Helios gasped awake. His body jerked as a sharp, cold breath filled his lungs. The cave around him was dim, barely lit by the faint blue glow of dripping water falling from long, jagged stalactites above. The air was damp and heavy, carrying the earthy scent of stone and rot. For a moment, he couldn't move, not from fear, but from pain. He screamed. It was raw and shaky, more from shock than strength. The last thing he remembered was falling, the crushing impact, the wolves, the cold. He had been certain he died. As he tried to sit up, agony shot through his legs. He collapsed back against the stone floor, panting, sweat already forming on his brow. His legs were still broken, twisted and bruised, completely unusable. But something felt... strange. His chest didn't hurt the way it had before. It still throbbed, but the pressure was different, less crushing. He looked down, and his heart nearly stopped. Something was inside him. A thick, root-like tentacle, dark and pulsing, was connected to his chest. It throbbed rhythmically, as if it were mimicking his heartbeat… or controlling it. He stared in horror and confusion, unsure whether to scream again or rip it out. But somehow… he was still alive. Helios swallowed hard. His breath was shaky, and his body trembled from weakness. But he had to move. He couldn't lie here waiting to die, not again. He reached forward, dragging himself along the cold, uneven floor. Every movement sent sharp stabs through his legs, but he pressed on, slowly crawling deeper into the cave. The strange tentacle in his chest stretched with him, still attached, like it was leading him somewhere, or feeding off him. Then he heard it. A low, guttural rumble echoed from deeper within the cavern. Helios froze. The sound wasn't the wind. It wasn't the cave settling. Something else was down there with him. Helios froze as the deep grumble echoed again, vibrating through the cave walls. His breath caught in his throat. What was that? Then, from the darkness ahead, a voice, calm, smooth, and ancient, spoke: "Lionborn… come here, please. Let me speak with you." Helios blinked in confusion. Lionborn? Cautiously, he began crawling toward the voice, dragging his broken legs across the stone floor. He couldn't see where the voice came from, only deeper shadows in the unlit cave. Shapes flickered in the corners of his vision, but nothing held form. "Excuse me," Helios called out weakly, his voice hoarse. "I just wanted to ask… did you save me? If you did, thank you. I really mean it." There was a pause before the voice replied. "Yes, Lionborn. It was I who rescued you." Helios hesitated. "May I ask… what is your name?" The voice replied, "Ah… yes, of course. I am the Thing." Helios blinked. "The Thing?" "I am not of your world," the Thing said. "I come from the Between." "The Between?" Helios repeated, unease twisting in his chest. "Yes," the Thing said, its tone somber. "A place that lies in the cracks between all things. Between life and death. Between time and stillness. A place your kind was never meant to see. It is not a place for answers, Lionborn… only endings." Helios swallowed hard, feeling his heart thump in rhythm with the strange tentacle embedded in his chest. "Then… is this strange tentacle yours?" he asked. A low rumble rolled through the cavern before the answer came. "Yes. It is mine. I chose to save you because I have been alone for a very, very long time. This place you call cursed, forbidden. The creatures of your world fear me. None come here anymore… until you." the Thing said. The Thing's voice rumbled through the cave, deep and resonant. "People of great power… or those who are loved by nature… come to me. But you are neither." Helios hesitated, then asked, his voice cautious, "Well… what do you think I am, then?" "I do not know," the Thing replied, the words lingering like smoke. "Which is why I have saved you." There was a pause, heavy and deliberate, before the Thing added, "I wish to know your story, Lionborn." Helios nodded, swallowing hard. He began to recount everything, from his earliest memories of slavery, the loss of his people, the betrayals he had endured, to the climb up the Black Mountain and the encounter with the wolves. The cave seemed to hold its breath as he spoke, every drip of water from the stalactites echoing off the walls. When he finished, the Thing's voice rumbled again. "You have quite an interesting tale, Helios." "What do you wish to do now?" the Thing asked, curious, as if weighing him. Helios straightened as much as his battered body allowed, determination burning in his eyes. "I wish to become stronger. To become a symbol for those who have been forgotten… for those who need hope." The Thing emitted a low, guttural growl. It was a sound of unease, of judgment, and perhaps disappointment. "Is that all?" the Thing asked, the words stretching out like a challenge. "Is that what you strive to become?" Helios nodded, his chest swelling with conviction. "Yes… I AM VENGEANCE!" The Thing's rumble softened, almost like a sigh. "Well, Helios… you have truly moved my heart. You see, I am one of the last of my kind. Creatures have feared and hunted us… but not you. You are kind, innocent… refreshing, in my opinion." Helios laughed, a dry, exhausted sound. "Thank you. It's… nice to talk to someone who doesn't want to harm me." "I agree, Lionborn," the Thing said, its voice deep and thoughtful, echoing in the cave. "But I must warn you: sometimes life takes everything from you. Not to break you… But to prepare you. You will not always get what you want. The people you love might leave. The justice you seek might slip away. That does not mean the universe has turned its back on you. You must let go of revenge and walk forward with trust. I have seen what happens to those who chase vengeance in their hearts… it consumes them, devours them alive. Instead, keep your heart steady, keep your faith alive. The path may feel unfair, but every act of love, every sacrifice, every choice to be better… it is not forgotten. The universe remembers. What is meant for you will find its way, maybe not when you want it… but always when you need it. And if you walk with trust… you will never walk alone." Helios remained silent, absorbing every word. He could feel the weight of the Thing's experience, the knowledge of a being who had outlived centuries, perhaps millennia. Finally, he whispered, almost to himself, "I understand. When I find myself lost… I swear I will remember this moment." The Thing said, "Helios, I will grant you strength. I shall give you my life, my soul, my everything, so you may fulfill your dream." Helios shook his head, weak but determined. "No. I want to work for it." The Thing's voice rumbled like a distant quake. "I am a creature who sees all. To exist here, I had to engulf a star. I shall give you my star. It is what keeps my kind alive. I wish to give it to you." Helios refused once more. "I… I can't accept this!" The cave responded as if it understood. Heat surged, roaring around him, scorching and pressing against his skin. The Thing began to solidify, taking form, its essence glowing brighter than the sun. "Lion D. Helios! Your name stands for the god who controls the sun! I shall grant you the powers of the sun through my sacrifice!" The Thing crystallized, radiating raw, searing energy. Helios shouted for it to stop, but the crystal detached and floated toward him, piercing the air like a comet. It entered him through his neck, infusing his body with a wave of pure, molten energy. Pain, unlike anything Helios had ever felt, tore through him, as if every nerve, every cell, and every bone in his body were being ripped and reshaped from the inside. His lungs burned with every breath, his chest felt as though it were being compressed in a fiery vice, and his spine convulsed with energy traveling faster than thought. He coughed up blood and collapsed, gripping the stone-cold floor. The agony was relentless, but in that pain, Helios understood. This was not punishment; it was an investment, a forging of his future. He felt the sacrifice the Thing had made settle into his soul. The wave of energy continued to tear through him, forcing his legs to knit together, his chest to mend, and the tentacle in his heart to wither and vanish. Minutes stretched like hours as Helios endured, each second testing the limits of his body and will. When the light dimmed, he sat in silence, panting, drenched in sweat and blood. He remembered the Thing's words, feeling the weight of their meaning. Helios knew he must survive on his own. He must grow stronger before moving forward, for luck would not always protect him. Nature was cruel, and the mountain had not finished teaching its lesson; it may yet bite even harder.
