her daughters had been scared of the truth. They felt afraid of the cruelty and coldness she once displayed. They had been haunted by an image of their mother that they could not accept. And still, they did not accept it now; because they could not, as it was not real. While looking at her now, their gazes showed nothing but clarity. While looking at her eyes, they could only find care and penance in those supposed murderous irises. Her daggers had moved once against what she cherished; but they had halted as well, unable to go all the way through. She had not been able to kill him. She had seen through the veil that had been placed over her eyes, even if faintly.

She had been the first to step into that strange portal, without doubt, or fear for herself.

Both girls wanted to stay with her. Both wished to shield her. But there was no denying that one of them was being pulled by two invisible strings, painfully.

“Sis.” Aurora grimaced, receiving a direct serious command from Ariel. The tone had rarely been used, she knew it well. “Go.”

“Uriel can find him.” She resisted the command, which had always defeated her in the past. She directed a pained look at her mother, at her wound. “I should-”

Ayako knew too.

“I am fine, girls.” She tried to convince them both; even though she knew that she would only manage to change the youngest’s will. “I really will be okay. The wound is not that bad.”

Aurora’s heart was pounding while she looked at her mother and sister, their knowing gazes. They knew that she could only focus in a memory, of two amber eyes pleading to her near an endless black abyss.

Ariel refused to move, while Aurora gave in. Her wings opened and closed around Ayako, hugging while she leaned to kiss her mother’s forehead. After a second, she gave her a last glance, accompanied by a nervous yet honest whisper.

“I’ll be back in a blink.”

With that, she ran off, passing Uriel by. Ayako and him looked at Ariel next, and were not surprised to see her comment without looking up from the wound.

“I’ll stay. Just don’t take long, okay?”

She was worried too, even if she was trying to hide it.

Uriel nodded, thankful for her coldness and focus. After a heartfelt glance at both, he turned to follow Aurora.

She had begun to pace through the woods, her eyes sharpening once more. Her heart was racing, because her breaths had taken the faint scent of an angel. It was far, somewhere ahead.

Aurora was looking all around her, aimlessly, trying to pinpoint where to dash, where to follow the hint of his presence.

Alone, maybe she would have spent hours searching. But she was not. When one of Uriel’s claws fell gently on her shoulder, she stopped running blindly. She looked up to him, and saw that he was smiling a little, offering her a chance of calmness in her urgency. Alexis did not have his bracelets anymore, and her amulet was only a trinket.

Uriel’s free hand was on his chest. She could almost hear his heart, which always seemed to beat for two.

With no words, he stepped ahead of her. With only a sideways glance, he told her all she needed to know. He could always follow an invisible string towards his angel. It led them both towards the horizon, past many trees and hills.

And even if they found many empty clearings, there were bound to find the one where he waited.

Still, laid motionless on his back, the angel stared up at the trees that hid the sky. His amber eyes were lidded, filled with physical and emotional strain. The comforting warm light did not ease the coldness he felt, inside or outside.

Alexis had not moved a muscle since he had woken up. Not even when he knew he was back home. He was afraid of moving, but not because he was scared that some angels would find him.

After what felt like hours, he heard another sound other than the rustling of leafs and the wind. He did not flinch when steps echoed softly, neither when they halted besides him. One of the figures loomed at his side, while the other kneeled calmly. His vision was invaded by the sight of two violet eyes, which looked at him from above, calmly.

He only spoke when he felt a claw grasp his hand, in a comforting manner. In that familiarity, he finally was able to say any words, even if with a defeated tone.

“I did not want to stand and look for you… I was scared of this being a dream.” Because there was the chance that he would not have found them. “I knew that if you were here, you would come find me. Please, tell me I am awake, not trapped in a cruel joke in death.”

He moved his eyes to meet Uriel’s, right above him. His demon commented with a smile, unable to blame him for his lethargy.

“I assure you, you are still breathing, and you are not under the headsman’s axe anymore. This is very much real.”

As if to confirm it, he felt Aurora’s hand tighten around his. He slowly turned his head to look at her, and felt a mix of relief and depression.

Even if the grip of death loosened from his neck, another invisible claw strangled him, sneakily and forcefully.

“Oh god… You were there.” She kept smiling sadly, even when he moved his free hand to cover his face and eyes. “You were there. How long were you there?”

He did not want to hear it. And at the same time he wished nothing more than to confirm his fear.

Aurora bowed her head, sad to have heard the truth, but not ashamed either.

“I’m sorry.”

That was enough to let him know. He let out a long raspy breath, which did not make him feel any better. Uriel brushed the back of his neck, knowing there was no way in which he could break the grim silence, not without bringing more strain to their minds.

“Angus could not roam the temple freely without suspicion. She was almost indistinguishable between the scholars.”

“God, seated at the fucking rows, right?”

She nodded. He let his hand fall heavily at his side, on the grass. He could feel the tension, the grief around him. His amber eyes stared again at the nothingness above him. Like if it could take him away from reality.

“Who else.”

It was not a question, but a demand.

“Ariel.”

He cringed painfully when he heard his daughter admit it. He took a second before he dared ask more, because what he was hearing really fucking hurt. It felt like a punch on his guts, but he had to welcome even more pain to escape it.

“And…?”

Uriel eased his worst fear, before his eyes could get any more clouded.

“Not her.” The demon looked away, frowning deeply. “They both have kept quiet.”

It took time for the angel to breathe in. And when he did, he did so frustratingly.

Slowly, and reluctantly, Alexis sat up. Uriel watched while he crouched at Aurora’s side, taking a moment before grasping her shoulders with both hands. He looked into her nervous blue eyes, serious and yet so glad that she was by him.

“How much do you…? What do you really know?”

“Everything, I hope.” She glanced at Uriel, who bowed his head in shame. “I hope it is the final truth.”

