* * *

“Hah, so annoying. I should have just killed you from the start. My vast generosity turned out to be a problem!”

Kash, with both legs and wings frozen, crawled desperately across the ground. His determination to escape from Lydon was almost pitiful.

Mockingly, Kash shouted at Lydon, who was trailing behind him.

“Get lost! I should never have listened to you in the first place. Why did you lie about my siblings being wiped out? If not for that, I would never have led you here!”

“Ahaha! It wasn’t a lie. I really thought they were all dead. And except for your sister, every single one of them is dead, so it’s not completely false, is it?”

“Shut up! My sister and I will never die. No matter what!”

“Idiot. Do you still believe in the victory of the Demon Realm?”

A Scarlet Dragon had suddenly appeared and wiped out all the High Demons. Even after witnessing that, he still clung to hope? Foolish. If he had any intelligence, he wouldn’t be holding onto such empty delusions.

Growing tired of teasing him, Lydon strode forward and grabbed Kash by the scruff of his neck. Kash struggled with every ounce of strength he had left, but there was no way he could overpower Lydon—someone who could even handle Cadel.

“Let’s go. Cadel told me to bring you.”

“……Sister Cynthi will kill you all. You don’t know how terrifying my sister is.”

Even as he was hoisted up like a sack, Kash spat out his words venomously. But Lydon didn’t so much as blink.

“You’re the one who doesn’t know. Cadel and Father are far stronger than you can imagine. They wouldn’t lose to a mere High Demon.”

Bringing Kash along would make things go much more smoothly. This tedious fight would soon come to an end. Lydon had faith in Cadel and Hyron’s strength, and with that certainty, he flapped his wings.

* * *

‘It’s done. This is it.’

There had never been any need to hide in the first place. With Hyron safely pushed to the sidelines like this, he could take matters into his own hands and deal with Cynthi himself.

Cadel wrapped layers of [Fire Chains] around Cynthi’s charred body. Her limp form barely reacted, only giving a faint twitch as if responding to the searing heat. She didn’t even have the energy left to transform her body with demonic energy. The feeble traces of demonic energy struggling to regenerate were weak—pathetically so.

“How simple.”

Hyron, who had approached Cadel’s side, spoke. There was nothing left for Cynthi, now subdued by Cadel, except death.

“She was probably already half-dead from the moment she descended to the Demon Realm. She fled because she felt her life was in danger from Lord Hyron’s attack.”

If not for the whims of the system, she might have been hiding somewhere safe with her one remaining sibling, Kash, by now. Or perhaps she wouldn’t have chosen to flee in the first place. Various possible endings for her flashed through Cadel’s mind.

Pity was nothing more than a sign of arrogance. Even so, before finishing Cynthi off, Cadel offered her words that might ease her mind.

“I won’t kill Kash even if I find him. If he acts as a threat to humans, I’ll have to restrain him, but I’ll try to keep him alive as much as possible. And if he continues to cooperate…… I won’t touch him even after the war ends. That’s a promise.”

It was a rather generous offer, even without any consequences for her betrayal. Yet, Cynthi merely twitched against the chains in silence. Was she refusing to show even a shred of gratitude to a human, even in death?

Cadel took a short breath and infused more mana into [Fire Chains]. He intended to burn Cynthi alive. However—

“Cadel! I’m here! I brought the demon you asked for!”

A voice that should never have been heard cut through the tension between them.

“Sister! Sister Cynthi!”

“Kash……?”

For the first time, Cynthi, who had remained silent, reacted to Kash’s desperate voice. She lifted her head from where it had been pressed against the ground and turned toward the source of the sound.

Kash lay sprawled on the ground in the same position as Cynthi, his wings and legs completely frozen solid. Seeing his wretched state, Cynthi’s expression twisted in anguish.

Kash, seemingly on the verge of tears at the sight of Cynthi’s devastated form, crawled toward her. But his desperate advance was cut short. Lydon placed his foot on Kash’s back, pinning him down and stopping him from moving.

As Kash’s face contorted in frustration, Cynthi ground her teeth in silent fury.

This was a reunion between siblings that no one had wanted. Cadel stepped in front of Cynthi and raised his voice.

“Don’t come any closer!”

“Huh? Why?”

“Stay where you are, Lydon. Don’t move.”

