Divided by Dawn

Henry woke up to the smell of ozone and a soft, constant warmth on his skin. He wasn't in his spartan dorm room. This place was... different. The walls were made of a smooth, white material that seemed to give off its own gentle light. The window, a massive sheet of crystal, didn't look out onto the green valley, but offered a panoramic view of the entire Aegis Academy campus. The air was warm, dry, and impossibly clean.

He was at the top of the Solstice Tower, the tallest structure in the academy. His new home. His new cage.

"I see you're finally awake."

Helia's voice cut through the silence. She was sitting in an uncomfortably elegant-looking armchair, a cup of steaming tea floating beside her. She wasn't wearing her battle armor, but a simple white dress that somehow looked even more imposing.

"Where am I?" Henry asked, his voice hoarse as he sat up in bed.

"You're in my quarters. Or, more accurately, your new quarters, adjacent to mine," Helia answered calmly. "Welcome to the Solstice Tower, Henry. The safest, most secure place in the entire academy."

Henry looked around. There were no locks on the door, but he could feel the oppressive energy of sunlight baked into every surface. For his nighttime half, this place wasn't a home; it was a torture chamber.

"Why?" Henry managed to ask.

"Because you, as I've said, are my mistake to fix," Helia said, taking a sip of her tea. "The goddess I was before... I was reborn... acted out of compassion and created an immortal paradox. Now, that paradox is sitting in front of me."

She stared at him, her golden eyes intense. "I've watched you. Your outburst in Master Kael's class. Your little... demonstration in the arena. You have two warring natures, but it isn't a balance. The darkness is vast, ancient, and hungry. Your light is reactive, unstable, and scared. Left to your own devices, the abyss inside you will consume everything."

*She's not wrong about that,* Tsukuyomi chimed in, her tone amused.

"So what happens now?" Henry asked, fear giving way to a tired resignation. "Are you just going to lock me up here?"

"No," Helia said, surprising him. "Locking you up would only delay the inevitable. The pressure would build until the explosion was unstoppable. No. You will continue at the academy."

A spark of hope flickered in Henry, but Helia snuffed it out with her next words.

"Joseph was right about one thing: you need to learn to live among others. You need to build a foundation of humanity to anchor your light. So, you will continue your theory classes. You will eat in the mess hall. You will participate in activities."

She stood up, her presence filling the room. "But you will not do it alone. From this moment on, I am your shadow. A shadow of light."

Henry stared at her, confused. "What does that even mean?"

"It means," she said, walking toward him, her expression severe, "that I will be with you. At all times. I will attend your classes and sit beside you. I will walk with you through the halls. I will be at the table with you during meals. I will be here when you sleep and here when you wake."

Henry's jaw dropped. The horror of the situation began to sink in. "You... you can't be serious," he stammered.

"I am the reincarnation of a deity. I don't joke," she stated. "Every step you take, I'll be one step behind. Every word you speak, I'll hear. When you go to the restroom, I'll be outside the door. When you shower..." she paused, a faint glint of malice in her golden eyes, "...I will ensure the water pressure is adequate. The darkness inside you craves solitude to grow. You will not have a single moment of it."

Henry was speechless. The humiliation, the complete and total invasion of privacy... it was a different kind of torture.

*Hahahahaha!* Tsukuyomi's laughter echoed in his mind, full of cruel joy. *Oh, this is better than anything I could have planned! My rival has become your glorified babysitter! How humiliating! For both of you!*

"This is your chance, Henry," Helia said, her voice softening slightly but losing none of its steel edge. "Learn to control yourself, learn to coexist with what you are, or I will be forced to take more... permanent measures. The choice, for now, is still yours."

Henry looked at the woman before him, the personification of the sun, his new jailer. He had come to the academy seeking freedom and control. Instead, he'd found a new leash, one forged from light and constant surveillance. He had no choice but to agree.

"I understand," he said, the words tasting like ash.

"Good," said Helia. "Now get dressed. Our first class together begins in an hour." And with that, she sat back down in her armchair, picked up her teacup, and watched him. Just... watched.

The first day of the rest of his life had begun. And it was already hell.