"Castyr! Castyr...!" Kilo frantically called the star's name. The angel held an unconscious Castyr in his arms as he hastily surveyed the craft.

"What happened?" Miren grimaced as she steadied herself. The blast had thrown her into the side of the ship and bruised her left shoulder and upper arm. Upon realizing she, Kilo, and Castyr were the only ones present, Miren pondered aloud, "Where did those bastards go?" The human rushed to the nearest window and peered out at the seven demon ships that had remained stationary in space.

"They're all gone." Miren's gasp brought Kilo's attention to the demon ships floating around the Flisea. The enemy ships were still as a ghost town; they were vacant. "How much power is left in the Flisea?" Kilo inquired about the Flisea's current state as he watched Miren hurry to the control screen.

"Not much," Miren replied as she saw the ship's remaining energy reserve.

"Transfer us to one of the demon ships." Kilo was swift to come to his decision; he was not one to sit around and wait. He needed to take action then and there. Castyr was vulnerable and needed to return to Heavenly as quickly as possible.

"Huh?" Miren sounded in shock. She did not know if she had heard the angel correctly. Is he crazy?!

"We need to get to Earth," Kilo explained shortly as he lifted Castyr in his arms and brought the star to relax in one of the passenger chairs. Nodding in understanding, Miren busied herself with the control screen and prepared the three for the transfer.

"Ready?" Miren inquired once she had the settings prepared. With a nod of confirmation from Kilo, Miren transferred the three off the Flisea and onto one of the surrounding demon ships. Although Miren greatly disliked abandoning her ship, she knew Kilo was right. They needed to get to Earth, and the Flisea did not have enough energy to complete the journey.

Upon being successfully transferred onto a demon ship, Miren scanned the craft for any remaining demons as Kilo brought Castyr to a chair to rest. The angel checked the star's pulse as he gently lay him down; it was faint, and Castyr was unresponsive.

"The ship's clear," Miren informed as she took the pilot's chair. She promptly gave power to the thrusters and set a course for Earth. Miren then checked the ship's stats before leaving the cockpit to notify Kilo of their current situation. "We'll have enough power to skip the stop at Laeroe and reach Earth. It'll be tight, but we'll make it."

"Thank you." Kilo bowed his head in gratitude. "I need to get him to Heaven as soon as possible."

"Is he alright?" Miren inquired as she looked at the unconscious star with concern. "What happened to him?"

"I think he used too much energy." Kilo's gaze was stuck on Castyr as he replied to Miren. The blast of light that was emitted from Castyr had used up most of the star's energy as it purged the surrounding space of demons.

"He'll make it, right?" Miren's voice was quiet as she asked the angel to assure her the star would be alright. Hearing the worry that coated the human's voice, Kilo turned his gaze to Miren and nodded in assurance. Seeing the angel's nod, Miren sighed with relief, but her eyes widened a moment later when she turned her attention to focus on the angel. "You're bleeding!"

Miren rushed to the back of the ship and frantically searched for a medic kit, and after successfully finding a small, red box, she hurried back to Kilo and set the kit on the floor.

"I can do it," Kilo offered as he took the cleaning solutions and ointments from Miren and began disinfecting his wounds. Miren winced as Kilo slowly hovered the fusing device up the slash on his side; she herself had gotten into a few rough spots throughout her life, so she understood the pain of having to fuse together one's own flesh.

Once Kilo's wounds were closed, the angel wiped off the excess blood and promptly wrapped them up. Miren collected the used medical materials and disposed of them while Kilo checked on Castyr. Just as Miren tossed the remains of the medic kit on a nearby chair, she heard Kilo call out, "His pulse is gone!"

"What?!" Miren rushed to the angel who had his fingers pressed against Castyr's neck. The human racked her brain for any method that could temporarily keep the star from passing on. "You said he used too much energy, right? Can you somehow give him some of yours?"

Although it was a stretch, Kilo did not know of any other option. So, he breathed, "I'll have to try," as he wrapped his arms around Castyr.

Kilo was vaguely aware of a process called 'energy transfer' that was often performed when a connection between an angel and a star was formed. Even though Kilo could not yet form a connection with his star, he was determined to do his best nonetheless.

Miren watched silently as the angel held his star close to him. Kilo's determination awed Miren; she had never seen anyone strive so hard to protect someone. When the angel and star remained unmoving for several minutes, Miren eventually sat down to rest. As she leaned back in the pilot's seat of the commandeered demon craft, Miren thought of her ship.

She regretted leaving The Flisea behind, but Devyn had entrusted Kilo and Castyr to Miren. Thus, it was her priority to ensure the two reached Earth safely. Miren released a soft sigh as her thoughts turned to Devyn. Where was he? Was he even alive? Please, be okay...

Tears touched Miren's eyes as worry for her friend consumed her, and her mind returned to the memories of that one, rainy night. Miren had just been promoted to Manager of Viant's branch on Borum and was visiting Earth for a meeting with the owner, Wil Kossen. Devyn had just lost his parents when Wil took him in.