Cold sweat dripped down his back. He had never expected Lydon to actually bring Kash here. Could this, too, have been part of the system’s plan? If Kash’s arrival provoked Cynthi, it would be a serious problem.

‘……No. Everything will be resolved if I just kill Cynthi.’

He wouldn’t allow any more unexpected variables. Blocking Lydon’s approach, Cadel began pouring powerful mana into [Fire Chains].

“Ugh…… Haaaagh! Aaaagh!”

Under normal circumstances, he would have ended it in a single strike with a lethal spell. He had no interest in torture. But Cynthi was a High Demon capable of transforming her body into demonic energy. If she tried to escape while he was preparing a large-scale attack, things would spiral out of control.

That’s why he had to burn her to death using only the firepower of [Fire Chains]. Even though he knew how difficult it was to kill a High Demon with a spell meant for restraint.

Cynthi’s agonized screams of pain rang in his ears. It was a harrowing experience. Cadel clenched his teeth and furrowed his brows, yet he didn’t look away. He forced himself to face her writhing body, the demonic energy flaring up like a final act of defiance, and the repugnant stench of burning flesh.

Perhaps they, too, were just victims of the system. If they hadn’t been reduced to mere entertainment for another world, they might have lived entirely different lives. But he pushed aside that fleeting, feeble thought and focused solely on ending her suffering as quickly as possible.

“No! Sister! Sister Cynthi! Aaaah! Stop it!”

Kash’s desperate screams made Cadel feel an overwhelming wave of nausea.

‘Just give up already, Cynthi.’

Guilt was a luxury he couldn’t afford—not now.

In the end, Cadel turned his head away and released all the mana he had left.

“……!”

For a brief moment, a sudden explosion of demonic energy burst from Cynthi’s body. The smoke-like demonic energy obscured his vision, and Cadel, momentarily startled, quickly conjured a gust of wind. Had Cynthi unleashed a hidden technique in her final moments? His tense eyes scanned through the dissipating demonic energy.

“…….”

Within his clearing sight, Cynthi’s completely burned body came into view. Her charred corpse, black as coal, hung limply, devoid of any movement.

‘……She’s dead.’

He didn’t have the courage to confirm it up close. Slowly stepping back, Cadel dismissed [Fire Chains]. Kash’s anguished screams, witnessing his sibling’s death firsthand, went unheard—Lydon had pressed his head down into the dirt.

Even without the chains restraining her, Cynthi remained motionless. Of course, she did. She was dead. He had killed her with his own hands. Despite having slain countless demons before, this time, the weight of it lingered. Perhaps because of Kash.

Turning his gaze, Cadel looked at Kash. His eyes blazed with raw fury, glinting with uncontained rage. Those wide, hate-filled eyes fixated on his sister’s corpse as if they could kill her all over again. Unable to meet that gaze, Cadel instead turned toward Hyron.

“It’s done now, Lord Hyron. You’ve done well.”

“The hard work was yours, Cadel. ……So, is the danger you warned us about finally gone?”

“……Yes. It’s gone.”

Cynthi had been eliminated, and Kunra’s technique was likely progressing smoothly. The crimson glow still staining the distant sky remained unchanged. Still, rather than returning immediately, it would be wiser to wait for Kunra’s confirmation.

‘And after that……’

Should he release Kash? He had made a promise to Cynthi—not to harm Kash as long as he posed no threat to humans. But if he freed him now, there was no telling what reckless action Kash might take. Yet, leaving him as he was wasn’t an option either—he had already been exposed as a traitor to his own kind.

‘Trying to talk my way through this will only backfire. Maybe it’s best to have Lydon take Kash somewhere far away and release him there.’

Just as he took a step forward with that thought—

“……Huh?”

Cadel’s pendant suddenly began to thrash wildly. Alarmed, he grasped it tightly, but a scorching heat spread through his fingers. Cracks formed along its surface, splitting open as red energy leaked through the fractures.

“Cadel. Look over there.”

Hyron pointed toward the garden sky. Floating there was Kunra, surrounded by dissipating red energy. As the energy dispersed, Kunra’s body started plummeting powerlessly. Shocked, Cadel instinctively rushed forward.

「Time remaining until removal: 00:00:10」

「Controlling variables.」

「Failure will result in penalties.」

「World calibration for a balance of power and removal of dangerous entities in progress.」

A crimson warning screen appeared, counting down from ten seconds.

