The transition was like the turning of a tide. The anxious frustration and confusion of the day-Henry were washed away by a wave of cold, sharp clarity. The being who opened his eyes wasn't lost; he was in charge. Crimson-red eyes scanned the room, not with fear, but with a calculated assessment.
The body felt good. Charged with power, the shadow energy humming under the skin like a familiar tune. He rose, his movements fluid and deliberate, and faced the two divine figures who watched him like a pair of hawks.
"So," the night-Henry said, his voice a smooth baritone that seemed to absorb the light in the room. "That's the grand solution. The victory I'm supposed to be seeking." He looked at Helia, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Inner peace. Balance. What a... tedious plan."
Then he turned his gaze on Tsukuyomi. "And your solution? Brute force. Answering a taunt with annihilation. Predictable."
He walked to the center of the room, placing himself an equal distance from both of them. He wasn't the rope in their tug-of-war. He was the battlefield itself, and he was starting to set his own rules.
"You're both wrong," he continued, his icy tone cutting through the air. "You see me as a scale that needs to be balanced or tipped. You don't realize that I can just throw the weights away and use the scale as a weapon."
Tsukuyomi laughed, a sound like silver bells chiming on a winter night. "Oh, I like you so much more. Always so dramatic." She floated off the bed, her form becoming fully solid as she approached him. "But your little act of rebellion doesn't change the facts. She wants to cage you in meditation and sunlight. I want to set you free."
She stopped directly in front of him, closer than was proper. Her smile was mischievous, her eyes glinting with malice as she glanced back at Helia. "And I know what you truly crave."
Before the night-Henry could react, Tsukuyomi closed the distance. Her cool arms wrapped around him from behind, her hands resting on his chest. She pressed herself against his back, her spectral body a shocking cold against his solid form. She rested her chin on his shoulder, her icy breath tickling his neck as she spoke, her voice a seductive whisper meant as much for him as for her watching rival.
"You see, Helia?" Tsukuyomi said, her fingers tracing the muscles of his chest through his shirt. "He doesn't pull away from me. Darkness craves companionship. Your sun only burns and blinds. I offer… inspiration."
Night-Henry didn't move. His day-self would have been paralyzed with shame and panic. He, however, remained perfectly still, his heartbeat not even faltering. He analyzed her action for what it was: a provocation. A move in a power game, using his body as the board.
Helia watched, her calm cracking into a tense facade over a white-hot fury. The light in the room seemed to intensify, its source her contained rage. "Get your unclean hands off of him, creature of the night," Helia said, her voice low and vibrating with power. "He is not your toy."
"No, he's not," the night-Henry agreed.
With a move that was too fast to follow, he seized Tsukuyomi's wrists. His strength was absolute. He didn't push her away. Instead, he unwound her arms and held her there, her coolness meeting his strength. He turned his head, his red eyes meeting hers just inches away.
"I am a toy to neither of you," he said, his voice a quiet snarl. "If you wish to provoke my guardian, find another method. My personal space is not your stage."
He released her with a final push that made her stumble back a step. Tsukuyomi's smile faltered for just an instant, replaced by a flash of genuine surprise, before it re-formed into a look of delight. He hadn't reacted with anger or shame. He had reacted with possession. Dominance.
"Well, well," she purred. "It seems the caged bird is starting to grow claws of its own."
The night-Henry ignored her, turning to face Helia. "As for you, guardian. Your plan of 'balance' is flawed, but the premise is interesting. I will explore this path. But on my own terms. The night is my time to learn. I will not spend it locked in this tower. Starting tomorrow, your little 'twilight' will have his night classes."
He glanced toward the door, a predatory smirk returning to his face. "And the first lesson will be teaching a certain arrogant blonde the difference between power and strength."