Chapter 55 - Helios (Part 4)

  *WAVE*

  He waved, a disarming smile on his face. Roxana, a flowing white nightgown, moved towards the baly with measured steps. As she unlocked the door, Helios slipped inside, immediately making himself at home in a nearby chair.

  "Thanks!" he excimed, his casual demeanor a stark trast to the tension in the room.

  Roxana shut the window but left it unlocked, her silence speaking volumes.

  " Roro!" Helios sprang up, his energy iious. He cupped Roxana's face, pyfully maniputing her features into a smile. "There yah go!" he decred, his own grin childlike and mischievous.

  But Roxana's response was ued. She grasped Helios' hands, bringing them close to her face. With deliberate slowness, she inhaled deeply, her nose pressed against the soft flesh of his palm.

  "I like this smell of blood." Her voice was ical, detached, yet den with an undercurrent of something deeper. Her eyes met his, challenging, knowing.

  Helios felt cold sweat travisible patterns down his spine. His mind raced - had she discovered everything? Was this a trap? His carefully structed facade threateo crumble.

  "Haah." Roxana's hand touched her forehead, a gesture both dismissive and weary. "Yes. I know you killed someone just a few moments ago and decided to e here because Hades is waiting in your room to ask you some bullshit."

  The tension shattered.

  *PFFFT*

  Helios' trolled ugh erupted, growing louder, menuine. "DAMNN MAN. So this is what its like to be Kiorian."

  Roxana's slight smile was a mirror of his own - dangerous, knowing.

  "Don't go around using bad words like that." His fingers flicked her forehead, a gesture both familiar and protective.

  Shadows danced as Roxana walked away, her question hanging like a delicate, poisohread. "So......Yetting married this year, huh?"

  Oh? She's sad? Helios' thought and then, without hesitation, Helios closed the distance.

  *HUG*

  Helios' embrace from behind was both protective and desperate. "Say the word, and I won't do it," he murmured, his voice muffled against Roxana's shoulder.

  Roxana gnced back, catg a glimpse of a vulnerability Helios rarely showed. "What if I said...I like Hades?" she ventured, uainty c her tone.

  "Then, I'll bee Hades for you," Helios replied, his voice still low and sullen.

  Suddenly, Helios' demeanor shifted dramatically. He sprang up, a broad smile repg his mencholy. "The Night festival! I heard they're selling a special sort of skewer. Wanna go out and try it?"

  Roxana blinked, momentarily bewildered by his abrupt ge. "Yeah? Sure," she managed.

  *SHWHHAHAHHHAHAHHSHSHSHHSHH*

  In an instant, they materialized in a bustling corridor of the Night Festival, their regal attire repced by simple brown and white garments of oners.

  Helios, eyes alight with mischief, grabbed Roxana's arm and pulled her into the throng. The festival pulsed around them, a liviy of ughter, musid revelry. Torches cast dang shadows aakeshift stalls selling everything from exotic delicacies to mystical tris.

  As they wove through the crowd, the weight of their earlier versation seemed to evaporate in the festival's intoxig atmosphere.

  -Night Festival in Domino-

  The festival's heartbeat pulsed around them. Helios guided Roxana to a small stall where an elderly vendor was grilling skewers over bzing coals. Steam and spices danced in the air - , cardamom, and something deeper, almost smoky.

  "Two special skewer," Helios called out.

  The vendor, his hands weathered like a part, carefully selected a stick. The meat glistened - deep burgundy marinated in what looked like a blend of dark wine and herbs. With practiced movements, he tur over the fmes, the edges caramelizing into a perfect golden-brown.

  Roxana watched, fasated. When he ha to them, Helios offered it to Roxana.

  The first bite was revetion. Tender meat that melted, spices that exploded - sweet, then sharp, then a lingering warmth that spread from too chest. Roxana's eyes widened involuntarily.

  "Good?" Helios asked, already knowing the answer from her expression.

  Helios pulled Roxana through a corridor of hanging nterns, eae hand-painted with intricate designs. Silk and paper glowed in shades of crimson, emerald, and deep sapphire blue.

  The narrow alley was a kaleidoscope of light and shadow. Hundreds of nterns swayed gently overhead, creating a mesmerizing dance of colors on the cobblestones beh their feet. Helios' hand was warm in Roxana's as he guided her through the crowd, his eyes darting from oricate design to another.

