Uninvited Guest [Val]

"These portals are going to be the death of me."

These words would echo for a few meters around the Castle of Dreams before a human sized portal would open in the middle of the courtyard inside the castle, and Edis Rehtona would walk out, his Corridor of Darkness closing behind him at his will before anyone was stupid enough to follow him through, or before anyone here was daring enough to dive through. He had just come from his home, Twilight Town, and he did not want his parents to have to worry about a couple of outsiders troubling the world without Edis there to guard it. He had never actually journeyed this far from his home world before, and had no idea what to expect or what he would find. Looking around, Edis was acutely aware of the numerous residents looking at him, all possessing the same almost dead looks in their eyes, and a feeling of death and misery passed over him. Well, at least their eyes weren't golden, as a single word would escape the lips of the Somebody, as he reached into his pockets and produced a cigarette, before lighting it with his favourite lighter and taking a puff, breathing in sharply as the chemicals found their way to his heart and lungs, hoping to kill him, and then breathing out that warm air that he was now so fond of.

"Nobodies."

Edis looked around, coming to the conclusion that most if not all of the people in this world were Nobodies, and raising an eyebrow at that deduction. Nobodies were strange creatures that had confused Edis. He understood Somebodies of course, there was no mistake that a living person was alive, much like himself. He also understood Heartless all too well, created when a Somebody's heart was forcibly removed from their bodies, the embodiments of darkness in all worlds and bent on the destruction of all. Disgusting little creatures that didn't deserve to live in this world. But Nobodies? They were enigmas to the young man, who was currently surrounded by them. He knew their origins, they were the husks left behind when the heart was removed to form the Heartless, conscious and almost living, but missing a heart. He had only met one so far in his life, and he didn't really count Mikael as he hadn't stopped for a chat with the Nobody of his brother. Rather he had knocked him unconscious and trapped him in a magical jar that Edis now held in his hand, carrying around like a pet. He had not yet formed an opinion on the strange beings, but it seemed like that was going to change. After all here he was, a man with a purpose, hoping to meet with the leader of this world: Val Noria, a powerful Nobody and wise Queen to her people, and more than likely already aware of Edis' presence. He didn't really know what he was looking for, hadn't bothered looking for her face before arriving, but he imagined he would know her when he saw her, as he stood before the doors into the castle, waiting for them to open to grant him entry.

The title of 'Queen' wasn't something she had sought after. It was handed to her for finally breaking a cycle that had plagued not only herself, but those Nobodies who were unfortunate enough to become a tool for farming hearts to create Heartless. Had it not been for the stranger who urged her to take the throne, she would likely have walked off aimlessly as she had done so in countless other lives, having no direction, no purpose. But here in this world where the residents were mostly Nobodies, was it not the same thing, except she was bound to this world? One could only wonder. While there were visitors from other worlds, most if not all of which were surprised of the state of the world. Her world. Once a bustling Castle full of lively nobles in colorful dresses, now only an empty yet beautiful shell which reflected its denizens.

Reflected...

Whenever Val looked at her own reflection, she could see the different faces she had worn in countless years. How long had Cort been up to his schemes, and how many did he sacrifice to realize his dream? These passing thoughts were troubling, which only meant that Valerie was nurturing a budding heart once again. Would it be the last, or would another take it away from her? Just how many had she nurtured already, and what were their fates? She could only answer the last question. They were turned into heartless, all for a mindless dream of conquest. A dream that would hopefully never be taken up again through such means.

"Someone at the door?"

Each step of the stairs leading to the main doors and the castle itself were glazed with thin yet durable glass. It was the element she was reborn with. She had a deep connection with it. It let her know when someone was there, and in a pinch, it could strike out like glistening spikes from under the visitor's feet. None of the wanderers outside had fallen, so for now it was safe to assume the visitor had peaceful intentions. Valerie was in the throne room, sitting upon the seat of power and awaiting for the visitor, assuming they were here for her.

The guards opened the doors for the visitor, yet spoke no words of warnings or reminders of how to behave inside the Castle. The visitor would only need to walk in. The throne room wasn't so hard to find. And when he gets there, he would receive a pleasant greeting from the queen herself. "Welcome. How may I assist you?"

Two guards, both very alike in stature and clothing, stood at the main entrance as Edis waited for the doors to open, his hands resting over the jar in his hands. As he stood, the jar swirled with energy, indicating to anyone that knew of the jar's power that it currently held a prisoner, a prisoner which, if discovered by this land full of Nobodies, would not paint Edis in a very favourable light. He had just arrived in this strange land, having ventured further from home than ever before, his last wish was to make an enemy of a powerful Queen. If she asked about the jar, Edis would not lie to her, lying was futile and useless as the truth was always uncovered, especially since Edis himself wasn't a very adept liar. He wasn't stupid enough to lie to a Queen, but he would most certainly have to explain much to her if she were to ask. That is, even if he got the chance to meet her, and it didn't seem like the guards were the most talkative of sorts, or the most willing.

And then, without a slight hint of a change, the guards moved to allow the gate to be opened, granting Edis entry into the castle proper. No words were exchanged by the guards or the visitor, it probably would've been strange if they had spoken at that point, but Edis didn't bother trying to start a conversation. Instead, he just walked into the castle, planning on heading to what he assumed would be the throne room. The way he saw it, if he was allowed in that meant the Queen knew to expect him. And if the Queen was expecting a visitor, where else would she be but in her seat of power, literally. It took a few minutes until the young man was able to find the throne room, which eventually surprised him, as it wasn't the most subtle of rooms in the castle.

Edis had no idea what to expect of the castle, or of its ruler, but he was impressed by both. The throne room seemed simple, and yet fit with the rest of the castle, and the rest of the world itself, with the walk to the throne itself being laid out as an obvious trail for him to follow. As he walked, he gazed at the Queen herself, captivated by her beauty. He wasn't falling in love with her or anything, but Edis hadn't met many Nobodies save for the one's outside and the one in his jar, but a Nobody in power looked and felt very different from the commoners. He couldn't help but let a whisper escape his breath, one that echoed throughout the room for all to hear, even if it seemed a little incoherent. This woman, Queen Valerie Noria, wasn't like anyone else Edis had ever met. Actually, that wasn't true, she was very similar to one person, someone who he hadn't seen for 12 years: his brother Mikael. Not for her looks or anythign physical at all but, as their eyes met, Edis saw in her a warmth that he hadn't expected from a Nobody, let alone a Queen. She felt almost alive, like she was still a human, a living breathing person. How curious.

