The rain outside had thinned to a mist, the streets of Traverse Town glowing gold beneath the lanterns.
Inside the Moogle Workshop, the air still hummed faintly with the energy of spell-thread and enchantment, the soft clatter of scissors and gears slowing as the night began to settle.
Helios stood near the counter, jacket unzipped, hands resting lightly on the edge of the workbench. His gaze was calm, but there was a flicker behind it—something calculating. Kurai lingered behind him, silent as a shadow, her silver eyes watching him with quiet suspicion.
The others gathered nearby. Skuld leaned against a table, arms folded, while Aqua stood by the door with her arms crossed, still alert even in the calm. Helga and Circe had finished their fittings; Circe was preening in front of a mirror while Helga rolled her eyes. Thalen stood apart, ever the quiet observer, hood drawn just enough to obscure his expression.
Helios exhaled softly, the faintest trace of amusement on his lips.
"We'll be staying here for a few days," he began. "There are things that need to be done before we move on to the next world."
Aqua frowned slightly. "Like what?"
Helios's eyes flicked toward her. "Preparation."
Then, with that calm, commanding tone that brooked no argument, he turned to Skuld and Aqua.
"You two will take Thalen, Helga, and Circe to Merlin's house. Ask him if he can arrange accommodations for the group for the next few days."
Aqua blinked, taken aback. "You're sending us away?"
Helios smiled faintly. "Delegating."
Kurai's lips twitched—almost a smirk. "He means 'stay out of his way.'"
Skuld sighed softly. "Is that true?"
"No, don't listen to her," Helios said. "I just have something to discuss with the Moogles. It won't take long."
Circe twirled her staff, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "And what mysterious little project are you planning?"
Helios didn't answer her directly. "A magical accessory," he said, tone deceptively casual.
Aqua arched a brow. "A magical accessory? For what?"
He looked at her, amused. "If you're curious, you can always ask the Moogles later. It's nothing too big."
That answer didn't satisfy her, and he knew it. But his voice carried the same calm authority that left little room for pressing further.
Aqua sighed and turned toward the others. "All right. Let's go before it gets too late."
Skuld nodded. "Yeah. It's been a while, but I still remember where Merlin's house is."
As the group began to move toward the door, Circe lingered long enough to give Helios a lingering, playful look. "I wonder what catastrophes you'll start without us, darling."
"Nothing too big, so run along now, the real party is where you're going," Helios said dryly.
Thalen glanced once toward Helios as he passed, his blue eyes unreadable, then disappeared into the mist with the rest of them.
The doorbell chimed softly as it closed, leaving the shop quiet except for the faint ticking of the enchanted sewing machines winding down.
Kurai folded her arms, leaning against the counter beside him. "A magical accessory," she repeated. "That's a new way of saying 'something probably dangerous.'"
Helios chuckled, a low, warm sound. "You have such little faith in me."
"I have exactly the right amount of faith in you."
He didn't argue. Instead, he reached into his inventory satchel and withdrew two sets of vials. The first glowed faintly blue — crystalline fluid that pulsed like living light. The second set swirled with darker hues, the color of smoke trapped in glass, flickering with veins of red and black energy.
The light in the room dimmed slightly, as though the materials themselves were drawing attention.
The Moogles—who had been tidying up—stopped in their tracks. Their tiny wings fluttered nervously.
"What… what is that, kupo?" asked the Victorian-dressed Moogle, peering through its monocle.
Helios held up one of the glowing blue vials, light refracting softly across his face. "Crystallized life-essence. A gift from a civilization that thrived beneath the sea. These," he set the vial down, then held up one of the darker ones, "are the opposite. A remnant of corruption — fused with the darkness of the Heartless. Both are unique… and completely irreplaceable."
The Moogles exchanged glances, eyes wide with wonder.
The Victorian one nearly dropped her quill. "Unique materials of light and dark essence, kupo? But those—those don't exist anymore! They can't!"
Helios smiled faintly. "And yet, here they are."
Kurai tilted her head slightly. "So you're going to have them build that thing."
He nodded once. "I've been saving them for the right project."
The Moogles leaned closer, transfixed. "What are you going to make with them, kupo?"
"Something that balances and contains both of these two energies," Helios said softly. "Something that will help me… do what I need."
The Moogle tilted its head. "Do what you need to do?"
He didn't respond. Instead, he reached once more into his inventory, producing a sleek, hard drive etched with circuitry lines.
The Victorian Moogle gasped. "What is that, kupo?"
"A hard drive filled with many things, including a program," Helios said simply. "A digital simulation engine. A relic copied by a man who studied hearts — Ansem the Wise. I want to use it to build something new."
The Moogles buzzed with nervous excitement. "Build what, kupo?"
Helios looked around the shop, then back to them. "You have a computer here, don't you?"
"Of course we do, kupo!" one of the assistants squeaked. "But it's old! It can barely handle things!"
"That's fine." His voice was calm, assured. "I just need to show you something."
The Victorian Moogle hesitated. "You're not going to blow our minds again, are you?"
Helios chuckled. "No promises."
A few moments later, the Moogles scurried to the back of the workshop, where an old terminal sat beneath shelves of tools and spools of enchanted thread. Dust clung to the edges, but the machinery hummed to life as Helios plugged in the hard drive.
The screen flickered. Blue light washed over the walls as strings of data and glyphs spiraled upward — runic code interwoven with circuitry, like a spell written by both sorcery and science.
The Moogles' wings twitched with excitement. "Ohhh… look at that, kupo!"
Kurai stepped closer, her presence steady and sharp against the glow. "You're building something more than an accessory."
He didn't deny it. "Yeah, you'll be building a vessel," he said quietly. "For light and dark both. Something capable of assimilated hearts."