I stood with my wings spread wide, the weight of battle pressing heavily upon me. The cold air bit at my wounds, and every breath was laced with exhaustion, but the knowledge that Zareth had retreated—vanishing into the darkness—offered little comfort. Blood dotted the snow in stark contrast, painting a silent testament to all that had transpired. For a moment, the world held its breath, poised between the violence that had ended and the uncertainty that would surely return.

My gaze fell on Carter. He lay unconscious in the snow, his body battered and broken, a figure of vulnerability amid the devastation. I could sense the flicker of life within him—fragile, but stubbornly persisting. For a brief moment, I hesitated, feeling the ache of my own wounds and the pull of exhaustion, but I could not leave him here to the cold and the silence.

With a steadying breath, I moved toward Carter, my wings sweeping the snow aside as I knelt beside his motionless form. His skin was pale, his breathing shallow, yet I could not ignore the spark of life that lingered within him. "Hold on, Carter. This isn't your end," I whispered, more to myself than to him, as I gently lifted his limp body. He weighed little to me—I had carried far greater burdens before, but none felt so heavy as the responsibility of his fragile life in this moment.

I spread my wings and took to the sky, the cold wind cutting against me as I ascended. The world fell away beneath us, a silent expanse of white and shadow as I kept my eyes fixed on the horizon. The nearest hospital capable of saving him was in Tokyo—a long journey, but it had to be made. Had I been in my full angelic form, I could have healed him myself, but the rules of the gem hunt bound me as tightly as any chain.

Soon, the lights of Tokyo stretched before us, flickering like a constellation scattered across the earth. I landed silently outside the hospital, my wings folding around Carter as I stepped forward, the city’s noise muffled in the hush of pre-dawn. Gently, I laid him down, checking his pulse once more—still weak, but present, his story not yet finished. The drive to protect him burned in me, stronger than any exhaustion, but I knew I could not remain by his side—not like this.

Closing my eyes, I reached inward, feeling the ancient magic woven into my being. With a single thought, my wings and otherworldly features vanished, replaced by the careful illusion of a man in a crisp suit. Adjusting my tie, I stole one last glance at Carter, his fate now in human hands. "You'll live, Carter. You have to," I murmured softly, the promise lingering in the cold air as I slipped away into the waking city.