"Wow"

The words of the Queen were much as Edis had expected: polite but to the point. This was a foreign man in her land, she wanted to know why he was here, and whether he meant anyone in her kingdom harm. She asked how she could be of assistance, but that was her polite way of demanding to know Edis' wishes, and his intentions in this world, to which the boy responded in kind. He was very glad that he always dressed smartly, as he stood in his shirt, trousers, waistcoat and white neck tie, with a long black coat finishing his look of intelligence. Luckily it also let him be battle ready, even if he didn't actually expect a battle today. He would certainly have to pick his words carefully so as not to anger the Queen and by extension, her world. So with a quick breath, and looking around at the other present, Edis started with a simple ask, bowing his head first as a mark of respect.

"If I may be blunt, Your Majesty, I would ask that we speak in private. The things I wish to discuss with you are very personal to me, and I wish not to burden anyone else with my words. I can assure you, however, that I mean you and your land no harm, and I have come unarmed into your castle as a show of peace."

It was a start, now he just waited to hear her response, hoping she would do as he asked.

The surprise on the man's face was similar to that of other visitors, and likely stemmed from the relative liveliness of the queen in comparison to the other Nobodies in and out of the Castle. It was more or less the universal reaction of all those who entered the Castle of Dreams for the first time since her ascension to the throne. After his initial shock subsided, the man bowed and request a private audience with her. An unusual request, but not one she would deny. "Very well then. Guards, you are free to leave." With that simple command, the guards eased themselves in unison before each one were swallowed up by a ripple that made them seem like they were mere reflections which got erased from a watery surface. Just as requested, it was only the two of them left. However, the request was not granted due to trust, but rather the lack of mistrust. He hadn't harmed any of the empty shells before he stood before her, and that was good enough. Yet that did not mean she let down her guard.

She rose from her throne and descended the steps, her heels sharply clicking on the glassy surface. A sword was sheathed on her right, and if one were to look closely, they'd see that while it looked similar to those weapons found in the armory, this one had intricate designs of gold that was not seen anywhere in this world. Aside from her silver pendant which she tucked under her clothes, this was likely the only physical hint of her true origin. The sword was her only possession which followed her through her past lives, and for whatever reason, she had a strange attachment to it.

But back to the matter at hand, she now stood on equal ground with her guest with her hands clasped in front of her. There was gentle smile on her lips, and while her eyes looked blank staring at the man, it had a tiny glimmer of life within them. Whether this was simply a ray of light that shone on her light blue orbs, or something akin to a growing soul, it was up to him to assume. "Your request for privacy has been granted. What matter troubles you to come to me for assistance?" She spoke somewhat coldly but not as expected from one without the capacity to express any sort of emotion. Through it all, she never broke eye contact, and her smile never faded.

It was rare for anyone to ask her for help, but then again, Nobodies had much fewer needs than people with hearts, and the Somebodies who stayed in the world were much too intimidated by the expressionless sentinels that stood guard.

Much to Edis' relief, and a bit to his surprise, his request was granted and the guards dissipated, leaving the two of them alone. If he had been honest, Edis had expected the guards to walk out and leave them in peace. He was still coming to grips with the fact that everyone with any power was able to create a corridor, even the guardsmen in the Castle of Dreams, to run around the place. The Corridors of Nothing as they were known acted very similarly to Corridors of Darkness which Edis used, but it seemed like there were subtle differences, mostly in the way it looks to an outsider watching someone disappear, not to mention the obvious color differences. Nobodies weren't known for their love of colors.

And that was where Queen Valerie once again contradicted every known aspect of a Nobody, as she walked down from her throne, down the steps to join Edis, a sword at her hip that looked very embellished and unnecessarily fine, but she was the Queen and royalty often had to keep up appearances. At the end of the day, it was a nice looking sword, and very likely to be quite deadly in the hands of its owner. If everything went well, she wouldn't have any reason to draw it, and this discussion could remain peaceful and not turn sour at any point.

As she stood in front of Edis, there was one thing that the young man became acutely aware of: the Queen wasn't actually that tall. Standing on a level plane, Edis was clearly about five or so inches taller than her, and he saw himself angled downwards to look at her, which is when he saw what looked like her crown: a tiara adorned with sparkling jewellery of every color, full of life and emotion, a truly beautiful creation that made its home upon the head of the vibrant Queen, who was now asking Edis for his reasons for being here and requesting an audience with her. They were alone now, as Edis had wished, so there was no reason to hide his desires any longer. Holding the jar in his hand tightly, the young man spoke his will.

"Thank you for allowing me my previous wish of privacy, Your Majesty, it means a lot. Now, as to why I am here, it is to ask for information, and you seemed like the person to come to. I am seeking the power to unite heart and body, I'm looking to acquire a Keyblade, and I wish for you to tell me everything you know about them. I have read that they require you to enter some kind of sleep, which is why I came here, to the Castle of Dreams next to the Realm of Sleep, to see if you know anything that could aid me in my quest. I need this power, and any information you have would be greatly appreciated."

It felt good to get that out into the open, to finally tell someone what he wanted to do, even if she couldn't know the reasons. With that, Edis would nod his head to her, his face showing a desire for an answer, for the knowledge he needed, as he looked into those light blue eyes, which looked dead and unimpressed, but yet held something deeper within. Perhaps Valerie Noria wasn't like the other Nobodies, perhaps she did have something akin to a heart or a soul.

There was little, if any, hesitation in revealing his intentions for his visit. He wanted a keyblade, and thought that she might be able to help him. Although her memories were sketchy and fragmented, she was indeed quite acquainted with the legendary weapon. She knew what they were capable of, and how much suffering its wielder could cause. Would he become the next Cort? That possibility couldn't be denied. With such powers, it was always a possibility. His claim to want to use its power as a means to combine the heart and body. It was the direct opposite of Cort's intentions, but whose heart and body was he going to use? Was his intentions pure, or was he going to experiment on the hearts by swapping them between bodies? He said he needed the power to make two halves a whole, but that could be taken a number of ways. She needed to be sure he wasn't going to misuse that power. She wasn't going to allow anyone to go through what she had.

Her features never changed, which in these kinds of situations was her advantage. "I can tell you what I know of the Keyblade, but I don't think I am able to help you in acquiring it. My memories are shattered, and whats left that concerns the legendary weapon are unpleasant. I will help you in any way I can, but if you do acquire it, I will have to ask you not to misuse it, or I will be your enemy." She sounded calm, and without the slightest bit of anger or disdain, but it is worth taking to heart her pledge to become his enemy should he misuse the weapon.

