The moment the door closed behind Merlin, silence settled over the room like a heavy fog. The air still carried the faint scent of tea, but now it was thick with unspoken words and unshaken tension.
Helios didn't move from his seat. He merely exhaled, letting his fingers tap lightly against the rim of his teacup, his gaze steady on the warm liquid inside.
Then—
Aqua stirred.
Not groggily, not lazily—but with sharp, focused awareness.
Her fingers curled slightly, her breathing shifted—small details that confirmed what Helios already knew. "You stopped pretending," he murmured without looking up.
Aqua exhaled through her nose and opened her eyes.
Slowly, she sat up, her body still aching but no longer on the verge of collapse. Her movements were careful, deliberate. Not hesitant—just measured.
"You knew?" she asked, her voice steady but cold.
Helios smirked slightly, lifting his cup to take another sip. "From the moment I walked in."
Aqua swung her legs over the side of the bed, eyeing him warily. "Then why didn't you say anything?"
Helios set his cup down with a soft clink. "Because Merlin wanted you to listen. I can't do much against the old man."
Aqua's jaw tightened. She had suspected as much.
The spell Merlin cast over her should have knocked her out for hours, but it never took effect. Merlin had made the spell weak on purpose. Aqua could tell that in magic he was on par with Master Yen Sid someone she could not beat or resist at this point.
Merlin wanted to hear the conversation.
So she could judge Helios for herself.
Her eyes flicked to the third cup of tea on the table—untouched, still steaming.
Helios followed her gaze. "He left that for you."
Aqua hesitated, but then pushed herself up and walked over, lowering herself into the chair across from him.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Then—Aqua reached for the tea.
She took a slow sip, then placed it back down. Her blue eyes locked onto Helios, unblinking.
"Are you really from the future?"
Helios smiled. Not the casual smirk he usually wore, but something smaller, sharper.
Instead of answering, he leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on his hand.
"You're asking the wrong question."
Aqua's eyes narrowed.
Helios continued, voice smooth, composed. "The better question is—do I know where Terra and Ventus are?"
Aqua's fingers curled against her cup.
Helios tilted his head slightly, watching her reaction.
"The answer is yes," he said simply. "I know exactly where they are."
Aqua's breath caught in her throat.
For a brief second, something vulnerable flickered across her expression.
Then—her eyes hardened.
"Where is Terra?" she demanded.
Helios lifted his cup again, taking his time.
Then, after a slow sip, he set it down. "I'm not telling you."
The temperature in the room shifted.
Aqua's grip on her cup tightened, her knuckles turning white. Helios sensed her magic grow erratic as if she were ready to cast a spell.
Her voice, controlled but dangerous, "Why not?"
Helios leaned back slightly. "Because you'll waste your time chasing him. Trying to wake Ventus will also be a waste of time."
Aqua's teeth clenched. "They're my friends."
Helios exhaled through his nose. "I know and I understand. There are people who I would also do anything for even if I knew it wouldn't work either."
"Then why would you keep this from me?"
Helios set his hands flat against the table and finally met her glare head-on. "Because you can't change fate."
Aqua shot up from her seat, her chair scraping against the floor.
"I refuse to accept that," she said, her voice fierce, undeniable.
Helios remained still, his expression unreadable. "I've seen it happen before. Trying to do so is what is called a Nature Taboo," he murmured.
Aqua clenched her fists. "If you really are from the future, then you should know—we can save them."
Helios sighed, rubbing his temple. "That's exactly why I won't tell you," he muttered. "Time isn't something you fix, Aqua. It's something you live through and fulfill."
Aqua slammed her hands on the table. "If you know where Terra is—if you know how to wake Ven—why won't you help me?!"
Helios' eyes flashed with something distant, unreadable.
"You think you want to save them," he said, voice quiet but heavy. "But all you'll do is make the pieces fall into place exactly as it should be."
Aqua's breath hitched.
Helios continued, his words razor-sharp. "Trying to change things won't fix anything. It'll just make sure everything happens exactly as it's supposed to."
Aqua's shoulders shook. "You're lying," she whispered.
Helios exhaled. "I wish I was. If you don't trust me look for Merlin and hear the same words from him. I'm sure you'll trust it if he say it."
Aqua's fists clenched at her sides. She wanted to scream. To demand answers.
But—
She couldn't tell if he was lying or not.
That was the worst part.
Helios had spoken with such certainty that it felt like the truth.
And yet—
Her love for her friends deep inside her heart rebelled against it.
Helios watched her carefully.
In truth, he wasn't sure if Aqua could actually change things.
He wasn't actually from the future.
He only had knowledge of it—knowledge that had already let him alter things subtly in ways that benefited him.
Would stopping Aqua from looking for Terra and Ventus preserve the timeline… or break it?
He didn't know. Such a major change if possible could ruin his future knowledge ruining his major advantage in this world and that he could not allow.
But what he did know—was that he needed Aqua's trust.
Or at the very least, her cooperation.
He had rescued her for a reason.
He needed her for something far bigger than her own personal reunion.
For Kingdom Hearts itself.
The weight in the room was unbearable.
Finally, Helios broke the silence."So what do you want, Aqua? Will you go find Merlin so that he can tell you not to do it?"
She stiffened.
"Don't say I didn't warn you. I'm telling you; you will not succeed," he added, voice cool.
Aqua turned away from him, her jaw clenched.
She didn't trust him.
But…she needed his knowledge. If she stayed with him she might be able to get him to unveil Terra's location and how to recover Ventus' heart.