“So he told you everything.” Alexis turned to look at him, hurt but with no hatred. “Fuck; if you had not been forced to do it, if you had betrayed the silence we’ve kept for years without reason….”

He would never forgive him.

“I know.” He had bowed to keep quiet, to honor his silent suffering. “I am sorry, Alexis.”

The angel looked at him for a few seconds. What was a glance full of grief and anger soon turned into a smile filled with tired care.

He stood and pulled at his daughter for her to do the same, careful to not make her more apprehensive of his emotions. After a silent sigh, he stepped closer to his demon, who had seen before the kindness and resignation in his tired eyes.

“Just… let’s not talk about that now. Not now.” He grinned with his eyes closed, laughing slightly as he contemplated the absurdity of it all. “My head is still over my shoulders, even if somewhat dazed and numb. It has not been sliced off, which means I can still talk to you guys. And we’re going to talk; but about other things. Nothing about… you know. I’m too tired to argue or panic right now. Too many things happened, and I need rest to take them in.”

Neither of the demons complained when the angel leaned onto both of them, exhausted. His head was pounding, as much as his heart.

“Let’s head home, please.”

And home meant all of them.

They obliged, each laying a claw on his shoulders to guide him to Ariel and Ayako.

The three began to walk away, wishing nothing more than to heal, physically, or mentally.

——————-

 

His heart should have stopped beating anxiously.

But it could not stop. No matter how many of his fears were vanquished from his mind. He did not stop feeling strange; not when he found Ariel, not when he saw that Ayako was alive. Heading for the cabin in the woods eased his worry for the wound, but it did not bring him closure. Not even a heartfelt exchange of words did it. Letting out his anger for their suicidal attempt did not take the feeling away, neither confessing his thankfulness in the security of the small room.

There was something that he could not let go of, and he could not pinpoint what it was.

That was why he stood, once he was sure that Ariel and Uriel would not move from Ayako’s side, who had fallen asleep on an old bed in the cabin. Once he was sure that the bleeding had really stopped and he had shared a few words with her, he decided to excuse himself outside.

Neither Uriel or Ariel stopped him, even though he said no words. Only one eyed him, on the edge of the bed. Aurora watched him get out the door, and then whispered to the other two, while letting go of Ayako’s hand.

“Warn me if she wakes up.”

That was enough for Ariel to know what was going to be said outside. And she allowed it to happen, even though she knew it would be painful.

“Be careful.”

While Aurora chased her father, Ariel did the same, but without needing to move.

Uriel sighed, finding himself cornered when Ariel looked at him seriously, in hopes of a much needed exchange of words; an exchange that he welcomed, not like Alexis, who felt fear for it.

All needed to talk, and with her gone in her sleep, it was the best moment they would find.

Alexis had walked away towards his old cave. He had sat there, in the dark, hoping to find some kind of inner closure. But he did not find it, and it was not because she edged closer from the darkness of the clearing.

Her figure advanced towards him with slow steps, but he did not turn to face her. He laid a hand on the cold stone, hoping it could help him get rid of his feverish sensation.

“You know everything now, I guess.” He laughed in exhaustion, but not physical. “We don’t need to keep hammering in how fucked up it is, Aurora.”

“You are wrong, we should talk about it.” He eyed her over his shoulder, sensing her tiredness and frustration. “I have heard it; but not from you. I want to hear it from you. It is not what happened what is eating me inside, but what it made you feel.”

Alexis snarled when she let out what really bothered her.

“You were not trying to change into a demon for us to be the same, or because you don’t want to be an angel. You were trying to leave behind that world for good, those angels, even if you are not like them.”

“Can you blame me for hating them?” He had hoped that fortress would help him. But it only made things worse. “Every day, I have to remind myself that she did not stab me because she hated me, but because she hated the idea of me being like all the angels she saw. I hate their murderous ways, but it keeps coming back. I want it away, away from you all. If only I changed, everything would. You would not need to have any affiliation with those bastards, at all.”

There was a tense silence. She broke it with words that almost made him break down.

“Do you hate Angus?”

He turned. He almost fell from the stone where he sat as he faced her with a shocked expression.

“N-no, I do not-” He growled and brushed his face with his hands, exasperated with himself. “Aurora, I could never hate him. You have met him, so you must understand. Right now, I’m tearing myself thinking where he is. I can’t hate him, no matter if he has done something awful. I can’t hate him when I have ruined his life.”

“You have not.”

He looked through his fingers tiredly, while she sat herself at his side. He did not know how to act when she wrapped a wing around him. Neither when she whispered sadly.

“Multiple demons have hurt you; yet you don’t hate Uriel, Ariel, or… me. A human ripped something vital from you; but you stayed at her side nonetheless. Angels have abused you a lot, and you don’t hate Angus.” She glared at him, accusing. “Every time something hurts you, you blame yourself. It is always about you holding the responsibility. And I’m fed up with it.”

He stayed quiet. She kept speaking softly, while holding her legs with her arms.

“When we chased you, we never imagined you were in this silly quest to get rid of your own sense of guilt. When I found out you lied to us, I was scared. All these years, I have not seen you as a being. To me, you are not an angel, or a human, or a demon. You are Alexis; and that’s it. I do not want you to be somebody who hides, someone who feels they have to put on a mask. If I want you to be something, it is you. What you have been before all this, just you. I want you to be with us, without you feeling guilty of what others do. I know you want that too.”

She smiled at him, hopefully.

“All these years, I have been able to brush away my worries about my difference because you were by my side, always smiling and caring about me. I was afraid of losing that, when I saw you disappear. That’s why I had to go to that fortress, through that portal. If you can fight your doubts, so can I.”

He stared at her. She had changed, in a way that he did not like. Not because she did something wrong, but because of the grievance around her. No matter how much she wished for things to go back to normality, it could not be that way, not completely.

