Kurai let out a long, tired sigh, her body trembling faintly as though even the act of standing was a chore. Her silver eyes narrowed, and with a flick of her wrist, she tore open a dark corridor. The swirling vortex shuddered, the edges unstable, betraying the strain it cost her to summon in her weakened state.
Without ceremony, she crouched, seized Helios by the collar like one might drag a corpse, and hauled him upright. His body sagged against her grip, blood dripping in a steady trail behind them as she stepped into the corridor.
The darkness swallowed them whole, and when it spat them out, they reappeared inside Helios's bedroom. The first thing Kurai noticed was the faint rise and fall of another's breathing.
Skuld.
She was still asleep in Helios's bed, curled on her side with one hand tucked beneath her cheek, face unguarded in rare peace. That peace was shattered in an instant as Kurai threw Helios unceremoniously onto the mattress beside her.
The impact jolted Skuld awake. Her eyes widened in panic as she turned — and froze at the sight of Helios's blood-soaked body beside her.
"Helios!" she cried, her voice cracking, hands flying over him as green light surged from her palms. "What happened?! What did you do to him?!"
Her Curaga spell flared bright, washing over his shredded frame. But almost immediately, the healing light faltered, sparks of emerald colliding with threads of black that writhed beneath Helios's skin. His body convulsed, groans tearing from his throat as Baldr's darkness clashed violently against the restorative magic.
"Stop moving," Skuld pleaded, voice tight with fear as she poured more energy into the spell. "Just—just hold on, I'll fix this!"
Kurai stood silent, watching, her expression unreadable. For a moment, it seemed she might let the girl exhaust herself in vain. Then, with deliberate calm, she walked forward and pressed her cold hand against Helios's forehead.
At once, black tendrils writhed out of his veins and into her palm, siphoned like smoke pulled into a vent. Kurai's lips thinned, her body trembling faintly as she absorbed what corruption she could. But in her current state, her reach was limited. The veins still pulsed beneath Helios's flesh, though the healing magic now had more room to work.
Skuld's breathing came ragged with effort, sweat beading her brow. She dared a glance at Kurai, desperation in her eyes. "What happened? Why is there so much darkness inside him? Tell me!"
Kurai's gaze flicked to her, flat and dismissive. "Heal him enough to keep him alive. That's all that matters. I need to rest for a few minutes."
She turned away before Skuld could reply, striding out of the room. The door closed with a soft click.
Alone in the corridor beyond, Kurai staggered, bracing herself against the wall. The moment she dropped her mask, her condition betrayed itself — black veins erupted across her arms, her neck, crawling like living chains beneath her pale skin. They spread over her body in jagged, pulsing lines as her breath hitched, shallow and controlled.
Each inhale was measured, each exhale forced.
Her eyes shut tight as she concentrated, forcing the darkness to recede inch by inch. The veins shrank slowly, reluctantly, until her flesh appeared smooth again. She straightened, though her body still trembled, and opened her eyes with a cold gleam.
Inside the bedroom, Skuld knelt beside Helios, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes as she fought to stabilize him.
And Helios, caught between pain and fevered half-consciousness, whispered her name with a hoarse voice.
"Skuld…"
Her heart lurched. "I'm here," she said quickly, voice breaking. "I'm right here. Just hold on. I'll finish healing you as soon as I can."
His eyes cracked open, faint light swimming in them. "Skuld…" He coughed, wincing at the strain. "You look… worse than me right now." Helios brought a bloody hand over and wiped a falling tear, leaving some blood on her face. "Sorry."
"Don't talk," she snapped, her relief spilling out as anger.
But then she stiffened, watching his chest shudder with shallow breaths. Her voice lowered, trembling with both worry and fury. "Helios, what happened?"
For a second, he smirked through the blood on his lips. "I fell into some darkness… Kurai pulled me out."
Skuld's glare sharpened instantly, her magic flaring brighter. "Don't you dare joke about this!" she snapped. "You promised me—no more lies. Not after everything."
Helios chuckled weakly, the sound turning into another cough. "Fine, fine. You win… I was only joking." His tone softened, serious now despite the haze in his eyes. "I went to train with Thalen… but we were attacked. I managed to get him to safety, but I had to fight the bastard myself." His voice dipped lower, ragged. "This is the result. Kurai… she saved me at the last minute. Beat him back, dragged me here."
Skuld's mouth tightened, her expression unreadable as she continued to mend him.
"As for who it was… and why…" Helios exhaled slowly, eyelids fluttering. "We'll have to talk about that later. Right now, the room's spinning… and I think I'm about to pass out again."
His head lolled back against the pillow, the faintest ghost of a smile still tugging his lips as his eyes slipped closed.
Skuld brushed a damp lock of hair from his forehead, her glare fading into something gentler. She didn't stop the spell, even as her own exhaustion began to weigh her down.