The human let out a long breath and rubbed his palms together as he sat on the sofa in the common room. Devyn had been pacing about for the last several hours. The CEO had no idea how long a rescue mission to Hades would usually be, but he did not realize it would take this long. It had been a full day since the five had set out.

Luckily for Devyn, the party had set out the night of Friday, so the human did not have to go to work the next day. Devyn highly doubted he would even be able to get anything done had it been a work day. The sun had set, and the stars were shining brightly in the sky beyond the blanket of light that was being emitted by the jungle of sky-reachers.

Devyn had just stood to his feet and had set off for the kitchen to grab a glass of water when the elevator to the penthouse dinged, indicating it had reached the top floor. The human stopped in his tracks and whirled around before immediately going up to the elevator as its doors opened only to instantly back away as a tall, blonde man walked into the human's home.

"Hello, Devyn," Wil greeted the human with a sneer as he exited the elevator.

"What are you doing here?" Devyn questioned as he overcame his shock and regained his composure.

"I just wanted to visit my fiancé. Is that so wrong?" Wil returned in a defensive pout as he advanced toward the emerald-eyed man.

Devyn cocked his head to the side as he noticed the glint in Wil's eye; it was a glint he had seen many a time. "Wil, I can't. Not now. I'm expecting guests," Devyn said as he lifted his hands in front of his chest and backed away.

"Tell them you're busy," Wil ordered as he took a step forward. "We haven't had alone time with each other in a while, and I've missed you. It's going to be a long night." Wil backed the brown-haired against the couch as he finished his response.

"I don't want you touching me right now. I said I can't," Devyn stated firmly as he stared at his fiancé with hard eyes.

"I thought I told you to not talk back to me," Wil growled as he reached out and grabbed Devyn's jaw forcefully as he pressed the smaller male into the sofa. Devyn lost his balance due to the pressure from Wil and stumbled down onto the couch. Wil was quick to pin Devyn onto the sofa, holding the emerald-eyed's wrists with one hand while loosening his tie with the other. "Now, are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?" The blonde asked the man below him as he removed his tie and began unbuttoning his shirt. Devyn gulped and stared with wide eyes as Wil removed his shirt before flipping the brown-haired onto his stomach.

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

Tears mixed with water as the human tried his best to wash off the scent of his attacker. Devyn's skin was raw from the constant rubbing of the sponge on his body, but the human could not bring himself to stop until every last trace of Wil had been washed away. Sobs racked Devyn's body as he set down the sponge that was too harsh on his skin and slid to the floor of the shower.

Devyn did not even try to hold back his tears as he needed to get them all out before Denzyl came back. The human cried for twenty more minutes before standing back to his feet and washing his hair. He needed to pull himself together; Denzyl could come back at any time.

The human wrapped himself in a cozy bathrobe as he stepped out of the shower and began towel drying his hair. Devyn let his hair air dry as he exited the bathroom and retrieved a clean set of sheets from the closet. After about five minutes, the bed was made with fresh sheets and pillows. The human then returned to the bathroom and changed into a pair of comfortable clothes that consisted of a long-sleeved shirt and soft, black slacks.

Devyn let out a sigh as he looked at the reddening marks in the mirror. The human opened the middle drawer of the counter to extract a tube of foundation suitable for his milky skin. Devyn pressed the tip of his finger to the tube's opening and squeezed the container to dispense a drop of the tinted liquid onto his finger before rubbing the foundation over one of the marks lining his neck. The human repeated this action until all of the visible marks and appearing bruises had been completely concealed. The marks had already begun to fade, but Devyn did not want to take any chances, so he put on multiple layers.

After Devyn had made certain he was presentable, the human returned the tube to its place in the drawer before exiting the bathroom and making his way to the living area where he sat on the replacement sofa that had been delivered and positioned during his shower. The sofa was the exact model and color as the previous one, so Devyn was not worried about the six noticing any change. Everything appeared to be the same as it had been when the rescue party set off.