So he smiled a little, sighing.

“Kind of hard to not doubt when the whole world keeps on sending threats, don’t you think?”

“But you can’t just resign to it.”

He opened his mouth. He shook his head. Then he growled and brushed his hair.

“You are right; I can’t.” He slammed a fist on the stone, while he gripped her wing gently with his other hand. “You see, I can’t care less if I get mauled, ripped apart, or even killed. This time, I can’t just cover my eyes, mouth and ears and take it. Because if I do, you will get hurt. My silence and passiveness won’t help you. You could have died, in a horrible way. And I can’t find a way in which to change this.”

Aurora understood his fear. And even though he was right, he still was grateful for their intervention.

Both stayed still and quiet for a while. The silence of the cave took him back to when things were a little simpler, when only his life was on the line.

“Are you scared of them circling the cabin?”

“Very.” He frowned and glared into the dark clearing, wondering if there were any angels at all. “I am afraid of leaving this place as well. I do not know if your plan worked at all. They really want us dead. More now, now that you have revealed yourself. ”

She could remember how Philander spoke of her. Her blood was like Zelophehad, and she understood now the sadness she saw in those red eyes. Hatred was not something easy to take in.

“Keeping that place unpleasant for angels was all we could do.” She leaned to look to the black sky, praying that selfishness and cowardice had kept those soldiers away. “Maybe the broken portal and Lykaios’ sight will keep us safe. Maybe they have not jumped.”

“Impossible to tell.”

That was one of the reasons why they were here. They had not wished to be in the open while heading back to the manor, in case an ambush was being plotted.

Only they knew of this place. It offered some comfort.

Alexis stood after a while, which surprised her. Like he did many times with the hunter, he pretended to have no concerns, no care in the world; even if she was right, and he was tearing himself inside.

“We are going to catch a cold out here.” She raised an eyebrow, both knowing very well that was impossible. “We should head back in. Tomorrow we have a long walk ahead. And I need some tranquillity before I hear her complain about Uriel carrying her in his arms for hours.”

Aurora smiled, seeing him show some trace of himself under all his sorrow. His voice now showed some of his joking self.

“Damn, I don’t want to know how the manor is doing after all this time.”

She stood too. She took one of his hands and pulled him out the cave, knowing he did not want to admit he wanted to check on the other three.

“Lykaios has kept an eye there…” Alexis really wanted to believe all would be fine, as she led him in with a warm smile. “We should get home soon, for him to stop worrying.”

He nodded and closed his eyes, trying hard to not cry.

The sight of Ayako sleeping should have been comforting, but he could not stop focusing on the wound. His mind would not stop showing him images of Angus bleeding, or worse.

All he wanted was a peaceful life. But it was hard to pretend he had one.

He wanted it for them.

———————

 

The wait was unbearable. But endure it was all he could do.

Most of his mind was encased in a metallic cage, while his own body roamed at the edge of the world, in the most secluded of northern coasts. He could be giving the puppet only a figment of his soul, and he would not feel this torn. But he could not avoid placing most of himself in it, not when it was the only thing that could see what he wished for.

The armor’s red glints were ominous in the dark. It looked demonic while it stood by the gates. It never moved, yet it was never unaware. Its gaze was fixed on the trees, the road, and the distance. It had been like that for a long time.

Days had passed since he saw her. And even though he knew that more time could be needed, he could not avoid thinking of their possible demise. He feared losing them, to a world in which he could not follow as safely.

They had trusted him with the painful task of staying behind. And he had obliged, knowing it would have been worse for another to stay. They had not been able to separate themselves from each other. He carried that burden, the burden of escaping danger while they neared it. The wait would have made any other crumble. He was the only one cold enough to push away his feelings. But that did not mean they did not hurt as well.

As always, he was strong and loyal. And far more patient. And his patience always was rewarded by fate. Or so he wished to think.

The armor only moved when five shadows emerged from the surrounding forest. Its helmet moved sharply, as it took the sight of them nearing. They were there, advancing towards their home, even if slowly. It would have stayed put until they crossed the gates, but one thing made it lunge to them.

None of them were alarmed when the puppet dashed, sprinting. They did not scorn it when it clawed Ayako out of Uriel’s hold, its glints pulsing with urgency. Even though the armor was fixated on her wound, the hunter tried to greet it more warmly. Lykaios did not look up when she laid her hands on the puppet’s helmet, in order to try to make it look into her calm eyes.

“Lykaios, it’s fine.”

The distant demon did not listen. Uriel and Alexis shared a knowing glance when it dashed with her in its arms, past the gates and into their home. It was Ariel who commented.

“I doubt he will do us any more favors after this.”

It had taken them a lot to convince him they would not let themselves be hurt by angels.

While Uriel followed Ayako inside hastily, Alexis halted by the gates. He looked up to his home, like if he was seeing a mirage. Not even Ariel’s and Aurora’s hold on his hands were helping him feel less numb.

“Did we really make it?”

The girls exchanged a look.

Alexis gasped when their nails scratched his hands softly, enough to bring him back to his senses. He opened his mouth to bark at them, but stopped himself when he looked into their blue eyes, which hinted their thoughts.

“…” He shook his head with a smile, avenging himself by ruffling their long hair strongly. “Fine, fine… I’ll stop. You will never stop until I stop worrying, will you?”

They nodded strongly, proud to have managed to get him back from his depressing inner debates.

With another long sigh, he looked again towards the doors, which were open and inviting.

“I promise I’ll try.” He took the first step, not without warning them with some snark. “But only if you stop worrying about me as much.”

They found that a good deal, as most of their worries had their origin in his.

Inside, the door of a room had been broken, by the hasty kick of an armor. Ayako huffed, not because she was handled roughly, but because she was laid down on a bed like if she was going to shatter.

