Zephyr stood at the edge of Abaven's borders, swaying precariously on unsteady limbs. He wasn't sure how long it had passed since he'd found his mate's body, but the days had blended into weeks until everything felt like a hazy, hellish mess. He'd felt like he'd been floating through space, walking a plane strangely between the physical world and another transcendent one - not that he believed in that sort of thing. There was only life, and death, and he was hanging directly in the middle. Maybe not physically, despite having seen farbetter days, but certainly mentally. The pain was crippling, assaulting all his senses and rendering him hardly able to think, let alone act. Over the time that had passed he'd barely been able to find it in him to eat, and he'd grown uncharacteristically thin and lanky, his ribs now protruding quite obviously from beneath his coat. It was quite the sight for the oversized man, transforming him into something hardly recognizable except to those who knew him well.
It'd taken him a long time to decide to return home, but lamenting over Caelestis not getting any closure haunted him worse than anything else ever had. He wasn't even totally sure what he'd say to her, or if she'd even forgive him for his sudden departure... but he had to say goodbye. His heart ached heavily in his hollowed chest as she slowly lifted his head to the sky, letting loose a quiet call for her. It was the dead of night, and he hoped to not draw too much attention to himself - this was a private moment and he had no interest in seeing anyone else, only his daughter. He heaved an anxious sigh as he reclined to his haunches, watching as a soft puff of white air exhaled from his nostrils and disappeared into the darkness.
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