‘Balance of power? Removal of dangerous entities?’

No way. A chill ran down his spine. With a thunderous impact, Kunra crashed to the ground, shaking the earth. Clutching the crumbling pendant, Cadel desperately called out.

“Kunra! Kunra, can you hear me? Wake up! You have to get up!”

If Hyron couldn’t be eliminated, then the system would instead remove someone of similar influence to maintain balance. Did that mean Hyron’s power was on Kunra’s level? That didn’t seem right. But right on cue, Kunra had lost consciousness and fallen. The system had just made its next target painfully obvious.

‘Are they really planning to kill Kunra? He may have lost, but he’s still the god of this land. Do they really think they can pull this off?’

He wasn’t going to let them. No matter what, he had to protect Kunra before the countdown hit zero.

“Damn it, there’s barely any time left. Lydon! Get me to Kunra, now!”

Lydon’s wings flared as he prepared to take off with Cadel, but before they could even lift off—

“You……!”

A powerful force struck them from behind, sending both men tumbling backward.

A sickening, wet squelch echoed in Cadel’s ears. A sharp gust of wind followed, carrying a wave of something hot and sticky that splattered across his skin. The smell was awful.

The grip around Cadel’s waist slackened, and Lydon’s voice trembled.

“Fa, ther……?”

Cadel couldn’t turn around. His entire body was frozen in place.

“Huh? What the hell? Popping up out of nowhere…… How annoying.”

His vision was filled with the desolate graveyard of the maze. Among the rubble, a single system window flickered into existence.

「Variable removal complete. Balance of power maintained.」

The words hung in the air. The moment their meaning sank in, Cadel felt like he was plummeting into an abyss.

“Move aside. Don’t get in my way. You’re not the one I’m after……”

Sellev’s voice. He recognized it instantly—he’d heard it enough times to know. But how had she found this place? Why now? What had she done?

Lydon’s arms fell limp at his sides, and his breaths came in ragged gasps. Only then did Cadel slowly turn around. And he saw it.

“Not…… one more step closer.”

Hyron stood in front of Sellev, blocking her path. A jet-black arm had pierced straight through his chest. Blood dripped down from her clenched fist, staining the ground below. Hyron’s back was hunched, his body trembling as he gritted his teeth against the pain. But even with a gaping wound in his torso, he didn’t let go of Sellev’s arm—his mana flared defiantly around him.

Lydon, realizing what had happened a second too late, lunged toward Hyron in desperation.

“Lydon!”

A deep, gut-wrenching shout stopped him in his tracks. It wasn’t a plea. It was an order.

Hyron never turned his head, never met Lydon’s eyes. He simply spoke, voice steady despite the blood gushing from his wound.

“Run. Take Cadel and hide—somewhere far away.”

“Fa, Father…….”

“It will be over soon. Go on.”

Even after hearing Hyron’s words, Cadel couldn’t take any action. He couldn’t soothe Lydon and escape with him, nor could he lend strength to Hyron. The only thought drifting through his mind was one.

‘Why?’

Why? Hyron was still alive. If they could get rid of Sellev and take him to Garuel, he could be saved. But why was the system so certain that Hyron had been completely eliminated? Did it mean that no method could save him? That every possibility had been erased? That no matter how much he tried, no matter what he did, Hyron couldn’t be saved?

That’s ridiculous. There’s no way. What right does it have? The slow-rising defiance made Cadel’s heart pound. But before Cadel could act, Lydon made his decision first.

“……Let’s go.”

Lydon, trembling, wrapped his arms around Cadel’s waist and took off. As their vision rose into the air, the brutal sight of Hyron’s ravaged form came into view without filter.

“Wait, Lydon! Sellev! That bastard—we can handle her on our own……!”

“If Sellev’s strength was the same as we remember, Father would have chosen to fight alongside us. He wouldn’t have sent us away like this. He…… decided it would be more dangerous if we stayed. That it would be easier to handle alone, so we shouldn’t get in the way and just leave…….”

The words, strung together with difficulty, suddenly stopped. A quivering breath resonated at the end of the sentence, and only then did Cadel’s gaze shift toward Lydon.

Lydon was forcing himself to look only at the sky, desperately flying higher to get farther away from Hyron. His body, pressed against Cadel’s, was stiff. His face was pale.

“……Lydon.”