Miren had never liked her boss, but that night, she came to despise him. She could still recall Devyn's cries as clear as day. That night, Miren became determined to protect and care for Devyn. He had no family left, so Miren decided to do what she could to provide him with what little warmth she had to offer.

But now, he's gone. Miren curled up in the chair and tucked her legs against her chest. I'm so sorry, Devyn. The human lowered her forehead to rest on her knees and prayed that there was someone out there who would protect Devyn.

TIME JUMP: 40 MINUTES LATER

A faint glow caught Miren's attention. She lifted her head and looked behind her to see a pleasant light radiating from the sleeping star. Kilo had saved him.

"How is he?" Miren inquired as Kilo sat up slowly and checked the star's pulse.

"Better," was the angel's short reply. His face was ashen as he looked up from his star and made eye contact with Miren. Kilo was extremely exhausted; his body shook slightly as he struggled to stay awake.

"How much did you give him?" Miren inquired, concerned for the angel's health.

"As much as I could." Kilo's eyes dropped as he replied to the human.

"You should get some rest," Miren suggested when she saw the angel fighting to keep his eyes open. "I'll let you know when we near Earth."

Miren knew Kilo was worried more demons would catch their scent and would attack at any moment. But, she also knew a half-awake, energy-drained angel would be of much help anyway if they were to be attacked. So, when Kilo nodded in agreement and lay back against the chair, Miren released a breath of relief.

Kilo managed to give a soft "Thank you," before quickly nodding off, leaving Miren to man the ship. The human smiled at the two, sleeping males before searching the craft for a blanket. She eventually found one after a few minutes of scouring the ship and gently laid it over the exhausted angel and his star.

Castyr was still unconscious by the time Miren woke the sleeping angel. "We're almost there," Miren informed as she softly nudged Kilo's arm.

"How long has it been?" Kilo inquired as he opened his droopy eyes.

"Just under three days," Miren returned before adding, "This ship is incredibly fast."

Kilo carefully slipped out of the blanket Miren had laid over him and tucked it under Castyr's chin before joining the human at the control center.

"How is he?" Miren gestured to the sleeping star as Kilo came to sit beside her.

"His pulse is back to normal, but he's still recovering," Kilo replied as he checked their location. Although the angel had been resting the past several days, Kilo had been supplying Castyr with a constant stream of energy. Thus, he was drained, and his exhaustion was evident to Miren as she observed the angel's pale face.

"What about you? Are you doing okay?"

Kilo was quick to brush off the human's inquiry. "I'll be fine." But, in all honesty, Kilo felt like crap. His side and leg hurt from the slashes, and his body felt faint. Although Miren called the angel's bluff, she did not press the matter. Instead, she returned her attention to their position on their route and updated Kilo on their location.

TIME JUMP: 1 HOUR – ARRIVAL AT EARTH 

After wrapping Castyr in the blanket and looping the face mask over his ears, Kilo scooped the star into his arms and patiently waited as the door to the ship opened. Once it was clear to disembark, Miren led the way off the craft and onto the landing pad of one of the smaller space stations in the city. Kilo held Castyr close to him as he and Miren headed toward the station's exit. Once safely through the sea of travelers and out of the space station, Miren led the angel to stand on the back edge of the busy street.

"Put him on your back," the human instructed as they came to a stop. Kilo looked at her inquisitively; he thought her command was rather odd. Noticing the puzzlement in the angel's furrowed brows, Miren explained, "It will be less conspicuous. Act like you're carrying a drunk friend."

Although Kilo was not keen to shifting Castyr's position, he did not oppose Miren's wish and silently nodded in agreement. Miren supported Castyr as Kilo bent his knees, and she helped the angel bring the star onto his back. Miren laid Castyr's head to rest limply on Kilo's shoulder as Kilo looped his arms beneath Castyr's legs to support the sleeping star.

"That's better," Miren commented once Castyr was set. "Let's go."

Following the human, Kilo re-entered the busy stream of pedestrians and continued toward the incredibly tall tower situated toward the city's center. When the angel and human had been quietly walking for a while, Miren broke the silence by asking, "How do you plan to get on the transport? It's usually only accessible to VIP guests, esteemed military personnel, and intergalactic delegates."

Kilo remained silent as he pondered how he and Castyr would gain access to the transport and return to the Heavens. While the Transport Tower hosted several transport stations that would teleport travelers to various planets in the galaxy, the highest level that housed the transport to Heaven was off-limits to the general public. Even though Kilo and Castyr were not VIP guests or intergalactic delegates, they were likely the two who needed the transport the most desperately.

Knowing that returning Castyr to the safety of the Heavens was his utmost priority, Kilo replied, "I'll find a way." No matter the method, Kilo would do whatever was necessary to deliver Castyr to Heaven.

As Kilo followed Miren through the sea of people, his mind was focused on finding the most applicable scenario for accessing the transport to Heaven. While most scenarios consisted of sneaking into the highest level, there was one method that did not involve breaking into the transport, and that was if Kilo declared his and Castyr's identities and requested asylum. However, Kilo was unsure if this method was safe.