She took notice of the jar in the man's hand and felt a curious power trapped inside the glass. To confirm that it wasn't just her imagination, she lifted her hand and faced her palm towards the jar and concentrated. Her natural connection to glass allowed her to detect some type of enchantment, though she couldn't tell what it was. Clasping her hands together again, she decided to ask him directly. Was this part of why he needed the Keyblade's power? "That glass jar holds a strange power. What do you use it for?"

Before anything, else she wanted some of her questions answered as well. While she didn't purposefully wanted it to be a situation where they exchanged equal quantities of knowledge, the jar could be a threat she needed to watch out for, and had to be sure that wasn't the case. But even if it was, the man's actions while inside the castle would be her basis on whether or not she'd destroy it. Even though she never wanted to be the Queen of this realm, she was bound into protecting it, and that is a responsibility she didn't take lightly. But at the same time, she wasn't so strict as to make an enemy out of anyone who acts out violently or suspiciously. Her inquiries were merely there to satisfy her own curiosity, or at the very least, fill her inner void.

You would think that, after being told that the person right in front of you was looking for a way to harness one of the most deadly and sought after powers in all the worlds, that your face would show even a slight bit of surprise, concern, something. But Valerie 's face betrayed no such emotion, which was impressive if nothing else, that she could hide whatever emotion she was truly feeling. It made her a very wily Queen without a doubt, and Edis could guess that most World Leaders hated having to argue or trade with her, as they could never see through her poker face.

Her words were no so impressive, as she told Edis that she would likely be unable to assist him in obtaining a Keyblade, although she did have memories of the weapon. She just requested one thing of the man. She would tell him everything she knew about the Keyblade at a price, that price being that Edis would have to swear that he would not use it for evil purposes, or misuse the abilities of the 'legendary weapon'. Valerie certainly had some knowledge, and undoubtedly some history with the Keyblade, something Edis believed he would soon understand. He smiled as she asked him not to miuse its power, as that was never going to be his intentions. He only wanted to bring his brother back, and to do that he needed the Keyblade, he needed the power to unite heart and body into one being, to reform his brother into the person he once had been, alive.

It was then that a bad feeling passed over Edis, as he watched the Queen's gaze fall upon the jar currently held in his hands, the jar that currently housed the Nobody of Mikael, a person just like Valerie herself, and she wanted an explanation as to what the mysterious power of the jar was, almost as if she was somehow attuned to it, and knew how to differentiate between an ordinary glass jar and a magical one. She certainly was a worthy adversary, and definitely not someone Edis wanted to piss off. he was going to have to choose his words very carefully, as he took a deep breath, smiled at the Queen, and spoke the truth.

"I will tell you because you asked, Your Majesty, but I ask that you also give me time to explain after I tell you, as my reasons are true and pure. I can promise you that. The jar does indeed have a unique power, it is a capture device, used to banish someone from this world inside the confines of the jar, and allowing me to keep them prisoner until I deem otherwise. Currently, it only has one resident, as it can only possess one at a time, and this is where I ask for your grace and your ear. Inside this jar is a Nobody, the Nobody of someone I once knew as my brother, trapped for the forseeable future until I decide otherwise. I can converse with him, as could you if I granted you access, but he would not be willing to speak with either of us. He is not the most gracious of residents."

Sighing after getting that all out, and pausing for a few seconds to give the Queen some time to think over what she had just heard, Edis would then continue, eager to get this discussion over with as soon as possible so as not to risk angering the Queen even more than he may have already. Having a single Nobody hate and want to destroy him wasn't a massive concern, but having the Queen of a realm full of Nobodies all wanting to kill him was, and it was something he was going to try and avoid if possible, however it was seeming less and less likely that he would leave her best friends with the Queen.

The man looked to be in discomfort when asked about the jar, but after a deep breath, he told her what it was, prefixing his explanation with a request to give him ample time to defend himself and the purpose of the container. The queen nodded to his request, still granted from her lack of mistrust towards the man. The good thing about being a Nobody was that they tended to keep a level head no matter the situation, and are hardly ever tilted by emotion. So while she may seem cold and distant, she held no contempt to the people she spoke with. She listened intently as the man revealed the powers and purpose of the container, her figure remaining composed throughout.

The jar, a prison which can only be opened by the warden. It sounded like a sinister device, and no matter how he assured her that his intentions were pure, one can not deny the dark sides of such an item. Before going further, he reminded her of his request to hear him out, and she could see why he would be nervous at this point. The device held a Nobody who belonged to the man's brother, or so he says. It didn't take long for her to piece together why he wanted the Keyblade's power to unite heart and body, neither was it hard to realize that the 'body' he was referring to was a person's shell after parting with a heart, a Nobody.

So he wanted to bring his brother back? A complicated matter, to be sure. Had his brother died normally, a trip to the underworld could bring him back no problem, but if his brother's shell was inside that jar then... "I am sorry for your loss." With a wave of her hand, the ground behind him warped as shards of glass emerged and clumped together to form a fancy chair. They clinked together as they took shape until they finally settled. A similar chair formed behind her as well. "Please, take a seat," she said to him before resting on hers. The chairs, although completely made of glass, were cushioned. Val modified the properties to make them act like soft foam. She expected this to be a long conversation, and she didn't want her visitor to feel tired at the end of it. At the same time, it would defile his request for privacy if she were to call someone to fetch chairs for them.

"While I find it cruel to have someone trapped in a prison such as that jar, I shall give you the benefit of the doubt and assume it was for your brother's well-being. Rest easy, I can understand how you might be feeling. But are you certain that it is the power of the Keyblade you are looking for? I don't claim to know everything about the weapon, but a Keyblade is the only weapon that can destroy the Heartless, and I would assume that it can destroy the heart as well in the process. You could end up losing your brother's heart."

She knew a Keyblade can rip a heart out, but she never heard of it being capable of the opposite. While it could be possible, the lack of any evidence of it happening meant that it was either impossible, or it was extremely difficult to accomplish. But if he did manage to do that, then she could certainly use his help in restoring the Nobodies that wander aimlessly throughout the worlds. She herself wouldn't go through with it though. There were too many heartless born from her shell that she wouldn't know which one to save. Nor would she be able to know where any of them were in the first place.

Once again Valerie Noria surprised Edis with her lack of emotion. Even as he explained his current possession of one of her own kind, she received the information, accepted it, and moved on, without showing any emotions whatsoever, which was when it clicked for Edis. All this time he had been led astray by her deep blue hair and warm, vibrant face, he had forgotten what she was: a Nobody. Not that there was any problem with being a Nobody, but their very being was what had passed Edis by without him noticing. They were, after all, the husk left behind after the heart was extracted, by definition they were lacking a heart, and all emotion stemmed from the heart itself. Edis was standing there surprised by the Queen's lack of emotion, but it would've been more surprising had she actually shown any. She had very little, if any, emotion in her. She was a husk, as cruel as that sounded it was the truth, and she was almost incapable of emotion. Despite that, however, Edis was starting to like her, mostly because she had yet to turn hostile when a normal Somebody would have. Perks of talking with a Nobody.

