"Heal your wounds," Sara says, looking at Helios's bleeding stomach while giving his chest a gentle, frustrated punch.
"That hurts," Helios winces, letting go of her and focusing his spiral energy into the injury. As the energy hums, the flesh begins to knit back together.
"What a sweet reunion," 002 interjects, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he and the others approach.
"What do you guys want?" Helios asks, his tone suddenly turning icy as he shields Sara.
"Don't be so aggressive. We still have your sister," 002 says with a taunting smile.
"Didn't you say the King allowed me to see both of them?" Helios growls, his voice rising in anger.
"Well, we lied a little just so you wouldn't ask too many questions while we were walking," 004 admits with a nonchalant shrug.
"Do you all think I will not kill you where you stand?" Helios threatens, his voice dropping to a menacing low as his eyes begin to glow with a dangerous intensity.
"Now, don't get too aggressive," 005 says, maintaining a calm, practised smile. "You might see your sister... after the war is over."
"What do you mean, 'after the war is over'?" Sara asks, her voice sharp with suspicion.
"Nothing for you to worry about. And Helios, don't forget the meeting tomorrow. You might hear some interesting news," 004 says, glancing around the blood-stained garden. "You can use this house for now—just clean up the corpses."
With a final smirk, the members vanish into thin air.
Helios sighs heavily, pressing a hand against his eyes. "You want to go inside and talk?" Sara asks, watching him closely.
"Yes," Helios replies.
They enter the mansion and begin walking up the grand staircase. Helios looks around at the architecture. "It looks exactly like my old mansion."
"Yes, it seems they used the same designer," Sara says, her eyes wandering over the familiar layout. "I've been here for a year. The Royal Family kept moving us around because Nova always came to visit."
Helios stops in his tracks, looking confused. "Nova always visited? How did he know where you were?"
"When he visited, they didn't call him Nova," Sara says, reaching a bedroom door and looking back at him. "They called him 001."
"001? Is he a member of that organization?" Helios asks, his face darkening with frustration.
"I don't know. He never explained," Sara says, opening the door. She walks into the room and sits on the edge of the bed, gesturing for Helios to join her. He sits down beside her, the weight of the silence heavy between them.
"So... what happened to Luna?" Helios asks, the memory of the P.O.C. members' words haunting him.
"They took her away, and I don't know where," Sara whispers. She looks down at her hands, remembering the moment she tried to stop them, only for 003 to brush her aside effortlessly. "I'm useless, aren't I? I couldn't help Luna, and I couldn't help my brother when they both needed me."
She leans her head on Helios's shoulder and begins to cry.
"It's not your fault. We will find Luna," Helios comforts her, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks. He lowers his head, resting it in Sara's lap, and closes his eyes.
"What if we don't find her?" Sara asks, her voice trembling.
"Don't worry about that. We will find her," Helios insists, though his thoughts are much darker. If they hurt her, I will burn this kingdom to the ground, he thinks. To lighten the mood, he looks up at her with a small, teasing smile—his first real smile since his training began. "What, have you become a crybaby since I left?"
"No," she huffs, though her blue eyes soften as she looks down at him. "But... can you tell me what happened when you went away with those people?"
"It's a long story," Helios says. He begins to recount everything—the dimension, the endless training, and the isolation.
"Is this why your hair is white?" Sara asks, her voice filled with sorrow. "They put you through that hell..." Her body starts to shake with a mix of anger and grief.
Noticing her distress, Helios tries to change the subject. "Why don't you tell me what happened while I was missing?"
"The King made the existence of Seekers public," Sara explains. "They even established a Seeker Academy that accepts everyone, even people from Area 4. They've also used propaganda to make you famous. Your name as the 'Supreme Commander' has spread even to the principalities under our kingdom."
As she speaks, she notices Helios's eyes fluttering shut. "You should get some rest. They didn't even let you sleep enough during your training," she says softly, remembering his story about only sleeping within the illusion.
She helps him settle onto the bed. "You've gotten heavier," she teases, a genuine smile returning to her face. "If I wasn't a Seeker, I wouldn't have been able to move you."
She walks over to a shelf and picks up her diary. Helios is finally back. Maybe everything is going to be like the past again, she writes. I wish we could find Luna sooner.
She closes the book, but the previous pages reveal a darker history: Why am I useless? Why can't I be helpful? When is Helios coming back? Luna and I miss him... I can't keep motivating her by myself forever. One sentence is stained with dried blood: They took Luna away, and I could do nothing.
Sara turns off the light and walks back to the bed. She looks at the sleeping Helios, her face heating up. "When you wake up tomorrow, don't act shocked. It's your fault for sleeping in my bed, and I'm too lazy to go to another room," she whispers to the empty air. Blushing furiously, she climbs in beside him and pulls him into a hug.
The next morning, sunlight streams into the room as birds chirp outside. Helios slowly opens his eyes, feeling a strange weight on his side.
Why does it feel like someone is next to me? He tries to move his arm, but it's pinned down. I can't feel my arm... I can't move it.
He looks over and sees Sara lying right in front of him. The sun catches her white hair, making it shine like silk.
"What?! Why is Sara here?" Helios stammers, his face turning bright red.
"It's so noisy..." Sara mumbles sleepily, slowly waking up.
"Sara! Why are you in my bed?" Helios asks as she sits up.
"Firstly, it's my bed," Sara says, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "And secondly, I was too lazy to find another room."
Flustered, Helios stands up and heads for the door. "Where are you going?" Sara asks.
"To bathe and get ready," Helios says, reaching for the handle.
"You know, there's a bathroom right there," Sara says with a teasing smirk, pointing to the door at the far end of the bedroom.
Helios stops, closes the hallway door, and ducks into the ensuite bathroom. As soon as the door shuts, Sara's face turns a deep crimson. She buries her face in her hands.
"That was so embarrassing... I definitely should have gone to another room!" she squeals to herself.