Kilo was broken. His world had been shattered, his heart crushed. He stared blankly ahead as Denzyl led him out of Hades. He was aware of Rae crying as he cradled a lifeless Ilios in his arms, but Kilo remained frozen. Kilo envied Rae in a twisted manner. At least Rae could mourn. Kilo did not even have a body to cry over.

This, however, secretly gave Kilo hope.

Aklys bid the surviving four farewell at the gate before turning and re-entering the dark abyss of Hades. Orion watched Aklys leave with longing eyes. He yearned to be with the demon general, but his duties lay in the Heavens, and Aklys had one hell of a mess to clean up. Orion did have a plan to return to the demon's side, however. If everything unfolded smoothly, he could become Aklys' liaison with Heaven.

Orion bid the demon and two angels farewell as he parted ways with the surviving three upon their arrival on Earth. Kilo mustered a nod when the actaeon placed an empathetic squeeze on his shoulder before walking away from the small group. "Let's see each other again," Orion said to the three as a plea for them to live, so they could meet again in the future.

Denzyl and Rae bowed to the actaeon respectfully before they watched him spread his shimmering, silver wings and take to the sky.

Kilo did not remember the trip back to Daedoeshi because his heart was constantly consumed by sorrow. When the three reached the skyreacher that housed Devyn's company and penthouse, Kilo mindlessly followed Denzyl into the elevator designed specifically for transport to the highest level.

The dinging of the elevator caused Devyn's heart rate to spike. The human took a deep breath and slowly released it to calm his racing heart. Devyn poised himself as the doors slid open and the three survivors emerged from the lift. Devyn's heart fell when he saw the living three. Their faces were filled with sadness and fatigue.

Kilo's gaze was distant as he inclined his head to the human in a short greeting before walking past Devyn and disappearing down the hallway. The angel's heart was on the brink of shattering for the nth time while he walked to the room he and Castyr had shared before crashing onto the bed and grasping the sheets. Hot tears soaked the angel's face as he clung to the blankets searching for the tiniest trace left behind by his star.

Devyn stared at the small party with wet eyes when he did not see the silver-haired star. Devyn parted his lips to inquire about the star when Denzyl let out a breath of relief and immediately wrapped his arms around him. Devyn swallowed dryly as he felt the demon's warmth soak into his being.

"What happened?" Devyn asked in a hushed voice when Rae walked past them and entered the set of stairs that led to the rooftop. Devyn's eyes widened when he saw the blanket-covered form of a body lying in Rae's arms.

"I'll tell you later, hmm?" Denzyl answered tiredly as he held Devyn, his hand traveling up to stroke the back of the human's head.

Devyn nodded in understanding. They all needed time. Something tragic had happened, and Devyn knew how hard it was to talk about something traumatic that had just taken place. When a slight movement caught his attention, Devyn looked up from Denzyl's shoulder to see Kilo exit his room and head up the stairs to the roof. He pulled away from the demon before looking up at Denzyl in slight confusion.

"We should give them some space. They are sending off a fellow angel," Denzyl told Devyn softly when he turned to watch Rae disappear up the stairs.

"Ilios..." Devyn had not grown particularly close to Ilios, as he had known him for just a few days, but he felt the loss in his gentle heart. Devyn remained still when Denzyl pulled him back into his warm embrace. The two remained in each other's arms until a soft tapping on the door caught their attention.

The demon raised a brow and looked at the door. No one had ever used the stairs to access the penthouse. Denzyl left Devyn standing in the center of the room and walked over to the door before cautiously opening it. Denzyl furrowed his brows when he saw two women dressed in hooded cloaks standing at the doorway behind Devyn's secretary.

Astrid's face was flushed, and her chest was heaving while she caught her breath. The two other women did not seem to have been affected by the climb, however. "Sir," Astrid greeted through pants after she had caught some of her breath. "These two women wish to speak with you."

"Many people wish to speak with me every day, Astrid," Devyn responded as he came to stand beside Denzyl. "Why did you bring them to my residential floor?" Devyn inquired of his secretary from beside his demon. The response seemed automatic as if Astrid had brought another to his residential level before.

"They said they knew a Castyr and Kilo. The names seemed familiar, so I assumed it would be worth the climb."

Astrid's response caught Devyn's attention. He came to stand beside Denzyl at the door and peered at the two women. "May I request you to reveal your faces?" Devyn inquired politely of the two strangers.

