The young (supposedly captive) audience stared at him for a moment and then, suddenly, burst into laughter. Professor Donningson puffed out his cheeks like an irritated toad and waited until they were done before speaking.
"And what, dear children, is so funny?" he asked, turquoise eyes a-glitter with ferocity.
Riku wiped a mirthful tear from the corner of his eye. "S-Sorry, Prof, it's just th-that... Eden?! Come on, that old Bible story?"
Professor Donningson glared at the silver-haired boy until seriousness returned to the small atmosphere.
"Yes, my silver-haired friend, Eden; 'that old Bible story', as you say. And no, it is not just a Bible story. Eden is very, very real. And very, very old," he stated seriously.
Sora blinked and stared at Professor Donningson. According to the story, Eden was a paradise; a gardener's dream, full of plants and flowers that would make any horticulturist faint in awe. But, that wasn't like the land of his dreams. The land he saw in his dreams was dead, gray, bleak. The exact opposite of what Eden should look like, in short.
Professor Donningson smiled condescendingly. "Don't believe me, hm? Just another old coot, raving about something that doesn't exist, is that what you think I am? Hm?" he almost whispered, perching himself on the edge of a large brown arm-chair.
The three teens squirmed under his gaze because of course it was true, of course this man with the turquoise stare and cucumber nose was just an old coot, ranting about a world that doesn't exist.
The professor leaned back in his chair, watching the three from over steepled fingertips. "Anyhow, coot or no, I think you really do want to know what this tablet says, hm?"
All three nodded, staying silent so the professor could continue.
"Well, like I just said, it is a prophecy. And this prophecy, I believe, ties into Destiny Islands, in a way," with this, he stood up and traced the markings again and again, leaving the teens in a state of awkward suspense. Finally, he placed his finger on a marking that looked like a dancing leaf mixed with a flying bird near the top.
"Starting here, it says 'Can you hear her cries, oh Children of Destiny's Paradise? Can you hear her scream in anguish?See her, oh Children of a forsaken Paradise,see her covered in the withered blossoms of her apples. See her cowering under the snake's eye. Her children, gone, but for one.' Now, doesn't that sound familiar? Destiny's Paradise? I, for one, think of our lovely home as a paradise, don't you?"
The three nodded, transfixed as the professor continued.
"'The Key wreathed in darkness has fallen into Oblivion, as well as the last star seen from your shores. The fire you have ignored for so long will burn once more and will merge with the earth you hold so dear.' This is rather ominous, isn't it? The last star from our shores, hm? As we all know, every star in the sky is a separate world, so having the 'last star' vanishing would mean that all the others are gone as well. But I can't understand what this whole 'Key' thing is. Do you children know?"
Kairi sent Riku a look over Sora's head, while said brunette squirmed in his seat and stared at his lap. Naturally, they knew what it meant. The "Key" was Sora, so the "Key wreathed in darkness" had to be….
Roxas.