FALLEN STAR | OLD VERSION | BL ✔

CHAPTER 24 | the actaeon

KILO'S POV

Red heat hits my face as I look around. I am standing in a long hall made of slick, black stone. Barrels of red fire line the hall. Columns of black stone stand from the floor to the high ceiling. A clerestory carved from the upper portion lets in red light.

I hide behind a column as a door on the side of the hall opens. A group of demons enter from the door and cross the hall. I let out a small breath as I remain undetected. I am about to come out from behind the column when a demon towards the back of the group stops the rest from exiting the hall.

He sniffs the air. "Do you guys smell something?"

"No."

"It smells like an angel," he says.

"Ah, that's probably because they just dragged one through here. You're most likely smelling his blood trail. They just cleaned it, so his scent is still fresh," another demon answers.

"...Ok...Let's go." The demon looks around the hall once more before following his comrades through the door.

After watching the door close, I slowly come out from behind the column. I jerk in surprise when a blood-covered hand grabs me. Whipping around, I see a tall man holding on to me. I try to break free from his grasp, but he just pulls me closer.

He sniffs my scent before sighing in relief, "I was right."

I stare at him in confusion. Who is this strange person? His face and arms are covered in blood, and his clothes are torn, revealing currently-healing marks of torture. Specs of blood are splattered on his silver-blue head.

"Are you an angel?" He looks at me with a serious face.

"Yes." I nod my head.

"Ok, good. I thought I had smelled one. Follow me. I know how to get you out." Keeping a hold on my arm, the man drags me through a door in the wall.

"Who are you?" I ask as he shuts the door.

"Just know I'm an angel." He turns and looks at me after making sure the room is vacant. "Do you have your sword? They haven't cut it out, have they?"

"It wasn't in my back when they captured me. They took it, though, when they brought me here."

"Ok. That's good."

I notice a scar running up the angel's neck from his back. I shiver as I think of them cutting Ymir from my back.

"What's your sword's name?" The man asks me.

"Ymir."

He nods and closes his golden-honey eyes. His eyes furrow in concentration. He extends his hands by his side as my sword appears in his hands. My eyes widen as I look at him. Only one kind of angel can summon a holy weapon.

"You're an actaeon!"

He nods and hands me the sword.

"How long have you been imprisoned in Hades?"

"A long time. Now is not the time to explain. You need to get out of here."

"How?"

"Transferral."

"Huh?" Did the torture get to his head? "But we don't have a transferral device."

He looks at me in disappointment. "Don't doubt me. I've been alive for hundreds of your lifetime."

I bow my head in apology but quick lift it as sirens sound and groups of demon soldiers run past.

"They found the bodies. Okay, we gotta do this now!" The angel exclaims as we get spotted. He pulls me close to him as he opens his wings. I gawk at the huge, dark-silver wings surrounding me.

I hear demons racing towards us, but the angel ignores them and places his hand on my head. He closes his eyes as bullets get shot into his wings. Blood drips from his shimmering feathers, but he continues to concentrate on saving me.

"Aren't you coming?" I pull his hand away as a white glow surrounds me but not the angel.

"No. I have to rescue others." He places his hand back, and the glow brightens.

My body grows light as it begins transcending space. The glow fills my vision as the transferrance begins, but I can still make out hands grabbing the angel as I leave Hades.

✨✨✨✨

Whizzing bullets wake me. I sit up gasping and open my eyes to darkness. I am lying in a war-shattered square in a prestigious city. Spotlights searching the ground shine on the bombed skyscrapers and towers.

I pick myself up as a light nears me. I hurry to escape the searchlight and dash into an abandoned skyscraper. The first level seems to be a retail center. I look down at my tattered clothes and then back out at the chaos. Well, there is no one here, and I am cold. After blessing the store and its owners with prosperity, I begin shopping silently. Gunfire sounds in the distance, but they seem to still be far away, so I continue looking for new attire.

I focus on finding all black attire so I can stay in the shadows and remain unspotted. A simple, black, long-sleeved shirt grabs my eye. I take it from the display table and hold it up to my chest. It should fit.

I wince as I remove my shirt. Bruises and cuts cover my body. A mirror is mounted on a column in front of me. A sigh escapes my lips as I look at my tattered reflection. I have not realized how slender I have become. On the other hand, though, I think I have gotten taller. I look down at my pants to see them rise above my ankles.

I have grown....um...about three to four inches. A small smile enters my face. I slip into the shirt and find a black jacket with a collar. I then change out of my torn pants into black cargo pants. As I am changing, I notice the wounds and burns from my years in Hades have begun to heal. The already-healed scars remain, however.

Exhaustion from the day's events consumes me, so I find a sofa next to the fitting room in the back corner of the shop and curl up. My thoughts trail to Castyr, and I wonder where he is. Is he alright? What is he doing? I pray that he is safe before I fall asleep.

TIME SKIP: THE NEXT MORNING

Bombs and the sound of combat jerk me awake. I cautiously make my way to the opening of the building and look outside to see what the darkness cloaked the night before.

Giant buildings and skyscrapers tower as far as the eye can see. Unlit signs of numerous languages decorate the sides of the tall buildings; a particularly tall building rises above all the other skyscrapers.

I cock my head as I look at it. Why does it seem so familiar? Like I have been there before. Wait... I take a closer look at the war torn city. How is this possible? I take a step back from the shattered window. This. Is. Earth.

Actaeon - An ancient Angel who specializes in weapons, particularly archery. An Actaeon can summon any holy weapon if he/she knows the name.