Helios headed to his room, gathering Aqua’s armor and Keybde. Carefully, he ed the items in a bedsheet, tying it securely to ehey wouldn’t be damaged during their journey. Returning to the living room, he held out the buoward Sephiroth.

  “Here,” Helios said, his voice steady. “ you carry this?”

  Sephiroth didn’t respond. He simply stood there, his cold, impassive gaze fixed on Helios. The room filled with an unfortable silence as they locked eyes, her willing to break first.

  Skuld shifted nervously, gng betweewo. Finally, she stepped forward, her voice tentative but determined. “I’ll carry it,” she said, taking the bundle from Helios’s hands.

  Helios sighed, his shoulders rexing slightly. “Fine. Just be careful with it.”

  While Skuld adjusted the weight of the bundle, Helios returned and grabbed a bag, pg the hard drive inside. He turned his attention to Cloud, still atose on the bed. With care, he hoisted Cloud onto his back, piggyback style, the unscious warrior’s weight pressing against him.

  Bang Cloud and the hard drive bag was no easy task. Helios stumbled slightly as he moved toward the living room. “You could at least pretend to try to help,” he grumbled.

  Sephiroth made no move to assist, his disi evident, so Helios gritted his teeth and used his free hand to open a dark corridor. The swirling bck gateway shimmered ience, and the trio stepped through.

  The group emerged onto a wide pteau overlooking a vast city. The skyliretched out before them, with golden sunlight illuminating the white stoructures of Thebes. From their vantage point, they could see the bustling streets below, dotted with vendors, pedestrians, and t statues of gods. The st of blooming flowers and the faint hum of city life carried on the breeze.

  Skuld’s eyes widened in awe. “Where are we?” she asked, her voice filled with wonder.

  Helios adjusted Cloud’s weight on his back before answering. “This world is called Olympus. The city down there is Thebes.”

  Skuld stared at the city, her earlier worries momentarily fotten as she took in the sight. Even Sephiroth’s impassive demeanor seemed to falter for a moment, his gaze lingering on the distant city.

  Helios set Cloud and the hard drive bag down carefully before stretg his arms and rolling his shoulders. “First things first,” he said. “We o find a pce to stay.”

  Skuld looked back at him, flickering across her face. “Shouldn’t we all go together?”

  Helios shook his head. “No. You two stay here with Cloud. I’ll look around and find somewhere safe. It’ll be faster if I go alone.”

  Sephiroth didn’t protest, remaining silent as he stood off to the side, his pierg eyes sing the horizon. Skuld hesitated but eventually nodded, setting Aqua’s bundle down beside Cloud. “Be careful,” she said quietly.

  Helios offered her a reassuring smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I will.”

  Helios made his way down the rocky slope leading to the city, his movements quid purposeful. The closer he got to Thebes, the more vibrant and alive it seemed. Merts called out to passersby, hawking their wares with enthusiasm. Children pyed ireets, their ughter eg through the alleys. It was a stark trast to the chaos and despair he had left behind in Radiant Garden.

  As he ehe city proper, he kept his hood up, used a hex to lower his presence, and blended into the crowd as best he could. He didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention, especially from Hades or any of the Greek Gods.

  Helios sed his surroundings, looking for any signs of an inn or a quiet pce where they could stay unnoticed. He spotted a small group of guards patrolling nearby, their armleaming in the sunlight. Their presence was a remihat this city wasn’t without its own troubles. ‘No drawing attention to ourselves,’ he thought.

  After wandering for a while, Helios came across a modest inn tucked away in a quieter part of the city. The building was made of pale stos entrance marked by a simple wooden sign that read “The Restful Hydra.” The inn looked and well-maintained, and its location away from the main thhfares made it ideal.

  Helios ehe inn, the air inside cool and filled with the faint st of vender. A middle-aged woman stood behind the ter, her friendly demeanor putting him at ease.

  “Wele!” she said warmly. “Looking for a room?”

  Helios nodded. “Something quiet and out of the way. How many rooms do you have avaible?”

  The woman tilted her head, thinking. “We’ve got two left, both on the upper floor. They’re small, but they’re cozy.”

  “That’ll do,” Helios said. He reached into his bag and produced his card, handing it over. After the card left his hand he wondered if they actually took such payment here. But to his surprise, the woman took the payment, handed back his card, and with a smile handed him two keys.

  “Top of the stairs, st two doors on the right,” she instructed. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

  Helios thanked her ahe inrag his steps back to the overlook where he had left Skuld and Sephiroth.

  When Helios returned, he found Skuld sitting cross-legged on the ground beside Cloud, her expression thoughtful. Sephiroth stood a short distance away, his gaze fixed on the horizon as though lost in his own thoughts.

  “I found a pce,” Helios announced, setting the keys down on the ground beside Skuld. “Two rooms. It’s quiet and out of the way.”

  Skuld looked up at him, relief evident in her eyes. “Thank you.”

  Helios hoisted Cloud onto his back again, wing slightly at the strain. “Let’s move. I don’t want to stay out here lohan we have to.”

  Skuld picked up Aqua’s bundle while Sephiroth followed silently, his movements fluid and deliberate. Together, they made their way down the rocky slope and into Thebes, moving carefully to avoid drawing attention.

  The group reached the inn without i. Helios led them upstairs to their rooms, unlog the doors and stepping ihe rooms were small but fortable, each with a single bed, a wooden desk, and a small window overlooking the quiet street below.

  Helios pced Cloud on one of the beds, adjusting him so he was lying fortably. Skuld set Aqua’s bundle on the desk, her movements gentle and deliberate.

  Sephiroth leaned against the wall, his arms crossed as he surveyed the room. “And what’s the pn now?” he asked, his tone as cold aached as ever.

  Helios g him, his expression thoughtful. “We rest for now. Once we’re settled, I’ll tell you guys our move.”

  Skuld hesitated before speaking. “Helios… do you think this pce is safe?”

  Helios nodded. “For now, yes. But we won’t stay here long. We’ll o stay ahead of any trouble.”

  Skuld didn’t look entirely reassured, but she nodded. “Alright.”

  As the others settled in, Helios moved to the window, gazing out at the city below. The golden sunlight bathed Thebes in a warm glow. For a moment, he allowed himself to rex.

  “Rest up,” he said quietly, more to himself than anyone else. “The real work starts tomorrow.”