The woman standing slightly to the front was the first to remove her hood, revealing a beautiful, experienced face. The second woman was quick to follow; she was remarkably younger. Denzyl noticed the shine of a sheathed sword while the younger removed her hood, causing the demon to tense in preparation to defend the man beside him.

"Forgive my intrusion, Mr. Vaumyr," the elderly woman began. "I am Star Adelle of Elysium. I have come to speak with the angel Kilo."

Devyn was struck by the grace and elegance of the woman in front of him. She spoke eloquently and with power.

"How do you know Kilo?" Denzyl questioned. He was not as awe-struck and was able to keep the conversation flowing.

"I am the mentor to his star, Castyr," the woman answered truthfully.

"How did you know to find Kilo here?" Devyn inquired while he tried to discern whether or not to trust the woman. Denzyl's hand on his waist helped Devyn clear his head and return to rational thinking.

Star Adelle gave a small, amused smile at the human's question. "I believe the short answer would be 'connections,' Mr. Vaumyr. Now, I would appreciate it if you would kindly lead me to Angel Kilo."

After a few moments of silent contemplation, the two agreed to trust the woman. She had not harmed any of them, and they had heard Castyr mention a Star Adelle a few times. Devyn and Denzyl stepped away from the door to let the two women enter. Astrid bowed before turning to make her way down the stairs now that she had completed her duties.

"Take the elevator, Astrid," Devyn said to his secretary when she prepared to exhaust herself yet again.

"Thank you, sir," Astrid bowed once more in gratitude before walking through the welcoming area and to the elevator. Denzyl made sure Astrid went straight to the elevator before turning back to the two guests.

"Follow me, please," Devyn said kindly to the two women. The women bowed in thanks as they followed Devyn to the set of stairs that led to the rooftop.

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Vaumyr," the elderly woman said before ascending the stairs. The younger woman tilted her head in respect before following the star.

After showing the star and her guardian angel to the stairs, Denzyl took Devyn's hand and led him to their room. As soon as the door shut, Denzyl brought Devyn into his arms where they comforted and held each other, grateful that the other was in his arms.

<<<<<>>>>>

Rae looked back to see Kilo enter the roof. The captain was slow as he approached the chocolate-haired angel while Rae gently laid Ilios down. Rae stood to his feet and backed away to allow Kilo to pay his respects. Kilo's eyes swelled as he knelt beside the body. He had not yet allowed himself to cry for Ilios. But Castyr would have wanted him to. Castyr would have wanted Kilo to mourn his mentor and savior. So, Kilo let the tears flow freely. The young angel's cries filled the air and broke the silence as he mourned for the man who had sacrificed his life for his love.

The sound of the door opening after several minutes drew the two men's attention to the roof's entrance. Kilo stood to his feet when he saw Star Adelle. The woman's face was soft and sad as she gazed at him. The captain stepped to the side, revealing Ilios' sleeping face. Adelle's expression grew mournful when she saw the resting angel.

"Star Adelle," Rae greeted with a slight bow. Rae's voice was barely above a whisper when he spoke.

"Rae," Adelle smiled affectionately as she approached him. "I am sorry for your loss."

Rae released a single tear at the star's words; they were sincere. "Would you do Ilios the honor of leading the ceremony?" Rae inquired with hope. It would be a great honor for a prestige star like Adelle to send Ilios into the universe.

"It would be my pleasure. General Ilios was a great warrior and gentle soul. He cared deeply and did not hesitate to do good." The star's expression was kind as she gazed down at the fallen angel.

Rae bowed his head in thanks as the star removed her cloak, revealing a beautiful, white dress. The guardian angel was quick to hold the cloak for the star. Adelle knelt beside Ilios and placed her hand on his forehead. A gentle breeze caressed the rooftop as the star strengthened her glow to encompass both of them.

Rae and Kilo watched silently while Adelle closed her eyes and began the process of sending Ilios to the universe.

After the ritual had been completed, Ilios' body began to shimmer and morph into thousands of glowing spheres and shapes resembling tiny stars. Star Adelle sighed and stood to her feet while the glowing pieces floated into the sky. Rae watched with swollen eyes as his love returned to the universe and entered the cycle of life, love, and death. A single tear fell when he saw the last shimmer disappear.

"He will return. He is destined for great things," Adelle commented before turning to Kilo and addressing the captain bluntly, "We need to talk."