She glared at Lykaios’ through the armor’s eyes, loving yet tired.

“I am not bleeding anymore.”

The devil began to gesture with the gauntlets, trying hard to form a coherent response. Uriel had made his way in behind them, and now loomed at the door. He knew what Lykaios was saying with his hands.

“I did not want her to get wounded.” The armor turned to pierce him with a look, which he answered with a bow of head. “I am sorry.”

The armor, much like Angus had, wanted to punch him. Instead, it turned and kneeled by the bed, focusing on her again. Uriel and Ayako gave him a worried look, seeing that he was not doing what they had agreed to.

“You are hurting.” She saw the gauntlets brush her wound overzealously, instead of letting go. “Release the armor, Lykaios. We’re home. You are not.”

Like Alexis, Lykaios felt something that he could not shake off. But he did not know what.

Not even when the girls peeked into the room did he feel better. All were here, safe, alive, yet there was an ominous sensation, which did not come from his control on the puppet.

Ariel could feel the tension, even if she was no angel. After looking at all of them, she whispered at Aurora.

“I’m going to try to ease the mood.” She then commented for all, turning to head for a forgotten kitchen. “I’ll bring some tea and food, wait here, please!”

She knew that they had eaten nothing but bland rations. The food from the now dusty pantry would perhaps bring some sense of familiarity and ease.

Aurora turned to look away, because Uriel was being fulminated without words, while Ayako explained what they had gone through. She leaned her head, her eyes opening more as she saw what her father was doing.

He had sat on the ground of the corridor; because something had neared his feet.

The angel was now holding Abiel softly, staring at him with a small smile while he petted his black pointy fur. The animal was doing nothing but snuggle on him, like if an eternity had passed.

He commented with a faint look to her, blushing with shame.

“I guess you are not the only one who I should apologize to.”

Abiel let out a little purr, not without kicking down on Alexis’ leg.

The manor was dusty. It was not in shambles, but it had not been taken care of enough. The rooms had cobwebs, and most candles by the walls had long ago been consumed.

It really did not help them ease the gloominess around them.

He did not know if to feel comforted or not by his home. He was back, just like when it had been before he left, but he carried the knowledge of what his senseless adventure had done.

Now everyone would want him dead, and he may have gotten his uncle killed. And there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

Aurora stared at him for a long while. She wanted to say everything would be fine, even if she knew that it was not completely true. She opened her mouth to do so.

But no words left her mouth.

None did, because the sound of the gates being pushed open shook them both. Alexis and her froze, confused by a sound that should have not echoed. They wanted to think it was the wind, even if it was a calm night… but the sight of Abiel yelping and leaping off his lap said otherwise.

Uriel came out of the room, in time for him to see Abiel run off deeper into the manor. The three of them paled, tense and silent. Alexis looked at them slowly, not needing words to plead them for an affirmation.

His demon returned his clouded look, much more haunted than his. He smelled an angel. And it was not him.

They had been followed. None of their hopes and prayers meant a thing. And they knew that the wait was over, that their forced tranquillity would not change reality.

They were still being hunted. And when Uriel dashed into the main hall, he saw exactly what was preying on them.

The doors were slammed in, strongly and with precision. A blinding light crept inside forcefully, not cast by the moon or stars, but by the lightning that burned the doors. A figure stood at the first step, its front shadowed completely by the light that glinted behind two bloody wings.

Uriel stared with a racing heart, while the intruder raised a hand to his side slowly, clenching it until sparks combusted against his palm. He was not the only one to be haunted by the sight, because when the others ran into the room, the figure showed its intentions with a maddening expression. Dressed in the shadows of his stance, Philander smiled eerily, his eyes falling not only onto Alexis, but his whole family.

“There is no hiding…” The angel took another step, revealing his murderous expression as he abandoned the shadows. He said the next words when another lightning struck, dressing him in a dangerous light. “You can’t postpone this.”

All were blinded for a second, but not enough for them to miss how a shield raised.

Ayako screamed Uriel’s name from the far hallway, when he lunged forward and halted the strike of shield that had been meant for his angel. Even if taller, Philander managed to make him drop to a knee, as he pressed his weapon against his open claws.

Alexis was frozen in those seconds, but soon comprehended the horror he was seeing. Philander was alone, but he had traced them down into the safest place they thought to have.

“Phil, stop, ple-!”

Alexis had stepped forth and had slammed his hand on Philander’s arm, to try to stop his attack on Uriel. However, that only managed to get him a fierce slap, which sent him to the floor in a huff.

“Again. Again you interfere.” His amber eyes widened, as he looked up to a view that should not be happening. Uriel snarled while Philander pushed him even more to his knees, not seeming to relent, not even while taking the time to glare sideways. “Your meddling with these monsters must be put to an end! I will no longer excuse your doings!”

Uriel cried out when the sharp edge of the shield finally sunk into his palms, enough to make him bleed. His hands would have been sliced in half, if not for what slammed itself against the angel’s weapon.

Philander blinked when a big black armor punched his shield and forced him to step back. After one second of surprise, he shouted and twirled, decapitating the armor in a swift calculated motion. The helmet lost its red glints, and then fell to the ground loudly at his feet.

The angel huffed and looked up from it, realizing that these demons had tricks in their sleeves, past their inhuman claws. And worse of all, slaying the puppet meant nothing. Because he looked up again, and saw many glints appear in the shadows of the den, one by one awakening to greet him.

Uriel recoiled and brushed the blood off on his clothes. He could hear many armors prepare in the depths of his home, not controlled by him, but by a beast that had been angered. And even with that support, he still felt menaced. He felt no reassurance when Ayako yelled a command, knowing they could not just watch.

“Ariel, daggers and crossbow, now!”

