We stare at each other, and tears burn my eyes. The sight of their smooth, unblemished skin is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Emotion swells in my chest and a sob cracks out of me. A tear leaks down the side of my face, and I wipe it with the back of my hand. It acts as a signal because then we all move, circling together in a tangle of arms and wings, embracing each other as we share in the collective grief of our trauma.

“It’s over,” Rhyle says, and I look up. He hooks a hand around the back of my head and presses his forehead to mine. “It’s over, my friend.”

“Captain,” says Jareth, and we break apart as all seven of my living brothers stand in a line, pressing their hands to their chests and bowing their heads.

“Captain,” they murmur in unison.

“Thank you for everything you did to protect us,” Rhyle says, and I can barely respond over the pressure squeezing my heart and my ribs as I nod.

“Any of you would have done the same,” I answer when I can speak, knowing it’s true. These are good men, and every last one of them might have done great things. Any of them still could. “I am honored to have served at your side, and I would not have survived this without any of you. But from now on, there will be no more captain. From now on, I will only be Gabriel.”

Hylene and Erevan rush over, also wrapping me in their embrace. We hug for a minute before I feel Tyr’s eyes on me. I pull away and turn to him, walking over and falling to a knee.

“No,” Tyr says. “There will be no more of that either. For your service to Aphelion, you will all be granted anything you need or desire to live in comfort until the end of your days. I know it cannot make up for everything that happened, but you will never want for anything in this life again.”

I stand up and nod, dragging Tyr towards me in a messy hug as he wraps his arms around me. It’s been so many years since we’ve touched one another like this. I remember the strong man he used to be, but that man is gone.

I don’t know what the future holds for any of us, but as I pull away, I know I will always care for him. We walked a path so dark that we nearly lost our way, but together, we stumbled into the light, and no matter what happens, I will always be there for him.

He seems to understand what I’m saying without words and nods before the first smile I’ve seen in so long barely creeps to his face.

“It’s time to destroy it,” he reminds me. “This will never happen again.”