“Father’s choices always have meaning. So it’s going to be okay. He’s the Fairy King of the Pinhai Tribe, after all. There’s no way he’ll die.”

The dark emotions consuming his mind were conveyed with stark clarity.

Lydon was afraid. While Cadel had turned away, Lydon had seen it all, witnessed the tragedy unfold with his own eyes. He wasn’t even given the time to process the scene before him.

The bloodstains splattered across his face had yet to cool.

The blurred sense of reality was pulling him into the swamp of avoidance.

* * *

“When I tell you to let go, you’d better listen. If you release me now, I might just give you enough time to reflect on your life before you die.”

Though Hyron had frozen the arm that pierced his chest entirely, Sellev merely twisted it with brute force. A sickening sound accompanied the movement as her arm burrowed deeper into the wound, causing blood to spill from Hyron’s mouth.

“You will never harm my son.”

“Son? Ha…… There’s no way that annoying brat has fairy blood. You’re mistaken. I wasn’t after the fairy.”

Sellev scoffed, her expression contorted with irritation. The moment she spotted Cadel beyond the collapsed labyrinth, she instantly realized who had brought the Scarlet Dragon here. There was only one human in this world capable of such a feat—Cadel.

So she intended to kill him. She had planned to drive her well-honed fist straight into his exposed back, aiming for his heart. A strike so fast that even if he noticed, he wouldn’t have been able to defend himself.

But then, out of nowhere, a fairy had appeared and intercepted the attack, causing her to miss her chance at Cadel.

“Looking at how cleanly you were left with just a hole despite taking my attack head-on, you must be quite the capable fairy. Well, no harm in killing you too while I’m at it.”

The fairy before her possessed a considerable amount of mana. But with a gaping hole in his chest, he wouldn’t last much longer. A dying fairy, unable to use his full strength, would never be able to stand in her way.

Sellev began channeling demonic energy into her right hand, now coated in a deep, inky black. A sharp, resonant hum filled the air. She was moments away from dealing the finishing blow to Hyron when—

“No one will be able to follow them. Even if it costs me everything, I will never let you reach those children.”

A massive surge of mana erupted from Hyron’s body. A pure, radiant energy, glowing stark white. The ground it touched turned into a frozen wasteland, and the dry air crystallized into swirling snowflakes.

Sellev’s eyes widened at the sight of the landscape transforming in an instant. Within the circular space that now enclosed them, only Hyron’s overwhelming presence dominated the atmosphere.

“……What the hell is this?”

The temperature was dropping by the second, an alarming rate that sent shivers down even the spine of a demon. Sensing that something extraordinary was about to unfold, Sellev immediately surrounded herself with a barrier of demonic energy.

“What, what the hell?! Stop this right now!”

But even the protective barrier couldn’t block out the bitter cold that froze the very breath in her lungs. In a panic, Sellev lashed out wildly, sending bursts of demonic energy in every direction, desperately searching for a weak point in the space trapping her.

“Damn it, damn it! What the hell are you?!”

Yet, every attack she unleashed was effortlessly swept away by the raging snowstorm. The murderous cold seeped into her bones, encasing her entire body in frost. Even her own eyes refused to move freely. Before she could mount any real counterattack, the overwhelming mana surrounding her only grew stronger, tightening its grip.

She had once believed that no enemy could ever bring her down again. She had been prepared for war, confident in her own power. And yet, now—she was being subdued so easily, so utterly. The shame of it made her want to die on the spot. But if she perished here, she could never face Emilia again.

Abandoning her futile attempts to break the space apart, Sellev instead struggled to break free on her own. She twisted her arm, trying to pull away—but it wouldn’t move as she willed it. Her limb was frozen solid, merging as one with the gaping wound in Hyron’s chest. His grip, clenched around her arm, was desperate, unyielding.

“You damned fairy bastard! Just die already!”

She swung her fist in a frenzied assault, hammering Hyron’s face over and over. Any other time, a single punch from Sellev would have reduced her enemy’s skull to pulp. And Hyron—he would never have taken the hit so easily under normal circumstances.

But now, her attacks were sluggish, dulled by the creeping frost overtaking her body. And Hyron—he had no strength left to protect himself with mana.

A sickening thud echoed as Hyron’s head snapped to the side. Yet, even as his body reeled from the impact, his grip did not loosen. His entire focus remained locked on Sellev. He knew—this was his final duty.