The Queen offered condolences, which meant that a piece of knowledge that had passed her by had now also clicked. She was now understanding why Edis wanted a Keyblade, and why he was mourning the loss of his brother. His brother was not dead in the sense that his body was trapped in the underworld and he could be rescued or escape on his own, it was a far more complicated matter. He had died with a strong will, and so had split heart from body, becoming both a Heartless and a Nobody. The Heartless, an image seared into the mind of a young Edis, was the current target, as he had captured his brother's Nobody. He was determined, and now the Queen knew his true intentions, and why he wanted the power of the Keyblade.

Their discussion seemed far from over, and this was made evident by Valerie's sudden use of her power, as she formed two surprisingly comfortable seats in the middle of the room next to them both for them to sit in. As Edis sat, running his hand over the material, he understood. Glass, just like his jar. Valerie Noria had the command of Glass, a very strange element, but certainly a very useful one. She had looked at the glass of the jar, and had been able to deduce that it was not a simple glass jar, that was why she had asked for its purpose, she had the perfect way to counter Edis' jar, which made the boy very glad that he had told the truth. If he had tried to play it off as the jar being an ordinary one, she would've seen right through his ruse, and that would've turned things sour.

It was then the sinking feeling returned, as Valerie spoke to Edis and asked him a very serious question that had run through the man's head every day since he had first heard of the Keyblade. A Keyblade's purpose was to destroy the Heartless, and release their hearts into the Void, along with their Nobodies. And yet, what Edis was proposing was very much the opposite, to use the destructive powers of the Keyblade to unite heart and body, something that seemed completely against the weapon's original design. It was true, she was completely true: Edis could very easily destroy his brother's heart, and lose him forever. And then a loud bang echoed throughout the room as Edis' fist collided with the armrest of the chair, cracking the glass and drawing blood from the boy, blood that trickled down the chair to the ground. His head had been down from the moment Valerie had began speaking about his theoretical use of the Keyblade, but now his head rose, a fierce look in his eye as he spoke, his voice now very different from before, full of anger, but not directed at Valerie, not directed at anyone except Edis himself.

"You don't think I don't know that? Yes, the Keyblade's main purpose is to destroy the Heartless and release the heart of the person that once was and yes it has never been used in the way I want to use it, but you know what? Screw what people think. I will gain the power of the Keyblade, and I will use that power to bring him back. And if I am wrong? If the Keyblade can't do what I ask of it and I lose him forever, then good. Better dead than that monster he became. I will restore him, or I will destroy him, but I will not let that heartless roam free, not after what it took from me."

The resounding impact against the chair filled the near-empty room. Though as it should be expected by now, that didn't incite a change in Valerie's demeanor, though she was concerned of the cut the man gave himself from breaking the glass. While she could repair the damage from her own construct without effort, she couldn't do the same for the man. That was out of her ability, unless he wanted his wound to be patched by glass, which would not have been the smartest choice or safest. "Lend me your hand," she said as she extended her own towards the man, a handkerchief in the other.

She didn't take his anger as anything to be appalled by. She could understand what would trigger certain emotions, but she couldn't be sure if he was mad at her or his situation, but that didn't keep her from showing hospitality. If he were to lend his hand to her, she would remove any of the glass that may have entered the cut before wrapping his wound with the white handkerchief to halt the bleeding. If he refused, then should simply offer the handkerchief to him, but if refused again, she wouldn't push it. Although she would still use her power to remove any shard of glass in his hand.

It had always been her point since taking the throne to be accommodating to the people around her, which was difficult to do when one lacked the empathy needed to understand what a person would be needing. But she managed, using some logic and past experiences. "If that is how you see it, then I won't dissuade you any further. I personally don't know how to acquire a Keyblade, but there might be something in the archives that may help in your search. If you would follow me, then I'll lead you to it." Val stood up and waited to see if her guest would follow her. If he chose to follow, then they'd be taking one of the doors off to the side which were hidden from the front by large curtains. There, they'd walk down a hall and descend through twisting flights of stairs.

The archive, much like the rest of the castle, was well kept, with books upon countless shelves that rose near two stories. There were ladders made handy on each. However, if one were to look, the archive was only utilizing a third of its capacity. It was unfortunate, but a skirmish here happened not too long ago when the Nobodies bound together to fight Cort. Valerie had often came down here to do some reading in her spare time, which was few and far between. "The far section should have something on the Keyblades. Feel free to browse."

As ever, the Queen was unmoved at the outburst of the man sitting across from her, asking for his hand as she held a white handkerchief, no doubt wanting to remove any glass from his person to stop any pain. Edis tensed his hand a moment to let the pain linger for just a second, before he reached out and touched Valerie, completely forgetting what that would do to him. The moment their hands touched, Edis changed, becoming en exact replica of the person he had touched, in this the Queen herself. Having donned a new body, all the glass that had coated Edis' hand had dispersed, and his wound had healed. He moved his hands around in a circular motion to get used to how they felt, their softness and texture, before trying out what he could do, snapping his fingers and watching as the chair was restored, looking like it had never been broken at all. This was a strange power, he had never been in control of glass before, and he certainly wasn't yet strong enough to form a chair like Valerie had, but not doubt this would illicit some kind of response from her. Edis couldn't help himself and started to laugh, his voice confusing him for a second as he laughed with the voice of the Queen. "Sorry, Your Majesty, completely forgot this happened, but I have to say, you certainly possess some unique talents, I didn't expect to be able to do that so easily. I'm impressed."

The truth was slightly different to what Edis had said, but his face did not betray him. He knew of his powers, of course he did, they were the most interesting thing about him, he was hardly going to forget them, and yet he still reached out for the Queen. Why? Because he wanted to hold an armory of faces, of people he could become should the need arise, and Edis could imagine multiple oppurtunities where being a Queen was going to come in handy. He could probably go anywhere without much worry, and control the Nobodies of this world if he so wished it. It was a good thing he wasn't that malicious a person then, and hopefully the Queen would see that and not be too concerned, maybe she would even show a few more tricks that she had up her sleeves, to add a few more abilities to Edis' armory.

