Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

Chapter 36

Lea and Isa exchanged uneasy glances, and for a moment, Helios wanted them to turn their backs on him right then and there. Lea's face softened, though, and he gave Helios a determined look.

"Hey, you think we're gonna just walk away after seeing something like that?" Lea said, his voice steady despite the tremor in his hands. "You saved us back there, and if these... dark things are after you, then all the more reason we stick together. We'll just have to get strong enough to fight them too, right, Isa?"

Isa frowned, his expression conflicted, but finally nodded. "We can't pretend we didn't see what we just saw. If those things are real, and they're drawn to you, then leaving you on your own isn't an option." He looked at Helios, his gaze sharp but honest. "Besides, if you're fighting them to protect us, we owe it to you to learn how to protect ourselves."

Helios felt an unexpected warmth at their words. He'd never expected such loyalty, especially after what they'd just witnessed. But Kurai's words echoed in his mind. For a moment, he wrestled with the urge to keep them close and save them from the path he knew he was destined to walk. However, ultimately he knew the best thing to do would be to push them away.

Helios looked into their eyes, their faces a mix of courage and fear, and clenched his fist as he forced out the words. "No," he said slowly, his voice sharp. "You two... you're too weak to try to protect me, let alone yourselves. That's why I can't stay with you."

Lea's face fell, and Isa's expression hardened, both of them taken aback by his words. But Helios continued, steeling himself against the look in their eyes.

"Listen," he went on, his tone merciless, "if you really want to be of any use to me, you'll need to become at least ten times stronger than you are now. Otherwise, all you'll do is slow me down."

Lea's jaw tightened, his expression a mixture of frustration and confusion. "What do you mean we'd slow you down? We can get stronger—just like you said!" His voice was laced with defiance, but there was a glint of desperation in his eyes that Helios wished he hadn't seen.

Isa's gaze, usually calm and steady, flickered with something sharper, more vulnerable. "After all that, you're just... leaving us behind?" he asked, his tone carefully controlled but hurt clearly visible.

Helios took a deep breath, his face hardening as he forced himself to deliver the blow that would sever their attachment. "Look, I'm dealing with things neither of you can understand. You're both weak, and tagging along with me is just going to get you hurt. I don't have time to babysit two liabilities." His words were sharp, deliberately cutting, and he watched as the light in Lea's eyes dimmed.

Lea opened his mouth to respond, but Helios turned his back on them before he could, forcing himself to walk away. "Go home," he called over his shoulder. "This is where we part ways."

With every step, Helios could feel their hurt like a tangible weight pressing on his back, but he forced himself to keep walking. It was the only way, he told himself. Attachments were dangerous, a weakness he couldn't afford.

As he walked away, Kurai's voice slithered into his mind, low and pleased. "Now that was an interesting performance. A bit dramatic for my tastes, but effective."

Helios's fists clenched at his sides, his heart pounding with a mixture of anger and regret. "I hope you enjoyed the show," he muttered, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

Kurai chuckled softly, the sound cold and indifferent. "Enjoyment isn't within my capacity," it replied, "but I do feel that this outcome is best. Attachments like those have no place in your world, Helios. Emotions are a dangerous indulgence."