  "Look at that one," Helios whispered, his breath tig Roxana's ear as he leaned in close. He poio a hat seemed to capture the essence of a moonlit forest. Silver threads glimmered like starlight on delicate branches, while tiny wolf silhouettes prowled among shadowy leaves.

  Roxa drawn to it, her fingers reag out almost of their own accord to trace the ntern's edge. The craftsman, an elderly man with kind eyes and gnarled hands, noticed their i and smiled warmly.

  "It's a se from the old tales," he expined, his voice gravelly but gehe night the moon fell in love with the forest."

  Helios g Roxana, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Shall we take a piece of that magie with us?" He was already reag for his purse.

  Roxana's lips curved into a soft smile. "Yeah. It's so perfect," she murmured, her eyes never leaving the ntern.

  As the craftsman carefully ed their purchase, Helios leaned in close to Roxana again. "Maybe we hang it in your room," he suggested, his tone light but with an undercurrent of something deeper. "A little piece of tonight to keep with you always."

  The music hit them like a wave as they emerged from the ntern alley. A haunting melody wove through the air, carried by flutes and strings, while drums pounded out a rhythm that seemed to sync perfectly with their heartbeats.

  In the ter of the square, traditional dancers whirled in a synized spectacle. Their es, deep burgundy fabric embroidered with intricate gold patterns, caught the light of surrounding torches and seemed to e alive with eaent.

  Helios turo Roxaending his hand with a flourish. "Dance?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with challenge and invitation.

  Roxaated for a moment, her eyes dartiween Helios' outstretched hand and the graceful dancers. Then, almost defiantly, she pced her hand in his.

  They moved together, not with the practiced perfe of the performers, but with a rhythm all their own. Helios spun Roxana, her hair catg the firelight as she twirled. When she came ba, he pulled her close, their bodies moving as one.

  "You're full of surprises, Princess," Helios murmured, his lips close to her ear.

  Roxana's ugh was breathless. "As are you, my Prince."

  As they dahe world seemed to fade away. The music, the crowd, the very night itself became a blur of sensation aion, leaving only the two of them in their own private universe.

  The aroma of a dozen different cuisines mingled in the air as Helios and Roxana made their way through the food stalls. Each vendor called out, promising delicacies beyond pare.

  "Let's try everything," Helios decred, his eyes wide with childlike excitement.

  Their ary journey began with honey-gzed pastries. The delicate fes shattered like spun sugar betweeeeth, releasing a flood of sweethat made Roxana close her eyes in bliss.

  came spiced meat rolls, the warm bread cradling tender, aromatic filling. Helios took a big bite, then ughed as sauce dribbled down his . Without thinking, Roxana reached up to wipe it away, her fingers lingering for just a moment too long.

  They shared sweet rice cakes dusted with crushed nuts, the subtle fvors a perfect terpoint to the earlier riess. Helios insisted on feeding a piece to Roxana, his fingers brushing her lips as she took the offered morsel.

  Finally, they sampled fruit preserves so vibrant they seemed to glow in the mplight. Each spoonful was an explosion of trated fvor – tart berries, sun-ripened peaches, exotic fruits her could name.

  As they walked, sampling and sav, Helios and Roxana found themselves drawing closer, shoulders brushing, hands finding excuses to touch. The night air was electric with possibility, aher wahe evening to end.

  "What ?" Roxana asked, her eyes bright with aement she rarely allowed herself to show.

  Helios griaking her hand once more. "The night is young, Princess. And I have so much more to show you."

  The Fortueller's Tent

  As they wahrough the winding alleys of the festival, a mysterious tent caught their eye. Deep purple fabric adorned with silver stars billowed in the gentle night breeze.

  "Step right up, young lovers!" called an elderly woman with eyes like polished obsidian. "Discover what fate has in store for you!"

  Helios and Roxana exged gnces, a mixture of amusement and curiosity in their eyes.

  "Shall we tempt fate?" Helios asked with a roguish grin.

  Roxaated for a moment before nodding. "Why not? It's just for fun, right?"

  They ducked into the tent, the air heavy with inse. The fortueller gestured for them to sit on plush cushions across from her.

  "Your hands, please," she anded.

