The room had existed when Axel first joined Organization XIII, just at that time with only five epitaphs—Xemnas had deemed it not necessary to have one for himself. Vexen was probably the one who had suggested such a room, given how much he loved classification, quantification, and organization. And Xemnas had agreed.
"Very well. It shall be our… Proof of Existence," Xemnas had said, followed by a short chuckle.
Nobodies do not have hearts, but they can still have a healthy sense of irony.
Axel had to wonder if Xemnas had understood the full truth behind that name, though. Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Larxene, Marluxia… all completely gone, back to the non-existence they never really should have left. All that was left of them, the only "proof" that they had been alive, was this place and memories. Axel frowned suddenly at that word. As if he had forgotten something important long ago. With a shake of his head, he turned back to contemplating the room.
Axel sometimes thought about how he would die. Not what dying is like, mind you. Axel just knew he didn't want to stop existing (if you could call being a Nobody existing), and without a heart he couldn't really be frightened by death. And as far as hearts go, Axel no longer really cared about finding his. He didn't really care about being Lea again. That had only mattered when he thought that he could be with Isa again, and Axel didn't even really want that anymore. Axel suspected that Isa was long gone, even if Saïx got his heart back.
Anyway, it would probably be at Xemnas's hands, as a result of a failed coup. Actually Xigbar was most likely to do it; perhaps Xaldin. Or maybe, most ironically, he would die fighting Sora. It had almost happened once before, after all. And Sora certainly did have a track record of exterminating Organization XIII members already. Actually, Axel thought with grim amusement, Sora was currently tied with Axel in that department.
Not that that Axel even had ambitions so grand as a hostile takeover anymore. He had grown distant enough from Isa… no, Saïx, that he no longer was willing to put himself at risk to aid Saïx in toppling the Organization. He wasn't even sure if Saïx himself still aimed for it; the man had taken to his role as Xemnas's right hand with fervor. Axel turned to the epitaph that had been most violtated: Zexion's, whose lexicons could no longer be made out under the harsh burns Axel had destroyed Zexion's door with. It was ironic, really. The Cloaked Schemer had met his end because of another cloaked schemer. Axel noted that if he were still human he would be feeling guilty about Zexion's death right about now. Axel hadn't liked Zexion—Axel didn't like anyone except for Roxas, (or did he? He could feel a persistent nagging at the back of his head that he was forgetting someone else) not even Saïx anymore—but Zexion had been one of the few Axel hadn't actively disliked and had made the effort to reciprocate the charade of camaraderie for. Unfortunately, Zexion had been too smart for his own good, and had found out about Axel and Saïx's alliance. His blabbing about it just wouldn't have done. Ironic then, (things seemed unusually ironic today, Axel noted dryly) that the coup had amounted to nothing. A Nobody had died for nothing. Axel forced himself to give a dark chuckle at that.
Well, time was a-wasting. His mission had been given: use the paths of darkness to get into that guy's simulation, and get Roxas back to the Organization. Axel walked past the newest door on his way out, the only one that was broken but still activated. Roxas must have done it when he deserted. Axel briefly wondered how the door would be repaired after he brought Roxas back. He considered asking Roxas why he did such a thing once he found him. He'd also be greatly interested to hear about how exactly Roxas had kicked Saïx's ass.