The thorny forest seemed endless, a labyrinth where every path twisted and looped upon itself. But Helios and Skuld pressed on, their Keyblades carving through the hordes of Heartless that surged from the shadows.
Shadows, Darkballs, Invisibles, and Neoshadows sprang from every corner, their glowing eyes reflecting the faint, cold light that filtered through the canopy of brambles.
The air reeked of darkness.
Helios moved like a shadow himself, his movements sharp and calculated. He teleported behind a cluster of Shadows and unleashed a devastating Thundaga, bolts of lightning turning the creatures to ash.
"Skuld, on your right!"
Skuld spun mid-air, her Keyblade flashing as she released a burst of Light Raids, the spinning blades shattering a line of Neoshadows before snapping back to her hand.
The enemies kept coming, but—
They weren't trying to stop them.
Helios noticed it immediately.
"They're herding us."
As if answering his thought, the thorny walls suddenly parted, revealing something…
The oppressive forest opened into a courtyard of cracked stone pathways and wilted trees, leading to the ruins of an enormous castle with delicate spires—its beauty faded, but its form unmistakable.
The Castle of Dreams.
Skuld skidded to a halt, her eyes wide. "This is—"
Helios narrowed his eyes. "Cinderella's world. The Castle of Dreams."
Without hesitation, Helios grabbed Skuld's wrist. "Come on. We rest here."
They sprinted through the crumbling gates into the decayed city, its once pristine streets now cracked and overrun with ivy. The shops were empty, their windows shattered and wares long gone.
No Heartless followed.
The swarming creatures stopped at the city's edge, lingering in the shadows but refusing to cross.
Helios led Skuld into an abandoned cottage, its walls cracked but still standing. Dust covered every surface, and the furniture was worn but intact.
Skuld, catching her breath, glanced around. "You sure this is safe?"
Helios leaned against a wall, his breathing heavy but controlled. "Yeah. We'll be safe here. They seem to want to come in."
She frowned. "How do you know?"
His eyes flicked to her briefly before he pushed off the wall and sat on a faded couch. "Because I've been here before."
Skuld's brow furrowed. "You… what?"
Helios, resting his Keyblade against his shoulder, responded calmly, "I came through this world during my last… stay in the Realm of Darkness. The Heartless rarely attack inside the city."
Skuld settled onto a dusty armchair across from him. "Why wouldn't the Heartless come here?"
Helios glanced toward the cracked windows. "Because they already took everything worth taking."
A silence settled over them, only broken by the faint, hollow wind outside.
Skuld's gaze lingered on him. "You've been through so many places here… alone?"
Helios closed his eyes, the faintest smirk on his lips. "You don't survive here without learning a few things. Besides, like I said time is unusual here so I can't say how long it was. It felt like months but could have been years or days for all I know."
Skuld hesitated, her voice soft. "Did you… find anyone last time?"
Helios' expression darkened slightly, but he didn't open his eyes. "No. I only found monsters and shadows. But this world—" He paused. "It's different since I was last here so maybe Aqua is here or was here recently."
The tension in the room slowly eased.
Skuld, realizing how exhausted she was, sank deeper into the chair, her body finally catching up to her. The battles, the running, the memories—they had worn her thin.
Her eyelids grew heavy. "Helios… if you fall asleep, I'll keep watch next…"
Helios smirked faintly. "No need. Just rest. I'm used to this world more so than you."
They woke some time later—how long, neither could tell. In the Realm of Darkness, the concept of time felt meaningless.
But they felt better.
Helios stretched, his body aching but functional. "Alright. Let's check the castle."
Skuld followed him outside.
But as they approached the grand entrance—
The bridge to the castle collapsed.
Without warning, the ground shuddered and the stone bridge that connected the city to the castle began to crumble and fall into a bottomless abyss.
In seconds, a gap of sheer nothingness yawned between them and the castle gates.
Skuld skidded to the edge, peering down into the black void. "Well. That's not good."
She looked over her shoulder. "So... what now?"
Helios stood beside her, arms crossed, eyes calculating.
"Simple. We find a way to rewind time."
Skuld blinked. "Rewind… time?"
Helios smirked faintly. "Like I keep explaining to you time here doesn't work the way it should. I've seen this world break and rebuild itself without rhyme or reason."
She frowned. "But how do we control that?"
Helios's eyes gleamed faintly. "We don't control it. We find where the threads are weakest… and pull."
They began to explore the outskirts of the castle, searching for anything unusual.
The world felt fractured—as if parts of it existed half-formed, half-forgotten.
As they passed through the remnants of a courtyard fountain, the water—though dried—suddenly flickered and appeared full for a moment before vanishing.
Skuld stopped. "Did you see that?"
Helios's eyes narrowed. "Yeah. This place is slipping. There should be a clock-like mechanic nearby"
As they moved deeper into the ruined gardens, they stumbled upon something strange—
As they moved deeper into the ruined gardens—they came across a golden clock, cracked but still shimmering faintly but moss-covered.
The moment Skuld's eyes landed on it—the world around them shifted.
They stumbled upon something strange—
Its hands were—frozen.
But the second they stepped closer—
The clock... ticked once.
A faint chiming sound rang out as if a great mechanism had stirred.
The ground trembled—and before their eyes:
The shattered bridge began rebuilding, broken stones flying back into place piece by piece. Cracks on nearby walls sealed, and vines retreated, revealing the stonework's former beauty. Streetlamps reignited with a pale, golden glow.
But—the effect halted abruptly, leaving the world half-repaired, as if time had only partially reversed.
Helios' eyes flashed with urgency. "Skuld! Hurry!"
She turned to him, startled. "Why—"
His voice was sharp. "I don't know how long this will hold—MOVE!"