  As the fortueller's gnarled firaced the intricate lines of their palms, her expression transformed. Darkness clouded her eyes, and her voice dropped to a haunting whisper.

  "I see a child," she murmured, her toed with an inexplicable gravity.

  "A child?" Roxana's voice was barely a breath, a mixture of fusion and something deeper - a hint of anticipation.

  The woman's demeanor shifted violently. Her eyes bzed with an a, wild iy. "You will torment her," she hissed, "just as profoundly as you've been tormented yourselves!"

  Suddenly, her hands became ons, shoving them towards the tent's entrance. "NOW SHU SHU! GO AWAY!" she screamed, her voice a blend of prophed madness.

  Helios and Roxana stumbled out, the night air cool against their heated skin, the fortueller's words eg like a curse in their minds.

  As the night deepened, a hush fell over the crowd. Suddenly, the sky erupted in a dazzling dispy of color and light. Fireworks paihe heavens in gold, crimson, and emerald.

  Helios led Roxana to a secluded spot on a small hill overlooking the festival. They sat close, shoulders toug, as they watched the spectacle unfold.

  "It's beautiful," Roxana breathed, her face illuminated by the shifting lights.

  Helios turo look at her, his expression soft. "Yes, it is."

  For a moment, the air between them crackled with unspoken tension. Then, a particurly loud boom made Roxana jump, breaking the spell. They both ughed, the sound mingling with the echoes of the fireworks.

  As the festival began to wind down, Helios guided Roxana away from the crowds to a hidden garden. Moonflowers bloomed in the silvery light, their fragrance sweet and intoxig.

  They walked in fortable silence, fingers iwined. At a small pond, they paused to watch koi fish glide beh lily pads.

  "Thank you," Roxana said softly, "for tonight. For... everything."

  Helios squeezed her haly. "Always."

  The festive atmosphere of the Night Festival faded into the background, the once vibrant colors and joyous sounds now muted and distant. Helios and Roxana stood apart from the revelry, caught in a moment of profound intimad devastating hoy.

  Roxana's whispered words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken fears. "That child, the womaioned..." She trailed off, her eyes searg Helios' face for uanding, for absolution.

  Helios met her gaze, etched in every line of his face. "What about it?" he prompted gently, sensing the weight of her unspoken thoughts.

  Roxana's steps faltered, and she turo face him fully. Her eyes, wide and vulnerable, held a mixture of fear and resignation that made Helios' heart ch. "I think...I think...." She pursed her lips, turning away, uo voice the terrible truth that threateo overwhelm her.

  Helios, reading the pain in her sileepped closer. His voice was low, intense, filled with a fierce protectivehat surprised even him. "Whatever it may be. If that child she mentioned is ours, then I'm willing to take responsibility for it, regardless. I'll nurture the child with such care and delicate warmth that they will never feel the absence of anything, be it even you."

  Roxana's eyes widened, shock repg fear for a moment. "So you..........knew?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Helios' response was immediate, his toripped of its usual lightness. "If I hadn't, would I be walking the same path as you?" The worry on his face alpable, his usual mask of cheerfulness swept away by the night breeze.

  Roxana struggled to find words, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. "What.......what if.........my.......my my..." She couldn't tinue, overwhelmed by the enormity of what she was trying to fess.

  Helios reached out, grasping her shoulders gently but firmly. His words came out in a rush, fierd determined. "Hey, listen to me. Even if you're an Azone, and that child is also an Azone and risks messing with timelines and people's minds and souls, I'll still love and protect them. I don't give a fug shit about anything, as long as there's something you desire, I want to fulfill it."

  Roxana's words were a dagger, sharp and precise. "Even if it means we'll end up t that child in search of our long-lost salvation?"

  Helios let go of her shoulders, turning aside. The moonlight caught his blonde hair, turning it to liquid silver, obsg his face from view.

  Roxana wiped her tears, her voice steadying as she made a decision. "If you're willing to save this child, then I'll do my best too. If destru is my end, survival yours, and salvation theirs, whatever gehis child will be, then swear on it, Helios. Swear on your hat you'll be there oher side of this world waiting for me, for me to finally plete this family and to live happily."

  Helios' eyes widened, shocked by her bravery. A soft smile crept onto his face, tinged with sadness and admiration. "Then, I'll proudly wed you off to brother," he said, reag out to pat her head gently.

  To be tinued...