The scent of tea lingered in the air, mixing with the faint traces of old parchnt and candle wax. The quiet crackle of a lantern was the only sound between them.
Helios sat across from rlin, his hands wrapped around a warm cup of tea, but his mind was anything but at ease. Across the table, the old wizard watched him carefully, his small, round spectacles reflecting the dim light.
The silence was heavy. rlin was waiting.
And Helios knew it.
After a long sip of tea, rlin finally spoke.
"You've told many things, boy. And yet, I can't shake the feeling that not only are you still hiding many things from I also believe you refrain from telling the whole truth in what you previously shared."
Helios smirked lazily. "I told you I could only say part of the truth."
rlin's fingers tapped rhythmically against the wooden table. "Then tell sothing else. How exactly did Radiant Garden fall?"
Helios exhaled. "You already know the basics, don't you? So why ask?"
"I do," rlin admitted. "But I wish to hear your version."
Helios leaned back, gaze distant. "Radiant Garden was dood long before I ever set foot there."
rlin remained silent, waiting.
"Ansem the Wise and his apprentices," Helios continued, "were obsessed with the study of hearts. It started with small experints—research, gathering data. But then… then the apprentices went too far."
rlin's eyes darkened.
Helios placed his cup down. "They started experinting on people."
The wizard's grip on his teacup tightened slightly, but he said nothing.
"They took people's hearts. Tore them apart, studied the fragnts, and docunted every little change. So hearts were strong enough to fight back… but most?" Helios shook his head. "They shattered. Beca sothing… else."
rlin's voice was quiet. "The first Emblem Heartless."
Helios nodded. "Oh, you already know that na. I guess I shouldn't be so surprised seeing who I'm talking to. You're exactly right."
He raised a finger. "As I'm sure you know before them, Heartless already existed—but they were Purebloods. They didn't need humans to reproduce, they just were. But these new ones—the Emblems—spread like a disease. One Emblem Heartless could turn ten others into more."
A pause.
rlin sipped his tea, his face unreadable. "Go on."
Helios exhaled, shaking his head. "By the ti anyone realized how bad it was, it was too late. The Heartless overran the city. People either vanished into darkness becoming more emblem heartless or ran for their lives. I only managed to rescue a few people with Cid's help."
rlin's voice was asured, but laced with sothing dangerous. "And why did you do that?"
Helios smirked. "Because I wanted to help where I could, so I did."
rlin didn't break eye contact. "And what of the darkness inside you?"
Helios shrugged. "What about it?"
rlin set his cup down. "Your aura has grown stronger. The shadows around you don't feel like an infection, nor do they behave like the darkness of a lost soul."
Helios said nothing.
rlin pressed on. "So tell —is your darkness truly your own?"
Silence.
Helios smirked. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're trying to figure out if I've got a second passenger in here."
rlin's eyes twinkled with sothing dangerous. "Do you?"
Helios exhaled, feigning nonchalance. "Nope."
A lie. A simple, effective one.
rlin held his gaze a mont longer before finally sighing and leaning back. "…You've gotten better at this."
Helios chuckled. "I've had plenty of practice since we last talked."
rlin took another sip of tea before changing tactics. "What have you been up to since you left Radiant Garden?"
Helios smirked. "Oh, you know. Running into powerful lunatics. Making so poor life choices. Learning things I shouldn't."
rlin raised an eyebrow.
Helios exhaled. "Fine. When Radiant Garden fell, I left. I wish to go to the Realm of Darkness —but not before getting what I needed."
"And what was that?"
Helios gestured to his Keyblade Armor ring on his finger. "This armor although it's repairing itself currently. And one for Skuld." He motioned toward the black-haired girl asleep on the bed.
rlin glanced at her, eyes unreadable. "And this girl—Skuld?"
Helios leaned forward. "She was a prisoner in Ansem's labs. I found her before things got worse. I got her out."
rlin frowned but said nothing. "And after that?"
Helios exhaled. "Only people who can use darkness can enter, so I used my powers to open a way to the Realm of Darkness."
rlin's head snapped toward him.
The wizard's tone sharpened. "You entered that realm willingly?"
Helios smirked. "I wasn't exactly on a vacation."
rlin's gaze flicked to Aqua, still resting. "You went to save her."
Helios shrugged. "You know who she is, right? Through Yen Sid and having t her yourself briefly? I doubt you're senile enough to forget her so soon right?"
rlin didn't confirm or deny it. He rely watched Helios carefully.
Helios leaned back in his chair. "Aqua was trapped there. I pulled her out."
rlin sighed, rubbing his temple. "I cannot tell if you're reckless or foolish."
Helios chuckled. "Probably both. Actually, definitely both."
rlin exhaled before nodding. "Yen Sid will want to know this."
Helios' entire deanor changed.
He set his cup down firmly and spoke in a calm, even voice. "No, he won't. Neither will you want to tell to tell him."
rlin's eyes flicked up.
Helios smirked. "Because if he does, you'll both cause a temporal paradox."
Silence.
For the first ti since they started talking, rlin looked genuinely caught off guard. "…A paradox? Ti… travel?"
Helios leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Yes, you should already know by now, rlin. My actions show that I can only be from the future."
rlin's entire body tensed.
Helios continued, his tone smooth. "If you tell Yen Sid, he will fear that his actions will change things. Although no matter the action he wishes to take nothing will change. In the end, they will just solidify the tiline. Wouldn't you rather let him make such choices without that pain?"
rlin studied him, his mind working rapidly.
Helios' bluff was perfectly crafted—rlin knew ti travel rules, and the fear of causing a paradox was enough to keep him from asking too much.
rlin leaned back, stroking his beard. "This… explains much."
Helios smirked. 'Hook. Line. Sinker.'
After a long silence, rlin exhaled. "We'll continue this conversation another ti. I assu you'll stay here for a while."
He pushed his chair back and stood. "But before I go…"
He turned toward Helios, his gaze sharper than before. "Darkness always cos at a cost."
Helios didn't respond imdiately.
His usual smirk faded, replaced by sothing distant, almost hollow.
He whispered, "I know. I've paid more than I should and I will continue to do so until I get it all back." For the briefest mont, his mother and father's faces flashed in his mind.
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