Axel didn't give the signal for the Nobodies to finish Helios off. Not yet. He strolled across the clearing with deliberate ease, firelight flickering across his coat as though it followed him. The Assassins twitched, blade-arms glinting, waiting for a command that didn't come.
Helios stayed where he was, seated on the boulder. His body screamed with pain, but the smirk carved into his face never faltered.
Axel stopped just in front of him, then, with surprising nonchalance, dropped down to sit beside him. The two stared ahead into the dark trees, silent for a long moment, as though they were merely two old acquaintances sharing the night.
Finally, Helios turned his head, his voice dry. "So. What do you want to know?"
Axel leaned back on his hands, green eyes glinting. "Simple. Which one of your little entourage is a Nobody?"
That earned a laugh, rough and sharp, from Helios' bloodied lips. He turned his head fully now, smirk widening despite the crimson cracking at the corners of his mouth. "I've got to admit, Axel… I'm genuinely impressed. You actually figured it out. I went out of my way to keep that little detail buried."
Axel chuckled, tilting his head. "I should be the one impressed. Hiding a Nobody? That takes a special kind of knowledge. Guess I shouldn't be surprised though—seems like you've always had a knack for playing in shadows that don't belong to you."
Helios' eye narrowed faintly. "And how exactly are you so sure there's one near me?"
Axel whistled low, then snapped his fingers.
The Dusk slithered closer, its body contorting grotesquely as it crawled right up to them. Its zipper-mouth twitched, opening faintly in what might have been a grin.
"These little guys?" Axel said, tapping the Dusk on its bulbous head. "They can sniff out strong Nobodies like bloodhounds. It's their thing. They pick up a scent, follow it across worlds, track it until it fades."
The Dusk writhed, twisting as though pleased at the acknowledgment.
Axel's grin widened. "They picked something up here. Something strong. Then suddenly, poof. Gone. But then I see you. And well…" He gestured vaguely at Helios. "…I connect the dots. If there's a Nobody walking around on this little rock, you're involved."
Helios chuckled softly, leaning his head back against the boulder. "Clever. And you're right."
He didn't say it aloud, but his thoughts tightened. When Thalen fought Cloud… he removed his cloak. That must have been when the Dusk caught his scent. The moment hung sharp in his mind. Thalen's recklessness had left a trail, and the Organization had sniffed it out.
Helios tilted his head, studying Axel. "Why the sudden interest? What's it to you if I've got a Nobody hanging around?"
Axel's grin sharpened, though his eyes stayed flat. "Recruitment. The Organization's always on the lookout for talent. And a Nobody strong enough to catch our attention? That's not something we let slip through our fingers."
Helios gave a quiet, humorless laugh. "So that's it. You're hunting for fresh blood."
"Got it memorized?" Axel said, his voice mocking.
Helios smirked faintly. "Oh, I got it."
Axel leaned closer, his tone dropping into a mock-conspiratorial whisper. "So… who is it? Which one?"
When Helios only smirked, Axel's grin thinned. "Maybe it's that cold one—Kurai. She carries herself like something born wrong. Or maybe the quiet boy, Thalen. He's got that hollow look in his eyes, like he's missing pieces." He studied Helios' face closely. "Am I getting warmer?"
Helios' lips curled. "You're fishing. And badly."
Axel's eyes narrowed. He pressed on anyway. "Or maybe… it's Skuld. Sweet little Skuld, tagging along like she belongs. That would sting, wouldn't it? Having your bright little healer hiding a hollow inside."
For the first time, Helios' smirk faltered—but only for a heartbeat. He leaned his head back, exhaling slowly, and when he looked at Axel again, his grin had returned.
"Not telling."
The words came soft, but edged.
For a moment, silence hung between them. Axel stared. Then his lips split into a slow smile. He leaned back, snapped his fingers.
The Assassins lunged.
Blades flashed, bodies compacting into spinning disks, the air alive with the hiss of movement. The Dusk twisted itself into a spring, launching forward with grotesque grace.
Helios didn't move. He didn't flinch. He didn't even lift his hand. His body was too broken to fight, and he knew it.
But the air moved for him.
A gust tore through the clearing, raw and violent. The Assassins were hurled back, crashing into the trees with screeches of warped metal. The Dusk spiraled helplessly, slammed into the dirt with a whimper.
Helios blinked, his smirk fading for the first time. He hadn't cast anything.
A figure dropped from above, the wind swirling around her like a storm answering to her presence. Skuld landed in the clearing, knees bent, her keyblade already leveled.
Her eyes locked onto Axel.
For a heartbeat, the world went still.
"…Lea."
Her voice cracked—not with fear, but with something heavier. Memory. Anger. Betrayal.
Axel froze where he crouched. His grin faltered. His green eyes studied her for a long moment, searching.
Then slowly, inevitably, a smile tugged at his lips again.
"…Been a while, hasn't it?"