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"I've been having these weird thoughts lately"
"Like, is any of this for real? Or not?"
He had many dreams in his lifetime, but none of them quite like this one. The spiky haired boy with ocean blue eyes was blinded by the sun. When his eyes adjusted to the bright rays, he saw familiar silver locks blowing from the faint breeze. He tries to progress forward but the ocean blocks his path.
A large wave picks up but his friend is not fazed in the slightest. He turns and offers his hand to the brown-haired boy. Worried for his friend in the ocean, he runs into the treacherous waters. The wave sends him spiraling out of control, but as he regains his bearings, it is not the boy that he sees. Instead, he sees a girl.
Tanned skin, dark brown hair, and emerald green eyes. She illuminated a path for him in the unknown, but the current slowly dragged them apart. He fought his hardest to surpass the current, but all for naught. He was pulled to the surface as she floated lifelessly into his friend's arms.
As he resurfaced, he was able to make out a familiar voice calling his name. A girl with short red hair greeted him with excitement, guiding him back to land. He struggles to walk back to shore, shoes filled with water. When he finally makes it, he pants for air as the girl laughs in amusement.
The laughter comes to an abrupt halt, confusing the young boy. As he looked up, he saw that his friend was distracted by something in the sky. Stars, the speckled lights fell from the sky, but one looked odd. Upon further inspection, the boy deduced that he was the one falling. With a blink, his position shifts.
He falls from the sky, the red-headed girl desperately trying to reach him. Without an ounce of will to fight any longer, the boy succumbed to his fate. He dives into the unknown, his lungs filled with water. He proceeded into the deepest depths of the ocean. All he saw was darkness as he plummeted into the endless pit.
Ever since he was a child, he aspired to be someone that people could look up to. His friend barely feared anything, and so he always tried to reflect that with his selfless nature. Despite the proud smile he held, he could never perfect the image. He was still afraid of many things, one of these things being the dark.
He was not foreign to the idea of having a monster under his bed, or running from the monsters that appear after turning off the light. But in both instances there is something or someone to protect him. The love of his friends and family, and the light. But he couldn't find that now.
'The light... Where is the light?' he asked himself.
He thought of his friends, various memories coming to mind. With the little strength in his body, he manages to lift the corners of his lips into a small smile. It dropped quickly when he saw a speck of light in the corner of his eye. As it got larger, he was able to make out the silhouette of a person. His senses slowly returned one by one. His sight, his touch, his hearing.
He heard someone calling his name. The familiar warmth of the light comforted him. He felt safe hearing a familiar voice in the otherwise silent void. Someone was there to save him... But who?
He felt his cheek sting as he recovered his consciousness. He curls his fingers into the palm of his hand, his fingertips grazing across the smooth surface beneath him. Deeming that he has general control over his body again, he opens his eyes.
Worried emerald-colored eyes caught his attention first. A tanned girl sat beside him, half of her dark brown hair was tied up into two buns while the other half is let down.
When seeing that her blue-eyed friend is awake, she smiles. She zips a sweater over her sleeveless black shirt and beige shorts to guard her body from the faint chill in the air. She offers him a hand and releases a relieved sigh.
"I'm glad you're okay, Sora" she says, lending him a hand.
Rather than accepting the hand offered, he stares into the distance. The two had not escaped the darkness yet, but he felt relieved just to have her by his side. While looking into the distance, he felt himself crack a bit. He didn't understand anything.
Was this all a dream or not? Could he really dream of something so surreal and terrifying. If it wasn't for his friend, he would still be sinking into the deepest abyss. If it wasn't for his friend, it's possible that he could have died.
Tears welled up in his eyes. He submits to the rush of overwhelming emotions filling his body. He curls into himself, clutching his head in his hands as he starts to shake. The shaking from his body lessens as he feels a pair of arms wrap around him.
Sora closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as he calms his racing heart. He takes her freckled hand into his and traces over it with his thumb, the mere contact relieving him slightly. He can tell that she is still worried for him, so to relinquish this he works up a grin.
She smiles back and pulls him back onto his feet. The two finally start to take the entire area into account. As expected, they are surrounded by darkness, only the littlest of light shining from overhead. They stand atop a green platform with a young woman on it.
