Helios took a deep breath, his mind rag as he weighed his options. The figure’s offer liempting him, but his instincts screamed not to trust it. He couldn’t let himself be possessed, but there had to be a way to escape this pce—without losing his soul.

  "I appreciate your offer," Helios began, keeping his voice calm, "but I have to dee your deal for Kingdom Hearts."

  The figure tilted its head, dark energy swirling zily around it. "Is that so?" it said, its tone ced with curiosity. "And what alternative do you propose, if not to accept my generous offer?"

  Helios forced a smile, trying to sound sincere. "Why not bee friends? Friends don’t need deals—they help each other because they trust each other. You help me get out of here, and maybe I help you with something down the line. Ns attached, no possession. Just... friendship."

  The figure’s glowing eyes narrowed, and for a moment, it said nothing, assessing Helios’s words. "Friends?" it echoed, amusement g its tone. "And what do you think we’d do as friends if there's no be in it for me?"

  Helios shrugged, his heartbeat quiing. "You said it yourself—trust be built over time. Friends work together without the need for manipution. Maybe we both get something out of this."

  The figure was silent, shadows dang around it as if p Helios’s proposal. Finally, it spoke, a low, dangerous ugh esg its lips. "Very well. We shall be 'friends,' Helios. But make no mistake—if you bee a liability, I won’t hesitate to dispose of you."

  Helios he tension in his chest easing just a little. "Fair enough. So, how about we start with you helpi out of here?"

  The figure floated closer, its dark energy pulsing in rhythm with Helios's rag heart. "Before we leave, there’s something you o learn," it said, its voice soft and dangerous. "Darkness is not your enemy—it’s simply a tool. Learn to use it, or it will e you."

  Helios watched as the figure began to expin the nuances of wielding darkness, but before he could absorb the lesson, the grouh them shifted. Bck tendrils stretched across the beach, and glowing yellow eyes appeared, staring out from the growing shadows.

  Neoshadows—the Heartless—emerged from the darkness. Their rge, cwed hands and crooked antennae were unmistakable. They slinked forward, muscles tensed, ready to strike.

  Helios’s body reacted on instinct, his heart pounding in his chest. "I’m not ready for this," he muttered, bag away.

  The figure floated beside him, watg the approag Heartless with cold indifference. "Run," it ordered. "You’re no use to me dead."

  Without hesitation, Helios turned and sprinted, his feet pounding against the shadowy ground as the Neoshadows slithered closer. The figure followed, its dark energy propelling it with speed, effortlessly keeping pace with him.

  They raced through the twisted corridors of the Realm of Darkness, the shadows of Heartless creeping after them. Helios pushed himself harder, his breath ing in ragged gasps as they navigated the desote ndscape. Finally, after what felt like ay, they mao lose the pursuiless.

  Colpsing onto the ground, Helios’s chest heaved as he gasped for air. His body felt like it was on fire, every muscle ag from the exertion. The figure hovered over him, its voice sharp and unyielding.

  "Rest quickly," it said, eyes sing the darkness. "We’re not safe yet. The Heartless are drawn to the light of your heart, and this area has retly been ed. We o move."

  Helios, still panting, gnced up and froze. His surroundings became painfully clear—the city of Nightfall, or at least what remained of it, y in ruins. The streets where he’d grown up, the buildings he had known, were swallowed by darkness, now nothing more than broken remnants.

  Grief crashed over him, and he grabbed his head, trying to steady his rag thoughts. "Why…?" he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "Why did this happen?"

  The figure regarded him with cold detat. "Why?" it repeated, mog. "Your parents made the choice to sacrifice themselves for you. It was a foolish decision, but it worked in my favor. Now, stop wasting time. We must move."

  Helios’s breath caught in his throat as the weight of his loss pressed down on him. His parents—gone. His city—gone. Everything he had known, erased in an instant. His vision blurred with tears as he struggled to process the devastation.

  "I don’t expect you to uand," Helios muttered, standing shakily, "but they sacrificed everything for me. They gave their hearts to protect me. I won’t let their sacrifice be in vain."

  The figure scoffed, its energy swirling with disdain. "Seality is weakness. It clouds your judgment. passion and love? They are meaningless here. Detach yourself from such emotions, or you will not survive."

  Helios met its gaze, a fire burning behind his eyes. "No," he said firmly. "I won’t abandon what makes me human. My parents taught me about love and passion, and that’s what I’ll hold onto. I refuse to bee like you."

  The figure’s ugh was low and mog. "Is that so, 'friend'? We shall see how long that sts. passion is what brought you here, what made you weak. But no matter, let’s move before your seal heart draws more of them."

  Helios gritted his teeth, his resolve hardening. He knew he couldn’t trust the figure pletely, but for now, he had no choice but to follow. He wouldn’t bee a heartless shell. He wouldn’t lose himself to the darkness.

  As they tinued deeper into the Realm of Darkness, the desotion grew more pronouwisted structures loomed around them, casting ed shadows that seemed to flicker and stretnaturally. Helios’s mind raced, trying to process everything, but the weight of his loss and the stant threat of the Heartless pressed down on him.

  Without warning, the figure stopped, its head cocked slightly. "We have pany," it said quietly, its voice low and ominous.

  Helios’s muscles tensed. He couldn’t see anything in the surrounding darkness, but he could feel it—the oppressive presence of Heartless closing in. The figure moved swiftly, its dark energy swirling as it struck down the Heartless with deadly precision, cutting through them with cold efficy.

  As the final Heartless faded into the shadows, Helios took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves.

  "Don’t get too fortable," the figure warned, not b to turn around. "They’ll keep ing. Stay alert, or you’ll die."

  Helios nodded, his eyes sing the shadows. He khey had a long way to go before they could escape the Realm of Darkness, but he was determio survive—and he was determined not to lose himself along the way.