To die here, in this frigid, suffocating wasteland, taking Sellev down with him. That was Hyron’s goal.

But then—

“Ugh……!”

A sharp pain flared from his ankle. Alarmed, he glanced down.

“Uuuh…… ugh……!”

Kash.

He was clamping down on Hyron’s ankle with all his might, his teeth sinking deep into flesh. His face, reddened from the freezing cold, was streaked with tears. Despite the pain, despite his trembling body, he refused to let go. His small frame lay flattened against the ice, barely moving apart from his jaw—yet there was nothing pathetic about him.

In fact, the sight was terrifying.

Noticing Kash’s presence too late, Hyron’s attention faltered for a brief moment. Seizing the opportunity, Sellev gritted her teeth and wrenched her arm free. Blood spurted from the wound in a violent arc, instantly freezing in midair, forming a crimson pattern over Hyron’s chest. His blurred vision and staggering body betrayed his wavering strength.

“Pathetic little—!”

With a look of sheer disgust, Sellev shook off Hyron and threw herself beyond the raging snowstorm.

He had to stop her. He had to freeze her completely, with everything he had left.

That was his only thought, and yet, as his eyes followed her retreating figure, she only grew more distant, blurring at the edges.

‘Well? Was it any consolation on your way to death? You might be joining me soon enough.’

Hyron’s gaze slowly dropped to Kash—frozen solid. His mouth still hung open, as if he had been about to move forward. His limbs, outstretched in a desperate crawl, bore traces of deep-seated anger and faint terror. But the icy prison around him preserved only silence.

Hyron lingered for a moment, his expression laced with bitter regret. Then, he turned his head. The ground against his back was rough and unyielding. Above him stretched a sky so dull and bleak that it felt unreal. Having spent his entire life looking up at the skies above the forest, this view was foreign to him.

He blinked absently.

Then, sensing faint presences in the distance, a ghost of a smile played on his lips.

“Father!”

“Lord Hyron!”

Unfortunately, he had no strength left to move. He could only wait as they rushed toward him. Soon, familiar faces filled his fading vision, replacing the dark sky.

“No……”

Cadel looked utterly devastated, as though he himself were the one facing death.

Do I truly look so pitiful? Hyron wondered. Surely, he wasn’t in such a wretched state. Perhaps it was his motionless body, limp and drained of power, that worried him so much.

Hyron reached out and grasped Cadel’s hand. Even that small action required more effort than he had expected. But he wanted to hold onto him, just once.

“I’m sorry, Lord Hyron. I’m so sorry……”

But wasn’t this the outcome he had already foreseen? Cadel had warned him, had done everything in his power to save him. It was Hyron’s own stubbornness that led him to this inevitable fate.

There was nothing for Cadel to be sorry for.

Hyron wanted to tell him that, but his voice refused to come out. So instead, he simply looked at him, trying to convey everything in his eyes.

“You can still go to Garuel. Garuel can save you. He’ll find a way, somehow……”

Hyron shook his head. Or at least, he thought he did. His movements were so weak that even he was startled by how little his body responded. But Cadel understood him immediately.

Smart child.

He didn’t want to cling to life by draining the strength of those still living. Looking at Cadel’s tear-filled eyes, so clear and full of emotion, Hyron found himself filled with countless things he wanted to say.

He wanted to thank him—for so many things.

For fighting by his side. For taking Lydon with him. For bringing him here. For allowing him to spend his last moments with his son.

He had never imagined that he would feel such profound gratitude toward a human. Not in his long, long life. And yet, here he was. Cadel was truly someone he was grateful for. Had his body allowed it, he would have embraced him tightly, just once. But instead, he carefully let go of his hand and turned his gaze.

Lydon was kneeling beside him, hands pressed against the ground, staring down at him with an expression of pure distress. His body twitched as though he wanted to reach out but was holding himself back. His face, on the verge of breaking into tears, looked exactly the same as it had when he was younger. Lydon might never understand this, but to Hyron, his child’s fragile and inexperienced moments were precious.

If only I had more time…… I would have taught you everything with love.

“Fa…… Father…… You’re not going to die, right? Right? Why…… why won’t you say anything? Say something. I’m right here. You’re not going to die, are you?”