Hair as black as night, skin as white as snow and pursed red lips. An apple is held in her left hand and her eyes are closed as though in a deep sleep. As Sora takes in his surroundings, there is one question he asks on a loop, like a broken record.
"Akira, where are we?" he eventually voices.
He winces a bit when hearing his own gravelly voice. It was weak, and his throat dry. Akira takes little notice of this, instead focusing on the unusual terrain. She faintly shrugs her shoulders, a bit absent-minded and scatterbrained. She did not know much more than Sora, having only awakened a few moments before Sora.
"I don't know" she answered simply.
She started to shiver, but not from the chill. It felt as though there were eyes watching their every move. Sora recognized the shift in Akira as she became attentive.
He looks around warily as he feels the air grow thick. The silence and tension is cut by a light voice addressing the two. The voice was just above a whisper, sounding far off.
"So much to do, so little time..." The voice commented.
Sora and Akira found it difficult to question anything anymore. Everything was so obscure. Even the new voice was enigmatic with its message, words that hold little meaning to the two.
"Take your time. Don't be afraid. The door is still shut" the voice assured.
It felt as though the voice heard their confused thoughts, but did little to answer any of their questions. Despite the two still being unaware of what was happening, they did ease up a bit, the voice somehow comforting them. Sensing this, the voice spoke up again.
"Now, step forward. Can you do it?"
The voice questioned.
Sora and Akira share a wary look. It was a simple command, a bit too simple. They communicate with their eyes, shooting curious looks and urging the other to step forward. The air became thick once again and the two could tell that the disembodied voice was impatient.
Akira sighs and breaks eye contact first. She closes her eyes and takes a quick step forward. Nothing happened. Not a single peep was uttered by the voice. The female brunette turned back to the boy behind her with narrowed eyes.
She jerks her head to the side, gesturing him to come beside her. Sora only stares at her in confusion. She sighs briefly and waves him forward with her finger. When he shakes his head no, she raises an eyebrow. The two stood on the platform in silence for an extended amount of time.
"You should probably get moving if you want a fair chance of making it out of here" Akira advises.
Sora stays still a while longer. He does not want to trek farther into the unknown but he gained nothing from standing there. It seems that he doesn't have much of a choice. He bites the inside of his cheek and takes a step beside Akira. She gave his hand a light squeeze as encouragement.
The two now stood in the middle of the platform. This was one step in the right direction, the air around them seemed a bit less intense. They raise their arms in front of their eyes when a bright light suddenly appears, basking on the two from above.
The two jump back in fear as they feel the column begin to shake. Three pedestals rise from the ground, each bearing a different weapon. One bears a sword, one bears a shield, and the last bears a staff. They peer at the pedestals in curiosity.
"Power sleeps within you... If you give it form... It will give you strength. Choose well"
The voice speaks again.
Without saying a word, Sora releases Akira's hand and approaches the pedestal with the sword. He jumps on the platform and picks up the sword. He examined it as if it held the answer he was looking for.
"The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction" The voice briefly describes.
The description piqued Sora's interest greatly. As he held the sword he began to feel the power course through his veins.
"Is this the power you seek?"
The voice questioned.
Sora swiped the sword through the air, feeling as though it was the perfect weight. He grinned widely like a child on Christmas.
"I think I know what I'm choosing" Sora comments.
Akira frowns slightly. Sora seemed very eager to select the sword as his weapon of choice. Akira voiced her own concern before Sora could respond to the voice.
"Are you sure about that, Sora? If they are giving us a choice then this must be an important decision. It would serve well to look at our other options too" Akira explains.
Sora mulled over the thought for some time. He concludes that her deduction is reasonable and nods his head.
"No" Sora answered the voice in slight disappointment.
He carefully placed the sword back on the pedestal, hoping not to set anything off. He sighs a breath of relief when nothing happens. He clasps his chin within his thumb and index finger as he tries to decide which weapon to try next.
He looks between the shield and staff before approaching the shield. He slowly picks it up with both hands and awaits the voice's next description.
"The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all. Is this the power you seek?"
The voice asks.
Sora once again swings the weapon around. He frowns, feeling it weigh heavier on her shoulders. The shield could have been a cool weapon but he knew that it was not for him.
"No" Sora repeats.
He places the shield down and approaches the final pedestal. He jumps on it and picks up the staff. His eyes shine brightly as he feels the magic surge and course through his veins. He examines the weapon for some time. He stops as he hears the voice address his choice again.