The young demon had just gotten a tray full of nourishment for her family. And upon seeing what crept, all fell to the floor. She turned around sharply, and then sprinted back from where she came from, towards the room where Ayako had been resting.

Aurora cowered some distance, shaking her head. She saw Alexis stand with a grunt, unsheathing his own sword.

“No.”

She saw Uriel growl and throw himself at their attacker, only to get a cut on his side. She watched Alexis raise his sword up, only for it to be pushed away after a loud clash. The armors were coming one at a time, and one by one, they were being dismantled by precise and deadly strikes.

Lykaios sent them many puppets with what little strength he had, but with this much strain, he only managed to be one thing: fodder. Alexis and Uriel grimaced, seeing how the armors did not do any harm, but serve as shields instead. Not even when wielding spears, their lunges only managed to block stabs that had been directed at them. The drawings inside them would be pierced, then pulse with light, and then die out as the armors lost their spell.

Philander slid the point of his shield out of the chest of an armor, his eyes focused on the markings carved in its metallic edges. His smile twisted into a disgusted one, seeing magic that once had belonged to their race.

Devils took, and took, until nothing could be called sacred or angelic.

His eyes dashed sideways, after he blocked a punch from Uriel and a slash from Alexis. In a frozen moment, he saw her there, in a corner. The new spawn was near, in his sights.

But he could not truly see her. While she watched in fear, he could only see him. Always basking in the bloodshed he began, always watching the misery that his actions caused. That girl was nothing to him, nothing but a reflection of what she would become.

Ariel came just in time for her to see something horrible. She had been about to hand Ayako her weapons, but halted sharply as thunder echoed. Ayako saw it, and her hand dashed in a blink.

Aurora’s eyes widened when she saw one of Philander’s hands shoot up and point to her. Uriel and Alexis felt horror, because the angel shoved a lifeless armor against them with a kick, pushing them away efficiently, enough for them to be too far to intervene.

Philander smirked, as many sharp sparks tangled between his fingers, milliseconds away from becoming a piercing electrical spear.

“Please, don-!!”

Alexis’ cry was silenced. Not because he stopped screaming, but because the sound of the spell was deafening. The ringing of their ears was accompanied by the blinding light.

Uriel stood sharply, breathing unevenly, expecting the sight of blood to be the first thing he would see in between the light. His angel leaned onto his sword, his legs wobbling as he realized what Philander had done.

However, it was not Aurora’s blood what painted the floor of their home, but Philander’s.

The angel panted, as he stared at the bolt that had sunk into his arm, with enough force to push it sideways. His eyes narrowed, and he lost his smile; the triumph he felt for having found his enemies faded, because he was being stopped from ending them. His blood boiled, when he saw that his spell had not pierced the young devil, but a simple wall. The glints of the fire that the lightning caused made his rage all the scarier, as he glared at the human who had dared shield the demon.

Ayako let out a long breath, having been holding it in for her shot. She unsheathed a dagger, and proceeded to limp her way closer to the angel.

“Stay away from her, fucker.”

Alexis usually shouted profanity, but the way in which she said it was much more personal and hateful. Philander stood tall, outraged by the lunacy he believed to be witness of.

“Every day, I find less reason in this world.” He spoke, but not to them. He was holding on what little sanity he thought to have left, grasping it desperately. “There is nothing but madness in your eyes, woman, and clouded delusion.”

He could not see how a human could love a daughter like that. And rightfully so, Uriel and Alexis could not find any reason in Philander’s words. It was Uriel who yelled next, while he threatened.

“I’m going to cloud your eyes permanently, you moronic psycho!”

The accidental fire had grown. Uriel roared as he turned some of it into his own. Alexis flinched when his demon sent hellfire onto Philander, who invoked a wall of his own fire to shield himself.

Raging, Uriel pushed the angel out through the doors, uncaring of the flames that were creeping inside. Because he did not want to save the building, but what was inside.

Ariel knew she was of no aid in a fight like this. And while Aurora helped the last remaining armor stand shakily, she decided to at least try to contain the fire around them.

Meanwhile, human, angel and demon dashed out of the doors between the violet fire. Philander panted by the gates, where his tumble ended. He peeked from behind his shield, glaring at the three figures that now circled him. Even Alexis, who had not shown him much of an aggressive side before, was glaring him down with his weapon up.

He refused to speak to some creatures he found disgusting. He was not here to try to save some souls, but to send them to hell.

After being forced out, the first thing he did was send them more fire. Raging, he did not care if he missed them, not when he would burn their den. Even though he had received some punches and his arm was bleeding, only his robes showed any trace of being worn out. He was as agile as when he had awakened in this world, miles away but eager to close in towards his prey.

The three gasped and avoided being burned. Ayako rolled to a side and ended up behind Philander, while Uriel and Alexis ended at his sides after their dashes. As the three tried to take his shield out of his hand, Alexis yelled angrily. He saw nothing but murderous intent in his eyes, and it made him fear.

“Who else jumped with you?!”

Philander answered, but much less talkative than when they spoke in a dark cell.

“Only me. But I assure you that it is all needed to take you down.” The next words that Philander said made Alexis’ blood run cold. “You will pay for his fall.”

Alexis’ hand shook. Uriel looked at him with horror, as he saw him lower his guard, in a moment of weakness and fragility.

“W-what did you do to him.” Philander did not answer, and it only made Alexis feel more horror. Philander lunged for a slash, and when Alexis blocked it shakily, both angels found themselves looking into each other’s’ eyes. And in front of the aggression and murderous rage, Alexis could only yell out with a cry, demanding to be answered. “What did you do to Angus?!”

Philander answered, not in the way he wanted.

“The question is what you did to him, Alexis.”

Rage took Alexis as well. Yelling, he leaned his sword and struck the shield, as strongly as he was able to. Philander did find himself taking a step back, but his surprise for his sudden strength did not last for more than a second.

