As Helios and Kurai tiheir trek through the endless darkness, Helios couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that his ruse had worked. Inside, his thoughts raced. “Thank God this shadow bought it,” Helios mused silently, trying to keep his expressioral. “I remember that they were easy to manipute, but I half expected to fail in ving it.”
Since awakening more of his memories, Helios had been pieg together his pn carefully. When Kurai had searched through his mind, it had unlocked only about forty pert of his memories—just enough for Helios to remember parts of his life and the fragmeory of Kingdom Hearts. But now, with more crity, he uood the full story, or at least enough of it to navigate his path with caution.
Walking beside Kurai, Helios felt a sense ency as the stakes of his situation grew more apparent. He knew now that this shadowy figure wasn’t just a simple ally; Kurai and the other 12 True Darkness had their own agenda, and at some point, it would try to use him for its own ends. Helios would have to stay two steps ahead if he wao survive.
The memories of Kingdom Hearts III, Union X, and Re-Mind echoed in his mind like a tangled web of events. He now uood the plex power dynamics, the influence of figures like the enigmatic Master of Masters, and the intricate threads of fate that ected the worlds. Helios realized that Kurai would eventually run into one of these key pyers, and that would spell disaster for him as its ally for now if he didn’t have a pn.
Avoiding those catastrophiters was now the heart of his strategy. He had to steer clear of Sora and his overwhelming plot armor. The thought alone made Helios wary of ever crossing paths with the Keybde wielder. Too many people had uimated Sora, only to be defeated in ways no one could predict or even uand logically. No, Helios e his own way, ohat defied expectations.
His pn began to take shape as they walked. First, he o gather more information—both about his current location iimeline and the state of the different worlds. Determining whether they were still iime of Sora or further ba the age of fairy tales was crucial. Depending on the era, the ndscape of allies and enemies would ge drastically.
Helios also knew he would need a base of operations, somewhere hidden from the prying eyes of those who sought trol over Kingdom Hearts. He couldn't just keep wandering aimlessly in the Realm of Darkness ht—he needed a sanctuary, a pce where they could regroup and pn their steps. But he would need power—real power.
As they ventured deeper into the heart of darkness, the enviro around them shifted. The terrain became more treacherous as nd decayed faster, the air denser with the presence of Heartless. The Heartless grew strohe further they traveled, but with each battle, Helios found his skills sharpening. He had sustained fewer injuries over time, a sign of his growing mastery over darkness.
In his battles, he had unlocked a new form—a dark form, much like Riku’s and Sora’s, that enhanced his physical strength, speed, and defensive abilities. Helios could feel the power c through him as he fought, pushing his limits. But he knew he would need more than raw strength to face the challenges ahead. A on. A Keybde.
The innermost area of the Realm of Darkness was littered with the remnants of worlds long ed by darkness, including fragments of Daybreak Town, from the age of fairy tales. On one of these floating ndmasses, Helios was sure he could find a Keybde of Darkness—a powerful relic that could aid him in his quest.
As they reached the floating ndmasses, Helios could feel the presence of Heartless intensifying. They were being drawn to him like moths to a fme, attracted by the growing darkness within him. He knew he had to be cautious—one wrong step, and he could be overwhelmed.
Helios cloaked himself in shadows to hide his st, moving stealthily across the floating ptforms. He used his dark form to blend with the enviro, evading the swarmiless as he made his way toward the area he believed held the Keybde. His heart pounded with anticipation as he finally arrived at a floating isnd adorned with hundreds of glowing keys.
The sight was surreal—ahereal field of fotten Keybdes, remnants of the age of fairy tales. Helios sed the area carefully, searg for the ohat would answer his call. He could feel it—a faint e drawing him toward a specific Keybde among the tless others.
He reached out toward it, his hand h over the hilt. Just as his fingers brushed the etal, Kurai’s voice cut through the air like a bde.
“Dodge.”
Helios didn’t hesitate. Instinctively, he activated his dark form and leaped backward with all his strength. In an instant, a massive Heartless, resembling a monstrous lion, crashed down from above, its impact obliterating the ptform where Helios had stood moments before. The force of its arrival sent debris flying, and Helios, along with several Keybdes, plummeted toward the abyss below.
As Helios fell, he caught a glimpse of the Heartless. Its body was a twisted amalgamation of dark purple and bck, with dark magenta spikes jutting from its head, back, and tail. Its massive yellow eyes gleamed with malice, and its legs were ed in broken s, as though it had retly escaped from captivity.
Helios shifted midair, desperately reag for something to break his fall. He mao grab onto a k of debris, using his dark form to slow his dest. The Heartless, however, wasn’t far behind, diving after him with terrifying speed.
The stakes had just risen.
Helios narrowed his eyes, his mind rag. This was the moment he had trained for, the culmination of his journey in the Realm of Darkness. He had to defeat this creature and cim the Keybde if he was to stand a ce. But the odds were against him, and the Heartless was unlike anything he had faced before.
As the battle in freefall began, Helios summoned all his strength, eling the darkness within him. He khis would be the fight that determined his future—whether he would rise as a powerful wielder of darkness or fall and bee a Heartless like so many before him.
The roar of the Heartless echoed through the dark skies, but Helios was ready.
