Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

Kurai hovered as a shadow over Maleficent, who lay in deep, undisturbed sleep, her form bathed in the dim glow of the guest room. The fairy had cast a Hex of Silence around herself, perhaps to muffle the constant hum of Helios's nighttime training. Kurai watched her, a quiet figure suspended in the dark, observing the slight rise and fall of her breath, faint traces of dark energy radiating from her form like a quiet pulse.

Its mind returned to an earlier failure with Helios—an unsettling mystery, gnawing at it persistently. This time, it had anticipated Helios's resistance, exerting more of its influence, weaving itself into his emotions, speaking words that seemed to resonate with him. And yet, at the most crucial moment, its control had not only been broken but was rebounded, even stronger than the first time in the Dark Realm. How could it have failed twice?

What was it about Helios that kept him so resistant, so… unyielding? The anger Kurai sensed from Helios afterward remained puzzling. To Kurai, its actions were neither intrusive nor deceitful; they were simply part of its nature. Manipulation and persuasion were natural instincts, no more strange than breathing was to a human. And yet, Helios had reacted as if Kurai's attempt was some kind of betrayal—a response that tugged at the edges of Kurai's awareness, almost like… curiosity.

Pushing these thoughts aside, Kurai transformed into a thin wisp of dark smoke, letting itself merge into Maleficent's form. She stirred faintly, a shiver passing through her, but did not awaken. Her natural darkness welcomed Kurai's presence, allowing it to settle within her as if it belonged there.

For the next day or two, Kurai would remain fused with her, subtly amplifying her ambition, cruelty, and insatiable hunger for power. With careful influence, it would weaken her restraint and amplify her darkest desires until no hesitation remained. She would become, in time, an even stronger weapon to Helios, though she would never suspect it.

Yet as Kurai sank deeper into her heart, an unexpected sensation took hold—something unfamiliar and strangely compelling: curiosity.

Why had it failed to control Helios, despite countless attempts? Why did Helios's darkness remain stagnant, neither growing nor weakening? After so much time, most humans would have surrendered completely. Yet Helios's darkness was stable, unchanging.

As Kurai gently pulsed through Maleficent's thoughts, nudging her latent power into a slow crescendo, it found its mind drawn back to Helios. No matter how deeply Kurai reached within the boy, its influence was limited. It could communicate with him, yes, but attempts to expand its reach were met with fierce, inexplicable resistance.

Helios was unlike any other vessel Kurai had encountered, and that alone gnawed at it, sparking the first true curiosity it had felt in eons. Why did Helios's mind remain so stubbornly closed, even to an entity he had willingly allied with? Kurai was bound to him, connected in the deepest recesses of his heart, yet something prevented it from ever truly controlling the boy. It was vexing, to say the least. Why did Helios resist? Why, after all this time, was Kurai still kept at a distance, unable to meld with him in the way it desired?

It felt almost… vulnerable.

Kurai refocused on Maleficent, fusing deeper into her heart, letting her ambitions and cruelty swell to the forefront of her mind. If Helios proved impossible to control directly, then it would exert influence elsewhere.

Meanwhile, in the early hours before morning, Helios sat quietly by the window of Merlin's cottage, watching the gentle sky change across Radiant Garden. As he took in the peaceful view, an unusual scent caught his attention—a strange, almost intoxicating aroma that was pleasant at first but grew increasingly sour, then putrid, the longer he inhaled. It felt unnatural, as if darkness itself had taken form and was wafting through the air.

Curious and slightly unsettled, Helios stood, opening a dark corridor to the heart of the city. He emerged in a secluded alley, the scent now stronger and more insistent, leading him toward the vast Great Valley just beyond Ansem's castle. Determined to find the source, he opened another corridor and reappeared in the valley, where the scent grew thick and overwhelming, filling the air like a dense fog.

As he followed the trail, it led him to a figure lying on the ground—a young man, no older than Helios himself. The man wore a purple, high-collared shirt with shoulder armor, a heavy gauntlet on his left arm, practical cargo pants, and sturdy, knee-high black boots. Beside him lay a massive blade, nearly as long as he was tall—a Buster Sword, its silver gleaming in the morning light. His spiky blond hair was damp with sweat, and, more disturbingly, darkness seeped from his body, pooling around him in thick, smoke-like tendrils.

Helios recognized the young man immediately: Cloud Strife. But something was terribly wrong. The darkness spilling from Cloud was thick, malevolent, consuming him from the inside out. Helios's blood ran cold—Cloud was on the verge of becoming a Heartless. In his memories, Cloud was still human when he encountered Sora, still fighting his own battles. If he fell to darkness now, it could unravel everything Helios had counted on.

Having no other choice, Helios summoned his Keyblade for the first time in ages. It gleamed softly, as an electrifying darkness with a center of pure white light shone and it appeared as Helios felt its familiar weight settle into his hand. Helios approached Cloud, holding the Keyblade over the young man's chest, concentrating on pulling the darkness out of his heart before it consumed him.

"Hang on, Cloud," he murmured, visualizing the darkness unraveling, being drawn out. A thin, black beam shot from his Keyblade, piercing Cloud's chest. Helios gritted his teeth, feeling the dark energy resisting, twisting and writhing as it fought against his will to purge it.

Gradually, the darkness coalesced, unwinding from Cloud's body, condensing in the air before Helios. As it condensed further, the dark mass began to take on a humanoid form, its shape sharpening into distinct, ominous features.

The figure that emerged had long, silver hair framing an angular face, wearing a black leather coat with a high collar and tattered edges. Piercing, unnervingly calm blue eyes regarded Helios with a cold intelligence. His appearance bore a striking resemblance to Cloud, yet his aura radiated malice and calculated fury.

Helios's breath hitched—he recognized this figure. Sephiroth, the warrior whose presence had driven Cloud to confront his darkest fears. But this Sephiroth wasn't a true person; he was a dark manifestation, a twisted projection of Cloud's darkness, despair, and fear.

Sephiroth's gaze shifted from Cloud, who lay still, to Helios, who held his Keyblade ready. A faint smirk twisted his lips as he summoned a weapon of his own: a long, slender blade that gleamed menacingly. In an instant, Sephiroth lunged, moving with unnatural speed, his eyes blazing with dark intent.

Helios raised his Keyblade just in time to block, the force of the strike sending a shockwave rippling through the valley. He gritted his teeth as he fought to hold his ground, his feet skidding against the earth as he struggled to withstand the onslaught.