Helios crossed his arms, his expression steady. “I’ve been keeping her safe,” he said firmly. “First, her name is Skuld, not X, and there are people out there—dangerous people—who want to capture her. If they find her, it’ll end badly for everyone, including myself.”

  Lea’s grin disappeared entirely, repced by a serious look that made his youthful face seem older. “Safe from who, Helios? What kind of people are we talking about? What’s going on?”

  Isa’s frown deepened, and he folded his arms, the ess in his tone giving way to sharp frustration. “You know what? I’ve had enough of this,” he said, his voice louder than usual. “First, you tell us to stay away from you—that we’re not your friends anymore. Then you show up with… her.” He gestured toward Skuld, his tone acg. “What are we supposed to think, Helios?”

  Lea’s green eyes fred with a mix of hurt and anger. “Yeah, seriously. You ditch us, disappear for days, and now you’re keepis? What’s your deal? And don’t give us some me excuse like you’re ‘keeping her safe.’ Safe from who? What’s going on?”

  Helios met their accusations with a steady gaze, though tension crackled in the air. Skuld, standing slightly behind him, looked betweehree of them, fusion and unease written all over her face. “Wait,” she interjected, her voice hesitant but firm. “What does he mean, you’re not friends anymore? Helios, you said you were their friend.”

  Lea threw up his hands. “Yeah, that’s what we thought too—until Mr. Mysterious here decided to cut ties for no reason.”

  Skuld’s eyes darted to Helios, her expression one of fusion and hurt. “Why would you do that? You told me they were their friend and that’s the reason I could trust you.”

  Helios sighed, his patience fraying at the edges. “I did it to protect you,” he said, his voice tinged with exasperation. “To protect them. I didn’t want ating caught in the crossfire.”

  Skuld’s eyes darted to Helios, her expression one of fusion and hurt. “Why would you do that? You told me they were the reason I could trust you.”

  Helios exhaled sharply, his frustration evident as he gestured for everyoo follow him. “We’re causing too much of a se,” he said tersely. “Let’s move. Now.”

  Isa and Lea exged gheir expressions a mix of annoyand suspi, but they didn’t argue. Helios led them to a secluded alley, the chatter of the marketpce fading into the background as the shadows of the tall buildings closed in around them.

  As soon as they were far enough fr eyes, Helios turned sharply, his hand outstretched. “Stop,” he muttered, and with a flick of his wrist, a faint ripple of energy expanded from his palm. Isa and Lea froze in mid-motion, their expressions locked in pce as if they were statues.

  Skuld’s eyes widened in arm, her voice trembling. “What did you do to them? Helios, what’s happening?”

  Helios lowered his hand, his expression te calm. “It’s a Stop spell,” he expined. “It temporarily halts someoime. They’re fihey won’t even know it happened.”

  Skuld took a step back, her hands g nervously. “Why would you do that? They’re your friends!”

  “Because I need you to listen,” Helios said firmly, stepping closer but keeping his toeady. “There’s a reason why I broke off my friendship with them. A reason why I ’t let them know everything. And if yoing to be around them, you o uand what’s at stake.”

  Skuld’s breath hitched, her voice quieter now but no less insistent. “Then tell me. What’s going on? Why are you hiding so much?”

  Helios hesitated, his gaze softening slightly. “I’ll expihing whe back,” he said. “But for now, you o trust me. Don’t mention your Keybde to them. Don’t summon it, don’t even hint that you have one. Keep it a secret. you do that for me?”

  Skuld’s eyes searched his face, her emotions warriween fear, fusion, and a relut trust. Finally, she nodded. “Alright,” she said quietly. “I’ll keep it a secret. But you owe me answers, Helios.”

  “You’ll get them,” Helios promised, relief flickering in his expression. He gnced back at Isa and Lea, whose frozen forms were beginning to shimmer faintly. “The spell’s wearing off. Py along, and they won’t know a thing.”

  As the Stop spell faded, Isa and Lea resumed moving as if nothing had happened, mid-versation and pletely unaware of the brief pause iime.

  “…still doesn’t expin what’s going on, Helios,” Isa was saying, his sharp eyes log onto Helios the moment he realized they had stopped. But he paused as he noticed Skuld’s expression. “Skuld? What’s wrong?”

  Skuld hesitated, gng quickly at Helios before f a small smile. “Nothing,” she said, her tone light but irely ving. “I was just… a little overwhelmed, I guess. It’s a lot to take in.”

  Lea tilted his head, his expressioical. “You sure? You look kinda—”

  “I’m fine,” Skuld cut in quickly, her smile widening as she waved her hand dismissively. “Really.”

  Lea frowned slightly but let it go. “Alright, if you say so.”

  Isa’s gaze lingered on her for a moment longer before he turned his attention back to Helios. “You still haven’t answered us. What’s going on? eople after her?”

  Helios exhaled slowly, his mind rag for a way to steer the versation while keeping Skuld’s secrets intact. “It’s a long story,” he said carefully. “And it’s not safe to talk about it out here. Let’s get somewhere more secure, and I’ll tell you what I .”

  Isa and Lea exged gheir suspi evident, but they didn’t argue. “Fine,” Isa said curtly. “But you’d better not dodge our questions again. For now, let’s head over to Yuffie’s po pce is safer than that. Get it memorized Skuld”

  Helios hough inwardly, he felt a pang of u the mention of Yuffie’s pce. It had slipped his mind to che Cloud’s dition. He had basically dohe same thing that had been doo Ventus to Cloud. He separated the darkness inside him and gave it form as Sephiroth but that would normally damage Cloud’s heart so he o ched if there roblem then he o fix it.