Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

Back in the city, Helios's urgency mounted. Cid and Skuld were still out there, and the streets were more dangerous than ever. Every person who fell to the heartless rose as a new heartless added more and more to the horde. The streets of Radiant Garden were becoming a chaotic nightmare. Heartless prowled everywhere, their yellow eyes glowing ominously in the dim light of the fallen city.

Helios moved cautiously across the rooftops, his sharp eyes scanning the streets below for any sign of Cid. Helios crouched low, his dark form blending into the shadows as he spotted movement below. There, trudging determinedly through the ruins, was Cid. The older man looked exhausted but resolute, his path unmistakably heading toward the castle. Helios frowned. 'What's he thinking? Is he trying to reach Ansem to save him? That's reckless and foolish.'

Deactivating his dark form, Helios let out a breath. His regular appearance would make Cid more likely to trust him. With practiced ease, he jumped from the rooftop, landing a few feet away from Cid.

The sudden noise startled the older man, who spun around with a hand on his toolbelt. "What in the—?!" Cid exclaimed, his voice laced with both shock and irritation. "You almost gave me a damn heart attack, kid!"

Helios chuckled lightly, though the tension in his voice was hard to miss. "Sorry about that, but we've got bigger problems. We need to head back to your workshop and evacuate. The city's lost."

Cid shook his head, his jaw tightening. "Forget that—I'm heading to the castle. I need to find Ansem. He'll know what to do."

Helios stepped in front of him, blocking his path. "Ansem's already gone," he said firmly. "He evacuated with the apprentices before things got out of hand."

Cid frowned, suspicion flickering in his eyes. "How do you know that?"

Helios hesitated, searching for the right words. Thankfully, Kurai's earlier possession had given him an edge. Cid believed Helios had close ties to Ansem after that scheme, and Helios capitalized on that. "I was with him," he lied smoothly. "He made sure they all got out safely. Now it's our turn. We have to go. Yuffie and the gang already left so we're the only ones left."

Cid's frown deepened, but the explanation seemed to quell his doubts. After a tense moment, he nodded. "Alright, kid. Let's get to the workshop."

Helios opened a dark corridor, the swirling portal casting an eerie light over the ruined street. Cid's eyes widened as he took a step back. "What in the stars is that?"

"It's a shortcut," Helios said, stepping through the corridor. "Trust me—it's safe."

Cid hesitated but followed reluctantly, emerging on the other side to find himself back in his workshop. The transition left him momentarily disoriented, and he glared at Helios. "What the hell did you just do? How'd we get here so fast?"

Helios ignored the question, moving quickly to the console. His fingers flew over the controls as he initiated the start-up procedure for the Gummi Ship he'd designed—the Eclipse Drifter. The sleek, advanced ship hummed to life, its systems booting up smoothly. Helios input the same coordinates he'd used for the Highwind, ensuring the destination was set for Traverse Town.

Turning to Cid, he said, "The ship's ready. Get in and go."

Cid's brow furrowed. "What about you? You're not coming?"

Helios walked over, placing a hand on Cid's shoulder. "I have things to take care of here," he said quietly. "But don't worry—you're going to be fine." Before Cid could argue, Helios cast the Memory Hex, his Keyblade glowing faintly as the spell took effect. The older man's expression softened, his eyes unfocusing as the memories of their meeting faded.

Helios reinforced the spell with a suggestion. "Track the Highwind," he murmured. "Follow it. They'll need your help."

With the suggestion implanted, Helios cast a sleep spell on Cid, catching the man as he slumped forward. He carefully strapped Cid into the pilot's seat and set the ship's autopilot to launch. The Eclipse Drifter began to lift off, its engines roaring to life. Helios stepped back, watching as the ship ascended into the darkened sky, carrying its precious cargo toward safety.

As the ship disappeared from view, Helios let out a slow breath, his mind already shifting to the next task. Cid is safe. Now for Skuld.

He opened a dark corridor, its swirling energy pulling at the edges of his resolve. His destination was Yuffie's place; if Skuld had gone anywhere, it would be there. But as he stepped through the corridor, he was startled to find Skuld coming through from the other side, crashing into him with enough force to nearly knock them both over.

"Skuld!" Helios exclaimed, steadying her as she stumbled. "What—?"

Before he could finish, three Neoshadows emerged from the corridor behind her, their jagged forms slinking forward with predatory intent. Helios pushed Skuld behind him, summoning his Keyblade as the Heartless lunged.

The fight was quick but brutal. Helios moved with precision, his Keyblade slicing through the Heartless with calculated strikes. Skuld, though shaken, summoned her own Keyblade and joined the fray, her movements clumsy but she managed to hold her own against one Neoshadow. Together, they dispatched the Neoshadows, their bodies dissolving into darkness.

As the last Heartless fell, Skuld let out a shaky breath, her grip on her Keyblade loosening. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I just… I had to know if Lea and Isa were okay."

Helios placed a hand on her shoulder, his expression a mix of frustration and understanding. "I get it," he said. "But you can't do this alone. You're lucky I found you when I did."

Skuld looked down, guilt flashing across her face. "I thought I could help," she murmured. "But… it's too much."

Helios softened, his voice gentler. "It's okay. We'll figure this out," he said. "Together. But right now, we need to stay alive. Let's go."

He opened another dark corridor, guiding Skuld through it and back to the relative safety of Merlin's cottage. Once inside, he shut the door firmly and locked it, ensuring the barrier spells around the house were intact.

Skuld sank into a chair, her exhaustion catching up with her. Helios watched her for a moment before speaking. "Rest," he said quietly. "We'll talk later."