The first time he had held this child in his arms, he had been overwhelmed by emotion. And at the same time, he had felt an unbearable sense of guilt. Lydon was bound to live a life mirroring his own, forever confined to the forest. He had pitied him for that. But despite it all, the child had only looked up at him with a bright, innocent smile. And in the end, Hyron had smiled back. Because he loved him too much not to.

Lydon’s trembling voice rang out, filled with desperation.

“You can’t die here. You promised Grandfather Melphis you’d return safely. You’re not someone who would die like this…… right? You’re strong. So much stronger than me……”

He was so lovable, and yet, Hyron had only ever scolded him. Even as he sensed the growing distance between them, he had pushed Lydon away for the sake of their people. He had never once reached out to mend the rift. He had failed to give his only child the love he deserved.

What a pathetic father he was.

A father who had given him nothing—if Lydon chose not to shed a single tear at his death, it would be no more than he deserved.

“……Dad, don’t go……”

A small, choked sob broke through, and something wavered in Hyron’s eyes.

His gaze, slightly distorted with emotion, locked onto Lydon’s tear-streaked face. Slowly, painfully, he reached out. Every ounce of his remaining strength went into that single movement. His fingers, trembling and weak, barely managed to brush against Lydon’s wet cheek. He couldn’t cup his face, couldn’t even wipe away the tears.

But at least, he could touch him. A faint warmth lingered in that feeble gesture, and as Lydon’s tears trickled over his fingertips, Hyron’s dry lips parted.

“I loved you…… so much. And I always will…… my son, Lydon…… I’m glad…… I got to see you…… one last time……”

His final words were exhaled with the last remnants of his strength. His hand, once reaching, fell limp. The light faded from his eyes in an instant. His face, drained of all color, turned an eerie shade of white. His lips, still curled in a soft smile, looked eerily still—like a lifeless doll.

A quiet breath hitched in Lydon’s throat.

His entire body trembled as he took in the sight, unable to breathe properly. His fragmented gasps escaped in broken intervals, his dazed eyes darting over his father’s unmoving form. He ran his hands over Hyron’s rigid body, clenched the hand that had just touched him, and then, finally, collapsed over him—his ear pressed against his chest.

“Hh…… hhh…… No…… no, no, no……”

His twisted face contorted further as he frantically pressed his palm beneath Hyron’s nose, as if to check for breath. His fingers fumbled along his father’s neck, as if attempting to find a pulse—though he didn’t even know how.

His hands, his whole body, shook violently as he weakly shook the corpse beneath him. And when nothing changed—when his father remained still, forever still—Lydon lifted his tear-filled eyes toward Cadel.

Desperate. Begging.

“……No, right? Cadel, you can fix this, right?”

Lydon seized Hyron’s limp hand and shoved it toward Cadel. His fingers curled around it tightly, refusing to acknowledge the stiffening flesh.

“Take him. I’ll carry him. We’ll go to Garuel. Garuel can fix this. He will.”

“……Lydon.”

“Don’t look at me like that, Cadel. Why are you looking at me like that? Why do you look like it’s…… over……?”

What could he say? Should he apologize? For not being able to protect Hyron? For dragging him into this war in the first place? For making Lydon bear a grief this heavy?

If he had known it would lead to this—if he had known it would bring him such sorrow—he never would have let him join. If Lydon had never met him, he wouldn’t be hurting like this. It was all his fault.

And yet, Lydon didn’t know that. He didn’t realize.

He was still holding out Hyron’s hand, pleading, waiting for Cadel to make things right. Even as his mind fractured, even as despair crushed him, he still clung to hope. Even in the midst of heartbreak, he was still a child.

And it hurt too much to watch.

Instead of taking Hyron’s hand, Cadel grabbed Lydon’s wrist. He pulled him in—held him tight, even as his body slumped weakly against him. His voice, raw and thick with emotion, finally pushed through.

“Lord Hyron…… was glad you were able to see the world. In his final moments, the only thing he wanted was to see you again. That’s why he came here, despite knowing the risks. Because he loved you. So much.”

“……”

“So…… I’m sorry, Lydon. I couldn’t protect him.”

There was nothing else he could say. In the end, all he had to offer was an apology. He hated himself for it. He held Lydon tighter as the boy broke down in his arms, his body wracked with sobs. Cadel swallowed the lump in his throat and fought back the tears that threatened to fall. Because he had no right to cry.