The air inside the room was heavy, not with the smell of blood or medicine, but with something far stranger — the cloying, perfumed shimmer of magic. It wrapped the space in a false calm, thick as incense, until even the ticking of the old mantle clock felt muted beneath its veil.
Helios lay motionless on the bed, but to the untrained eye he looked… well. His chest rose evenly, his skin had color again, his face smooth and relaxed as if he were simply lost in a deep sleep. Gone were the bloodstains, the tremors, the shallow, rasping breaths. He looked as though he could wake any moment and sit up with one of his usual crooked smirks.
But Skuld knew better.
She sagged forward in her chair beside the bed, her hands trembling from fatigue, her body heavy with the exhaustion of casting until her magic burned out. Even through her grogginess, she could feel the strange wrongness of the air. The spell clung too cleanly, too perfectly — like a painting over a rotting wall.
Her voice cracked as she forced the words out. "What… did you do to him?"
Circe was perched on the edge of the bed like a cat, her gown spilling across the sheets in silk waves. She looked at Helios almost admiringly, then down at her own nails as if bored already. "Oh, that? A little trick of mine." Her voice was liquid, sweet and dangerous. "A layering of time and glamour. His body and mind are convinced, for now, that he's perfectly fine. No pain. No blood. Not even the whisper of a wound."
Skuld's eyes narrowed, though her body swayed. "So it's… fake."
"Not fake, darling. Temporary." Circe tilted her head, aqua eyes flashing with a sly satisfaction. "I've pressed pause on his suffering, is all. But when the spell unravels, his body will remember what it truly is, and the glamour will shatter. He'll crash harder than before."
Skuld's stomach twisted. "Then this isn't saving him. It's buying time."
Circe tapped her lip with a lacquered nail. "Exactly. Which is why you'll need more than me. Gather priestesses, as many as you can. Weave your healing together into a proper net strong enough to hold him. Until then, my magic is the only thing standing between him and death."
Kurai's voice cut through the air like a shard of ice. She had remained leaning against the doorframe in silence, but now she moved forward, silver eyes fixed coldly on the witch. "Then you're finished here. Leave."
The word cracked the spell's calm more than any thunder.
Circe blinked, then laughed softly, the sound like chimes but hollow at its core. "Excuse me? I just bought your little master here precious time, and you dismiss me as if I were a maid who's delivered her tea?"
Kurai stepped closer, her presence palpable, a pressure that made the air heavier. "You did what was required. Nothing more. Leave before I grow tired of your voice."
Circe straightened, heat rushing to her cheeks. She spread her arms wide, silks fluttering. "You insufferable shadow! I don't answer to you. You think a glimmer of cold eyes gives you authority over me? Hardly."
Kurai's gaze didn't waver. "If you were truly useful, you would not need to argue."
Circe flinched but covered it with a scoff. "What do you mean by that? Where do you think you're going with him? Where are you taking Helga?"
Kurai turned her head slightly, her voice even colder. "Helga leaves with us. That is final."
The words struck like a whip. Circe's smile dropped. "Then I go too."
"That," Kurai said, "depends on whether you remain useful."
Circe gestured toward Helios, still resting peacefully in the false glow of her magic. "I've already proven my worth. Without me, he'd be thrashing in pain, choking on his own blood. Without me, he'd look as broken as he truly is."
Kurai's voice sharpened to a blade. "And without my patience, you'd be dead."
The two stared at each other, tension thick enough to choke.
Skuld, her strength nearly spent, slammed her hands against the mattress. The sound cracked the air, startling them both. "Enough!" she shouted, though her voice wavered. Her chest heaved with effort, but her gaze was steel. "He's lying right there while you two argue like vultures. He needs rest. He needs more than any of us can give him right now. Not this."
Her hands trembled as she pushed herself to her feet. She swayed, but held steady, her eyes burning with urgency. "We need Aqua. With her, with her power combined with mine, we can truly heal him. I believe that."
Kurai turned toward her slowly, lips curled faintly. "So you'd fetch her, knowing she'd refuse. How pitiful. If that's your solution, then go yourself. I want no part in chasing your illusions."
Skuld's jaw tightened. "If I travel the Lanes Between, it will take days. Days Helios doesn't have. You know that." She stepped closer, staring directly into Kurai's eyes despite the fatigue pulling her down. "You can open a dark corridor. You can get me there instantly. If you refuse, he'll be dead before I return. That's the truth, Kurai. You can't deny it."
Silence followed. Even Circe's smug mask faltered, eyes darting between them.
Kurai's silver eyes flicked to Helios. His face was calm, almost boyish in repose, as if nothing had ever scarred him. But she knew the lie — the ruin beneath that false mask. Her jaw clenched, a rare flicker of conflict ghosting across her face.
Finally, she exhaled sharply, irritation coloring the sound. "Fine. I'll take you. But don't mistake this for me agreeing with this." Her eyes narrowed. "If he dies anyway, then this was all meaningless."
Skuld sagged with relief, her body almost giving out. She steadied herself against the chair, whispering, "Then it's decided. Once I've recovered enough, we'll go."
Circe, who had been unusually quiet, let out a sharp laugh. "Lovely. A grand little quest for your precious young master. How quaint."
Kurai turned her gaze on her like frost. "You can stay behind. No one needs you."
Circe's smirk returned, but it trembled faintly. "If Helga goes, I go. That's not negotiable."
Kurai's eyes narrowed, dangerous light flickering in them. "Then prove yourself again. Or I'll make sure where you end up, no one will find you."
Their glares clashed, sharp as drawn blades.
Skuld pressed her palms to her face, too weary to mediate further. "Please. Not here. Not now. Let him… let me rest. That's all that matters."
The room quieted again. Helios's false, peaceful breaths filled the silence, a reminder that they were living on borrowed time.