***There's a surprise in the comments***
The forest clearing was quiet again, save for the faint crackle of leaves disturbed by the vanishing corridor. Skuld hadn't moved since Axel disappeared into the dark. Her gaze clung to the space where he had stood, shoulders tense, keyblade still trembling faintly in her grasp.
It was Helios who finally broke the silence.
"You planning to keep staring all night," he drawled, lifting a blood-soaked hand, "or do you feel like patching me up with a Curaga spell before I start leaking all over this rock?"
The sardonic smirk that curved his lips was undermined by the sheer pallor of his face. Blood streaked his temple, smeared his jaw, and pooled thickly around his ribs. Even Skuld, still shaken from seeing Lea, jolted into action.
She dropped to her knees beside him, casting a Curaga in a rush. The green light rippled over him, knitting skin and sealing the worst of the open wounds.
Her hands trembled as she pulled back, her eyes downcast, still heavy with conflict. She started to rise, but Helios caught her hand before she could.
"Sit," he said quietly.
She froze. "Helios—"
"You look like you'll break before I do," he cut in, voice softer now. His smirk lingered, but his tone held none of its usual bite. "Sit. You need a talk more than I need healing."
For once, Skuld didn't argue. She sank down beside him, folding her legs beneath her, her hand still caught in his.
Helios leaned back against the boulder, eyes half-closed. "Go on. Say it. Whatever's rattling around in that head of yours."
At first, there was only silence. Skuld's lips pressed together, her throat tight. Then the words began to spill out.
"I'm happy he's alive," she whispered. "Lea. After everything, after Radiant Garden, after… I thought he was gone forever. And then to see him here…" Her voice cracked. "I wanted to run to him. Hug him. Pretend nothing had changed."
Her hand clenched in his. "But he's not Lea anymore. He's Axel. A Nobody. Empty eyes, empty heart. He smiled at me like he remembered, but it wasn't him. Not really. And Xehanort—Xehanort did this. He stole my friend. He twisted him into something else."
Her words grew sharper, her breath shaking. "I hate him for it. I hate him more than I can put into words. But most of all, I hate myself."
Helios opened his eyes, turning his head toward her slowly. Skuld's eyes brimmed with tears, her lips trembling as she forced herself on.
"I was powerless. Back then, when Xehanort caged me, experimented on me—I couldn't fight. I couldn't protect anyone. And now, even now, I couldn't stop what happened to Lea. I keep telling myself there was nothing I could have done, but it doesn't matter. I should have done something. I should have saved him. Instead…" She choked on the words, pressing her palms to her eyes. "…instead I lost him."
Helios didn't interrupt. He didn't throw back a quip, didn't mock her guilt or dismiss her emotions. He simply listened, still and silent, letting her voice fill the clearing.
When her tears quieted, he finally spoke.
"That feeling," he said slowly, "hating yourself for not being able to do more… even when you know there was nothing you could do." He tilted his head back, eyes on the moon. "I know it too well."
Skuld looked at him, startled. His smirk had vanished. What replaced it was something rarer, something raw.
"I never told you," he continued, "what happened to my parents."
Her lips parted, but she stayed silent.
Helios reached into his coat and drew out the small watch with a built-in recorder he always carried. He turned it over in his bloody fingers, the silver gleam dulled with age. With a soft click, he pressed the latch, and a faint recording crackled to life.
"Hey, Helios. Honey, are you sure it's recording? Yes, I'm sure now, let's say what we wanted to say. We wanted to give you something special, something more than just a watch. We wanted to give you... a message, something to carry with you no matter where life takes you."
His father's lone voice then filled the room. "Son, I want you to know that the proudest and happiest moment of my life was the day you were born. It was my joy and privilege to watch over you as you grew into the young man I see. I know I haven't always been the best dad, but I just want to say I love you and that I'm proud of the man you're growing into."
His mother's voice followed, gentle but firm. "We love you, Helios, more than anything. No matter what happens, know that you have a family who will always be by your side. We're so proud of you, and we believe you can accomplish anything. But just remember—your happiness matters the most. Also, honey, what do you mean that was the happiest moment; what about when you married me?"
The recording then cut off.
"I've carried this since that night," he said. "Their last message. I've never played it again, not once. Because I never felt like I deserved to hear it. Not when I couldn't save them."
His voice grew quieter, rougher. "The storm. The Darkside tearing the world apart. My father tried to hold it off, my mother pushing me out of the way. I was a kid, Skuld. Helpless. They gave their lives and hearts to make sure I could escape and stay safe."
He gritted his teeth, eyes narrowing. "And I did. I escaped. But every day since, I've hated myself for it. Because the truth is—I survived, and they didn't. That's the only difference. And no matter how much power I claw for, no matter how far I get… that guilt never goes away."
For the first time, Skuld saw him stripped of all bravado. No smirk, no biting wit, no cold calculation. Just a boy, broken and bloodied, crushed beneath the weight of loss.
She reached out instinctively, placing her hand gently over his.
"It wasn't your fault," she whispered. "At the end of the day, we're just children. I know they didn't save you so you could hate yourself forever. They saved you because they loved you. Because they wanted you to live. That message—it wasn't meant to punish you. It was their last gift. Something you should always listen to and remember the times you spent with them."
Helios gave a shaky laugh, though it broke in his throat. "Naïve. But sweet." He looked at her, and for a fleeting second, his eyes softened. "Maybe you even believe it."
"I do," she said firmly. Her grip tightened over his hand. "And I'll believe it enough for the both of us until you can."
The silence that followed wasn't empty this time. It was fragile, almost tender.
Helios leaned his head back against the stone, closing his eyes. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Skuld. That's my job."
Despite the words, there was no venom in them. His voice was quiet, tired, and almost… relieved.
Skuld stayed by his side long into the night, listening to his breathing slow. When at last he drifted into a fitful sleep, she didn't move. She sat vigil, eyes still on his hand where it clutched the watch, and whispered softly:
"You don't have to carry it alone anymore."
The moon climbed higher, bathing them both in silver light.