One sky
Chapter 1: The first world; Radiant Garden [Part 1]
There are many worlds, but they share the same sky. One sky, one destiny.
[Namine's POV]
I counted the stars in the sky. There weren't many but they outshine in the darkness. I close my eyes, letting the breeze drift me of to dreamland. As I closed my eyes, shadows appeared. They were covered in total darkness, lurking in Twilight Town, my homeland. The shadows were destroying the town, burning down anything that got in their way. But what surprised me the most was the light. It came from a woman. Her hair as bright as lemon, eyes blue as the sky, skin fairly white. She looked like an angel but she was more than that, she was a goddess. She was the only source of light among those shadows.
"Mom." I could hear the soft whisper I murmured.
"Mom! I'm here!" She couldn't hear me. The light, it's fading.
"Mom! Don't go! I missed you!" I reached out my hand to hers but it was too late. The light was already gone.
I opened my eyes, running away form my nightmare. Hikaru was lying beside me, soundly asleep; I leaned in to Hikaru and laid my hands over his chest. He was a normal little brother, with blonde hair and bright blue eyes, just like me, but he was special. He has no heart. I couldn't feel the rising and sinking of his chest. I couldn't hear any heartbeat.
~3 years later~
"Say 'Ah!'…"
"Ah…."
"You too, Hikaru."
"Ah…."
"Good. Your check up's done. You can go now." My father, Ansem, was always doing check ups for us everyday. I understand that he wants us to be healthy but why day after day? I couldn't understand that part.
Immediately after the check up, Hikaru went straight up to his room, secluding himself once again. He's been acting like this since the incident 3 years ago.
He was scared when I told him about his heart. It wasn't like others. It wouldn't beat. He wasn't surprise; only fear could be read on his face.
As for me, my name is Namine Kuromi. My family is currently living in Twilight Town, where magic is most significant. What can I say, you can't survive without magic! Every single person here is gifted. Some may be able to speak with animals while some might be able to fly. Even though they're gifted in many ways, they look human. They don't grow tails, horns, wings; nothing. This is a place where humans live. When I first got here I was awed by their talents. That changed when I was told to have a special talent too.
My brother and I have the gift to alter memories. A rare one indeed but it exists. Hikaru could erase memories, leaving them nothing but their mind to create new ones. I could rearrange and change them. Their memories might not be what they seem. But to every gifted human, there must always be a weakness. As for us, blindness is our weakness. My father told us that our talents are special and we can only use them for emergencies. The words that he said to both of us stayed in my mind.
"There is no happiness in using our talents, only fear of what may come." What was my father trying to say? What will happen if we use too much? What does he mean by fear? I hated having these questions. They make me so confused but Hikaru; he doesn't seem concern at all.
[Normal POV]
"It seems as though Hikaru is getting closer in finding out the truth. I couldn't bear to look him in the eye. If only, there was a soulless body. I could use it, but that'll be wrong. I'm confused. Help me Zexion. What should I do?"
Zexion, a silver haired boy, look him in the eye. He was probably about the same age as Hikaru but holds great knowledge. "There is nothing we can do. That is his fate."
Ansem's worried looked faded into nothingness. "I see. So, I have to tell Hikaru that he's not supposed to live? He's a fake? He's a heartless person? Is that what I have to say?" His voice rose when he got to the last sentence.
Zexion rolled his eyes. He averted his gaze to the shadow. Ansem's voice brought attention. He quickly shut the door and all windows, preventing eavesdrop of unwanted visitors.
"There is no need to shout. Let fate decide."
[Namine's POV]
I was stargazing. Watching the many stars which lit the night sky like candles in a dark room. But I was interrupted by a loud 'boom' which surprisingly came from my father's laboratory.
I assumed it was the door, but what capture my attention the most was Hikaru. Why was he there? I stood up and crept towards Hikaru. He noticed me and started running. Droplets of water fell from his face. Was he crying? But why? I chased after him, thinking he was heading home but my intuition was wrong.
He wasn't going home. I kept my pace and chased after him. He was heading for the tram station.
"Hikaru! Wait! Where are you going?" I shouted at the top of my voice. But that didn't stop him. He didn't turn to look back. He kept running.
I stopped to catch my breath. "Hikaru, Come back!"
I couldn't stop him. I tried to catch up with him but I felt my energy draining every second. My body felt so heavy. I found myself collapsing onto the hard cement.
"Hikaru…"
[Hikaru's POV]
I have no idea where I 'm going. These tears wouldn't stop falling. My father, why did he say that? I stopped to look back. No one was following me.
I hesitated. It's either back home where I'll have to endure my 'fake' life or another world where anything can happen. I walked towards the tram station. It's usually packed with people either day or night but today was different.
Many different trams were at the station, waiting for passengers to board them. These trams were self-operated. That's the power of magic.
Each tram had different symbols on the front. There was one that had the symbol of Mickey Mouse, another with the symbol of a black castle. Mickey Mouse or the black castle? I pondered on my decision. This was a tough choice. I decided to board the tram with the castle symbol. I wonder, where might this tram lead me to?
I board the tram, feeling lonely with no one but myself in the tram. I sat on the seat and turned to look out the window.
The once bright and orange sky turned into crimson red. The smell of orange blossoms changed into the stench of blood. The tram stopped just in time as I was about to puke.
I waited for the door to open and when it did, my legs wanted to run. This was Radiant Garden, where demons roam the world. A shadow emerged from nowhere welcoming me with open arms. Its sharp claws sparkled in the dark.
I hesitantly stepped out of the train."Come. Follow me, little human boy." His tone was menacing as he emphasizes on the word 'human'.
The shadow lunged towards me, grabbing both my hands, clenching them with his sharp claws. I could feel one of his claws sink deep into my skin causing blood to spill.
"Where are you taking me?" My voice, loud, yet it was obvious I was frightened.
"Hell."