Hit after hit, Alexis began to lose his defensive stance, in favor of a blind swirl of slashes.

None were hitting past the golden shield, and Uriel and Ayako knew that Philander was readying a counter. That was why Alexis found himself being yanked to a side, just as the shield twirled up with electricity coursing rapidly on its edges.

Uriel pulled at him again, scorning him as he tried to step back into close range.

“Stop throwing yourself at him!”

“Let go, Uriel!”

His demon had rarely seen that anger. He quickly noticed something that he had not seen from afar. It was not fury, but grief what his angel felt. Alexis was crying with his teeth clenched in a grimace, holding his sword very tightly.

While he kept him from lunging blindly, Ayako had taken the offensive. Philander scoffed, insulted by the sight of a human closing in on him. He danced elegantly around her slashes, never allowing her to get a hit on his red wings.

Even though she was limping, she was managing to be quite fast. Wielding her crossbow in one hand, she was shooting from time to time between her slices. While she attempted to deliver a deadly stab, two got out from the doors.

The girls watched as their mother tried as hard as she could to get a hit, but she could only recoil every time Philander shot sparks through his shield, which would shock her.

Both growled, their blue eyes sharpened with ire as Ayako received a harmful slam of shield to her chest. Quickly, they spotted some rocks on the patio.

When Philander less expected it, two things hit him.

He huffed, because a rock struck his face. After one single blink, he gasped, when a second rock was thrown to his side, this time flaming. He turned his head to glare at the two rascals that dared attack him so sneakily… and that was when he felt it.

The next huff he let out was much more pained and shocked than the others. His mouth opened in disbelief, as he looked down at the stab that he received. Non-lethal, but all harmful, it knocked the air out of him. He looked up again to look into those human blue eyes.

Growling in both pain and anger, he lifted his shield to cut her head off while she pulled her dagger out. But he could not.

He received not one kick, but two. Focused on her, he did not ready himself when demon and angel threw themselves towards him, both yelling in anger. Before he could realize and process all the attacks, he found himself stumbling and rolling past the patio gates. The collision with the metal hurt, and one painful fold of wing sent him tumbling to the dusty ground.

Philander coughed, both for the hit and the grass that covered his face. On the ground, he found himself surrounded by the three of them, who did not doubt to chase him out the gates.

The three held up their weapons, looming over him. Ayako was ready to stab him again, until Alexis raised a hand in front of her.

“Wait.”

Uriel frowned, wary of his reluctance. However, they obliged, halting as he stepped closer to a wounded Philander, carefully.

“Phil…” Alexis did not let go of his sword, but did lower it a little as he commanded. “Drop your shield, now.”

Alexis hoped that he would surrender. He wished for nothing more than to stop fighting, as he was tired of death and murder. He wanted none of it, no matter how much rage he felt.

However, when Philander sat up and looked up at him, he knew there was no reasoning to be had.

No words, just a look. A look that was enough to freeze him, as Philander used his wings in a flash, to stand and leap with his shield up. It was pointed right to his heart, which his sword was not covering.

In that second, Alexis’ amber eyes filled with recognition. They fixed on the sparks that glinted on the sharp point, inches away from his chest. He remembered how easily it sunk through Zelophehad’s armor, and how it had torn him inside out.

He was not able to cry out. The smell of blood hit hard and strong, after a loud ripping of flesh and bone echoed.

He fell backwards, without breath. There was no way he could move, not after what just happened. His eyes filled with tears, worn by too many thoughts and tiring realizations.

With hate, history would just keep repeating itself.

Aurora huffed with wide eyes, trembling as her hands smoked with the remains of the unnatural and off-colour embers she had cast. Like a stream of water, it had tangled out of her fingertips with her lunge, hitting like a whip as she landed her feet in front of her father. The spell came to her without thought or intent, only with instinct. She stared at the one who she hit, a million of whispers echoing in her mind. Like her, all could do nothing but stare at what she had done to Philander’s right wing.

The golden shield had been shattered on a side when it made collision with the gleams; but it had only muffled the effect of her attack. Mangled, torn and truly bloody, his wing was left broken and twisted. A lot of blood had seeped out, but the incantation had burned it as it had come out, leaving nothing but exposed bones and ashen skin. All hints of his limb being a wing were gone. It looked like a ripped cloth, stolen from all the vibrant color it had, left with the tone of gore.

Philander kneeled there, voiceless. He dared move a trembling hand, which fell carefully on his devastated limb. He whimpered silently, vision clouding as he remembered what happened the day he met Zelophehad. Like her, he had leapt; he had struck in rage an angel, with a spell that completely eradicated the form of one of his brothers.

Zelophehad had ripped the upper body of an angel in one strike. But he was a grown devil.

That fact made him look up slowly, to the girl who stood tiredly in front of his eyes. Even though her stance was reluctant, even though her eyes held no murderous intent, he saw nothing but a monster. He saw the version of her that could only come after ages of growth, of mutation and abuse of magic. Her wings would enlarge to a great extent, with more to emerge under them, allowing her a flight that no angel could match. Soon her claws would not be raised with inexperience and fear, but with cold precision and might. She would not be able to hide her long nails, which would hold much worse incantations, with more knowledge. She would kill, and leave a trail of blood in her wake.

This incantation was just the start.

“I won’t…” Alexis stood. He stood fast. Because Philander did not only whisper. “I won’t…”

He pulled his daughter back; he did not look at her while he raised his sword to shield her. The shield, even if cracked, was being raised slowly.

“Go.”

Aurora stopped looking at her claws in fearful awe when she heard Alexis command with such a cold tone. She breathed weakly, scared of what she had just done. The sight of Philander’s blood and gore made her quiver, as she had only wanted to shield her father. In an instant, she had done something she had not thought to be able to do. She had been afraid to lose the most important thing she had in the world. The shock and pain in both of the angels’ eyes was making her feel faint, as she was now the only thing they could see.