It was then that the Queen offered to show Edis, who was going to be stuck looking like the Queen for another few minutes to allow his body to adjust before he would be able to turn back into his old self. He felt like he was going to have to explain it to the Queen, and that was a conversation Edis had far too often and one he really couldn't be bothered with, not now, not when he was getting closer to the power he wanted. He had a good feeling about this, as the Queen was taking him to the Archives of her land, the place where all the information was stored and a place of boundless knowledge.

Entering the archives, it felt and look like a simple library, but with multitudes of shelves and books dotted around, all in specific areas ordered by topic of discussion. And over there, on the far side of the shelves, was everything the Queen had on Keyblades, books that she herself had never touched, and potentially the place where Edis would find the answer he seeked. He turned to the Queen, speaking to her in her own voice, "Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you so much", before Edis ran towards the shelves, ready to read through every word on every page of every book to find what he wanted. There weren't a huge selection, only maybe a dozen books on Keyblades, but it was here, whatever it was Edis wanted to know, he was going to find it in these pages. He knew it.

"It's my pleasure. I am happy to be able to help you. But may I know your name?" One would think that a queen wouldn't need to ask such a thing from someone who requested a personal audience with her in order to ask for help on personal matter. She expected he would introduce himself at some point. But she couldn't hold it against him. He had been through much, though it was distasteful to ignore such a common courtesy.

Speaking of expectations, she didn't think he was capable of taking her form and voice. It was strange seeing a copy of herself. Whats more, he seemed have copied her powers as well. This could be a problem in the future. Before she could ask, he told her to forget this had happened. While she didn't say anything about the situation, she wasn't entirely trusting him not to misuse that power of his. She wouldn't act on it yet, but she had to have something handy to make sure any damage he can cause is minimized. Because the way it stands at the moment, He can be a real threat to her and her Castle, and the Nobodies that resided on this world.

Who knows what mischief he could get into under her name. Nobodies already had a bad reputation for a number of reasons, and if people thought they were starting to act up, it could be problematic to her people. A contingency plan needed to be arranged, that was for sure.

Edis, taking the form of Queen Valerie, was surrounded by books, and had almost missed the real Valerie's question, as he put down the book he was holding and ran back to her, panting in excitement due to the newfound lead he knew he was so close to attaining. "Forgive me, in all the excitement I forgot my manners. Name's Edis, Edis Rehtona. It's a weird name, but it's mine. Now I must return to the books, I can't waste any more time." And so the man darted off once again towards the large pile of books, picking up the largest of the tomes, a dusty old book titled "Keyblades: The Legendary Power of the Heart", a well kept book that looked promising. Opening it up, Edis read the introduction and flicked to the first pages that spoke about the Keyblade.

"To know the power of a Keyblade, one should first make themselves aware of their origins. For years, scholars and visionaries questioned it: where did these miraculous weapons come from? Who created them? For what purpose were they brought into this world? The last question was the first and easiest of the three to answer, as it was soon afterwards that the first recorded sightings of the creatures known as Heartless were noted. It seems that these two events are linked, and helped scholars understand the first of the three aforementioned questions: Where did the Keyblades come from? Keyblades and Heartless have a very similar source. It stands to reason that any being capable of producing a particularly strong Heartless has the same chance of activating the powers of a Keyblade, as they both require the same prerequisite: a powerful heart. Any being with a heart strong enough can activate either of these phenomena, although the creation of a Heartless has become the much more common of the two in recent years. The first reported sightings of the Keyblade were made by famous scholar Richard Nicholson, the man known throughout the worlds for his study of blah blah blah blah........."

His eyelids covered his eyes, as his hand went limp, and his body slumped to the side, landing on the cold hard ground with a mountain of books landing on top of him, and yet he still slept, his body catching up on the missed sleep he had thus far endured. He hadn't mentioned it to the Queen at all, but he had first heard of her a few days prior to his arrival in the Castle of Dreams, and he had yet to sleep since hearing her name, and wondering if she could help him. He had not slept, making sure he was ready before he had tried to reach the Castle of dreams. However, due to how far away from Twilight Town it had been, and due to how inexperienced Edis still was with his newfound abilities of transportation, it had taken many attempts before he finally found himself in the courtyard. And now he had collapsed, after all this effort and finally coming so close to what he wanted.

---

His eyes opened and his head hurt, roughly three hours after he had collapsed, with a book lying open on his face, now covered somewhat with drool from the sleeping man. It took him a moment to collect his thoughts, remember who he was, where he was, and why he was there, and then it did. Edis hot up like a dart, a bruise on his head covered by his hair and dust in his eyes. He was in his own body once again, but in his sleep the books had been scattered everywhere, and now he had all but defaced the page on one. As he picked up the book in question, his eyes were drawn to one line, the name of a chapter from a small book, one of the ones Edis had put on the pile of books he didn't have much hope for. It was "Mystical Items of the Modern Worlds", and it only seemed to have a small chapter dedicated to the Keyblades, but within that chapter was this line.

"Obtaining the Keyblade".

Edis' eyes lit up as he read on, the book giving him every detail he wished to see. It spoke of a Keyblade wielder, a not so well known one who used his powers to end the suffering of many by putting their hearts to rest and destroying their Heartless. This was his journal of things he had discovered during his time exploring the worlds, and he had written a footnote at the end for anyone else interested in following in his path. His words spoke of a test to attain the power of the Keyblade, a test of the heart that one had to go through. He said it was difficult to put into words exactly what had to be done, but he finished it with a simple phrase, one that linked everything together. "Sometimes, the greatest answers lie within yourself." Edis could not think of a more direct hint for him to follow. The Keyblade was a manifestation of the power of one's heart. The only realistic way for that power to be unlocked was for the heart to be unlocked. The only question now washow one went about unlocking their heart. The Keyblade section was finished, now Edis needed to find books on the heart.

"Then I shall leave you to your research, sir Edis." Edis... she couldn't say she had met anyone with that name before. It was definitely unique. Val turned and walked back the flights of stairs, but instead of returning to the throne room, she made a quick stop to her chambers, locking herself in. It looked just as expected from a royal bedchamber. Large bed, large mirror, and regal decorations. However, there was one that would have stood out had it not been hidden behind a rotating panel of glass that mixed in well with the crystalline walls itself. It was the keyblade Cort used to extract hearts for his heartless army. That keyblade served to remind her that people like that should never be allowed to do as they pleased.

An hour later, she went back down to the archives and found Edis sleeping. It looked like he had been like that for a while, and she didn't want to disturb him. She took a number of books from the shelves and carried them up back to the throne room. While she'd be more comfortable in the study, she had to be ready to accept any visitors that would come her way, as well as be easily found if Edis came searching for her. The books were all about the different kinds of things people made with glass, like glass flowers, and even glass swords. Although the swords may have been more for decoration than anything else, she could definitely make those designs battle-worthy.

