The Colosseum was beginning to clear out, the energy of the crowd still lingering in the air as Helios and Sephiroth made their way toward the betting booths. The golden glow of torches flickered against the stone walls, their steps steady despite the exhaustion in their bodies.

  Helios rolled his shoulders, feeling the dull throb of the wounds that had yet to fully heal. It had been one hell of a fight.

  Yet, despite the loss, he couldn’t help but grin as they approached the booth.

  "Alright, let's see what my fht got me," he muttered.

  The betting clerk, an older satyr with a long beard, reized them immediately. "Well, well, well, look who it is. The so-called underdog and the ued champion himself."

  Sephiroth said nothing, merely standing with his usual imposing silence, but Helios leaned against the ter with a smirk. "Yeah, yeah, just tell me how much I won."

  The satyr snorted but pulled out a pouch of gleaming s and a receipt of munny transfer. "You pced bets on both yourself until the st matd bet on the champ here. Most people thought you'd lose early, so your bet on yourself paid out big in the first rounds. But for the final?" He chuckled. "You didn't bet on yourself at all. Knew you'd lose, huh?"

  Helios shrugged. "I’m a realist. The e winning were less than 5% after all."

  Sephiroth’s winnings: 100,000 munny.

  Helios’ winnings: 50,000 munny.

  As the satyr firansferring the winnings onto Helios' munny card, Helios checked the bance.

  257,000 munny.

  He let out a satisfied hum. "Nice. Enough for the house and some furniture."

  Sephiroth turned, already making his way back toward the inn. Helios followed beside him, his arms behind his head as he spoke.

  "You know," Helios started, "I’ll be heading out for a while with Skuld. We’re looking for someone. ’t say how long it’ll take—could be days, could be years."

  Sephiroth didn’t react.

  Not even a flicker of aowledgment.

  Helios chuckled. He expected this.

  Still, he tinued, "But hey, at least you won’t be too bored while I’m gone. Hades already invited you to fight in the Underdrome, right?"

  That made Sephiroth g him. A slight movement, but enough to firm that he was listening.

  Helios chuckled. "Yeah, figured as much. I thought he'd reach out to either me or you." He let the siletle for a moment before adding, "So, you staying here? Or do you wanna e along?"

  Sephiroth walked ahead, his posture unging, no response.

  Helios ughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, thought so."

  Sephiroth would stay.

  Fighting was what he enjoyed most, after all.

  By the time they reached the inn, the sky had deepened into a dark shade of blue, the stars beginning to twinkle above Thebes. Inside, Skuld, Cloud, and Zack were seated at the table, eating a light meal.

  Helios stretched, tossing himself into a chair. "Hey, guys. Alright, listen up. Tomorrow, we're moving out of the inn."

  Skuld raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said we were leaving Thebes tomorrow?"

  Helios pointed between himself and Skuld. "We are. But the rest of them will be staying."

  Zack blinked. "Wait, what?"

  Helios turo him. "ht, I need someoo keep an eye on Cloud while we’re gone. You up for it?"

  Zack tilted his head, clearly fused. "Looking after him with Skuld was already kinda weird, but this?" He gestured at Cloud, who was quietly staring at his food, as lifeless as ever. "Leaving him with me who’s basically a strahis is just straight-up weird."

  Helios grinned. "A, you want to do it, don’t you? Weird right?"

  Zack opened his mouth tue—but then stopped.

  Because… Helios was right.

  Something about Cloud—**about the empty look in his eyes, the way he followed ands without resista made Zack want to help. Although he knew nothing about Cloud as a person who he was and what made him like this he still felt a e to the guy and it made abandoning him impossible.

  After a long pause, Zack exhaled deeply. "Yeah, fine alright. I’ll do it."

  Helios smirked. "Good. You'll stay here tonight, then I'll show everybody the new p the m."

  Zaodded, finishing his drink before standing. "Sounds fair."

  He stretched, turning toward Skuld with a pyful grin. "Guess that means I’m rooming with you tonight."

  Before he could take aep—

  A hand grabbed his colr.

  Zack froze.

  Slowly, he turned his head to see Helios smiling at him. A sharp, mischievous grin. "Oh no, you’re rooming with me and Sephiroth."

  Zack slumped instantly, his face dropping into a ical look of pure disappoi. "You’ve got to be kidding me," he groaned.

  Helios patted his shoulder. ", it’ll be fun!"

  Zack muttered something under his breath but accepted his fate as Helios began dragging him away.

  Skuld, watg the exge, shook her head with an amused smile. All the tension that had been in the room before faded.

  Later that night, as Zack settled into the room he was forced into, he gnced over at Helios, who was lying on his bed, hands behind his head, eyes half-closed.

  "You know," Zack said, "you're a strange guy."

  Helios smirked without looking over. "Yeah I get that a lot. I don’t know why I’m one of the most normal guys you’ll ever meet."

  Sephiroth, who was sittihe window, sharpening Masamune, remained silent.

  Zack sighed. "I really doubt that. So, this whole thing—you’re really just gonna disappear for who-knows-how-long to find someone?"

  Helios opened one eye. "Yep."

  "And you’re leaving everything behind?"

  "Nah not everything."

  Zack tilted his head. "Oh?"

  Helios g him. "I’m leaving behind people I trust. People who watch over things so I have a pce to return to. It might not seem like much but having a pce to return to make all the difference."

  Zack blinked, surprised. He hadn’t expected an actual serious answer.

  Helios sighed, closing his eyes again. "I’ll be back. Don’t g the house down while I’m gone, alright?"

  Zaorted. "No promises."

  From the window, Sephiroth’s sharpening didn’t stop. But in the faint moonlight, his eyes flickered toward Helios for just a sed.

  Then, without a word, he went back to his bde. The night tinued in silence.