Devyn had refrained from calling Byeong-Ho as he did not know when the party would arrive and decided it would be best to play it safe. There would be too many questions if the others entered while the physician was tending to the young CEO.

Once Devyn had made sure everything was in order, he made himself a cup of hot tea infused with herbs that contained calming effects. The human figured a bit of a distressing aid could help him when greeting Denzyl. Devyn let out a long breath as he sipped on the much-needed tea and went back to waiting for the return of the rescue party with the star.

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

Kilo was broken. His world had been shattered, his heart crushed. The purple-eyed angel 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. The black-haired angel 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 lied in the Heavens, and Aklys had one hell of a mess to clean up. The angel 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 to Earth. Kilo mustered a nod as 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 as they watched him spread his shimmering silver wings and take to the sky.

Kilo did not remember the trip back to Daedoeshi as his heart was constantly consumed by sorrow. When the three reached the company, the purple-eyed angel mindlessly followed Denzyl into the elevator designed specifically for transport to the penthouse.

The dinging of the elevator caused Devyn's heart rate to spike as he instantly recalled the incidents that followed the previous ding of the elevator's arrival. The human took in a deep breath and slowly released it as he calmed his racing heart. The human poised himself as the doors slid open and the three survivors walked into the welcoming area that led into the common room.

Devyn's heart fell as he looked at the living three. Their faces were filled with sadness and fatigue. Kilo's gaze was distant as he inclined his head to the human shortly before walking past and disappearing down the hallway. The purple-eyed 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 and searched for the tiniest traces that were left behind by his star.

Devyn stared at the small party with wet eyes when he did not see the silver-haired star. The human opened 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. Surely, he won't know, would he? The human slowly accepted the demon's embrace as his tense body eventually relaxed.

Denzyl noticed the slight tensing of Devyn's body as he held him closely, but he was too relieved to see Devyn again that he did not push the human for an answer as to why he was so tense.

"What happened?" Devyn asked in a hushed voice as Rae walked past the two and entered the set of stairs that led to the rooftop. The human's eyes widened when he saw the blanket-covered form of a body in the chocolate-haired angel'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. Tragic things had happened, and Devyn knew how hard it was to talk about something traumatic that had just taken place. Devyn looked up from Denzyl's shoulder as he saw 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 the human softly as he turned to watch Rae disappear up the stairs.

"Ilios..." Devyn had not grown particularly close to Ilios, as he had only known the white-winged angel for a few days, but the human felt the loss in his gentle heart. Devyn remained still as Denzyl pulled the human 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 as he 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 as he walked over to the door and cautiously opened it. Two women dressed in hooded cloaks stood at the doorway behind Devyn's secretary.

Astrid's face was flushed as her chest heaved. 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," the young CEO responded as he came to stand behind Denzyl. "Why did you bring them to my residential floor?" Devyn inquired of his secretary from behind the 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 as 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.

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

"How did you know to find Kilo here?" Devyn inquired as he tried to discern whether or not to trust the woman.

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 as she had completed her duties. 

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

"Thank you, sir," the female bowed in thanks 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 the human 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 as she followed 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. The human held his breath as Denzyl pulled him close. Please don't ask me...please... Devyn could tell the demon knew something was wrong when he felt a tear drop onto his neck.

"Will you let me hold you?" Denzyl's voice was soft and quiet as he inquired of the human.

Tears touched Devyn's eyes as he nodded into the demon. The human did not resist as the demon took his hand and brought him onto the bed where he was wrapped inside Denzyl's warm embrace. Sniffles floated from the human as he buried his face into the demon. Devyn did not stop the tears that came flooding from his eyes as Denzyl continued to hold him affectionately. The demon remained quiet as the human cried into his chest.

Denzyl's heart broke as he heard Devyn cry. The demon did not inquire into the reasoning for the human's tears and just held the man he loved tightly in his arms.