“I-”

He did not let her speak. He did not only yell to her, but to them all.

“I said go!”

That was all he was able to say before it happened. All froze when Philander stopped whispering, when he stood with his mangled wing, yelling a curse that promised nothing more than death.

“I won’t let it happen again!”

All felt horror, but none more than the ones who had already seen the fire that glinted in the dark, many years ago. Ayako, Uriel and Alexis could do nothing but look at the golden flames that tangled around the bright edges of the shield. It pulsed, emanating from the edges and cracks of the weapon. Philander had stood, and with his desperate yell, he had invoked a spell that once had made them lose many nights of sleep. An incantation Alexis could wield, but that he had always hated.

“Run.” Alexis slammed a foot down, and then yelled with all the air in his lungs. “For the love of god, run!”

Uriel knew that his angel had yelled with all the fear in the world. Before he could yell again, he had already moved. Ayako did not need to force the demon to act, because one single touch would mean death. Uriel did not wish to leave, but he had no choice.

Aurora cried, gasping and jolting as Uriel grabbed her and took her away, only halting slightly to do the same with Ariel.

“No! Uriel, he’ll hurt them!”

“What’s that spell?! What can it do?!”

Uriel did not answer the girls, not yet. He pulled them away, running past the doors around the manor. An armor had seen as well, and knew exactly what that spell would do to any demon foolish enough to stay in its vicinity. The puppet limped its way to the gates, and closed them reluctantly, using its own body to keep them closed.

Even if it meant locking Ayako and Alexis out in the other side…

The hunter had not run. She could not. And even if she had wanted to, it would not have aided their escape. To help them, she could do nothing else but stand still, face the angel with Alexis.

“You should have let me kill him.”

Alexis gulped, knowing she was right.

“I…”

He did not want this.

Philander edged closer, his eyes losing all humanity and emotion when he lost sight of the demons in the dark.

“If you step aside, I’ll give you a swift death. I won’t offer it again.”

Alexis took a deep breath, eyeing the beautiful golden glints with familiar horror. Philander would not stop, yet he still tried.

“Phil, please, listen for once. It does not have to be like this.” He snarled, knowing that he would only listen to a threat. “Do not make me do this. I am not going to stay still like Reut while you try to murder them.”

Philander shifted his shield a little, to cover his mouth and take a threatening stance as well.

Ayako scolded Alexis, for his foolish attempt at diplomacy.

“Why are you still trying to talk your way out?!” She roared, wiping her crossbow at her side. “I have met many angels like him, and I know that the only thing they pay mind to is a bolt to the face! I am going to add one more dead angel to the count, and hang his remaining wing on my wall; because he is nothing but an animal! If he wants death, I’ll give it to him!”

Alexis knew she was right, but he hated it. He also knew that sometimes, violence was the only answer. Because it was the only thing that some knew. His own kind revered death. And he would not escape it, no matter how much he wished to be different.

Knowing that, he allowed himself one last moment, in which he closed his eyes.

The next time he opened them, he fixed them on the steps Philander was taking, edging closer not only to them, but towards the gates. If Aurora had not torn his wing, he would have taken flight already to chase them and end them horribly.

“You’re right.” He stepped closer to her, knowing that she was the only ally in his desperate fight. “God, how I hate that you’re right, Aya.”

Philander smirked, but it was not a sane smirk. Again, flashes that did not belong in his vision clouded his mind. He did not only see Alexis and Ayako in front of him, but a man whispering in the ear of a once pure angel. Their closeness was making him lose it.

“How tempting is humanity.” At last, he sent them his first attack, a slam of shield. “It is sickening!”

Ayako pushed Alexis away as the shield crushed the air in between them. The ground received a blast of electricity, while the golden fire clawed at it hungrily.

Alexis jumped forth with his sword. But he was quick to swing it away when Philander shook the shield like a rattling snake, welcoming his hit. He had been shocked before by those streaks of electricity, and he wanted none of it.

“I can’t hit him! I’ll get fried!” He looked at her, as she was trying to keep some distance from the angel to get a clear shot. Philander was not so stupid to let her, however. “We need to get rid of this shield!”

“I try!”

Every second counted. Every moment was an instant in which Philander could not reach the others. But they knew that it was not much. No matter how fast Uriel ran through the forests, if they lost, the angel would chase them anywhere.

They were not winning this fight. Even if they were two, they were outnumbered.

“You could have been forgiven.” Philander slammed Alexis with his shield, and sent some fire behind Ayako. He had control, and was doing nothing more than letting out his frustration and anguish. “In other circumstances, I would have believed that you were just snatched away by that thing you call daughter. But not anymore. You hold as much blame. You are hideous, and I will not allow my good will to hide that truth. Evil is all around us and his vile soul will invade anything it comes near, one at a time.”

“She is not Zelophehad, Philander. She is just-”

“A girl.” Alexis cried out, as he barely managed to stop the shield from sinking into his neck. He held his sword with both hands, trembling while Philander leaned closer to curse them. “He was a boy too, until his blood thirst awakened. You can’t comprehend the brutality and bloodiness of those times. But if you would live to see it, you would know. You would see what she brings: death, despair and misery. Corpses will scatter around her feet, because that is all that devils bring in their wake, massacres. Your blood will steal the life of others, no matter how much you want to deny it. His daughters brought bestiality and destruction, and yours will too. Look to what’s left of my wing, and tell me you don’t see it. I am sick of your willful malicious ignorance.”

Alexis cringed, gasping for air as the golden edge got even closer. The golden flames licked his skin, and even though they could not kill him, they made his grip on his sword become looser.

