Helios and Skuld walked back to Merlin's cottage under the soft, golden light of the late morning. The path was quiet, save for the faint rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze. As they entered the cottage, they saw Maleficent seated near the window, her elegant fingers wrapped around a porcelain cup of tea. She glanced at them briefly, her sharp eyes narrowing before she let out a soft scoff and returned her attention to her drink, clearly uninterested in their presence.
Helios ignored her, walking straight to a chair by the fireplace and motioning for Skuld to follow him. Once inside his room, he closed the door carefully and raised his hand, casting a silence hex over the room. A faint shimmer enveloped the walls, ensuring their conversation would remain private. He set the chair down and took a seat, gesturing for Skuld to sit on the bed across from him.
Skuld perched on the edge of the bed, her hands folded in her lap as she looked at him expectantly. "You said I could ask questions," she said softly, her voice a mixture of nervousness and curiosity. "I have so many, but… I don't even know where to start."
Helios leaned back in his chair, his expression calm but focused. "Take your time. I'm not going anywhere," he said. "Start with whatever's on your mind."
Skuld thought for a moment, her brows furrowing. Finally, she asked, "Who am I?"
Helios gave a small nod, as though he'd expected this question. "That's a long story," he began, his voice steady. "You're a keyblade wielder from an ancient era—a time long before this world, called the Age of Fairytales. In that era, there was a calamity caused by darkness—a devastating event that threatened to destroy everything. Keyblade wielders were charged with fighting it, but ultimately they failed. To save yourself and the future, you and four of your closest friends were sent forward in time."
Skuld's eyes widened, her lips parting as she struggled to process his words. "The Age of Fairytales… the future…" she murmured, her voice trailing off. "I… don't remember any of that."
"That's not surprising," Helios said gently. "Although I'm not too familiar with the methods of time travel moving through time can affect people. In some cases, the journey through time can erase memories. Your memories will probably awaken only when you receive a strong stimulus."
To illustrate his point, Helios summoned his keyblade, the shimmering weapon materializing in his hand. Its intricate design glinted in the dim light, and Skuld's eyes widened in awe.
"This," he said, holding the weapon up, "as I told you yesterday is a keyblade. It's not just a weapon—it's a very special tool, connected to the heart of its wielder. Not just anyone can use it, even other keyblade wielders." He tossed the weapon to her, and it instantly dematerialized, only to reappear in his hand a second later. "See? The keyblade only answers to its chosen wielder."
Skuld stared at him, a mixture of wonder and confusion on her face. "But… I have one too, don't I?"
Helios nodded. "You do. It's part of who you are. Try summoning it. Remember what I said, hold out your hand and call to it with your heart."
Skuld hesitated for a moment before extending her hand, mimicking the gesture she'd seen Helios use. At first, nothing happened. But then, as she closed her eyes and focused, a faint shimmer of light appeared. The light grew brighter until, with a burst of brilliance, her keyblade materialized in her hand—the Starlight keyblade. Its elegant silver blade and gold star-shaped keychain shone as if they had been waiting for this moment for centuries.
Skuld's eyes lit up with astonishment as she gazed at the weapon. "I… I did it!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement and pride.
Helios smiled faintly, clapping softly. "Good. This means your heart still remembers. That keyblade is proof of that."
Skuld turned the weapon over in her hands, marveling at its design. But her excitement was quickly replaced by a look of uncertainty. "If I'm a keyblade wielder… does that mean I have to fight? Do I have to fight the darkness?"
Helios studied her for a moment before answering. "Only if you want to," he said carefully. "The darkness will seek you out because of what you are, but if you stay with me, I can shield your presence until you're ready to decide for yourself."
Skuld looked down at her keyblade, her grip tightening slightly. "Will you teach me?" she asked quietly, her voice tinged with both determination and fear.
"As much or as little as you want," Helios replied. "You're not alone in this, Skuld. I'll help you."
She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered.
After a moment of silence, she asked another question. "You said I came to the future with four friends. Where are they? Do they… remember anything, like me?"
Helios sighed, leaning back in his chair. "They were sent to the future, just like you. But you weren't sent to the same time or place. Finding them will be difficult, especially right now."
Skuld's shoulders slumped slightly, disappointment flickering across her face. "So… they're out there somewhere, but we don't know where?"
"Exactly," Helios said. "But I'll help you look for them when the time is right."
Skuld hesitated before asking her next question, her voice soft and uncertain. "Helios… are you one of them? Are you one of the four I knew?"
Helios shook his head, his expression serious. "No, I'm not. But I know about you and your friends. That's why I wanted to help you."
She frowned, her curiosity growing. "If I'm from the past but you're not, how do you know what happened back then?"
Helios paused, carefully considering his answer. "One of your friends—a boy named Ephemer—appeared in this world a long time ago. He spent ages searching for the rest of you but never found anyone. So he built a city called Scala ad Caelum, a place to train new keyblade wielders to fight the darkness. I'm from there."
Skuld's eyes widened. "So… this Ephemer passed down stories about us? He wanted people like you to find us and help us?"
Helios nodded, allowing a small smile to cross his lips. "That's right."
Skuld's expression softened as she looked down at her keyblade again, her fingers tracing its intricate design. "I wish I could remember him," she murmured. "I wish I could remember all of them."
"You will," Helios said confidently. "In time, those memories will come back to you."
Skuld looked up at him, her face filled with hope. "Thank you, Helios," she said quietly. "For everything."
Helios leaned forward slightly, his expression gentle. "Do you have any other questions?"
Skuld shook her head slowly. "I do, but… I need time to think. To understand everything you've just told me."
Helios gave her a reassuring nod. "Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere." As she sat there, lost in thought.
Helios had told her enough of the truth to gain her trust, but there were still pieces he had kept hidden—like the fact that the darkness that caused said calamity was also in this very house. For now, gaining her complete was his priority, and everything else could wait.
Rising from the chair, he dispelled the silence hex with a flick of his wrist. "Get some rest," he said. "We'll talk more later." Skuld nodded, a small smile on her lips as she watched him leave the room.