Chapter 43 - Chapter 43- The Path Begins

As Helios woke, his head throbbed violently, flashes of the battle with Belanor slamming back into his mind in broken, chaotic pieces. He forced himself upright, blinking through the haze. Both of his arms were wrapped from shoulder to wrist in thick white bandages, the cloth stained in places. Beside him, Halo lay asleep in the next bed, his sword planted upright at his side like a silent guardian. Helios rubbed his forehead, trying to steady himself. The last thing he remembered was a knight in shining armor… and Belanor knocking him into darkness. The door creaked open. A nurse stepped in quietly, her voice soft. "Oh! You're finally awake. Your name was Helios, correct?" "Yeah…" he muttered, trying to rub his eyes without sending more pain shooting through his body. "You got pretty banged up in that fight you tossed yourself into," she continued, checking his bandages. "Honestly, you're lucky. Holy Knight Draxus brought you in." Helios frowned. "Holy Knight… Draxus?" "Mm-hm. He said he crossed paths with you while you were traveling with Shinan and Malvek." "Oh! That Holy Knight, the one who was with Belanor?!" Helios said, eyes widening. "I believe so. How about you ask him yourself? He should be finishing his patrol any minute." She handed him a cane. "Take it slow. You burned yourself up pretty good and you're covered head-to-toe in bruises and cuts." Helios eased himself out of the bed, every muscle screaming at once. The nurse helped steady him and guided him outside. He sat on a bench at the hospital entrance, gripping the cane, waiting… and as his eyes lifted, he finally saw it, the shattered remains of Sanctus, stretched out before him like the aftermath of a nightmare. Helios sat on the bench, gripping the cane with both hands as the morning air brushed against his skin. It was cool, cooler than he expected, carrying the faint smell of ash and wet stone. A thin mist clung to the streets, drifting lazily between half-broken walls and shattered pillars. The sunlight hadn't fully risen yet; it painted the ruins in pale gold, making every scar on the kingdom stand out sharper. Sanctus… or what was left of it. From where he sat, Helios had a clear view of the city's heart, the place where the great cathedral once stood in towering pride. Now, it was nothing but melted stone and warped earth, the ground twisted into blackened ridges like something had grabbed it and pulled it apart. Pools of dark red, solidifying blood mixed with scorched earth, gathered in shallow dips, reflecting pieces of sunlight in a way that made Helios's stomach twist. Chunks of rubble lay everywhere. Huge slabs of marble and steel were piled like fallen giants. Entire corridors of the cathedral were gone, vaporized, leaving only a steaming crater surrounded by scorched outlines of what used to be holy ground. But further out… the destruction softened. The outer ring of the city still stood, houses cracked but intact, windows smashed but walls holding. The people of Sanctus were already awake, already moving. Some carried stone blocks and broken beams. Others swept debris into piles. A few sat on the ground, quietly crying as they sifted through fragments of their homes. Yet none of them were giving up. They were rebuilding, piece by piece, breath by breath. Helios watched them, the cool breeze brushing over him, lifting strands of his hair. For a moment, he simply listened. The distant clatter of tools. The murmur of voices. The sighs of exhaustion. The soft crunch of boots against shattered stone. The morning sun finally crept over the broken rooftops, and the ruins glowed faintly, like embers refusing to die out. Then a silhouette appeared in the rising light. Tall. Armored. Radiant even through the dust. Helios squinted, heart tightening as the figure stepped closer, boots echoing with steady purpose. Holy Knight Draxus had arrived. "Good morning, Child of Elyndor." Draxus's voice echoed with calm authority as he approached. "I hear you were the one who stood against Belanor." Helios nodded slowly. "Yeah… I did. And I don't regret fighting him. But the aftermath… the city's ruined. People probably died because of him. I…" He stared at the rubble, guilt twisting in his chest. "I feel like I failed. Someone who wants to protect the weak shouldn't let something like this happen." Draxus studied him for a long moment before speaking. "Your name is Helios. Lion D. Helios… correct?" Helios nodded again. Draxus exhaled softly, gaze drifting toward the melted stone of the former cathedral. "Listen well, Helios." His tone shifted, lower, heavier. "Even if you become the strongest warrior alive, even if you reach heights no man has ever touched… a life will always slip through your fingers. That is the curse of those who choose to protect others." He clenched a gauntleted fist at his side. "To tell you the truth… it was my duty to stop all of this before it began. Belanor was my responsibility to watch. My responsibility to judge. My responsibility to stop." He swallowed hard. The words shook slightly. "I failed as a Holy Knight. I failed as the protector of Sanctus, one of Elyndor's most sacred cities. This place offered my goddess so much faith, so much devotion… and I let it burn." He turned his eyes back to Helios. "If you had not intervened… I would have taken my own life for the incompetence I showed." Helios's eyes widened. "If not for you," Draxus continued, "every soul here would have been slaughtered, sacrificed to bring an ancient evil into this world. But because you stood your ground, because you fought even when the fear should