HELIOS

When Paham asked me to describe myself in one word, I answered neutrality.

As a child, and as a prince, I must always remain unbiased. To be unemotional but sensitive. To view issues with a fair heart and mind. I mustn't pick a side.

It's why I don't understand why, despite the strict teachings, my father does not adhere to neutrality. I have always wondered why, despite his numerous advisors, he seeks the woman who imprisons herself in that room.

A room located in the eastern tower, where she witnesses the first rise of the sun. In that place, the sun never sets. The darkness of the night never visits. Not just because the night has shortened but due to her soul magic ㅡ the daylight.

"Helios."

I turned around to see my sickly mother approach me. Her lips and face were pale. Two handmaidens had to carefully hold her because she left her bed again.

"Mère." I greeted.

"Have you seen your father?"

"He's talking to Sorin." I pointed to the second room in the corridor.

Mother stared at it for a minute before nodding. She turned her back first, heading towards the library. When she glanced back, I knew I was supposed to follow.

"Let us hurry," she instructed, eyes sharp. "We must take a review on the kingdom rules again, Helios. Do not slack on your studies."

I swallowed my disappointment. I was looking forward to playing outside today, but even without my father and teacher nagging me to study, my mother will always find me.

As a prince, not as a child, I must learn the rules every day. I must be familiarized with the laws. I must be able to speak to them without help or support. The first nine years of my life were only dedicated to studying and memorizing rules. It was always... what I should know and what I should do.

Those thin papers with black ink spilled over them have caged me forever. When I thought Paham's offer to spend time in the academy was my freedom, I was subjected to more rules and expectations.

But between the Palace and Ukiyo, I would choose the latter every time. I believe that's what angered my father because, for eleven years, I haven't left the academy. I paid visits every other year but it was only for a short time. The longest was when my mother died.

I hated my father even more after that. Hearing that he now frequents his visit to that woman, and even spends nights in that room, disgusts me.

I do not like her. Even with the similarities of our soulstones.

"Mère, why don't you like Sorin?"

She was weaker that day. She spent more hours in bed than walking around the garden. Even the physician looking after her was alerted, advising me to accompany her whenever I can due to her constitution refusing to improve.

"Elle a tout gâché..."

"Mais comment?"

Her cold hands held mine. "Never believe her, Helios, for she is the reason why everything happened."

I didn't get any more detailed explanation. Mother had to take a rest before I could ask for more and I had to leave for Ukiyo the next day. A few days after that, I received news about my mother's passing death.

Only a letter addressed to me was left behind. My mother has written her love and regrets for me, her apology for making me stay in that large birdcage called a Palace, and for being too weak that she couldn't fight for us.

In that meadow that my mother told me stories about, I read her letter. The starry night sky accompanied my silent grieving, with the moon silently assuring me that I'm not alone.

Then my gaze dropped to the final message.

Helios, we owe them our lives and help. I cannot tell you this in person, for I don't who owns the eyes of my handmaidens and guards. The light has feared the darkness. She has always hated the night, and the thought of Sarienne on that throne is something she cannot excuse.

All my life, I regretted marrying your father. He was a sweet and kind man, but he wasn't mine. His heart will only truly belong to the darkness. But the marriage wasn't my fault, it was arranged by my family under her influence. So... my son, my prince, listen and heed my final instruction.

Follow the daughter of the darkness, for she is the prophecy that will make and break Hiraya.

And she is the most dangerous of all.

I never understood what my mother meant. Sarienne has already been reduced to darkness, unable to do anything but roam around the world. Although, she has taken a liking to the academy, and would always reside in the archives.

I cannot approach her, let alone talk when her darkness disappears due to my magic. The sun burns her. And I wonder if I can accomplish my mother's mission when I am as powerless too.

Until... we visited Paham the day the Selected arrived.

I wasn't supposed to come, but Kamiel has bugged me for days. If I wasn't sharing a room with him, I can just ignore him and leave. But because I refused Paham's offer of my room, I cannot give Kamiel a reason to disrupt my sleep.

I believe there was a reason why I was forced to come. It was until I walked past one of the academy councils, Ellis, that I realized my mother's words.

Her very presence made me stop. Even though she was five feet away from me, I could feel the cold of the night. She was staring at the painting of our origin, a nonchalant expression on her face. Despite the complete ignorance of her surroundings, I can sense that she's aware. That she is alerted. And any danger which she expects may come forth will be met with her power.

When I passed by her, I was submerged in deep ice. I shivered at the extreme cold that she brought, making my heat seem like fire from a matchstick.

"Helios, is something wrong?"

I glanced at Dawn, answering her question with a quiet shake of my head. I resumed walking, ignoring the curious stares of the other elites. Their eyes, specifically Eva and Theus, are begging for an explanation.

"Sa tingin mo, anong nangyari?" I heard Eva whisper. "Ba't bigla siyang huminto?"

"Maybe he remembered something?" Solana guessed.

"Or he realized something," Kamiel added. "Kagaya na dapat pahalagahan niya ako bilang roommate."

"Baka sumakit ang tiyan niya at gustong magbanyo?" Theus offered his useless opinion.

