The nod from Axeus signified that she had not failed him, and she breathed a short sigh of relief. Considering how he acted towards the woman from before, and considering his dark demeanor, she had prepared herself to be treated as she was. However, this was not the case, and she was able to build herself back up again quickly. She couldn't expect herself, a new Keyblade wielder, to be perfect right away. That was foolish--no amount of confidence she had in herself would prove her to be even close to Axeus' level. She was going to have to work hard for her rightful place beside him, just as she had to work for her fruits in the slums of Otherverse. She would do it, though--she desired to become his favorite. 

As her new master spoke of she and Kotaro's accomplishments, he pointed at their wounds, and a slight feeling of embarrassment came over her. Not only was the wound slightly deep, but it was in such an obvious area. She didn't glance over at the other boy since she wanted to give Axeus her full attention, but she figured he didn't come out so badly. She stretched out her fingers from their place beside her thighs and curled them into fists and then relaxed them as a cold, uneasy feeling began to slither up her body. She lowered her eyes to see dark tentacle-like arms of darkness make their way up from her feet to her chest, caressing the rest of her body softly. As they finally stopped near her chest, Axeus made quick movements with his hands and the tendrils moved again, this time much faster, and shot themselves directly into her wound, causing Isadora to squint, making sure not to make a sound as to appear weak. Dark crimson liquid spurted out of the wound, trickling in a tiny river down her arms and chest as the dark matter was absorbed into her body, as if the blackness itself was replacing the cells that pumped throughout her body. 

[i]"Remember this pain, my apprentices. Remember the power it has over you, and use this power to control others. It is through pain that we will achieve our goals."[/i]

Isadora lifted her eyes towards her master and nodded. Rather than ignoring the searing pain she felt in her chest, she embraced it, allowing her nerve endings to scream in pain. A warm, then chilling feeling came over her, and she loved it. The pain she had felt in the past and even from a few moments ago was different in comparison to this. This type of pain was moreso something she felt like she had needed for a long time. Her body welcomed it rather than rejected it. Her limbs relaxed as the pain pulsated through the veins as well as the darkness that entered her a few moments ago, making its way into her heart. She felt it rest there, locking itself away within the chambers with the intentions of making it its new home. Darkness was she and she was darkness. 

Isadora lifted a bloody hand and rested it against her chest, feeling a strange sense of tranquility. Axeus' voice snapped her out of her thoughts, snapping his fingers as two Darkwatch members appeared almost suddenly. One went to stand in front of Kotaro as the other walked more briskly towards her, shouting [i]Cure[/i] in synch with the other. A glittering white screen enveloped her body from the bottom up, wrapping itself around her body in a quick embrace. This energy felt refreshing and light--much different than what she felt before from the Darkness. She glanced down and watched her skin rapidly stitch itself back together around her wound, leaving behind no traces of the battle. She traced a finger over the spot as Axeus ordered the two members to leave and fetch another member named Veros to begin training with Kotaro. Isadora patiently waited for Axeus to probably summon someone else for her, but was surprised to see that wouldn't be the case. He silently walked towards his throne with an inquisitive expression on his face, motioning with a rough hand for her to follow, which sparked curiosity in Isadora's mind. He conjured a chair in front of his for her to sit in, and she did so without a word. She was surprised she didn't feel nervous considering it was only her that he wanted to speak to about something. It must have been due to the odd connection she felt with him and the dark aura he emitted nonstop, which made her feel comfortable. She sat down in the spongy black chair, crossing one long, slender leg over the other and placed her palms down on her thighs, looking up at Axeus. He began to speak of her potential and how she reminded him of himself, which boosted her ego tremendously. However, she knew her place, and kept her expression mellow as to show respect towards her master. She didn't expect what he said next to come up now, so soon after they had met.

[i]"Tell me. What became of Helena?"[/i]

She glanced down at her hands that had begun smoothing themselves out on her legs and instantly stopped, annoyed by this nervous habit of hers. She had half-expected him to ask her about her prior beloved companion, but she figured the details wouldn't have to come out until much later. She lifted her eyes towards him once more and saw that within his glowing, strong amber eyes, the tiniest glint of pain reflected within them. Isadora knew he probably foolishly thought she was still alive somewhere, but she knew the harsh reality. She was almost afraid to tell him of Helena's fate considering she wasn't too familiar with his reaction to pain, but perhaps he sealed that emotion away long ago. She just didn't know. Regardless, she had to tell him. Isadora was no liar, after all. Painful or not, Axeus had a right to know considering Helena and he shared history from long ago. Curling her fingers in her lap, Isadora cleared her throat and spoke straight-forwardly, yet somewhat softly at the same time to Axeus.

"Master, I want to begin this with a warning to prepare yourself for the worst possible response to your question," she began, "I do not bear good news." Isadora uncrossed her legs and sat up straight, her back trembling from the previous battle. She felt a wave of tiredness rush over her body, and she ignored it to the best of her ability. "I lived with Helena for many years and we were never bothered by the Heartless. We bonded together in a small cave in the far outskirts of Otherverse. I had never felt that kind of a connection with anyone in my life aside from her..." Isadora paused, noticing that the correct words weren't coming to her as easily. She hadn't spoken about Helena in so long, and flashes of her final moments rushed into her brain and her chest burned. It hurt. It hurt to speak about the one person in her life that made her have a reason to keep going. Realizing that she had paused in her telling of what happened, she continued as to not upset Axeus. "However, one day as we were conversing as usual, a group of Neoshadows appeared at the mouth of the cave and since I had no training, she fought for me. She fought with the intention of doing everything she could to protect me even if it meant her life. After about a dozen magic spells, the swarm was defeated... but, Helena fell alongside them. She faded from this universe cradled in the arms that couldn't protect her... the arms of the useless girl who could only sit and watch."

Something fell on Isadora's hands. Wetness. She blinked a few times and realized that tears were rolling down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away with the backs of her hands, not wanting Axeus to think of her as weak and useless as she had been to Helena. She promised her that she'd become a strong warrior, yet what kind of warrior cries over the dead? She couldn't bring her back--all she could do now was avenge her, but she couldn't ignore the burning rage and self-hatred well up inside her blackened heart.