have broken you… lives were saved." He placed a heavy hand on Helios's shoulder, not to comfort, but to steady him. "So stop drowning yourself in what you think you failed to do. Look around." Helios lifted his head. Workers rebuilding. Children helping parents gather bricks. People smiling through exhaustion. Life. "Look at the ones who lived," Draxus said. "Look at the hope still standing. You saved them. You even saved me." Helios exhaled slowly, steadying himself as he sat on the bench. "Thank you, Holy Knight Draxus… for saying all of that. Truly. But…" he paused, staring at the ruins before him, "...I don't feel the same hatred I once did. Not after everything." He clenched his fists weakly. "There's something I need to ask you. Your answer… will decide what path I walk from here on." Draxus nodded. "Then ask it, boy." Helios met his eyes, unwavering. "You speak of Elyndor as if she's a real person. A real god. So tell me, do you truly serve this Goddess of the Sun? Is she… actually alive?" Draxus didn't hesitate. "Goddess Elyndor is very real." His voice carried absolute certainty. "She watches over this solar system personally. It is her finest creation, and she guards it with divine pride." Helios inhaled sharply. A subtle flame ignited in his heart. "Then I'll keep going," he whispered. "I'll chase even greater strength then. To save even more lives. I doubted the existence of gods until today… but now? Now I'm sure." Draxus smiled faintly and rose to his feet. "Good. Then allow me to show you why Sanctus is so sacred." Helios frowned. "Uh… I was told I shouldn't walk too much yet." Draxus simply pointed a finger upward. Helios floated off the bench. "…Oh." Draxus snorted and began walking toward the ruins of the cathedral. Helios drifted behind him like a feather, carried by an unseen force. With a flick of Draxus's hand, the rubble shifted, stone lifting, dust swirling, until a hidden platform was revealed beneath the shattered podium. A door. They descended into the darkness, following a spiraling staircase deep beneath the city. Torches lit themselves as they passed, illuminating a vast subterranean chamber. Helios's eyes widened. The walls were covered in thousands of ancient glyphs, glowing faintly like starlight. At the center lay a pristine stone coffin. Draxus spread his arms. "This is the legacy of Sanctus." Helios stepped closer, mesmerized. "What… what is all this?" Draxus began reading the carvings, his voice echoing across the chamber. "These writings explain the path to the Center of the Universe. The place where the White Room exists." He placed a hand on the stone coffin as he spoke. "They speak of an all-powerful being who resides there. The Creator, The Architect, call it what you will." Helios's breath hitched. Draxus continued: "The only way to reach the White Room is to gather all ten Tablets. Each one was scattered across different worlds and realms when the universe was young." He raised a finger. "Two are known. One lies in Heaven." Another finger. "The other rests in the deepest layer of Hell." Helios swallowed. This was knowledge no mortal was ever meant to hear. "But the path isn't physical, Helios. It's not a tunnel or a gate you find." He tapped the glyphs. "It is spiritual. Psychological. A journey of soul and mind." Then Draxus stepped aside, revealing a mural carved beside the coffin. Three figures. Three races. "And this… this is what shocked even me." He pointed to the first carving. 1. The Lion Race "Your ancestors, the Lions, were among the first beings ever created. And the D-Tribe was the very first bloodline." Helios's heart pounded. Draxus pointed to the second carving. 2. The White-Hair Tribe "A gifted tribe among humans, fewer in number, but unmatched in spiritual talent." Then his finger moved to the third figure. A swirling, formless mass. 3. The Hollowborn Draxus's voice dropped to a near whisper. "The third race… the ones created when existence itself glitched." "Born from the cracks between creation." "Shapeless, nameless… but alive." Helios stiffened. He knew that name. The Thing. The being who saved him. Draxus nodded. "They dwell in The Between. They were not meant to exist at all." He turned to Helios, eyes blazing with significance. "These three races were the Creator's first attempts at life. And each inherited a unique… hereditary technique, passed down only through their bloodlines." He placed a hand over Helios's chest. "The D tribe received the Will of Flame, the power to grow boundlessly. Within that you are granted passives such as your Blood Adaptation." Then he stepped back. "Helios… your people were not just early creations." He bowed his head. "Your ancestors were the First." The world blurred for a moment as Draxus raised his hand. A pulse of divine energy erupted beneath their feet, and in a flash of golden light, the two of them were standing once more in the heart of Sanctus. Workers froze mid-lift. Children stopped sweeping debris. Healers paused with bandages in hand. Then one voice cried out: "HELIOS!" And the entire crowd surged toward him. Men and women dropped to their knees, hands pressed together in prayer. Others reached to touch his arm or shoulder, whispering blessings and thanks. A mother shoved a bowl of steaming food toward his face, nearly forcing it into his mouth. "EAT! YOU NEED STRENGTH, CHILD!" Another voice shouted: "HE SAVED US!" "OUR SAVIOUR!" "HELIOS! THE CHILD OF LIGHT!" Helios didn't know where to look. Every face around him was filled with gratitude, awe, and hope. For the first time, he finally understood what being strong for others meant. Draxus gently