Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

As Helios drifted he felt darkness reach out to touch his own. However, this darkness felt heavier this time. This darkness was one of sleep.

Helios drifted in the black space, weightless, soundless. His fingers curled reflexively around air, searching for his keyblade, but found nothing. It wasn't real—not entirely—but the ache in his chest told him he wasn't dreaming either.

The sound of soft, deliberate footsteps broke the silence. The cadence was slow, calculated, yet carried an eerie grace like a predator savoring the moment before striking.

"You've grown so much, dear boy."

The voice slithered across the void like silk over a blade—smooth, dangerous, and unmistakable.

"Maleficent," Helios said flatly, his eyes narrowing in the gloom.

From the shadows, she emerged. Her tall, imposing figure seemed almost to materialize out of the blackness itself, her black robes with violet lining flowed like liquid ink. Her staff glinted faintly in an unseen light. Her smile curved like a crescent moon, sharp and knowing.

"My, my… no 'it's been a while,' or 'how have you been'? I'm almost wounded." Her tone was playful, but her emerald eyes glittered with cold amusement.

Helios crossed his arms, feigning calm. "If you're waiting for me to ask about your well-being, you'll be standing here a long time."

She chuckled softly. "Always so guarded. I suppose that's to be expected from my wayward child."

"Don't," Helios said sharply, his voice low. "You don't get to play that card. You're not my mother or anything of the like."

"Oh, but I must." Maleficent's words coiled around him like a serpent, her smile widening. "You wouldn't believe how worried I've been. You vanish for so long, and then I hear whispers—my dear boy, breaking chains, defying the god of this world's Underworld, and playing house with children of light and darkness."

"You've been listening to bad gossip," Helios replied evenly, though his pulse quickened.

She tilted her head, her horns silhouetted in the void like a twisted crown. "Perhaps. But a mother worries nonetheless. Tell me, are you eating well?"

Helios arched a brow. "Stop saying that. You're not my mother. Anyways, you didn't drag me here to ask about my diet."

"Ah, but I did. You look thinner, paler. Torture doesn't agree with you, I see. This Hades is not one for subtlety. Should I have a talk with him for you?"

Helios stiffened slightly but said nothing.

Maleficent's smile didn't falter. "You've always been clever, dear boy. So clever, in fact, that I wonder—what are you planning? Why gather these strange allies? Why involve yourself in Olympus' squabbles? What are you truly planning?"

Helios kept his voice light, almost amused. "Why does it matter to you? Unless you've taken to fretting like an old hen."

Her eyes flashed dangerously. "Mind your tone, Helios."

"I learned it from you."

Maleficent's laugh was low and velvety. "You've grown sharper, I'll give you that. But I see through you, child. You're dodging my questions. A skilled maneuver, but hardly foolproof."

"And you're trying to pump me for information," Helios countered smoothly. "Every word drips with feigned concern, but your claws are showing, Maleficent."

Her smile widened, teeth faintly visible in the gloom. "Claws? No, no. I would never harm you—not my precious, brilliant boy."

Helios' gaze hardened. "Stop calling me that."

"Why? It's what you are." Her voice lowered, rich and honeyed. "No matter how far you run, no matter how many of those little lights you collect around you, you're place is at my side in the end."

Helios felt the heat rise in his chest but forced himself to remain still. "I'm not yours. I never was."

Maleficent sighed dramatically, her eyes softening in a parody of motherly disappointment. "You wound me, Helios. I only wanted to see if you were happy. Are you sleeping well? Has that pale shadow girl—been treating you kindly? Or does she keep you up at night, fretting in the dark?"

Helios smirked faintly. "Nice try. But if you want gossip, you'll have to buy a tabloid like everyone else."

The air grew colder. Maleficent's grin thinned. "You're growing bold."

"You taught me that too."

For a moment, silence stretched between them like a taut wire.

Then Maleficent's smile returned, slow and deliberate. "One day, you'll see, dear boy. The light you cling to now… it will falter. It always does. And when it does, you'll return to me. They always do."

Helios stepped forward, his eyes like twin blades. "You'd be surprised how bright light can burn, even in the deepest darkness. You taught me that as well… though you'll never admit it."

Maleficent regarded him quietly for a long moment, then let out a low, velvety laugh. "You're every bit as infuriating as ever. I guess that shows you really are okay. Very well, I'll leave you to your games—for now. But don't forget, Helios: the board is mine. And all the pieces come back to me in the end."

Her form began to dissolve into swirling green fire. "Take care of yourself, dear boy. Be sure to visit me when you can. You know I adore it when you do so."

The void trembled as her presence faded, leaving Helios standing alone in the dark.

He exhaled slowly, his hands tightening into fists.

'She's testing me. Watching me. But she's not someone I can't deal with. I have to leave this world tomorrow, though.'