Traverse Town never really slept.
Even in the quiet hours, the streets carried the low hum of distant voices, clinking glasses, and the occasional hiss of magic-infused streetlamps realigning themselves. Helios moved like a shadow through the Second District, his coat brushing against cobbled stones, his thoughts wandering as much as his feet.
The door he approached stood in the Third District—plain save for the flame insignia scorched in red paint across its center. A quiet sentinel marking the cavern filled with water and an island at the center with the house of one of the few remaining sorcerers in Kingdom Hearts who truly mattered.
Helios raised a hand and pushed his way through the door. Once inside the cavern, he used a Blizzraga spell to temporarily freeze the water and walk across to the house. When he reached the door he knocked.
It swung open a moment later, not with suspicion, but with a lazy arc of welcome.
"Ah," Merlin greeted, stepping aside with a faint bow. "The little wanderer returns. Oh, you seem to be alone this time. Did the three of you get separated?"
Helios gave a polite smile. "Yes we did. You always seem to know."
The old man's long beard twitched with the upturn of his lips. "You leave ripples, boy. Most people toss stones. You throw boulders so it's hard not to notice."
Helios stepped into the cottage. Books were stacked in high piles, began floating, and rotated in midair returning to the shelves. The fireplace crackled not with flame, but with starlight—a spell Helios remembered from years past. It was warm but brighter than flames.
"I was just catching up on some reading. Give me a minute to clean up. Would you like some tea while you wait?" Merlin asked.
"And sandwiches, if you're offering. I haven't had a good meal in a long time," Helios said as he removed his jacket and set it across the armrest of a nearby chair.
"Of course," Merlin chuckled, already waving his wand. A tray materialized with two cups, a teapot shaped like a turtle, and a tall plate stacked with finger sandwiches—cucumber, smoked ham, and some with a lemony paste Helios couldn't identify but liked anyway.
For a while, they simply ate. Helios didn't speak. Merlin didn't pry.
Not yet.
Finally, the older man leaned back. "So… what is it this time? Some catastrophe that can narrowly be avoided? A forbidden spell you want to learn but I won't teach you? Or perhaps… something you haven't told me?"
Helios swallowed a bite and met the old man's eyes. "You ask that like you expect an answer."
"I always hope for one," Merlin said, "though I've learned to be content with your silences."
Helios sipped his tea. "Then you won't mind if I offer nothing but thanks for the meal."
Merlin smirked. "Your manners have improved much since last."
"Not really," Helios replied. "Just saving my strength."
A knock interrupted them.
Then the door creaked open again.
Skuld entered first, her hood down, brown eyes alert, scanning the room until she locked onto Helios. "Helios!"
Her voice carried a mix of relief and a slight lingering resentment.
Aqua followed a second later, slower, measured.
Helios rose, his expression neutral, but not cold. "You're both alright."
Skuld nodded quickly. "It's been a few days. We were sent back to Olympus. Our armors took damage when you sent us there."
"Fully repaired?" he asked.
"Yes," Aqua replied shortly. "Thanks to the time we were forced to rest."
Her voice was flat.
Helios tilted his head. "You're angry."
"Yes, I am. Are you so surprised I would be?" Aqua said. "You lost yourself to darkness and threw us through a corridor of darkness."
"Well, hindsight is important here. Let's remember that I saved you from getting caught in the backlash of what was happening inside me," he replied evenly. "You would've been consumed otherwise."
"You could have warned us. We would have helped you," said Skuld.
"I could have," Helios agreed. "But sad to say I need some alone time to figure it out. If I had asked would you have left me alone to do it?"
The silence between them was telling.
Skuld glanced between the two. "Okay, okay—let's not do this now. We're together again so let be happy."
Merlin, as always, seemed unfazed by the emotional undercurrents. "Sit, both of you. There's still tea, and I'll make more sandwiches."
Reluctantly, Aqua joined the circle.
Skuld sat near Helios.
Aqua chose a seat opposite him.
"Helios," Merlin said, gesturing to the teapot, "tells me very little. But he always comes here after something big."
"Because this place feels like home somewhat," Helios said softly. "I guess even I get sentimental. Besides you don't ask me much which I like."
"You're lucky I'm an old man who likes puzzles," Merlin muttered.
Skuld leaned back. "So what now?"
Helios looked into the fire. "Now? Now we rest. I mean we've all been through quite a lot. And then… the next move."
Aqua's eyes narrowed. "And what does that move look like?"
Helios finally looked at her.
Moreover, this time, she saw it—the weariness. The weight of all he was carrying.
"Not what you think," he said.
"But still dangerous."
"Only if things go wrong," he answered.
Merlin stood. "Then let us hope you don't. I do hope you three stay safe in your journeys."