The stillness of the Dark Meridian lingered after their battle, but the echoes of bat hadn’t truly faded. The darkness around them shifted—not physically, but in an intangible way, as if watg, waiting.

  Skuld, still catg her breath, g Helios. "So… what now? Where do we look?"

  Helios stretched his arms. "Now? We train."

  Skuld blinked, standing straighter. "Here? In this pce?"

  "Best time and pce to do it," Helios replied, nodding. "You handled yourself well, but this pce is different from anywhere else you’ve fought before. We ’t afford to rely just on physical skill id right now, you’re missing something crucial."

  Skuld frowned. "What do you mean?"

  Helios rested Equilibrium on his shoulder, his expression thoughtful. "You’re strong. Your Keybde skills are solid, yic is improving fast, but… you still haven’t relearned how to wield your power of light."

  Skuld’s brow furrowed. "Light magic? Do you mean like the light and cure spells? Or do you mean the reflect spell?"

  Helios chuckled, shaking his head. "Not quite. Light magic is ohing, but I’m talking about something deeper. I’m talking about the light held within your heart."

  Skuld tilted her head. "There’s a difference? What is it?"

  Helios opened his mouth to expin—but as if the darkness had been waiting for a lull in their versation, a new disturbance rippled across the ground.

  More Heartless.

  This time, ten Shadows emerged from the darkness, slithering up from the watery surface. Their beady yellow eyes flickered hungrily, their cwed hands twitg, waiting to strike.

  Helios smirked. "Well, guess it’ll be better to just show you rather than talk about it."

  The Shadows moved first, darting toward them with fluid, inhuman speed.

  Helios stayed still.

  Just before they reached him, he raised his free hand. A surge ht white energy formed in his palm.

  "Light."

  A brilliant fsh burst outward, engulfing the area in blinding radiance.

  Skuld shielded her eyes as the Shadows froze in pce, recoiling violently. But while the magic stuhem, it didn’t destroy them.

  Helios turo Skuld. "See? That’s light magic. It disrupts darkness, but it doesn’t purge it."

  Theook a step back, gripping Equilibrium with both hands.

  The air around him ged.

  A faint glow surrounded him—soft at first, but growing stronger.

  His Keybde hummed, pulsing with energy as a golden-yellow aura ed around its bde.

  Then—he swung.

  A crest wave of golden light burst forward, slig through the air with immense force.

  The moment it struck the Shadows, they let out ahly screech, their bodies unraveling into wisps of pure darkness.

  Skuld’s eyes widened as the final remnants of the Heartless faded.

  Helios exhaled slowly, l his on. A slight exhaustion showed in his stance. His use of light was still underdeveloped and as such it took quite a bit out of him when he used it on such a grand scale.

  "And that…" he said, "is the light held within our hearts. It’s one of the two most powerful forces you wield."

  Skuld hesitated. "That wasn’t magic?"

  Helios shook his head. "No. It’s different. Light from the heart is pure. It strengthens attacks, defends, and be used in all sorts of ways. But it has to be drawn out and shaped."

  Skuld looked down at her hands, frowning slightly. "But… how do I do that?"

  Helios smiled. "Think about what’s important to you."

  She looked up. "That’s it?"

  "Simple, but not easy," Helios admitted. "Close your eyes. Pce your hand over your heart. Think about the people who matter most to you."

  Skuld hesitated, then followed his instrus.

  She pced a hand on her chest, her fingers pressing lightly against her armor.

  She thought of Helios.

  His stant guidance, and his unwavering fidence evehings were uain, dangerous, and reckless. He was someone who she could always rely on and look to if she ever lost her way. Her bond with him was so precious and the only stant she had right now.

  She thought of Cloud.

  His lost, empty gaze. His past was shrouded in mystery, yet something deep inside her told her he needed help. That she o help him. He was like a younger brother who she had to look out for because she uood the pain of having no memory to rely on in this harsh world.

  She thought of Zack.

  Always cheerful, alushing forward, never bag down from a fight. Although he liked holding her hand a bit too often she didn’t think he was a bad guy.

  Lea. Isa.

  When her memories were still hazy, she met them and they brought light to her dark empty world trapped in the research b. They were important as they were the first to open her empty heart and fill it with joyful memories.

  And then—

  A white-haired boy.

  A familiar presence, a name just oip of her to always beyond reach. She couldn’t properly remember his face, but his existence filled her with warmth. Whenever she thought of him an overp feeling overes her. It was a scary feeling due to its iy but she also felt fort from it.

  Something inside her stirred.

  Then as a respoo the thoughts in her mind, a light burst from her chest. It was sudden, blinding, engulfing everything around her in a pure, radiant glow.

  Helios shielded his eyes from the overwhelming brilliance, a small smile f. "Yeah. That’s it."

  Skuld gasped as the light slowly faded.

  She looked down at her hands, feeling a new energy thrumming inside her.

  Helios stepped forward, nodding. "Now you just o trol it and figure out how to use it in battle."

  Skuld ched her fist, feeling the warmth of the light still lingering within her. "So… how do I test it?"

  A low, rumbling tremor suddenly echoed through the Dark Meridian.

  Helios sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Well, as luck would have it…"

  The darkness answered her light.

  The water rippled violently as the shadows themselves twisted, f massive figures.

  A hoard of Darksides rose from the bed depths—ten of them.

  Eae towered over them, their massive, cwed hands twitg, their yellow eyes burning with an endless hunger.

  And surrounding them—dozens of smaller Heartless. Shadows and Neoshadows formed a sea of darkness, drawn to the light Skuld had awakened.

  Helios sighed dramatically, spinning his Keybde. "Well, you got their attention."

  Skuld took a step forward, her expression firm.

  Helios grinned. "Alright then. They went through the trouble of getting a training partner for you so let’s not disappoint them. Let’s see how you hahem."

  And with that, they charged into battle.