placed a hand on his shoulder. With another snap of his fingers, the world flashed again, transporting them both back into the quiet halls of the hospital. He guided Helios toward the nurse, who looked relieved to see him returned safely. Draxus stepped back, sunlight forming a faint halo around his armor. "Helios," he said softly, "continue your journey with your head held high." He paused before revealing one final piece of guidance. "Far to the west of this continent, across the open sea, there lies a land of endless orchards and rolling meadows. It is home to a woman blessed with great power… though many mock her for it." His eyes narrowed knowingly. "Find her, and you will learn about the heart. If you train under her guidance… you will emerge a new man." Before Helios could respond, Draxus raised his hand, and vanished in a beam of radiant light. Helios stood there stunned as the nurse gently helped him back into his bed. Halo was already awake this time, rubbing his eyes groggily. "Where have you been?" Halo asked. Helios stared at the ceiling for a moment before answering. "Learning about this world," he said quietly. "About what it means to live in it… and what it means to protect it." He turned to Halo, fire glowing faintly behind his eyes. "I think… I finally understand." Halo waited. Helios exhaled. "I don't really have a choice anymore." "My journey… it's not about revenge or proving something." "It's about helping people see clearly." "Saving lives that evil tries to take." A small, tired smile formed on his face. "I think I made that choice a long time ago… but today, it became real." He looked toward the window, sunlight spilling through the cracks. "That's the path I have to walk… if I want to find true strength." Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye. Sanctus was still wounded, scaffolding covered broken towers, workers rebuilt the roads, and the scent of dust and fresh timber filled the morning breeze, but hope had rooted itself deep in the people. Everywhere Helios walked, people waved, offered gifts, or whispered blessings. Children bowed. Mothers cried. Builders saluted. Some thanked him for saving their lives, others prayed to the "Sun-Blessed Lion." But Helios didn't bask in the attention, he accepted every gesture quietly, humbly. Now, he stood beside Bow and Halo at the eastern gate, backpacks strapped on, gear tightened, the sun rising behind them. This wasn't a goodbye to the city. This was goodbye to each other. Halo took a deep breath. He ran a hand through his messy hair, eyes flicking between the two people who had become his closest brothers. He didn't face the city. He didn't stand on a podium. He didn't raise his voice. He spoke quietly… seriously… just for them. "Helios. Bow. Before we go… I need to say something." Helios turned. Bow cracked his knuckles, listening. Halo looked down for a moment, then met their eyes. "If I keep traveling with you two… I won't grow." Helios blinked. Bow frowned. Halo continued. "You guys don't hold me back. I hold myself back when I'm around you." His voice was steady, strong, but heartfelt. "You two are monsters. Freaks. Forces of nature. And when I walk beside you… I start thinking I can relax." He shook his head. "I don't want strength handed to me." "I don't want shortcuts." "I don't want the world to think I'm only strong because I stood next to Lion D. Helios." He pointed at Helios with a small smirk. "Next time we meet… I'm going to defeat you." Bow snorted. "In your dreams." Halo jabbed a thumb at Bow. "Then I'll beat you first." Bow grinned. "Now that I believe." Halo exhaled, relieved he got the words out. Bow stepped up. "If he's going, I'm going too." Halo looked surprised. Helios tilted his head. Bow shrugged, eyes narrowing with determination. "I can't grow under your shadow either, Helios. You're becoming something insane… and I refuse to be the sidekick forever." Then his expression sharpened. "When we meet again, I'll be strong enough to knock both of you flat." Halo scoffed. Helios chuckled. They all knew Bow meant it. Helios placed his hand out. "Then let's seal it." Halo put his hand on top. Bow slapped his hand down over theirs. Helios nodded. "Two years from today… meet back here in Sanctus." "Same date. Same time. Same gate." Three hands. Three paths. One promise. "Deal?" Helios said. Bow and Halo looked at each other and nodded, "Deal." Halo turned and launched into the forest in a burst of speed. Bow sprinted down the road, cracking the stone beneath him as he vanished over the horizon. The wind, still warm with Sanctus's gratitude, brushed against Helios's mane as he watched the two dots disappear. Helios walked alone to the quiet hillside behind Sanctus. Cael's grave rested beneath a large tree, the leaves whispering in the breeze. Helios knelt, brushing dirt from the stone. He spoke softly. "Every day… I think about what you told me." "Your words, and the Thing's words, they changed me." He closed his eyes. "I regret what I did to that slaver. Not because he didn't deserve death… but because the way I killed him was wrong." His voice was calm. Not angry. Not sad. Clear. "From this day on… I won't drown myself in hate anymore." "I won't torture. I won't act out of rage." "If I have to fight, then I'll just defeat them. And if they rise again…" He touched Cael's grave gently. "…they'll have a chance to change. A chance you never got." The wind seemed to answer him. Helios stood, the sun rising behind him. "Thank you, Cael." "My real journey starts now." As Helios started walking towards the west to where his next adventure awaits. To Be Continued…