Kilo's chest pounded as pain struck his gut. Castyr! The angel called out the star's name in his mind as pain came from the angel and star's link. Castyr, are you okay?! Kilo attempted to link the star, but the feelings of anger and fear were his only response.

While Kilo was trying to reach his star, the people standing around the table looked at the angel in worry and confusion.

"Kilo, are you alright?" Ilios' voice snapped the angel out of his head.

"Hm?" The angel sounded quietly as he looked up at the man standing in front of him at the other side of the table. "Oh, uh, I think something is wrong with Castyr. He's hurt," Kilo informed the others.

"Can you reach him?" The blonde-haired inquired of the angel.

Kilo shook his head in response. "I only know he is angry and afraid."

Those surrounding the table looked at the black-haired angel with concern. Kilo set his hands on the table where the drafts of rescue plans rested as he attempted to reach his star one more time.

"Is he more angry or more afraid?" Rae inquired after a moment.

"More angry," Kilo answered.

"That's good. It means they haven't broken him yet," Rae responded. Ilios looked at his love through moist eyes as he heard the chocolate-haired angel's reply.

"I don't think they are trying to break him," Kilo said as he lifted his head. "They need him for something else. I don't know what yet, but I feel like they need him healthy and at his full capacity," the angel added as he recalled his past conversations with Castyr.

"You're saying you think they're going to use him for something?" Devyn inquired as he processed Kilo's words.

Kilo nodded in response.

"I never told him this, but Castyr is one of the most powerful stars we have had come from the showers," Ilios revealed. "That is most likely why he is Hades' target."

"They want his power," Miren commented, drawing a nod from the blonde.

"Castyr is a living bomb," Ilios added in response to Miren's comment.

"I have heard stories from demons from Hades who came to collect on my planet." All eyes turned to the demon who had spoken up. Denzyl released a small breath before continuing, "According to the stories, Hades has been building some sort of device or machine. The king has tested it on a few of the captured angels, draining them of their energy and eventually killing them. The device then transfers the energy into a holding container. But every once in a while, the king will empty the energy into one of his demons."

"He is using his own people as storage?" Ilios asked in disgust.

Denzyl nodded in confirmation. "I am sure he will drain them completely when he needs the energy stored inside of them."

"And he is going to do the same to Castyr," Devyn concluded beneath his breath.

"Yes," Denzyl confirmed. "However, he will most likely wait until the blood sun when both he and Castyr will become stronger."

"What do you mean? What is the blood sun?" The brown-haired human inquired.

"It is an event that happens every ten thousand years," Rae began. "During a blood sun, the essence of Hades grows stronger as the sun is veiled in the bloodshed throughout the thousands of years between the occurrences. However, because the sun is a star, even though it has never morphed into its form as a being, all stars will draw power from the veil of blood."

"Hades will be unstoppable," Miren stated when the angel finished.

"That is why we need to rescue Castyr before the blood sun," the chocolate-haired angel declared.

"When is the blood sun?" Devyn inquired as he turned to face the blue-eyed angel.

"In two weeks," Rae replied. The room grew silent as the realization of the quickly approaching blood sun set in.

"I am not waiting half a month." Kilo's voice broke the silence. His expression was hard as he continued, "I am getting Castyr out of there as soon as possible."

Those surrounding the table nodded their heads in agreement. They could not afford to wait.

"How is Castyr? Any updates?" Devyn inquired after a moment had passed.

Kilo shook his head. "I haven't heard anything, but his pain and fear are gone. He seems calmer."

"That is good," Devyn commented. "At least he is not in pain."

Kilo nodded in agreement. The last thing Kilo wanted was for Castyr to be scared, in pain, and alone. Kilo lifted his head as he recalled a part of the conversation he had had with the star during the night. The purple-eyed turned his gaze to the newly-reunited couple and inquired, "Have you heard of a silver-winged angel going missing?"

Ilios and Rae took a moment to sift through their memories from a time before any of those present were born. After a few seconds, Rae opened his mouth to speak. "There was one that disappeared several centuries ago. I did not know him, but I think his name was...Orion."

Ilios nodded in agreement. "Yes. I had met him a few times when I was younger before he went missing. No one really knows what happened. He just disappeared one night and was never seen again."

"Heaven didn't look for him?" Kilo inquired. It was rare for an angel to disappear and never be found again.

"No," Rae confirmed as he recalled more of the actaeon's story. "He had bonded with a demon, so Heaven was not the keenest on finding him." The angel's eyes suddenly widened as the realization hit him. "Wait...so, the angel who saved us was Orion? The Orion?"

Kilo nodded. He had guessed as much, but Rae and Ilios had just confirmed his assumption.

"And he has been in Hades all these years?" Rae wondered aloud. It was a miracle that the actaeon had not yet lost his mind from the hundreds of years of torture.

"Orion saved you? He's alive?" Ilios asked with wide eyes as he put the details together.

Rae smiled at his angel softly and nodded before turning to Kilo. "Why did you ask about the actaeon?"

"Castyr said he was with a silver-winged angel when we connected last night," Kilo answered the blue-eyed angel.

"And you believe Castyr is with Orion," Ilios concluded.

"It appears to be so," Kilo responded.

"That is good. At least he is not alone," Rae said with a sigh.

