SHORT CHAPTER

FRAGMENTS

THE PATH WENT ON THROUGH THE UNENDING DARKNESS.

He couldn’t see what lay ahead. There was no light anywhere.

“Sora, Kairi… I’m sorry…”

A lone boy walked the winding path—Riku. To either side, everything disappeared into darkness, but maybe, if he kept going, there would be a way out.

“Is this the afterworld?” he wondered. Behind him, there was no path, only an expanse of darkness. He stumbled in his exhaustion. “I’m not ready. Not yet. Not until I see Sora and Kairi one last time…”

Pale bluish light surrounded him.

“Riku, can you hear me? I’ll be there soon.”

“Who’s that?” Riku turned, but no one was there. Nothing but more darkness.

“I have the other Keyblade—the Keyblade from this side.”

He kept looking around. There was nobody else here—and yet he was hearing someone’s voice.

“I’ve been trying to get through to you. But the darkness in your heart kept me away.”

“Who are you?” Riku said into the darkness. “What’s happened to me?”

“Your heart overcame the darkness. But it was too late for your body. That’s why your heart is here—in the place of darkness where hearts are gathered.”

“So what do I do?” he asked, gazing down the dim path.

“The Door of Darkness will open soon…but it’s a door we can’t enter. It has to be closed from both sides. To do that, we need two keys and two hearts. Maybe we were both destined to come here, to close the door.”

“Destined, huh? You seem to know everything.” Riku went on talking to the invisible voice in the dark. “So tell me—are Sora and Kairi okay?”

“Don’t you feel the echoes of their hearts? But how you perceive them…that depends on what’s in your heart.”

Riku closed his eyes. Behind his eyelids he saw Sora…and Kairi.

I’m not wrong… Now I know I wasn’t.

“Thank you…,” Riku murmured, almost a whisper.