The first thing Helios felt was the sharp jab of a stick against his ribs. "Oi. Wake up, lion-boy," a rough voice growled. His eyes blinked open to a dim, flickering glow. The smell of smoke and cooked meat clung to the damp air of the cave. A small campfire crackled nearby, its light dancing across jagged stone walls. Two men sat on opposite rocks beside the flames. One was hunched forward, eyes narrowed, a crooked grin flashing as he jabbed Helios again. "You're gonna tell me where Thing is," the stranger said, his tone more of a demand than a question. Helios shifted back, still half-groggy but already on guard. "Why should I tell you anything?" he muttered. The man snorted. "Because I'm offering you food, you scrawny brat… and because if you don't, I might decide you're not worth keeping alive." The other stranger didn't speak. He sat perfectly still, a smooth mask hiding his face, the firelight glinting off its edges. In his hands rested a simple wooden bowl of steaming stew. He watched Helios without a word, just a quiet, unblinking stare that made the cave feel even colder. Helios took a deep breath and pushed himself to his feet. "Thing… isn't here anymore." The man poking at the fire frowned. "What are you trying to say, kid?" Helios' voice rose, cracking under the weight of his frustration as his eyes welled up. "Thing is gone, because of me. He gave me his star when I told him I didn't need it. He healed my wounds, kept me alive… just because he was lonely. I guess you could say… I'm the reason he's gone now." The man looked down at his boots. The only sound in the cave was the fire's soft crackle. "Well," he finally said, "what's your name, kiddo?" Helios hesitated. "…It's Helios." The man's eyes lit with interest. "That's a strong name. Unique. Well then, come sit down, Helios." Helios lowered himself onto a rock, letting the warmth of the fire soak into his chilled bones. The man ladled stew into a wooden bowl and handed it to him. For a while, they ate in silence, until the masked man finally spoke. "Don't blame yourself, Helios. Thing had it rough. He was looking for a way out of his position for a long time." Helios glanced up, confused. "Position?" "Yeah," the masked man said. "Thing was tired of hiding away in this cave, scared. He'd lived through some horrible things… same as my partner and me." "You guys were friends?" Helios asked. "Yes," the masked man replied simply. Then he fixed the other man with a long, expectant stare. "What?" the fire-poker said. "Don't just glare at me. Spit it out." "You forgot to introduce yourself to the kid," the masked man said, disappointment heavy in his tone. The man's eyes widened. "Oh! My bad, kid. Name's Kazuro Shidan. Call me by my last name." Helios gave a small nod. "And you?" The masked man started to answer, but Shidan cut in, grinning. "That's Malvek." Malvek shot to his feet, furious, and hurled his bowl of stew straight at Shidan. "What is your problem?! I was about to introduce myself! I don't need you doing it for me!" Shidan wiped stew off his face, fuming. "HEY! You threw perfectly good stew! At me, of all people!" Malvek made the bowl float back into his hand. "Kazuro, you always pull this crap. And don't forget, I'm the one who cleans up after all your messes. So maybe talk to me with a little more respect, you degenerate thug!" Helios sat quietly, spoon in hand, watching the two of them bicker like it was a rehearsed performance. When he finished his stew, he stood and made his way toward the cave entrance. "Hey, Helios," Shidan called. "Where do you think you're going?" "I'm leaving," Helios said over his shoulder. "Gonna get stronger on my own." Shidan studied Helios with an unreadable expression. "You're gonna get stronger on your own?" A smirk tugged at his lips before he burst into laughter. "You? A kid who barely knows anything about this world thinks he's gonna get stronger?" Malvek chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. Shidan stepped closer and set a heavy hand on Helios' shoulder. "Alright, how about this, if you can land a single hit on me…" He crouched and traced a tiny square on the cave floor. "…I'll let you go do whatever you want. I'll stay right here, inside this square, and I'll only use my pinky." Helios met his eyes with a cocky grin. "Fine." Shidan stepped into the square. Helios squared his stance, brimming with misplaced confidence. Then he charged, throwing a right hook straight for Shidan's jaw. Shidan leaned aside effortlessly and tapped Helios' shoulder with the tip of his pinky. The cocky grin vanished, replaced with a look of shock and pain. The light tap had dislocated his shoulder. Helios staggered back, clutching his arm, a cry of pain escaping his lips. He tried to retreat, but Shidan lazily swiped his pinky through the air. A gust of wind slammed into Helios, hurling him into the cave wall like a ragdoll. "Look at yourself, you remind me of a weak, lone, dirty mutt." Shidan slammed Helios's shoulder into the cave wall, popping it back into place. "Hell begins the day when God grants you the vision to see all you could have done, should have done, and would have done... but didn't. So join me. I'll show you the path you desire. Let coming with me be the choice you regret not making, if you choose to walk away." Helios met Shidan's gaze, not with anger, but with a quiet understanding. In his eyes burned a fierce determination, a flicker of hope that refused to be extinguished. In that instant, he knew this was the rare, fleeting chance, the one in a million, to rise beyond everything he ever thought possible. Shidan stretched out his hand, steady and unwavering. "Let me guide you down the path of strength." Without hesitation, Helios reached out, gripping Shidan's hand with a resolve that steadied his very soul. "Then I will follow," Helios said, voice firm and steady, a small but genuine smile breaking through. "I'm ready to face whatever comes next."
