Silvermoon Lily

Despite their initial exhaustion, the group was restless. They couldn't sleep, not when one of them was in pain. Hayden's condition did not improve, in fact, it seems it got worse. By midnight, he was having a coughing fit, his face pale and weak.

Daniel checked Hayden's pulse again. Pressing his thumb firmly against his wrist, he felt the weak, faltering beats. "His pulse is weaker," he announced grimly to the group.

Nora leaned in, her brow furrowed in concentration. "It could be poison," she said. 

Helios posture tense, "Well, is there an antidote?" 

Nora nodded slowly. "I could whip up an antidote that could strengthen his immune system but it requires a unique kind of flora, Silvermoon Lily, and just as it is named, only reveals itself in the full moon." 

"So, basically, we have about this night to find it?" Soren then stood up, "Okay, I'll go."

"Wait, I'll come along," Helios interjected. "You might need a little light source," he raises his hand and a ball of light illuminated from his palm. 

Soren simply nodded, and together, they quickly gathered their gear and set off into the forest, moving under the glow of the full moon.

Soren and Helios ventured into the secluded part of the woods, a bit too secluded. No words were spoken, the only sounds were footsteps and the casual chirping and crocking of distance animals. It was the first time they had been alone since departing the Labyrinth.

Helios, his light a soft glow in the twilight, broke the silence, "Well, that was sure an event, wasn't it? Good thing the gang was here."

Soren's response was noncommittal, a mere murmur. "Oh yeah… they've been super helpful."

Helios turned to him, his gaze probing. "You've been helpful too, Soren."

At this, Soren let out a bitter laugh, the sound hollow in the stillness of the night. "Helpful? Me?" He faced Helios, "All I've done was stare and stand like an idiot while someone got hurt."

"You can't possibly blame yourself for that," 

Soren's reply was a whisper. "No, I can't." He took a deep breath, "I blame you for that. Why did you invite them? This would have been a straightforward, easy mission, but now there's a casualty."

"Hey—!" Helios started to protest, but he cut him off. 

"And now we're here, in this dense forest, looking for a flower that the girl barely gave any information about. 'Reveal itself under the full moon'? What kind of bullshit is that?"

"Soren," 

"What?" Soren snapped.

Helios pointed towards the lake. "It's over there."

Soren's gaze followed Helios's finger, and he fell silent. In the middle of the lake, atop a solitary lily pad, was the flower they sought. It glowed with an ethereal light, its petals unfurling under the moon's full glow. The flower, luminescent against the dark water.

"Oh." Soren's voice was barely audible, he cleared his throat. "Good. Let's get it."

Wordlessly. they waded into the lake's embrace, each step was careful and deliberate. The retrieval was swift, the flower now secure within their grasp. As they retraced their steps to camp, a heavy silence enveloped them, denser than when it started.

"You know," Helios once again broke the silence, "you didn't have to do nothing. You could have helped. Use those powers you're so proud of."

Soren's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Oh, and let them catch a glimpse of what I'm truly capable of? Have them use me for every fight, every monster they encounter?"

"They aren't like that," Helios started, "they're friends—" 

"They're your friends, not mine." Soren's voice was sharp, "And besides, they only look up to you because I made it so. I made you powerful. At least, that's what they believe."

Helios scoffed, he then heard something from behind, must be an animal or something harmless, regardless he needed to get away from Soren,. "I'm going to check out something back there," he said abruptly, his figure receding into the shadows.

"Do you need—" Soren began, but Helios cut him off.

"No thanks. I can do it without your powers."

Soren's heart throbbed, but he dismissed it, his steps leading him back to the campfire's glow. As he neared, the murmur of voices reached his ears.

"I wonder why Helios brings him everywhere," That was Nora's voice, 

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked, Hayden laid against him.

"It's strange," She continued, "a guy like him associated with Helios. He's always so annoyed, and he doesn't exactly hide his dislike for us."

"Oh, but that's just how he is," Daniel waved dismissively, "Even with my daughter Madison."

Nora scratches her head, "Which is exactly what puzzles me. He doesn't seem to be all that powerful or to have a special skill like the rest of us. Yet Helios just keeps sticking by him."

Soren's gaze flickered as Hayden, his voice weak yet firm, interjected, "Nora... Don't you think you're just jealous because Helios and Soren spend so much time together?"

"Of course, I'm jealous!" Nora's outburst cut through the night. "But there's more to it." Her voice softened, a sigh escaping her lips. "I know guys like Helios, kind and unwilling to abandon the weak. The weak being Soren. And guys like Helios, they get burned by guys like Soren. I just don't want him to get hurt."

Soren froze, her words wrapping around him like chains. Before his thought can venture further, Helios's voice, a hushed yet urgent whisper, sliced through the stillness. "Run." Soren snapped behind him, to find Helios' gaze fixed on a shadow. 

In the darker parts of the forest, a pair of luminescent eyes glowed, their stare unblinking. Its breath was a soft, ragged rasp, stirring the underbrush with each exhale. Soren's eyes widened, his heart pounding, he took a step back, his movements slow. The group mirrored his actions, their bodies tense.

The creature's growl, a low, guttural rumble, vibrated through the air. 

Helios, his voice a barely perceptible whisper, repeated, "Run. Now."

In a synchronized motion, the group turned, breaking into a sprint. The forest blurred around them, trees and shadows merging into a rushing stream of green and black. The sound of their footsteps, a rapid staccato rhythm, punctuated the night's silence.

Behind them, the creature unleashed a roar, a sound that echoed through the forest.