The dark corridor peeled open like a wound in the air, its swirling shadows spilling into the quiet room of Helios' mansion. He stepped through and exhaled as the oppressive aura of Radiant Garden gave way to the familiar warmth of Olympus. The air here was different — fresher, cleaner. Even the silence felt lighter.
He glanced across the room. Skuld lay curled on her side, asleep in the bed he had carried her to hours earlier. The morning sun had crept through the curtains, gilding her hair in pale gold. Her chest rose and fell evenly, her exhaustion obvious. Helios lingered for a moment, watching her breathe. She had poured herself into healing both him and Sephiroth until she collapsed, and though he would never say it aloud, he appreciated her presence more than he let on.
He turned quietly, not wanting to disturb her, and slipped from the room.
The front doors of the mansion opened wide as Helios stepped outside. Dawn had begun, and the first rays of sunlight spilled across the gardens. The world was washed in warm hues: pink clouds, dew catching the light on leaves, the faint sound of birds stirring awake.
Helios drew a long breath. For a moment — just one — he let himself enjoy it. A reminder that even in a world scarred by darkness and death, moments of peace could still be found.
The peace was fragile, though. His ribs still ached; his side was stiff where Sephiroth's blade had almost carved him in half. Helios lifted a hand and whispered a word of power.
"Curaga."
Soft green light enveloped him, mending torn tissue, easing bone-deep pain. The ache faded, though his body still carried the heaviness of recovery. Satisfied, he flicked his hand again, and the residue of blood across his coat shimmered, then vanished entirely. The once-tattered fabric smoothed as if freshly woven. His silver-and-black jacket glinted again in the sun.
Footsteps creaked from behind. The mansion door opened, and a tall figure stepped into the light.
Thalen.
The boy looked much the same as always — pale blonde hair brushing his brow, expression distant, eyes that seemed lost even as they stared forward. He walked with an awkward stiffness, as if he hadn't yet learned the rhythm of belonging.
Helios watched him for a moment before calling out. "Morning, Thalen. Come here."
Thalen paused, then obeyed, stepping slowly across the stone path. He was more talkative now than when Helios had first found him in Traverse Town, but quiet still defined him. Quiet, and a kind of hollow uncertainty that came from not knowing who he truly was.
Helios studied him, recalling everything that had brought the boy here. A Nobody without memory, without history. Someone still fumbling at the edges of identity. Someone the Organization would love to reclaim.
"Tell me," Helios said when Thalen reached him, "did you enjoy your time here?"
The boy hesitated. His gaze drifted past Helios, to the mountains in the distance, the sky blushing with dawn. Finally, he murmured, "I don't know."
A small smirk tugged at Helios' lips. "Not sure yet, huh?"
Thalen shifted, then added in his quiet way, "I liked it better than the underwater place." His voice was flat, but there was something almost like distaste in the memory.
Helios chuckled softly. "Atlantica, right? Yeah… I can't blame you. Too much singing and swimming down there for my liking."
Thalen tilted his head, not quite understanding the joke, but Helios let it pass.
"Well," Helios continued, stepping closer, "we'll be this world leaving soon. And you're coming with us."
Thalen blinked at him, eyes flickering faintly with something — uncertainty, perhaps, or the faintest spark of apprehension. He gave no argument, though. "Okay."
The lack of resistance was expected. Thalen still lacked the strong sense of self others took for granted. Agreement came easily when you weren't sure what else to be.
Helios laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "But hear me, Thalen. You're still too weak to survive where we're going. And I don't intend to carry dead weight." His tone was flat, though not unkind. "But I'd rather not, so I'll give you some… special training."
Thalen didn't flinch at the words. He only nodded. "If that's what you want."
Helios smiled faintly, though his eyes were sharp. "Not just what I want. What you'll need. Trust me, if you want to survive long enough to develop your own sense of self, then you'll want to be strong."
For a moment, silence settled between them, broken only by the distant sound of morning wind rustling through the olive trees. Helios could see the uncertainty in Thalen's posture, the awkwardness of someone who had never truly know what they wanted. He thought briefly of the battle in the Coliseum, of Axel's questions, of how thin the line was between gaining control over Thalen's future and losing him to the Organization.
Helios was not a man to leave pieces of the board vulnerable.
He stretched out his hand. Darkness unfurled, forming into a corridor at their feet. The air rippled with shadow.
"Let's begin," Helios said.
Thalen hesitated only a moment, then stepped forward. Helios followed, the corridor swallowing them both.
The light of dawn faded behind them, replaced by the endless dark between worlds.