Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

Helios sat in his darkened room, the only light coming from the computer screen illuminating his tired, pale face. Hours had turned into a day as he monitored the security feed, his gaze unwavering despite the fatigue gnawing at his mind. The glowing screen's brightness pierced his eyes, giving him a splitting headache. Each second that ticked by was like a grain of sand slipping through an hourglass—each one counted, and each one could bring the moment he had been waiting for.

Maleficent was satisfied for now, Skuld was busy honing her spells, and Sephiroth remained indifferent to anything unrelated to himself. This gave Helios the time he desperately needed. He couldn't afford distractions; the events unfolding at the castle were far too important to miss. Xehanort was patient, but Helios knew the man would act soon. He had spent enough time watching Xehanort to recognize the subtle movements that preceded his machinations—the calm before the storm.

By the time midnight approached on the second day, Helios's body had begun to betray him. His eyelids drooped, his breathing slowed, and the ache in his neck from staring at the screen for so long pulsed with every heartbeat. He nearly nodded off, his head jerking up just as a faint sound echoed through his speakers—footsteps. Helios sat up, his fatigue evaporating in an instant.

His attention snapped back to the monitor, where the grainy black-and-white feed displayed Ansem the Wise walking briskly into the secret lab, his long coat flowing behind him. Xehanort followed close behind, his gait measured, his hands clasped calmly behind his back as though he were escorting the headmaster on a simple tour.

Helios's expression hardened. It's happening.

He leaned forward, his gaze locked on the screen as the confrontation began.

Ansem the Wise came to a stop in the center of the lab, his sharp eyes darting across the room, taking in the sight of machines humming and heartless-filled containment cells blinking with ominous light. He turned abruptly, his face flushed with anger, and his voice rang through the cavernous space.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ansem barked, his voice reverberating through the lab. "Xehanort, explain yourself at once!"

Xehanort, as calm and composed as ever, walked a few steps forward but kept his hands behind his back. His golden eyes glinted with quiet triumph as he answered, "We're conducting research, Master Ansem. Research into the heart—a field of study you yourself sought to understand once upon a time."

Ansem stiffened, his fists trembling at his sides. "This is madness! You disobeyed my direct orders and sullied my castle with this… this heresy!" His voice grew louder, his tone livid. "How many people have you sacrificed for this abomination of research?"

Xehanort tilted his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "No more than you did, Master, when you sought answers in the same darkness you now condemn."

Ansem's face contorted with shock and fury. "Do not twist my actions to justify your atrocities!" he shouted, stepping forward. "I was a fool to take someone like you as my apprentice! I should have seen the darkness festering inside you!"

Xehanort chuckled softly, a sound that sent chills down Helios's spine even through the screen. "I couldn't agree more, Master," he said smoothly. "You were a fool."

Ansem pointed a shaking finger at Xehanort. "Enough! I will put an end to this now. I will tear down this wretched lab and put a stop to your madness! You and the others—you're finished! You will all leave this castle!"

Helios's eyes narrowed, his fingers twitching slightly as he readied himself. The tension was rising to its breaking point.

Xehanort's demeanor darkened, his smile fading into something far more sinister. He took a slow, deliberate step toward Ansem. "I admire your resolve, truly," he said, his voice dropping to an icy calm. "But you misunderstand the situation, Master. I've already taken everything from you—your castle, your knowledge, your apprentices. The only thing left… is your name."

With that, Xehanort's hand moved to the control panel beside him. Helios recognized the moment for what it was—now.

He pushed back his chair and summoned a dark corridor, slipping through the swirling shadows in his dark form. When he emerged, he was cloaked in darkness, shrouded in the farthest corner of the lab where the flickering lights barely reached.

In that moment, Xehanort pressed the button on the console. A deep rumble reverberated through the lab, and a portal of darkness roared open behind Ansem the Wise. It was wild and unstable, crackling with energy like a black hole desperate to consume everything around it. Papers and reports flew off desks, equipment rattled, and the pull of the dark portal began to drag anything not bolted down into its maw.

Ansem turned, his face frozen in shock as the dark corridor surged to life, its pull nearly sweeping him off his feet. "Xehanort, what is this madness?!"

Xehanort stood with his arms behind his back, watching the chaos unfold with a quiet satisfaction. "A fitting farewell for you, Master," he said coldly. "I've learned much from your mistakes. Consider this my first step in transcending them."

Helios remained hidden in the corner, his golden eyes glowing faintly beneath the shroud of his darkness. He whispered under his breath, "Kurai, can you control it? Make sure he ends up on The Dark Margin?"

The voice of Kurai echoed softly in his mind, its tone strained but confident. "It's unstable… but I can manage it. I'll ensure he lands where you need him to."

Helios nodded silently, his gaze never leaving Ansem.

Ansem fought to hold his ground as the portal's pull grew stronger, dragging machinery, books, and shards of broken glass into its swirling center. "You will regret this, Xehanort!" Ansem shouted, his voice filled with rage and desperation. "Everything you build will collapse around you! In the end, you will stand alone with nothing!"

Xehanort's eyes glinted with amusement as he responded, his voice calm and cruel. "Then I suppose I'll truly take after you, Master. After all, isn't that the ending you've earned for yourself?"

With that final retort, the portal surged. Helios saw his chance and stepped forward, stretching his hand discreetly toward the unstable darkness. With Kurai's influence guiding it, the portal shifted ever so slightly, its chaotic pull aligning to send Ansem not just anywhere—but to the Realm of Darkness, specifically The Dark Margin.

Ansem cried out as the force of the portal finally overcame him, sweeping him off his feet. Helios watched as the former ruler of Radiant Garden was consumed by the swirling darkness, his figure vanishing completely into its depths.

The room fell silent save for the hum of machinery and the faint crackle of lingering dark energy. Xehanort stood tall, gazing at the now-closed portal with satisfaction. His expression held no remorse, only cold determination.

Helios slipped back into the shadows, opening his own dark corridor to leave. He cast one last glance at Xehanort, who was already turning back to the console, undoubtedly ready to erase any evidence of what had occurred.

As Helios vanished into the dark corridor, he murmured softly to himself, "The pieces are falling into place."

When he reemerged in his own room, the faint hum of the computer greeted him once more. His golden eyes glowed faintly as he stared at the monitor, watching the empty lab where Ansem had once stood.

"Good luck, Ansem," Helios muttered under his breath, his voice carrying a hint of grim satisfaction. "You'll need it."

He turned off the monitor and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. His plan was back on track—for now.