Helios leaned ba his bed, still breathing heavily from the chaotic csh with Braig. His muscles ached, his body felt drained, and his mind raced with thoughts of the enter. Every step of his exhausting routine seemed to pile on more than his body could handle, and now this frontation had added yet another yer of plexity to his already precarious situation.

  Kurai’s shadowy form loomed he edge of the bed, its pierg, unreadable eyes fixed on Helios. “You’re still alive, which means your little dah Braig wasirely a failure,” it said, its tone edged with dry amusement.

  Helios shot it a tired gre, brushing off the sweat from his brow. “It wasn’t a da was a mistake. He saw too much.”

  “Did he, now?” Kurai mused, its voice teasing. “Or did you give him exactly what he o see?”

  Helios pushed himself to sit up, his gaze sharpening. “You think I wahat fight? He saw the Keybde. He saw and heard enough to raise questions, and questioo plications.”

  Kurai chuckled, a low, almost serpentine sound that filled the room with an uling resonance. “plications are just opportunities in disguise. Besides, he didn’t get what he really wanted, did he? Your name, your purpose, your allegiahey’re still your secrets.”

  Helios frowned, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “He doesn’t need much to ect the dots. Luxu—, or whatever he’s calling himself now—isn’t someone I afford to uimate.”

  Kurai’s form pulsed faintly, the shadows around it seeming to darken. “A, you stood toe-to-toe with him, even in your current state. Impressive, really. Though I suspect you’ll have to adjust your tactics if you cross paths again.”

  Helios didn’t respond immediately. Instead, his mind drifted back to the fight—the rapid movements, the chaos of falling crystals, the precision ’s attacks. Despite everything, he had mao hold his own, even f Braig to retreat. It wasn’t a victory, but it wasn’t a loss either.

  “I’ll o be more careful,” Helios muttered, more to himself than to Kurai. “No more public dispys, no more training sessions in exposed locations. Everything o stay low-key from now on.”

  Kurai tilted its head, its glowing eyes narrowing slightly. “And what of your dear housemates? Surely they’ll have questions if you suddenly alter your routines.”

  Helios sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I’ll deal with them. Skuld doesn’t o know anything, and Malefit…” He trailed off, his voice tinged with frustration. “She’ll figure out something’s up eventually, but I’ll manage.”

  Kurai hummed in approval, its form flickering slightly as it leaned clood. Adaptability is key, my dear Helios.”

  Helios y ba the bed, staring up at the ceiling as the weight of his fatigue pressed down on him. The fight with Braig had been a stark reminder of just how precarious his situation was. Between Sephiroth, Malefit, Skuld, and n, he was juggling too many variables, eae capable of toppling his pns if mishandled.

  Kurai’s voice broke the siles tone softer but no less uling. “Rest while you , Helios. I don’t see you sting much longer if you don’t.”

  Helios closed his eyes, exhaustion pulling at him like an anchor. “I’ll rest when this is over,” he muttered. “For now, I just o stay ahead.”

  Kurai chuckled softly, its form dissolving into shadows that melded with the room. “As you wish, my ambitious little friend. As you wish.”

  Helios y motionless on the bed for a moment lohe silence of the room settling heavily around him. Every muscle in his body protested as he tried to will himself into some sembnce of focus. The fight with Braig repyed in his mind in sharp detail—the speed, the precision, the sheer uability of his oppo. It wasn’t just the physical toll that wore on him; the mental strain of being on stant guard, of outmaneuvering someone as ing as Braig, g the edges of his resolve.

  He exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand across his face. The frontation had been too close. If Braig had pressed harder, if the colpsing crystals hadn’t provided a distra, he might not have escaped. Ahe enter had revealed something valuable: Braig was watg, but he wasn’t omnist. Helios still had the advantage of secrecy—at least for now.

  His thoughts were interrupted as a faint whisper echoed through the room, and Kurai’s form began to materialize again, the shadows coalesg into its familiar, shapeless figure. “Still brooding, I see,” it said, its tone ced with mockery. “You really do enjoy tormenting yourself, don’t you?”

  Helios shot the entity a gre but didn’t rise to the bait. “I’m thinking,” he replied ftly.

  “Ah, thinking,” Kurai mused, its voice dripping with sarcasm. “Of course. The ever-elusive solution to all your problems. Tell me, does it involve another brilliant pn where you teeter on the edge of death?”

  Helios sat up slowly, ign the ache in his muscles. “What do you want, Kurai?”

  Kurai chuckled softly, the sound slithering through the air like smoke. “Oh, I just thought I’d offer my… insights. Braig, Luxu, whatever he calls himself—he’s a persistent one, isn’t he? He attempted to trace your corridor but I led him somewhere else. However you expect more enters like this, you know. I suggest you refrain from using it for some time.”

  “I thought that might be the case,” Helios muttered. “It's okay, ime I’ll be ready.”

  “Will you?” Kurai tered, its toaking on a sharper edge. “You’re spreading yourself thin, Helios. A m sparring partner who guts you every m without breaking a sweat, a maniputive witch eager to test your limits and break you, a child overly relying on you to guide her—shall I go on? Add a huo the mix, and you’re not juggling; you’re bang on a knife’s edge. I really don’t care if you die just make sure you do so after I aplish my goal before you do.”

  Helios shot Kurai a dark look, his amber eyes fring faintly as he leaned forward. “I’m well aware of how dangerous my situation is,” he said, his voice cold and steady. “But if you’re here to remind me of how precarious everything is, save your breath.”

  Kurai’s form flickered slightly, its edges rippling like a disturbed pool of ink. “Touchy,” it said with a faint chuckle. “But I’m not here just to gloat. If you want my advid let’s face it, you do—you o stop reag and start ag. You have the pieces on the board. It’s time you used them. If you don’t I’ll be forced to intervene again.”

  Helios leaned back, crossing his arms. “Don’t do that. I am using them,” he tered. “Every move I’ve made has been calcuted.”

  “Has it?” Kurai pressed, its tone a mix of amusement and challenge. “Or have you just been keeping your head above water, waiting for the crisis to pull you under?” Helios had been standing far from Kurai but before he noticed the inky bck shadow was floating infront of him with its hands dangerously close to his neck.