A few more hours passed as Edis spent his time in the archives of the Castle of Dreams, reading up on some of the books on the heart that the library had to offer him. He had discovered all that he needed to about the Keyblade, and he knew how to unlock it, he just needed to know where to begin, and that is what he was now searching for, to no avail. Every book in the archives simply spoke of the powers of the heart, but none spoke of how to gain access to your own heart and unlock your true powers, which frustrated the man, as he slammed his fist once more into the table, unintentionally cracking it and almost snapping the large table in two. He rubbed his temples, willing himself to calm down before he did something he would regret. He looked at the books scattered around, and put them back in the shelves where they belonged, before returning to the throne room, where he assumed he would find the Queen.

True enough, there she was, sitting on her throne reading some books of her own. Edis approached slowly, not wanting to disturb her reading. If she raised her head to notice him at any point, he would begin speaking while walking towards her, only stopping until he was at the base of the steps to reach the throne. "I have made a discovery with regards to unlocking a Keyblade, but it is incomplete, and I do not know where to proceed without first trying something of my own. Can I request one more thing of you, Your Majesty? I would like to ask for a room, I don't mind where or what the room is, but I need a room where I can shut out all the light and a room where no one will dare enter. Do you have any haunted areas of the castle you could take me to?"

Val had burned through all but one book, which was the one she was currently reading. She read through a range of subjects from the types of tea and their different effects on the mind and body, to the different styles of the bow and the sword. The one she was reading was about military concerns. Since she was going to be ruling a world, she needed to know about these things. While she had knowledge transfered over from a past life, it had to be supplemented by other sources. She absorbed everything there was in the pages, and memorized it all without fault.

She set the book down just as Edis reached the bottom of the steps. She had sensed him coming up, but didn't immediately acknowledge him until he stopped in front of her. And he came with another request. He discovered something concerning how to acquire a keyblade, but he needed to use a private room in order to try something. Preferably a haunted one.

"I don't believe the castle has any haunted areas, but the archive may be the most private location in the castle at the moment. There are also a number of guest rooms that are unoccupied, if that is to your liking." Perhaps the most secure and private spot would have been the queen's bed chambers, but that room was strictly off-limits to anyone but the queen and her personal servant, but that position was already filled by another, though she was currently not in the castle. "Where would you like to go?" she asked so she could lead him to the guest rooms, or back to the archive if he needed to be walked back there.

Despite intending it as a joke, which in retrospect probably would have not have been received by the Queen, Valerie Noria stated that there were no haunted areas of the castle, and that the two most secluded areas of the castle would have to be the Archives, where Edis had just returned from, or a guest room, which at least seemed like it would be more hospitable than his first option. Besides, he had already been in the Archive room, and it felt too big and bright. All the books everywhere were too much, not to mention that it was open and didn't have a lock on it that Edis could see. No, it wouldn't work at all, so when Valerie asked which room he would like to go to, Edis' answer was simple and obvious.

"I'll take one of the guest rooms, Your Majesty , but preferably in an area of the castle where no one ventures. I need quiet and not to be interrupted, and so I will require a room where the windows and low and easily covered, where the light of the outside world can be easily snuffed out, and where very few residents in your world will go. I know it's a big ask, but I know I'm close to unlocking the power of the Keyblade, and if I do, perhaps I could help you the way you have helped me?"

Edis was being serious now, both in his request and his offer. The Queen had helped him with seemingly nothing to gain from it herself, and Edis did not like owing anyone anything. If she had helped him, it was normal that he should return the favour. Maybe she needed a bodyguard, although that seemed unlikely given her strength, but it would keep up appearances if nothing else. Either way, Edis knew one thing: if he gained access to the powers of a Keyblade, it wouldn't just be Heartless that would swarm to him. It was a rare and unique power, and everyone would want control of it, to serve their own agendas.

There were many rooms made to be occupied by guests. Mainly for nobles and royalty of other lands who elected to stay there after a ball or other such types of social gatherings. At least that was what she was told. She had yet to host such gatherings so she never saw use for those rooms. However they were still well kept. The Nobodies from those servants of the castle who got caught up in the heart harvest still had a lingering sense of duty due to them purposefully being left with a fragment of their past lives. This was the biggest reason why there were still so many people acting as the castle's staff. The soldiers were an example, and Edis would see much more as they walked through the castle.

"If you wish to help me, then I only ask you to do your part to rid the worlds of the heartless using your Keyblade, should you acquire it. Each one you slay will move us towards that goal. Now, follow me to your room," she said simply, standing up from her throne and walking through the double doors. From there, she took a left turn and climbed the stairs to the second floor and into a corridor on the nearest side where they soon entered a wide hallway lined with identical doors. She continued walking towards the end where there was a large window. She stopped in front of the door before the last room and opened it. A servant was still inside, who immediately turned around when the door opened.

Without uttering a word, she bowed to the queen and her companion. She was one of the few that retained some of her features. She was dressed in the traditional maid outfit, but her eyes were blank, yet still had a spark inside them. Excusing herself, the servant walked out of the room and walked down the hall, but not before bowing one last time to mark her leave. Val bowed back in response before she motioned to Edis to enter. "The curtains were are thick to block out the light from the windows, and I can instruct the staff to not disturb this area until you are finished. Would this be enough to suit your needs?"

Well, Edis had offered his services, and the Queen had responded with a task for him, didn't really matter that it was a task he had already planned on fulfilling regardless. It mattered little, this at least would boost his resolve when killing Heartless, as it would be business more than a desire for death, which was something Edis most certainly did not possess. Inherently, he despised Heartless simply because of who they were, and because of what they had done to him, so it was natural that he would want to destroy them no matter what, but hey, if it helped others besides just him, surely that just made it more beneficial to do. That was the way of the world: the best method of doing something was the one that pleased the majority, and killing Heartless would no doubt please a great many people who had suffered as Edis himself had at their hands, so a nod was almost unnecessary, but still given to the Queen, as she began to escort him to the guest room he would be needing for the next stage in his journey.

As the walked through the castle, Edis finally began to understand the scale of the building itself, and it was grand. It felt too big, like it was far too many rooms for simply the Queen to live, and Edis almost felt sorry for Valerie. Although she had many servants and guards, some of whom walked past Edis with their heads down, going about their business as they normally would, the man felt that she would still feel lonely. All these Nobodies, they were all here out of a sense of duty, and Edis doubted many had the choice or even the inclination to leave or converse unless the conversation was initiated by their Queen. They lived to serve, as it were, and serving was all they did. It was, however, very possible that Edis was wrong, and the Queen loved her life in the castle and everyone talked to everyone else, but that didn't seem the case. It almost made Edis want to stay longer, if for no other reason than just to remove that sense of lonliness that he knew she must have felt.

