Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

The golden cloud hummed softly beneath them, gliding down the slopes of Mount Olympus with an almost serene grace. Helios leaned back slightly, his eyes on the horizon as the divine glow of the mountain faded into the muted hues of the mortal realm. Beside him, Skuld sat silently for a moment before finally breaking the stillness.

"So… where exactly are we going that requires armor this intense?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

Helios glanced at her, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Somewhere dangerous," he said vaguely, watching her reaction.

Skuld narrowed her eyes. "You're not going to dodge the question, are you?"

Helios chuckled lightly, his gaze returning to the sky ahead. "We're going to the Realm of Darkness."

Skuld's expression shifted, her brows furrowing as the name sank in. "The Realm of Darkness?" she repeated. "You mean the place where all darkness comes from?"

Helios nodded. "That's the one."

"And this armor…" Skuld trailed off, glancing down at her silver bracelet. "It's for protection from the darkness, isn't it?"

"Exactly," Helios replied. "The Realm of Darkness is unlike anything you've encountered. It's a place where the very air you breathe tries to consume you. The ground, the shadows, everything is infused with darkness. Without the armor, it would chip away at your heart, senses and even your sense of time until there was nothing left."

Skuld frowned, her grip tightening slightly on the edge of the cloud. "So what about you? Won't the darkness affect you too?"

Helios' faint smile didn't waver, but he avoided her question, instead steering the conversation in another direction. "Aren't you curious why we're going there?"

Skuld hesitated, her confusion evident. The name of the Realm of Darkness was ominous enough, but the way Helios spoke about it—the calmness in his voice paired with the weight of his words—left her unsure how to respond.

After a moment, Helios continued. "We're going there to find someone. Someone who's been lost in that place for almost a year."

Skuld tilted her head slightly, her curiosity deepening. "Who?"

Helios' gaze softened, his voice steady but carrying a hint of reverence. "Her name is Aqua. She's a Keyblade Master—a remarkable one at that. She's been fighting the darkness for quite a long time."

Skuld blinked, taking in the information. "A Keyblade Master? And she's been stuck there for a year? Why?"

Helios paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "It's… complicated," he said finally. "But the important thing is that she needs help. She's been alone in the darkness for too long."

Skuld's frown deepened. "If she's been fighting the darkness for so long, how did she get trapped there in the first place?"

Helios avoided her gaze, instead staring out at the horizon. "That's not something you need to worry about right now. What matters is that we find her and bring her back. She's actually a close friend of a boy named Ventus who you used to know back in the Age of Fairy Tales."

Though unsatisfied with the lack of answers, Skuld chose not to press further. Instead, she asked, "This Ventus person you mentioned, did he get trapped too?"

Helios hesitated again before answering. "Ventus is… safe, for now. But he's asleep. And until he wakes up, there's nothing we can do for him."

"Asleep?" Skuld asked, her tone laced with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"It's complicated," Helios said, his voice growing quieter. "Aqua made sure he'd be protected until the time is right."

Skuld looked at him with a mix of curiosity and concern. "And he can't wake up until we find Aqua is that right?"

Helios shook his head. "Not necessarily. Aqua's journey is now her own, and Ventus… well, his time will come when it's supposed to. For now, our mission is clear: find Aqua and bring her back."

Skuld leaned back slightly, processing everything Helios had told her. The idea of venturing into a place like the Realm of Darkness was daunting enough, but hearing about a place that eats away at every part of you was frightening to her.

"Aqua…" she said softly, her gaze drifting to the horizon. "She must be incredible to survive in a place like that for so long."

"She is," Helios replied, his voice filled with quiet admiration. "She's one of the strongest Keyblade wielders I've ever seen. But even someone like her can't fight forever. The darkness wears you down, little by little, until there's nothing left. That's why it would be best to find her as soon as possible."

Skuld nodded, remembering her own time in Ansem's castle. This Aqua person was trapped in a place worse than that and was slowly losing herself, something about that resonated with Skuld. "Then we'll find her. Whatever it takes."

Helios glanced at her, the faintest hint smile on his lips. "That's the spirit."

The golden cloud descended further, the mountains giving way to rolling hills and dense forests. The air grew cooler, the faint glow of twilight casting long shadows across the land.

As they neared their destination, Helios glanced at Skuld, his tone growing serious. "This particular trip… it won't be easy for you. The Realm of Darkness is unpredictable, and we'll be facing things you've never seen before. But you've grown a lot since we first left that room. I know you can handle it."

Skuld met his gaze, her confidence shining through. "I won't let you down."

Despite the lighthearted exchange, a quiet tension lingered between them. Helios knew the risks of venturing into the Realm of Darkness. Even with their new armor, the place was treacherous, and the odds of even finding Aqua in that endless abyss were slim.

As the golden cloud began to slow, Helios took a deep breath, steeling himself for what lay ahead. This was the first time he would try to actively change the story. He wondered if this would also be something hidden in the background of the story and in the end, it would play out the same regardless of his actions.

Skuld, too, felt the weight of what lay ahead. The idea of finding someone close to this boy named Ventus who was close to her, made her wonder about her own past, and about the challenges they had faced together to end up here with no memory of one another.

"Helios," Skuld said softly, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Aqua will be okay? I mean… after everything she's been through?"

Helios' expression softened, and he looked at her with quiet reassurance. "I think Aqua's stronger than anyone realizes. She's survived this long because she has something worth fighting for. And more importantly, her heart is connected to the hearts of so many others. I've seen the strength created when hearts call out to each other."

Skuld nodded, "So she's not alone? That's good."

The golden cloud came to a gentle stop, hovering above a rocky outcrop that overlooked a vast expanse of shadowy mist. The air was cold but felt refreshing after all that heat produced by the forge.