Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

Helios crossed his arms, his expression steady. "I've been keeping her safe," he said firmly. "First, her name is Skuld, not X, and there are people out there—dangerous people—who want to capture her. If they find her, it'll end badly for everyone, including myself."

Lea's grin disappeared entirely, replaced by a serious look that made his youthful face seem older. "Safe from who, Helios? What kind of people are we talking about? What's going on?"

Isa's frown deepened, and he folded his arms, the calmness in his tone giving way to sharp frustration. "You know what? I've had enough of this," he said, his voice louder than usual. "First, you tell us to stay away from you—that we're not your friends anymore. Then you show up with… her." He gestured toward Skuld, his tone accusing. "What are we supposed to think, Helios?"

Lea's green eyes flared with a mix of hurt and anger. "Yeah, seriously. You ditch us, disappear for days, and now you're keeping secrets? What's your deal? And don't give us some lame excuse like you're 'keeping her safe.' Safe from who? What's going on?"

Helios met their accusations with a steady gaze, though tension crackled in the air. Skuld, standing slightly behind him, looked between the three of them, confusion and unease written all over her face. "Wait," she interjected, her voice hesitant but firm. "What does he mean, you're not friends anymore? Helios, you said you were their friend."

Lea threw up his hands. "Yeah, that's what we thought too—until Mr. Mysterious here decided to cut ties for no reason."

Skuld's eyes darted to Helios, her expression one of confusion and hurt. "Why would you do that? You told me they were their friend and that's the reason I could trust you."

Helios sighed, his patience fraying at the edges. "I did it to protect you," he said, his voice tinged with exasperation. "To protect them. I didn't want anyone getting caught in the crossfire."

Skuld's eyes darted to Helios, her expression one of confusion and hurt. "Why would you do that? You told me they were the reason I could trust you."

Helios exhaled sharply, his frustration evident as he gestured for everyone to follow him. "We're causing too much of a scene," he said tersely. "Let's move. Now."

Isa and Lea exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of annoyance and suspicion, but they didn't argue. Helios led them to a secluded alley, the chatter of the marketplace fading into the background as the shadows of the tall buildings closed in around them.

As soon as they were far enough from prying eyes, Helios turned sharply, his hand outstretched. "Stop," he muttered, and with a flick of his wrist, a faint ripple of energy expanded from his palm. Isa and Lea froze in mid-motion, their expressions locked in place as if they were statues.

Skuld's eyes widened in alarm, her voice trembling. "What did you do to them? Helios, what's happening?"

Helios lowered his hand, his expression tense but calm. "It's a Stop spell," he explained. "It temporarily halts someone's time. They're fine. They won't even know it happened."

Skuld took a step back, her hands clenching nervously. "Why would you do that? They're your friends!"

"Because I need you to listen," Helios said firmly, stepping closer but keeping his tone steady. "There's a reason why I broke off my friendship with them. A reason why I can't let them know everything. And if you're going to be around them, you need to understand what's at stake."

Skuld's breath hitched, her voice quieter now but no less insistent. "Then tell me. What's going on? Why are you hiding so much?"

Helios hesitated, his gaze softening slightly. "I'll explain everything when we get back," he said. "But for now, you need to trust me. Don't mention your Keyblade to them. Don't summon it, don't even hint that you have one. Keep it a secret. Can you do that for me?"

Skuld's eyes searched his face, her emotions warring between fear, confusion, and a reluctant trust. Finally, she nodded. "Alright," she said quietly. "I'll keep it a secret. But you owe me answers, Helios."

"You'll get them," Helios promised, relief flickering in his expression. He glanced back at Isa and Lea, whose frozen forms were beginning to shimmer faintly. "The spell's wearing off. Play along, and they won't know a thing."

As the Stop spell faded, Isa and Lea resumed moving as if nothing had happened, mid-conversation and completely unaware of the brief pause in their time.

"…still doesn't explain what's going on, Helios," Isa was saying, his sharp eyes locking onto Helios the moment he realized they had stopped. But he paused as he noticed Skuld's expression. "Skuld? What's wrong?"

Skuld hesitated, glancing quickly at Helios before forcing a small smile. "Nothing," she said, her tone light but not entirely convincing. "I was just… a little overwhelmed, I guess. It's a lot to take in."

Lea tilted his head, his expression skeptical. "You sure? You look kinda—"

"I'm fine," Skuld cut in quickly, her smile widening as she waved her hand dismissively. "Really."

Lea frowned slightly but let it go. "Alright, if you say so."

Isa's gaze lingered on her for a moment longer before he turned his attention back to Helios. "You still haven't answered us. What's going on? Why are people after her?"

Helios exhaled slowly, his mind racing for a way to steer the conversation while keeping Skuld's secrets intact. "It's a long story," he said carefully. "And it's not safe to talk about it out here. Let's get somewhere more secure, and I'll tell you what I can."

Isa and Lea exchanged glances, their suspicion evident, but they didn't argue. "Fine," Isa said curtly. "But you'd better not dodge our questions again. For now, let's head over to Yuffie's place. No place is safer than that. Get it memorized Skuld"

Helios nodded, though inwardly, he felt a pang of unease at the mention of Yuffie's place. It had slipped his mind to check on Cloud's condition. He had basically done the same thing that had been done to Ventus to Cloud. He separated the darkness inside him and gave it form as Sephiroth but that would normally damage Cloud's heart so he needed to check and if there was a problem then he needed to fix it.