Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

The morning sun shone brightly as Helios, Lea, and Isa left the diner, making their way through the winding streets of Radiant Garden. The city felt alive with people bustling about, greeting each other with friendly waves and smiles. To Helios, it was strange and refreshing to see people living peacefully, unbothered by dark threats that had become too familiar in his recent life. Radiant Garden's vibrant atmosphere was both uplifting and grounding.

As they neared a small plaza, Lea pointed excitedly to a shop tucked between two larger buildings. Its sign, a glimmering emblem with a tiny Moogle face, sparkled in the sunlight. The little creature on the sign was the epitome of a Moogle, its white fur, small red pom-pom, and tiny wings making it seem almost comically cute.

"There it is! Moogle Central, the best place in town to set up your card and browse a bunch of random stuff you never knew you wanted!" Lea said with a grin, practically bouncing on his feet.

Isa rolled his eyes but smiled. "Lea's right—once you have a card, managing munny becomes easier. And don't let him fool you; he's only excited because he loves window shopping for things he can't afford."

Lea waved him off with a laugh. "Hey, a guy's gotta have dreams, right?"

They entered the shop, the warm, spicy scent of incense immediately filling the air. Rows of shelves lined with all sorts of trinkets, potions, and odds and ends filled the small space.

Behind the counter stood a Moogle with a small pair of round glasses perched on its nose. It looked up and waved a tiny paw, greeting them in its squeaky voice. "Kupo! Welcome to Moogle Central! How can I help you, kupo?"

Helios approached the counter, feeling a bit out of place. "Hi. I'm new here and was hoping to set up a munny card?"

The Moogle's eyes lit up. "Oh, a new customer! You're in luck, kupo. We just updated our card designs! Follow me, kupo!" It flitted over to a side counter where several cards, each adorned with different symbols and colors, were displayed.

Lea leaned in, pretending to look deeply interested. "Oooh, pick the one with the cool flames on it! That's the one I'd choose."

Isa nudged him with a smirk. "You'd pick it because it matches your red hair."

Helios stifled a laugh and instead focused on the cards. One design caught his eye: a sleek, black card embossed with silver constellations that shimmered when tilted in the light. It reminded him of the night sky he saw in Nightfall, and something about it felt… right. He pointed to it.

"I'll take this one," he said with a slight smile.

The Moogle beamed, picking up the card and handing it to him with a flourish. "Excellent choice, kupo! Just hand over a few pieces of munny to load it up, and you'll be good to go!"

Lea passed Helios a small pouch of munny, and Helios added the currency to his new card. With the transaction complete, he slipped the card into his pocket, feeling strangely satisfied.

As they exited the shop, Lea clapped Helios on the back. "Now you're all set, ready to conquer Radiant Garden!"

Isa nodded, his gaze thoughtful. "Having a card might seem small, but it's one more step toward feeling like you belong here."

Helios looked at them, his eyes softening. "Thank you, both of you. You've made me feel… welcomed. And Lea don't worry I'll pay you back."

"As for the money don't worry about it. Aw, shucks," Lea replied, feigning bashfulness. "Don't get all mushy on us."

The three of them walked through the town, Lea leading the way with enthusiasm, pointing out various landmarks and spots he claimed as "hidden gems." Isa would interject now and then, correcting some of Lea's more exaggerated tales and adding his own insights about the city. Helios felt his spirits lifting as they roamed through Radiant Garden, laughing and joking together. He hadn't laughed since the incident and he could feel his chest lighten slightly.

As they approached the large fountain at the city center, a familiar figure caught Helios's eye. Standing at the fountain's edge, engrossed in a book, was Merlin. He looked up, as if sensing their presence, and waved them over.

"Ah, there you are, Helios!" Merlin's eyes twinkled behind his spectacles. "And in good company, I see!"

Lea puffed up with pride. "Yup! We're showing him around, making sure he doesn't get lost."

Isa gave a more polite nod. "We figured it'd be good for him to see the city and meet a few people."

Merlin's smile widened as he closed his book. "Excellent, excellent! It's important to find a sense of place, especially for one who is new. How has the morning treated you, Helios?"

"It's been great, thank you for asking Sir," Helios replied, smiling. "They've shown me a lot, and I even got my munny card set up."

Merlin clapped his hands together. "Splendid! Sorry for forgetting to get one for you. However, I'm glad to see you settling in. However," he said, his tone growing slightly more serious, "I do need a moment of your time, Helios, if you don't mind?"

Helios nodded, sensing the shift in Merlin's demeanor. He turned to Lea and Isa. "Thank you for everything this morning. I'll catch up with you guys later?"

Lea gave him a casual salute. "You bet! We'll be around. If you need us, just holler. Got it memorized?"

Isa nodded, giving Helios a slight wave. "Yeah, I do. Take care."

As they walked off, Merlin gestured for Helios to sit with him on the edge of the fountain. The wizard looked thoughtful, as if considering his words carefully. After a moment, he spoke.

"Helios, I wanted to speak with you about your training. I've sensed great magical potential within you, particularly when it comes to wielding healing magic. I've noticed you've made great strides in that but almost none with the wind. Focusing on it and pushing yourself too much will just slow your progress even more so I'll teach you another two spells."

Waving his hand, magic dust enveloped Helios, "That was the essence of Esuna and Slow spells. Esuna works similarly to Cure except rather than heal wounds it heals conditions. Slow is a beginner time spell that does as its name states. Something doesn't feel right so I'm teaching you this. If you see anything of note inform me right away. Oh, and Cid wanted me to inform you to come see him post haste."

With that said Merlin then stood up and walked away. As he turned the corner Helios felt a small ting of magic coming from that area most likely Merlin teleporting away. That was a spell he'd really like to learn since dark corridors tend to be quite visually negatively looked upon. It'd be best to have another mode of transport that allowed him to lay low.

Getting up Helios stood up getting ready to head to Cid's place and then realized he didn't know where the man lived. Last time he met him outside Merlin's house. Merlin had forgotten to mention where he should go before leaving. With no idea on where to go the best thing would be to find Isa and Lea again and ask them to show him the way. The only problem was that they just left too and he had no idea where to start looking.

As he was deep in his thoughts a voice disturbed his thing, "Why hello there young man. It seems we met yet again. A curious touch of fate we find ourselves in."

Helios turned to find Even walking toward him.