Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

Chapter 32

The night was quiet as Helios leaned back in his chair. His mind wandered to the vast possibilities: accessing Space Paranoids, modifying the digital environment, and, if needed, building a place hidden from both light and darkness. Somewhere he could store plans, resources, and anything else he might need.

For now, though, he had to be cautious, especially since Merlin could return without warning. He would find a chest soon enough, but for now, concealing the hard drive beneath the floorboards would suffice. Once he locked it away, he considered hiding it in the World of Darkness until he was ready to retrieve it. However, upon further thinking all the landmasses collapsed and decayed so he wasn't sure if it wouldn't affect the drive.

After a final glance out the window, Helios got up, closing the curtains with care. The peaceful exterior of Radiant Garden was a stark contrast to the view he used to see in Nightfall.

As Helios lay down to sleep, Kurai's voice echoed in his mind, its tone laced with thinly veiled impatience. "So... now that you have the hard drive and the data you wanted, we'll be leaving this annoyingly bright world soon, yes?"

Helios didn't answer right away, staring at the ceiling as he mulled over his thoughts. "No. Not yet," he replied finally.

Kurai paused, as if surprised. "Oh? And why not?"

"Because my mastery of magic is still incomplete," Helios explained. "And I've only just started grasping programming and Gummi Ship engineering. If I leave now, I'll lose access to the resources I need to fully develop those skills."

There was a silence from Kurai, as if it were weighing his words. Finally, it spoke, a hint of mockery creeping into its tone. "Tell me, Helios... is your reluctance to leave truly because of skill-building? Or perhaps," it paused, savoring the moment, "have you formed... bonds with the people here?"

Helios stiffened, caught off guard by the remark. He felt his jaw tighten, but he said nothing, letting the silence stretch. Kurai's voice took on a cold, condescending edge.

"This is amusing," it murmured, its tone chillingly detached. "If I had the capacity to laugh, I might do so. You, the boy who abandoned his own parents so that you may live, now entertaining the idea of attachments? With these trivial, useless people? You are a being who belongs on the side of darkness so why form an attachment with those who will undoubtedly become your enemies in the future."

Helios's hand tightened into a fist as he lay there, his gaze hardening as he stared into the darkened ceiling. He felt a flicker of anger at Kurai's words, but he kept his voice steady. "And yet, here we are, Kurai. Whether you like it or not, we need this world. Attachments or not, the skills I can learn here will serve our purpose when the time comes."

Kurai gave a low hum, its presence cold and dark within his mind. "Then let us hope your attachments do not become our undoing. Hearts are fragile things, after all. You may think you're simply biding your time, but the heart has ways of creeping up on even the most guarded. I will be watching and if I deem your actions to be at my detriment then this little friendship or partnership we have shall end. Am I understood?"

Helios let the silence answer Kurai. He could feel Kurai retreat, its presence becoming a faint whisper in the recesses of his mind, though he could sense its lingering dissatisfaction. Closing his eyes, Helios forced himself to drift off, his thoughts fractured between the mission he'd set himself on and the companions he'd found unexpectedly valuable.

As Helios lay there in the dark, he wrestled with Kurai's words. They gnawed at him, stirring a tension he couldn't quite shake. He wanted to believe he was above attachments, that every connection he made in Radiant Garden was merely a part of his plan. But the faces of Isa, Lea, and even Cid came to mind unbidden. Their genuine friendship had offered him something he hadn't expected: the simple comfort of camaraderie. For so long, he'd only known solitude and survival, never trusting, never letting himself depend on anyone especaiily his dark accquitence Kurai.