If Philander had managed to invoke this, it was because he truly felt rightful. And in part, he was. His visions of bloodshed and death were no delusion, they were memories. Zelophehad did slaughter countless of angels and humans, in his rage and entitlement. He was like her once, and he grew to become a literal monster. He was a beast that needed ages to calm down and submit, not by force, but with misery.

The light Philander wielded was truly meant to bring good, but not in a way Alexis agreed with.

Alexis screamed, because Philander grew tired of trying to slice his neck. He sent electricity through, shaking the other angel with a force that froze him in place.

While Alexis felt the same burning sensation that had taken him out before, a shadow moved. It crept silently, sneakily. A dagger rose over Philander, and then dashed downwards in a flash.

It clashed, but not through his flesh.

Ayako yelped in pain when Philander leaned and slammed a fist around her wrist. He pulled her arm up, while he still shook Alexis with his sparks. The human kicked and thrashed, trying desperately to free herself from his grip. He looked at her coldly, slowly grimacing with each second he spent staring at her.

“If humans don’t submit to their superiors…”

Philander diverted part of his sparks. Alexis managed to breathe and step back, enough to free himself. But it was not without consequence.

He did not manage to cry out when he saw Ayako go limp in Philander’s hold. Before he could regain his stance, he had already thrown her to a side, like if she was nothing more than disposable dead weight. She did not move on the ground, not even when her weapons fell noisily onto her.

“She shall lay still. She won’t interfere with-”

He was silenced. Philander shut up when Alexis’ fist slammed onto his face, past his shield.

Both angels growled and focused on each other, only one had any more thoughts for the human.

“You’ll pay for that!”

Philander believed otherwise. He got tired of Alexis too, and so, tangled his shield in both fire and lightning. He was surprised to find that Alexis did not burn or freeze when their weapons collided again. This time, the sword glinted and tangled in the same golden fire, which muffled any possible unnatural spell that coursed through.

“You should not hold this power.”

Alexis sassed him, wishing he could give his stupid face another punch.

“Neither should you!”

Alone, the angels began to try to take one another down. Not needing any flames around him, Philander extinguished the fire encircling them, focusing all his energy on his shield, instead of on a stubborn human.

One hit, two kicks, both were receiving small cuts and shoves. Alexis was showing as much fierceness as possible, while Philander used all his buried impotence to fuel his moves.

A sword was no defensive weapon, and even then, Alexis managed to hold on fighting for a while. By the time his moves and slashes became lethargic, Uriel had taken the girls far enough for Philander to need days to find their whereabouts.

It really angered him.

Alexis knew he could not win. Both knew.

After three hits of shield that he was not able to block, he was slammed against the gates of the manor. It knocked the air out of him, and stunned him enough for him to see black for a second. Before he could balance himself, the shield moved again, this time pushing instead of in a slicing motion.

The armor did not manage to keep the gates closed any longer. When Alexis came through them, its limbs were shattered and scattered. He fell to the ground between them, vulnerable and unable to be helped by the demon who watched helplessly from the other side of the world.

He was still struggling to fight the blurriness in his vision. Breathless, he groaned while his tired eyes closed and opened multiple times. Each time, the shadow that edged towards him was closer. Slowly but without halt, he found Philander looming over him.

That time, after killing Zelophehad, he was spared. But not today.

Alexis trembled and tried to sit up, but cried and stopped when a boot slammed on his chest and pressured him back down. Philander was crushing him, ensuring he would not move at all.

“Say your prayers.”

His amber eyes clouded as he saw Philander’s face darken. Slowly, the shield raised over him, its deadly end pointed downwards. Held with both hands, Philander wielded it in front of him, aided by gravity and fiery rage.

The fight was over.

Alexis feared death. Not only his.

When the shield lowered, it was not with the deadly force that was needed to kill him. Philander had jolted, shivered. His last wing trembled and twisted as pain ran through all his body. The shield fell forgotten onto Alexis when Philander moved a shaky hand to his bleeding neck. Both angels looked at each other in the eye, while one of them brushed the bolt that had pierced him. It had gone right through Philander’s throat; he gurgled a breath, unable to turn to look at who had shot.

Ayako’s hand fell down and dropped her fractured crossbow, allowing her body to lay limp again. Forgotten and ignored, an angel had not taken into account a peon that was still on the board.

Philander tried to breathe in. Blood poured into his lungs. He stumbled over Alexis, slowly losing his balance. The last thing he saw was not the hurt in the eyes of his supposed prey, but the sight of red familiar ones. Two figures stood in the distance, eyeing him with pity and inquiry. One of them was smiling, like if this moment had been foreseen. He did not know if his fast blood loss caused him to suffer this last mockery. He did not know if his failure had opened the gates of hell for him. He could only see death around him.

“Z-ze…”

Life abandoned his eyes.

Alexis gasped as the weight of another angel crushed him. He stayed motionless, staring at the blood that dripped onto him, from a wound that no angel would survive.

“P-phil…?”

He called. He knew he would not answer, yet he still found himself calling. He shivered under his body. His sore hands gripped carefully his shoulders, and he dared move one towards his wound. He inspected it, part of him hoping he was dreaming.

His amber eyes filled with tears, as he admired how precise a hunter could be. He began to sob silently, unable to look away from the mangled wing and the multiple cuts he was seeing.

He was tired. Too tired. He could not take it anymore.

The angel screamed loudly, refusing to move away from the corpse. His cries echoed for a long while in the night, and their echoes reached the far end of the forest. He let out his grief loudly, unable to handle the sight of death. He could not handle the sight of one of his kind being killed, no matter how much suffering they could have brought him. The wake of his enemy lasted all night, as he was not able to move until he was pulled away by others. He did not find any comfort in their return, not even if he should feel free. None dared mock his tears for the dead, not even when they could not be deserved.

None of them spoke a word in the deadly silence.