The Queen stopping snapped Edis out of his train of thought, as they had reached their destination, the last room at the end of a long hallway. Opening the door revealed a servant girl, a maid from her outfit, who possessed that same dead look in her eyes that most Nobodies had, just with a little spark. It was almost like they were dead, but still had souls. Valerie was the only Nobody Edis knew who had such a spark that many could confuse her for a Somebody, she was certainly a unique woman in that regard. She explained the room's layout to Edis, with its thick curtains to plunge so he could plunge the room into darkness, as well as the Queen promising she would instruct her staff to avoid this area, giving Edis the peace he needed for what he intended to do.

Despite being a room he was going to use simply to try and attain the power of a Keyblade, Edis had to admit it looked very fancy, with a bed big enough for two of him, and a very nice decorative wardrobe and mirror. It was clear that this was not a room for a servant, this is where the rich and powerful people that visited the Castle would stay their days, it looked the part if nothing else. Looking at the Queen once more, while walking over to and sitting on the very soft and comfortable bed, Edis gave her a smile as he nodded. "This, this is perfect, Your Majesty. Thanks again for doing all this. And as for the Heartless, you won't have to ask twice. Once I get the Keyblade, the Heartless will fear my name, that I can promise you." Realising he had left his other one in the Archive room, Edis pulled out a cigarette, lit it with his trusty lighter and took a deep breath, feeling the chemicals once again journey down his throat to kill him, making sure to exhale away from the Queen's current location in case she was against the practice or just didn't want to stink of smoke. It wasn't the most pleasant of habits after all.

It was indeed a lonely existence with nothing but shells for company, but being one herself, it didn't affect her that much. The loneliness had been filled with books on numerous subjects, and her personal servant was fortunately someone with a heart. But Val worried more for her more than anything. A Nobody could survive with little to no interaction with people and in fact some would prefer it that way actually. Somebodies on the other hand... none of them could really be alone. Falling out of contact with the people around them lead them to depression, and it slowly degraded their health. If all of the Somebodies would leave this world, then that might just be the reason why. It was a difficult problem to solve. She didn't want to keep people here if they want to leave, and while the world was open to all that wanted to reside there and not make trouble, it would be hard to see how they could bring themselves to live in a place like this, where the people are all zombies in their behavior.

Once Edis confirmed this was sufficient, Val closed her eyes and nodded, satisfied with his response in regard to the heartless problem. "Very well. I hope you will gain what you are seeking here. And if not, then perhapse elsewhere down the road of your journey." She entrusted this man with helping rid the worlds of their common enemy, and to not be lead astray by the power he would wield should a Keyblade appear before him. Val turned to leave. There was nothing else she wanted from the man, and didn't want to needlessly delay him. But it wouldn't be right if she just turned and left either. He was having a cigarette, which lead her to think he still had time before attempting to acquire his weapon. "Do you require anything else? I could send a servant over to fetch you some refreshments before you start." He had been in the archive for a while, and didn't have anything to drink or eat since he got there. It would be frustrating for him if he collapsed in the middle of it all.

Valerie wished Edis well in his endeavour, even if he was unable this time she wished him luck and kenw that he would acquire the power some day. Accepting the kindness of the Queen, the young man sitting on the edge of his very comfy double bed didn't say anything that could offend her. He wanted to tell her that she wouldn't have to worry, and that he would unlock those powers this time, he was sure of it. He had the drive and the determination, and he had a noble cause which he needed the power for. If there as one thing that could not be faulted, it would be the strength of his heart: he knew who he was and would use whatever power he had access to to rid the world of the evil that plagued it: the Heartless creatures.

Valerie then offered Edis another proposal, as he was smoking and not instantly sitting down to start. She asked if he wished for any refreshments before he started, any food or drink that he would desire. The man's first instinct was to deny her request, and say that he was fine, but in all honesty he wasn't. He only would've said that to stop the servants from having to do any extra work at his behest, but he couldn't deny his stomach. He had slept for three hours in the archives room after having been in there for a while already conscious. He couldn't help that he was hungry, so he had to answer Valerie with the truth. "Your generosity knows no bounds, Your Majesty. A pitcher of water with a glass would be perfect, as well as whatever the cooks could prepare that's warm and filling. I'm famished and parched, and you know what they say. Can't work on an empty stomach." He flashed her a smile, even if the joke was beyond her, it was nice to have someone to talk to. Edis hadn't had someone like that since, well since Mikael, 12 years ago.

Something filling along with a pitcher of water. A simple request, and something the cooks and servants can make within 15 minutes. It could be sooner if they had already began dinner preparations for tonight, which was likely at this hour. "Very well. I'll send a maid to bring you your food. It shouldn't take too long. Make yourself at home in the meantime." With that, Val turned and walked off, leaving Edis to rest a while. She went to the kitchen and saw the staff hard at work preparing the meals for everyone in the castle.

She put in Edis' request to the staff and saw them immediately start to put his order all in one tray. While his drink was simply the water he asked for, the food certainly was fancy. It had a slice of steak garnished with herbs and spices on a plate, and a bowl of soup. By the looks of it, Val guessed it was clam chowder. It should be enough for the man to satisfy his hunger, and if not, he could always ask for more. A butler had presented the selection to the queen for her to review if that was everything in Edis' request. It was expertly made as always, with nothing but the best dinnerware and utensils used.

Once she nodded, the butler immediately headed off to the guest room where Edis was staying. Only about fifteen minutes after Val left, Edis would have a knock on his door. "Your order, sir," the butler would say. Once he was let in, the butler set the whole tray on the table by the bed. He'd then bow before walking back to the door. Facing Edis again, he asked, "Do you require anything else, sir?" He'd wait until either he receive another request, or was told that he was free to go. While the butler didn't have the same spark in his eyes as either Val or the maid before, he was still speaking in a polite tone. His face was stoic, but with a gentle smile of courtesy.

Valerie didn't seem bothered by Edis' request, which was great to hear, as she said it would not take very long to create, and it would be brought to the room , but in the meantime Edis should make himself at home, before she herself departed from the room, no doubt heading to the kitchen top put in the man's order, which left Edis alone in the room, his cigarette in his mouth as he took another breath and exhaled, filling the room with a choking hazard that did not bother the man at all. He was accustomed to it at this point, but it was time to get to work, or at least get ready so he could start the moment his meal was finished. After all, he didn't know who much longer he could afford to wait, Mikael's Heartless may not be a patient one. Edis walked over to a dressing table in one of the corners of his room, on the opposite side of the bed and placed the glass jar there to be safe. It was far enough away that it would not be caught up in anything.

