Nexor landed face first, the stone floor of the deepest chamber of the castle grinding against his leathery skin and leaving more than a scrape. He felt his shadowy life slipping from him, and he was ready to accept his fate. He was a fool to challenge this monster, and now he and his friends were wounded or dead. He couldn't tell anymore, the world fading into a blur as the warm embrace of Darkness overtaking him. The world then went cold, and he cherished it.

It hadn't always been this way, though.

10 YEARS AGO

Inside the Door to Darkness

A strange silence had fallen over the crowds of Heartless inside the world of shadow; they all watched in curiosity, Shadow and Darkside alike, as a lone figure trudged by.

It was a Neoshadow, more humanoid than a Shadow but still no more human than a Bouncywild. Its slim body gave the beast a eerie appearance, but there was a much more soft gaze coming from its yellow eyes. The floor in front of it was illuminated dimly by the glow from his eyes and the eyes of those watching him; the eyes of the Darksides loomed like giant spotlights. He continued to walk through their unbroken gazes, only stopping when another Neoshadow shambled into his path.

"...N-Nexor?" It asked in a mature female voice, not looking at him directly; rather, she looked solemnly at the blackness beneath her feet.

Nexor slowly nodded at the woman and went past her, the world in front of him expanding forever aside from that massive door. He spent a lot of time trying to open it, not liking the sense of confinement he had here. The door wouldn't budge no matter what, leaving him with nothing else but to wander through the dark world. The female, Li, would wander with him and they would talk about rumors of the outside Worlds.

Only a few Heartless got to visit the Worlds, and Nexor was not one of them. He was to remain with the others in the world of shadow and wait until he was needed, but he was beginning to feel impatient, like a bird getting tired of its cage. He wanted out, and he wanted out soon.

"Nexor." Said Li, now following. She seemed only an inch or so smaller, her antennae more straight as opposed to the jagged feelers erected from the back of Nexor's skull. Her eyes were softer as well, more pale gold than solid yellow. Nexor liked her company; she made him feel wanted, something not many could say here in this hellish world. "Yes?" Nexor looked back, his eyes seeming to look beyond her. His voice was humanlike and young, betraying the image of the powerful creature he was.

"You're not going to try the doors again, are you?" She asked, her antennae drooping.

"...Just once more." He replied after a moment, his feet clicking against the floor as he walked. He began to turn toward the massive doors, but Li intercepted him, her eyes narrowed. "No, Nex." She growled. "You've done this a million times. You're trapped, just like the rest of us."

"But one of these days, the Worlds will be open to us. We can go beyond that door. We just need to try! To believe, Li!" He was trying to pass her, but she blocked his path. "Nexor, you're more than five hundred years old. You need to forget about the outside Worlds. They've already forgot about us."

"But you're wrong!" He growled. "We can leave this place, Li! You and I can explore what the Worlds have to offer, if you'll just let me try!" With that, he shoved her aside and dashed for the door. He began to run on all fours, picking up speed as the door drew closer. He skidded to a halt and look hesitantly at the handle; his old nemesis, taunting him with what would be the way to the Worlds.

He dismissed whatever qualms he may have had and gripped the handle, turning it. Nothing. He tried the other way. Nothing again. He turned and pulled and pushed and even tried striking the door with his claws, but the door held firm. His antennae drooped, and he began to sob. He felt Li's hand on his shoulder, and he only began to shake as the tears rolled down his cheek.

"Nexor, I'm sorry. I hate seeing you like this. You get your hopes up so high, a-" She stopped cold, and Nexor sniffled. "And what?" He asked.

"Nexor. Look."

He opened his eyes and looked up, and immediately closed them when a blinding light met him. He looked around, seeing he was still in the darkness, only with one change; the door had opened. Li stood awestruck next to him, and the other Heartless were beginning to gather. A Shadow bolted past them into the light, disappearing into the whiteness.

Nexor, too, took a hesitant step toward the light. A strange warmth radiated from it, enveloping him in a feeling he didn't fully understand. He continued to step into the light, a strange sense of security washing over him as he felt the floor beneath him become nothing, and he fell.

He awoke with a headache and a harsh light hurting his eyes. His whole body was sore, and he could barely bring himself to groan in pain. He slowly brought himself into a sitting position, his eyes beginning to adjust. He didn't understand what he was seeing, and that 'not knowing' excited him. He stood up, a little wobbly, and began to look around. He saw the walls were a strange shade of purple he remembered from a Darkside's skin, and that it was splotched with black and glowing orange lines making strange symbols. The floor had a massive heart-shaped emblem on it, and rectangular screens were embedded in the walls of the room that surrounded him.

"Where am I? Is this...the World?" He asked in bewilderment. He then noticed a door and, with great hesitation, approached. He reached for the handle, but jumped back when the door was thrust open and a strange creature wearing armor dashed in.

"Intruder!" It roared, yellow eyes narrowed and a scowl across its face. The creature struck him across the face with the back of a clawed gauntlet, sending him to the floor. Nexor tried to get back up, but he was dizzy from the hit and still sore. He could hear muttering from the figure as the darkness of his unconscious overtook him.