"Ah!" I heard Fei exclaim. "Baka umutot!"

I left them in that corridor, finding their conversation uninteresting anymore. Dawn's there to lecture them, however, I know she enjoys that conversation. She acts like a stuck-up, top student, but she likes teasing the most. The only person she refuses to bug is Tsukishima.

The half-brother of the girl who was now fighting at the center.

Her strength... is as ruthless as her presence. She does not only exude danger, but she is the word herself. Every movement, every attack, was swift and merciless. The way she fights with those high heels and dress did not only pose a threat to her fellow Selected, but to the rest of the world as well.

"I don't think Ra-Raven, right?" Fei wondered out loud. "Anyway, I don't think she can make it."

"I agree. Aside from her strength having decreased due to exhaustion, she also looks uninterested in the match." Dawn acknowledged.

My eyes sharpened when her hand stretched out to make a tap. I glanced at the audio room to see if they noticed or if Andreas has noticed but then-

"Stop."

I heard my father.

Some heads snapped towards me upon recognizing the voice of Hiraya's king. His order was absolute, and immediately, the boy Raven was fighting with let her go. His stiff posture and serious stare at the audio room reminded me of the people from Alondra. For they have also hated the Palace since the Second War.

"Prince Helios," Fernando, my father's butler, called. "Your highness, the king, is waiting for you."

"I do not have anything to tell him."

"Even so, it is your responsibility to meet the king in his academy visits."

"Why must a mere student meet the king? Paham is there for him to talk to if he wants."

I stood up. He watched me patiently, waiting for me to follow him, but I walked the other way. I have already lost interest in the battle. That woman has already finished and I do not want to stay here longer, in case Père would ask Fernando to fetch me again.

"Prince Helios," he called again, a warning in his tone.

"My stomach hurts so I will be at the clinic," I answered without looking back. "Ne me suis pas, Fernando."

My father's presence today does not surprise me. The Selected is one of Paham's suggestions that he suddenly took interest in. I guessed it was because of the increasing tension with Gareth and the suspicious movement of Santium. The neutral country once held no political interest but when the youngest prince succeeded the throne, rumors of infiltration in Avalon, our ally, sparked suspicion.

I agree with father's plan to train students inside the academy. The other kingdoms wouldn't suspect that we are preparing for war. In addition, this future military would possess both be physically and magically skilled. During their stay, each of their soulstone will be harnessed. It is a win-win situation.

However, his sudden interruption confused me. Was it necessary for him to barge in and voice his order? He was quick as well, as if he's been watching her.

Did he recognize her as Sarienne's daughter?

I was deep in my thought that I was only able to feel the cold a second too late. When I turned around, she has already left the corridor and I entered the nurse's station to escape Fernando and my father.

That night, I stare at my mother's letter that I hid in a small, locked chest. Her last paragraph replayed on my mind for days. And whenever I look at Raia Venetia, I'm reminded of my responsibility towards her. To protect as payment for my mother's guilt.

Despite that, I was also fueled by my curiosity. Since birth, I have only learned and followed rules. Every single student in the academy is disciplined to follow the laws, word by word. But when the lady in black heels loudly announced her presence in the corridor, the mirror of law and order broke.

When I said that she was a breath of fresh air, I meant it.

And the more I find freedom with her, the more I forgot my mother's regretful wish. A selfish desire grows over my heart.

I wanted to keep her so I could have an excuse.

I wanted to keep her so I could feel the freedom without the weight of my crown.

If she is blamed for breaking the rules for me, I wouldn't be in trouble. If she becomes my excuse, then I could choose normalcy over neutrality.

"Well, you like this girl who keeps on breaking rules." she once said and I agreed.

I do. I like how useful you are.

However...

I remember those silent touches so she could get rid of the heat. I never did complain, even though every part of my body grew cold because of her touch and proximity. I liked watching her face light up and relax, or when she boldly approaches me, reducing my words and making my heartbeat quicken.

I have wondered for days if my fascination, because of my mother's dying wish, and the growing curiosity became this unexplainable attachment. Where my eyes stray toward her and I crave the cold more than the heat. Where I show her the meadow that I treasure with my life, for it was the only gift I remembered that mother gave me.

"It is impossible," I whispered.

"Ha?" Kamiel turned to me. "Anong imposible?"

Admiring a confident and powerful woman like her is not impossible, but liking is.

I have vowed to myself and my mother the protection of Sarienne's daughter, but my political position complicates things.

As the future king of Hiraya, Raia Venetia, who is the prophesied destruction, is an enemy.

But as Helios, the son of Constance, she is a friend. To balance both my roles, I have attempted to help her search for clues and learn about her past while keeping some important information to build her anger.

And now... as darkness closes in the academy, the night was slowly coming back.

"A-Anong nangyayari?"

"It's just eleven in the morning! Bakit dumidilim na?!"

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I can see the moon!"

"Tawagin niyo si Dean! O ang mga professors!"

Everyone was in disarray. I felt it before the darkness exploded. Her anger. Her confusion. Her pain. All those negative emotions were mixed and I could feel them deep in my bones. When the water became too much, the glass cage of her magic broke.