The man then got to work, his first task to draw the curtains and plunge the room into darkness, as much as he could. Once the room was sufficiently dark, with no light shining through the curtains, Edis waited in the darkness and sat still, allowing his eyes the time needed to adjust. Some time later there was a knock at his door, signalling the arrival of his food. Edis granted him entry into the room, as the butler, his possessing that dead look that left them very ominous in the darkness. He sat the food next to the jar on the dressing table as Edis thanked him, the young man's face only visible from the fact that he was using his lighter to generate a flame for the butler to see him.The butler then asked if Edis would require anything else, to which the man replied simply. [color-#00ccff]"Pass on my thanks once more to the Queen, and then keep this area quiet, don't let any servants through this area, I mustn't be disturbed. That'll be all, many thanks for the food and drink."[/color]

As the man left, Edis walked over to his order, looking at his food and hearing his stomach rumble at the sight. Very fancy steak and soup, both served with the finest of silver cutlery, and so it take long before Edis ate, dranks and finished both of his meals, washing them down with the ice cold water which was just perfect for him. Having fed himself, he was now ready to begin, but first there was something he had to do. He grabbed the urn and walked over to the bed, sitting on it with his legs crossed and his eyes closed. The darkness did not affect him, he welcomed it, as he ventured into the jar itself, his body now without consciousness, without a soul or a heart, a husk one could say.

The butler was not fazed a bit by the smoke nor the darkness. He moved about the room as if it was fully lit for him. Since most of the room in this section were more or less identical, he had a map of it in his mind. So long as nothing had been moved, he was fine treading the dark. There were only a few things the queen's guest asked of him, and that was to relay his thanks to his host, and reiterated the queen's previous request of keeping this section of the castle free from any disturbances. That was simple enough since even if there were servants doing the chores here, it was doubtful their presence would have been noticed at all. Being close to non-existence was sort of their thing, but none can deny the orders of a queen. "It is our pleasure to be of service. Enjoy your stay."

He found the queen at the throne room and relayed Edis' message before returning to his other duties. Val simply sat on her throne and continued reading her book, which came from a fresh stack she had gathered from the archives after returning the ones he had read. Her selections were random. Or at least it was at first glance. She had a system of taking one book at a time from a few collections. This way her knowledge on the different subjects grew steadily instead of having one thing improving at a time while the other stagnate.

She would read about fifteen books in an average day, and was close to finishing one entire section already. But there were still a lot of books to be read, even if more than half of the archive's books were destroyed. It should keep her occupied for a while. But while reading was most of her past time, she did attend to her kingdom quite adequately. The heartless attacked in increasing frequency, but the nobodies were more than enough to fend them off. Especially since they could be as slippery as the monsters of darkness were.

Darkness. Darkness and cold. That was the first thing Edis noticed as he entered the jar. He didn't actually know what form the prison would take, but it seemed to reflect whatever creature was being stored inside, which for Mikael was cold and dark, how fitting for the Nobody. They were both standing there, on a platform in the middle of the darkness, with nothing else around anywhere, two brothers, or one and a half technically. Edis stood, still with his cigarette in his mouth as he took another puff of it before it was finished, culminating in him taking the cigarette, throwing it onto the ground and stepping on it, as a thought came to him. If he had now discarded the cigarette, what would that mean for his physical body? The real version of Edis who still sat with a cigarette in his mouth. It was an interesting thought that soon ended as Edis' eyes met the one's of his captive.

"So, now you come and visit, brother? What do you want? Can't you see I'm quite clearly busy right now?"

He looked so much like his former self that Edis almost laughed with his joke, but his voice was very different. His tone, sarcastic and bitter, was nothing like the boy Edis had once known, he was a shade of his former self, but then he wasn't Mikael, not really. He was the body that was left behind when the heart was captured, the husk, nothing more. He was not like Valerie, she held in her body a soul and a liveliness Edis had never seen before. As he looked into the eyes of his brother's Nobody, he saw that spark, but it was not for a love of life, it was malicious and cruel. Mikael's Nobody was not a kind creation, it was cruel and manipulative, and it would do whatever it could to get free and get ahead.

"You know, if there's one thing I hate it's when you call me 'His Nobody'. I am not Mikael, I am more powerful than that child ever was, and ever could be. I can hear your thoughts, we are both linked after all, don't you remember? Probably not actually, but I do. You and Mikael were both linked, so I know what you are thinking, and you will no longer refer to me as that. I am Klaixem, a new creation, born from the death of another, of a pathetic boy that couldn't live past his twelfth birthd-"

"MIKAEL IS NOT DEAD!"

That shut him up. Klaixem, or whatever name he was going for, had no idea about what had happened that day, or what Edis had tried to do. He had been born after the event, and had no knowledge of the event itself, what could he possibly know? He knew nothing, he was nothing, he was a prisoner locked up in a jar because he was stupid enough to be captured, he had no right to speak like he was in charge.

"Listen up, you pathetic fuck. You have no idea what I plan to do to you once I gain the power. You won't be alive to see it. In fact, you've never been alive in the first place. You are going to stay in here forever and rot away, and I couldn't care less about your name. Call yourself whatever you will, it will not change the outcome. You. Will. Die. Here. Don't forget that."

At that, a portal appeared behind Edis, a way out of this world, which Klaixem chose not to take, instead remaining where he was, but he did something that made Edis pause for a moment before leaving. He laughed, a laugh that echoed throughout the entire room, a laugh that said 'I am better than you, and you know it'. No words were exchanged, Klaixem didn't need to speak as he watched Edis depart, returning to the real world, to a room covered in darkness.

---

It took him a few minutes to relax after returning his mind to his body, and it was then that Edis took a few moments to go under the covers of his lavish bed. That interaction had taken all of the boy's energy, and he needed to rest. he would start again in the morning, after a good rest. He didn't receive that rest, instead reliving that day, as he had for the past 12 years, seeing his brother die, watching and knowing that it was his fault. No matter what age Edis reached, it still hurt him to watch, and he woke up screaming many times throughyout the night. It wasn't by any means late when he went to sleep, which left him many opportunities to wake up in hysterics, like a newborn baby having a nightmare. The entire castle would echo his screams, the servants and the Queen herself would hear them wherever they were in the structure. Terrified screams from a man in his room in a castle in the area where no one was to enter. He was left to his demons.