"The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. Is this the power you seek?"
The voice asks.
Sora thinks about saying yes. He could physically feel the affect it has on him. But he felt that he was unable to control the power within it. He wasn't much of s magic person anyway. He did not want to stand on the sidelines.
"No" Sora answers and places the staff back on the pedestal.
He returns to the pedestal bearing the sword with a grin. As he picks it up, he listens to the voice recite the enticing description.
"Is this the power you seek?" The voice questions.
Sora nods his head rather than responding. The voice accepts this as a response.
Sora turns back to the center of the platform. Akira is still there, she had not made a single movement since they got there. He slides back beside her and waits patiently to see her decision. She remained silent, something obviously weighing on her mind.
"Have you thought of which one you want?" Sora eventually asked.
Akira frowns at the question. None of them drew her in or enticed her as she hoped. In her eyes, they didn't seem like they were meant for her. On the base of each pedestal was a star-shaped trinket similar to hers.
The pedestal of the sword bore an orange trinket, the pedestal of the shield bore a green trinket, and the pedestal of the staff bore a blue trinket. It seemed as though this was meant to be a sign for her. None of them bore her purple trinket.
She took a step forward and her eyes widened in shock. The platform rumbled as the pedestal with the sword sunk back into the ground.
"Your path is set. Now, what will you give up in exchange?"
The voice asks.
Sora and Akira look at each other in confusion. Akira was not able to select a weapon. Would she be entering the unknown bare handed?
Akira steps forward again only to he stopped by an unknown force. Her feet were planted to the ground. No matter how hard she tried, she was unable to progress.
"This is not for you. You already have the power" a voice whispered in her ear.
This voice was different from the one addressing them both. This voice sounded more feminine and familiar. Akira shivered, as though she felt the breath fan against her face. She takes a deep breath and settles in her spot, no longer trying to move.
"Akira?" Sora questioned.
Akira could tell that he was worried for her. She offers a smile, trying to convince him that she is fine. Sora nods his head and turns back to the pedestals. He looks back and forth between the shield and staff, trying to determine which he would need least.
He feels his gaze linger on the shield longer. He walks over to the pedestal bearing the shield. He places his hands on it and waits patiently for the voice.
"The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all. You give up this power?"
The voice asks.
Sora had no need to think further. He knew very well what he wanted.
"Yes" he responds.
He held a determined look on his face, satisfied with the path he has chosen. A chuckle seemed to echo throughout the chamber before disappearing. The two friends frown slightly, wondering what illicit that reaction. The two are not able to mull over the thought for very long as the voice picks up from where it left off.
"You've chosen the power of the warrior. You've given up the power of the guardian. Is this the form you choose?"
The voice recites the choices and asks for clarification.
Sora nods to indicate his answer. The remaining pedestals suddenly sink. The force to hold Akira still releases at the same moment, knocking her back onto the platform.
The platform starts to rumble like before, but this time nothing rises or falls. They look for the source of the vibrations but there is nothing to be found. Akira notices as the edges of the platform start to chip away. As time passes, the platform starts to crumble in bigger chunks.
Akira and Sora move closer to the center of the platform. They eventually reach each other, back to back. Just as they thought they may be safe, the platform completely shatters.
Akira falls first. Her eyes widen as she realizes exactly what is happening. She tries to scream but little to no sound comes out. The wind pressure makes her unable to as she falls quickly. As a last feasible and desperate attempt, she tries to reach her hand out to Sora, hoping he will somehow catch her.
He tries his hardest but he failed, unable to grab hold of her outstretched hand. She continues falling with tears in her eyes. The two are not parted for long as Sora falls not very long after his attempt to save his friend. As he falls through the darkness, a familiar feeling overtakes him.
Yet again, he was unable to move, see, or hear. The poor boy felt hopeless. His eyes began to weigh down on him. He tried so hard to fight against it but he could not. They had their whole lives planned out for them. They were too young to die.
As Sora continued to call, he felt hopeless. Akira was nowhere to be found and she had nothing to protect her. He would not be surprised to find out that Akira had been taken by the darkness. And with no one else around, there would be nothing to stop Sora from sinking into the darkness himself.
There would be no light to save him this time. He gives into his fate.