Kilo pursed his lips as he silently agreed with the blue-eyed angel. Both Kilo and Rae knew the struggle of prevailing through Hades alone. Kilo's eyes widened as a realization hit him. "I think I know which demon Orion bonded with," he began. Kilo's five companions looked at him with waiting faces. "Aklys," Kilo revealed confidently. "When I first confronted the demon general in Ithyos, he told me he needed Castyr to save someone he loved."

"You fought Aklys in Ithyos?" Devyn inquired as he furrowed his brows. Castyr had told Devyn and Denzyl about his home being invaded by demons when the star was telling Devyn what had happened to cause Kilo and him to fall from Heaven. But the star had not said anything about Kilo fighting the demon general.

Kilo nodded in confirmation. "Castyr was unconscious at the time. Aklys chased me to the edge of Ithyos and told me to hand Castyr over. I refused, and Aklys pleaded with me that he needed Castyr to save someone. My guess is that 'someone' is Orion."

"If that is true, why would Aklys put Castyr with Orion?" Rae pondered.

"If I am putting this together correctly, Orion transferred Rae out of Hades when Aklys took Castyr. That means Orion may have already received his punishment for rescuing an angel by the time Aklys arrived in Hades with Castyr." Kilo took a breath before finishing. "I think he left Casytr to heal Orion who would have been beaten for saving Rae."

"Then, will Orion transfer Castyr out of Hades?" Devyn inquired with hope.

"I think he will if he is able," Kilo responded.

"What if the king makes sure Orion can't?" Denzyl spoke up in a low voice.

"What do you mean?" Rae inquired of the demon.

"What if the king hurts the actaeon, so he is not physically able to transfer anyone?" Denzyl elongated his original thought.

"Then we will have to pray Aklys keeps Castyr safe until we get there."

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

The night breeze ruffled Devyn's soft hair as he and Denzyl sat on the rooftop. The two had spread a blanket and begun star gazing following the conclusion of the meeting discussing rescue plans. The human and demon's fingers were intertwined as Devyn leaned against Denzyl's chest. The human released a breath and closed his eyes as he relaxed in the demon's warm embrace.

It was not long, however, until that familiar feeling rose in the human. The sensation entered the human's throat, and Devyn became uncomfortable as guilt consumed him once more. Devyn had been fighting the feeling ever since he and Denzyl came to Daedoeshi and did not know what to do with it. The feeling was only magnified when Denzyl stood up to Wil and protected Devyn, making the human wonder what he did to deserve Denzyl's tenderness and care. He had only known loneliness and hardship before he had met Denzyl and did not know how to repay the demon's immeasurable kindness.

The human began to fidget as the feeling consumed his body. Denzyl noticed Devyn's anxious movements and brought his hand up to the human's head. "What's wrong?" The demon asked softly as he ran his fingers through Devyn's hair.

A lump formed in Devyn's throat as he heard Denzyl's words. The human sat up and moved out of the demon's arms before turning to face the crimson-haired man. "I...I'm so sorry, Denzyl," Devyn said slowly and quietly as tears formed in his eyes. Truthfully, Devyn had been wanting to apologize to Denzyl for a long time.

Denzyl knit his brows as he also sat up straight. "What's wrong, Devyn?" The demon's voice was slow and steady as he wondered why Devyn was suddenly apologizing to him.

"I just...I can't fight the feeling that you shouldn't be here," Devyn revealed. A tear escaped the corner of the human's eye as he turned his gaze to the ground.

Denzyl released a silent breath as he waited for the human to continue. Denzyl had known something had been bothering the human and realized Devyn was ready to talk about it. It was the same thing that broke Denzyl's heart when he woke to see Devyn silently crying on the balcony. The demon remained quiet and sat patiently as Devyn took a shaky breath.

"You should be with your clan, not here with me. I ripped you from your family and home. I'm so sorry, Denzyl. I shouldn't have..." The human's voice trailed off as he lowered his head, another tear escaping the corner of his eye.

Denzyl was quick to reach his hand up and wipe the tear away. "None of this is your fault. It was my decision to leave the clan, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat." The demon's voice was soft and unassertive as he explained his thoughts to the insecure human.

"But-"

"No, buts. I knew what I was doing when I stopped my father's hand. I was ready to give it all up, and I would not do a single thing different even now." Denzyl cupped Devyn's face as he brought their foreheads together. The demon closed his eyes and spoke softly as Devyn also closed his eyes. "I just want to be with you, so stop feeling guilty, hm? You have done nothing wrong."

"Denzyl..." Devyn's voice was low and quiet as he said the demon's name.

Denzyl detected the hesitation in the human's voice and pulled away. The demon's eyes moistened as he pleaded, "Let me be with you, please."

Devyn's heart broke as he heard the vulnerability in Denzyl's voice. All of the remaining guilt and insecurity came flooding out of the human, and Devyn burst into tears. Denzyl was quick to bring the human into his arms. The demon held Devyn tightly as the human cried, "I don't want you to go." Tears streamed down Devyn's face as he voiced his true desire. "I've never felt this way for anyone and was so afraid that I would lose you."

"I'm not going anywhere," Denzyl assured the human as he brought his hand up to cradle Devyn's head. Denzyl felt Devyn nod into his shoulder and released a breath of relief. The human continued to cry out his insecurities and feelings of guilt as the demon held him beneath the stars.