Ten minutes passed before Zephyr returned. The moment he came out of the shadows inside the main hall, he noticed the broken photo frame on the ground. Its broken pieces lying all around.
Raven was still sitting near the window, looking at the street ahead through the gap in the curtains.
Zephyr didn't know why the frame was broken or how it ended up there. But he felt that he shouldn't ask.
"I brought something to eat." Zephyr said, making his presence known.
He placed the food on the table, serving it in one plate.
Raven stood up, glancing back at Zephyr. He stepped forward, only to stumble as his frail body almost lost balance.
Zephyr quickly reached out to steady him, concern etched on his face. Raven offered him a weak smile, grateful for the support.
He walked to the table, supported by Zephyr who pulled the chair back for him.
"The scent of blood is quite bad. I'll clean it up." Zephyr spoke, leaving Raven to eat. However, before he could take a step back, he felt someone grab onto his wrist.
The grip was molten hot, almost hurting him in the process. Zephyr turned around, wondering why Raven had stopped him.
Raven gestured for him to sit down, placing another plate nearby.
"It's fine. I can go on without eating," Zephyr explained, but seeing the persistent gaze of Raven, he couldn't help but sit down.
Raven slowly ate what Zephyr brought for him, without a single complaint. For him, it didn't matter what he was eating. All he cared about was to give this frail body some energy so it could keep him going.
"I also got two tickets for us. Since we need to reach our destination on time, we'll be taking the Train."
Raven nodded, not showing much interest in the topic. He trusted Zephyr on the matters.
"But there's one problem." After a brief moment of pause, Zephyr stated.
Raven didn't even look at Zephyr. He raised his hand, pointing at his face.
Zephyr was slightly surprised that Raven had known about this. Even as he wasn't physically well, he had still thought of everything. It was as if he was already one step ahead.
"That's correct. Arthur has seen us. By now, I'm sure our wanted posters should be everywhere. The moment anyone sees our faces, all hell will break loose."
Raven nodded as he continued eating, albeit slowly. He tapped his wrist, as if asking something.
"This... Did you already expect that as well?" Zephyr asked, even more surprising. But then he realized that it made sense as well.
The problem they had was very specific. And there was only one person who could help them with this. So it made sense that Raven had expected his plan.
"By tonight, she should be here," he informed Raven. "However, since I'm not sure if she'll be trailed or not, I haven't told her our exact location. Only after confirming that she wasn't trailed, I'll bring her here."
Raven didn't react. But his silence was an answer in itself that he didn't mind these decisions.
Looking at Raven, at times Zephyr could see the glimpse of the same old Raven who had always been carefree in the past, never taking interest in the matters of Heaven. However, all of that had changed one day.
He wondered if the same change was going to happen again once Raven fully recovered. Whatever being the case, he made a promise to himself that he was always going to support the person before him.
Even if the world stood against Raven, he was going to stay with him. Even if the entire world called him a demon, he was going to stand beside him. Even if the entire world hated him, he was going to cherish him.
Raven raised his head, noticing Zephyr looking at him instead of eating. He glanced at the food before Zephyr, as if telling him to eat.
Zephyr smiled, nodding. It was as if they were back in time to the point where Raven had saved him when he had fallen off a cliff.
Even then, Raven had offered him something to eat, but dazed, he didn't even touch the food until Raven had insisted again. From that day onwards, he never looked back. His old family had become strangers for him, while Raven had become his only family.
Zephyr started eating, accompanying Raven even though he didn't need to eat anything.
As Zephyr and Raven sat together, sharing a meal, there was a sense of comfort and familiarity between them.
....
Arthur returned to his Palace, accompanied by Merlin.
As he sat on his throne, his face was revealed, half of which was terribly burned in the recent battle.
"I can see why Hades is considered so dangerous." His fingers tapped on the armrest of the throne. "He is strong."
"Strong would be an understatement." Merlin commented as he used his magic, slowly healing all the wounds on Arthur's body.
"In any case, it was fun. Maybe I should challenge him once more in the future." A smile spread across Arthur's lips as he glanced at his sword that was back in its sheath. Although he had gotten hurt, he didn't seem to regret the battle.
"If Hades is this strong, I'm quite curious as to how strong 'he' would've been when he had crushed Heaven beneath his feet. What a pity that he's only a shadow of his former glory now," he continued as his face healed at a visible speed.
"It's not the time to praise him. Don't forget that he can become a danger to all of us. We should catch that kid before that shadow of former glory regains its glory." Merlin rolled his eyes, correcting the position of his spectacles on the bridge of his nose.
"We can't afford to underestimate him just because he's weakened. If we don't act quickly, it could spell trouble for us all," he added, his voice filled with concern.
If anyone could talk to Arthur in this manner, it was only his childhood friend Merlin.