The lights first flickered before the sudden blackout happened, confusing almost all the students. Then, the night and day started to shift. The sun appeared, only to be replaced by the moon in a few seconds, and for the day to return after that. It continued for a minute until dusk haunted the corridors, and it was as if shadows loomed over the floors, plunging the academy into darkness.

"Helios... what's happening?" Dawn glanced at me, wide-eyed. "Is this Sarienne?"

"No. This is someone... more dangerous."

She frowned. I did not explain any further, breaking into a run to find Raia. The students were calling for me, asking for my guidance, and begging to use my soulstone to bring back the day. But right now, it's useless. If I brought back the sun when her night was in chaos, it would ruin the magic in the sky, creating a khasma right above our heads.

Her magic is already too uncontrolled, and with my overwhelming soulstone, we could kill people.

It didn't take long for me to find Raia. She was inside the training hall. The previous hall that witnessed their assessment became a void. It was a cocoon of darkness, and the power that surged from the inside was enough to wither my own.

"Helios!"

I frowned when I saw Dustine's friend, the red-head who often gets into an argument with Raia. Her fear-stricken face was pale and ghastly. She slowly moved away from the hall, hands stretched out towards me in a call for help.

I grabbed her out of Raia's uncontrolled khasma. "What are you doing here?"

"I- It was just a prank. Anong nangyayari? Bakit siya nagkaganiyan?"

I stiffened. "A prank?"

The girl averted her eyes. That refusal to look at me screamed her guilt in this matter.

"I showed her an illusion," her voice got lower and gentler. "I didn't know... she'd react like that. Or that she's a dark soulbearer. I should have known with her attitude-"

I did not let her finish. Instead, I left her there to run inside the hall. Whatever that illusion was, it triggered her already unstable emotions, resulting in this outburst.

The darkness does not bother me. It was the ruthless cold that weakened me. Left with no other options, I had to activate my soulstone and let the power of the sun guide me closer to her.

The day started to rise once again, pushing the darkness far back to the west. I continued pushing through the waves of her magic, every rough wind telling me how frustrated she was. It was impossible to see where she was standing, but the origin of the khasma is always at the center so I followed that thought.

Then I found her.

Because her cold hand reached out to my heat.

When the light touched the darkness, everything disappeared.

I staggered when she fainted on me. I caught her arms, linking them over my neck, as I supported her whole weight. We both fell onto the ground when I lost balance, with me cushioning the both of us.

"Is everything alright?!"

"Anong nangyari kay Raven?!"

I ignored the loud slamming of the door and their worried shouts. Catching my breath, I held Raia's face and stared at it intently. She was serenely sleeping, her breathing deep and lips slightly parted. She reminded me of the princesses in all those fairytale books that I found in the library.

"Helios, what happened?"

I raised my gaze at Damon who looked at Raia with full concern. His hands were shaking, as they did when he found out his mother was dead and his sister was taken away. He sided with Alondra once but decided to change allies when he could find his sister better with us.

"That was her, right?" he asked, kneeling and pushing a strand of hair away from Raia's face. "That magic was almost like Mom."

"But it's impossible that she's to wield two soul magics, Kuya." Tsukishima pointed out. "Her soulstone is not darkness nor is it night. And it was already stolen from her."

"But it came from this room."

"It was her."

I stood up with all the watchful eyes around me. Raia felt light in my arms... She also feels right. Maybe whenever she runs away from our tutoring sessions, I should just grab and carry her back.

Maybe... she learns how to behave this way.

"But how?" Tsukishima demanded, brows furrowing. "She does not have power over the darkness-"

"It must be gifted by Mom." Damon cut his brother. "Even though her soulstone is different, her birth was only influenced by Mom's death. What if some of her magic transferred to her?"

That's possible. After all, despite the dangerous presence and the looming darkness that Raia has, she lacks that strong soul magic that most soulbearers possess.

"Tch. Sabi ko naman kasi sa inyo ni Tito bantayan niyo 'yan. Nakakainis."

"Stop complaining when you don't do anything but piss her off too."

"Hello? Ako ba ang nasa same house with her? Damn it, kasalanan din 'to ni Helios. Bakit ba kasi siya pa-"

"I agree that he's not to be with her but for now, he's our best bet." Damon continued his argument with Tsukishima as if I'm not here. He glanced at me. "Will you bring her to the nurse?"

I nodded.

"Keep her away from any of the academy council. Especially... Kiernan."

Once again, I nodded at Andreas' advice. Without looking back, I exited the training hall, muttering a small excuse to Raia's dumbfounded friends.

In that hallway where Raia first met her mother, I walked again with her in my arms. This time, Sarienne's shadow did not appear, but the lights in every area of the school did not stop flickering.

It is only a short time before the Palace finds out.

I must move before the Moonstone Gala. Or before the foundation week ends.

If I don't, it would be a hunt. Alondra will find her either to kill or be their savior, and the Palace would send her to death regardless.

My hold on her tightened. If the two of us don't decide anytime soon, Raia, we might find each other... standing on different sides of the war.