A concern had crept its way into the back of Kilo's mind over the past few days; he was worried about Earth's safety. Can I trust Earth? Should I declare I am the missing guardian angel? Have demons and Hades' spies infiltrated Earth? With the rising demon activity across the galaxy, Kilo could not be certain Earth was still secure.

Kilo's breath grew strained, and dizziness consumed his mind as the angel continued traversing through the crowded street. Kilo eventually had to stop to catch his breath; his chest heaved with every breath. Shaking the dizziness from his eyes, Kilo slowly returned to following the human, who had stopped when she sensed the angel falling behind.

Kilo had not realized just how weak he was until he saw Miren waiting for him to catch up. The wounds from the fight and lack of energy from stabilizing Castyr had taken their toll on the angel, and he was feeling their effects. 

"You okay?" Miren inquired with a worried expression as Kilo reached her. Kilo simply gave a silent nod in response which did nothing to convince Miren. Her brows furrowed as she saw the angel's pale face and heaving chest. Although Miren did not push the matter, she gave the angel one more look of concern before turning and continuing down the street.

Thankfully, it was not much longer before the three arrived at a tram stop. Miren bought the trio tickets to downtown Earth while Kilo found a spot to rest. While Kilo caught his breath, he heard a small voice call his name. "Kilo...?"

"Castyr?" Turning his head, Kilo smiled softly as he saw the star's eyes slowly open. "How do you feel? Are you alright?"

Castyr nodded before adding, "Just sleepy. Where are we?" Slipping off the angel's back, Castyr settled into a recently vacated chair next to Kilo.

"We're waiting for a tram to Heaven's transport," Miren answered as she joined the two with three cups of water. Kilo thanked Miren with a nod as he accepted two of the cups and passed one on to the star.

Castyr's face lit up with a smile when he heard Miren's response. "We made it to Earth?" Both Kilo and Miren confirmed the star's question with a nod. "What happened to The Flisea?" Castyr then inquired, his thoughts trailing back to just before he fell unconscious. "The last thing I remember was a bright light."

Miren gazed at the star softly as she answered, "You saved us." Though she regretted having to leave The Flisea, she was grateful Castyr was able to purify the eight ships of demons.

Castyr was shocked by Miren's response. "I did?" He pointed to himself with a dropped jaw. He could not believe the light had come from himself until Miren relayed the event. When Miren had completed filling Castyr in on what had happened, the star turned his attention to Kilo who had been silent.

The star's expression was filled with concern as he looked up at his angel. "Kilo, are you alright? You look awful. How are your wounds?" Without hesitation, the star lifted the angel's shirt to check Kilo's slash, causing Kilo to quickly push Castyr's hands away and lower his shirt.

"I'm fine," Kilo assured as he swiftly covered his fused wound.

"Then why do you look so tired?" Castyr responded, his brows furrowed with worry.

"I'm probably just tired from the fight." Kilo brushed off the star's question and lifted the disposable cup to his lips and drank some of its refreshing liquid.

Before Castyr could push the matter further, Miren stated, "It's here," as she spotted the tram nearing the stop. Turning back to Castyr, Kilo asked, "Can you walk?"

The star was quick to stand to his feet and assure his angel he was perfectly healthy. Kilo stood behind Castyr protectively as they waited for the tram to slow to a stop before the small station. Miren was the first to step away from the wall she had been leaning against and start for the tram. Castyr was sure to stick close to Kilo as the three boarded and searched for empty seats. Kilo led his star to the last empty seat and motioned for Castyr to sit as he and Miren stood next to him with their backs to the aisle. 

The tram was newer and smoother than the one on Megran, so it was not hard for the angel to keep his balance as it departed from the station. Kilo was grateful for Earth's advanced technology as he was not keen on handling a rough ride at that moment. The angel held onto the rail above and rested his head in the pocket of his elbow while Castyr leaned his head against the tram's window and closed his eyes. He must still be exhausted.

Even though Castyr had assured Kilo he was feeling fine, Kilo knew the star was still recovering his energy from the light blast. So, he was not surprised when Castyr was asleep before the tram was too far from the small station. 

The tram took its passengers through the sea of skyscrapers and towers and into the jungle of the city's downtown. Raised train lines and speedways weaved in-between and around towers, increasing in density as they neared downtown. Castyr slept through the city he had so wanted to see, but Kilo did not wake him as he needed to recover his strength. Miren, who had been to Earth many times, did not even blink an eye as she watched the endless skyscrapers pass by.

The tram stopped at a station downtown, and the three continued their journey to the Transport Tower. When the trio reached a massive plaza that stretched out before the city's tallest building, Kilo knew they had arrived. 

The plaza was bustling with people enjoying their day, hitting all the touristy spots, and heading to work for the day. It was a beautiful plaza with lots of trees, benches and tables, and waterworks. Castyr gazed around in awe as the three crossed the plaza and neared the gigantic tower.

A slight movement caught Kilo's eye as the trio neared the other end of the plaza. The angel quickly turned around, but whatever had caught his attention was swift to avoid his gaze. Kilo stepped closer to Castyr and swept his eyes over their surroundings as the three entered the tower that housed Heaven's transport.