Tens of thousands dead, the rest mad, and only a fraction with their sanity intact. In this disaster, there were no tales of indomitable human spirit, generosity, or survival. Only violence, cruelty, and insanity. There was no redemption for humanity here. The world asked, "How could something like this happen?"

A difficult investigation was launched. Reliable testimony was hard to come by. Of those competent enough to recount their experiences, they possessed only a piece of the entire picture. The majority of those who survived suffer from mild but persistent delusions. The interviewers collected their experiences. As expected, their tales didn't make much sense, filled with many fantastical elements and gaps. By itself, their stories were just the ravings of madmen, but collectively, by cross-referencing the small details, a picture began to emerge. It was slow, weaving together their accounts, but little by little, they discovered the truth behind the event.

In an incident such as this, there is no such thing as certainty, but it is a fact that a facility on the outskirts of Destiny Islands was responsible for the outbreak. They were conducting illegal research on a deadly and intense hallucinogenic gas. Though it was scorched in the incident, investigators were able to explore the remains of the facility and reconstruct events.

It was determined that the release of the gas was deliberate. The tanks where the gas was stored were underground. Someone had rerouted the gas to an external exhaust pipe, soaking the atmosphere above Destiny Islands with the chemical. The gas itself had a distinct hue, a deep crimson color. From testimony, witnesses recalled how the sky was unusually red that afternoon.

It takes roughly 48 hours for effects to manifest. Towards the end of the time period, police logs recorded a spike in activity and hospitals reported higher admittance rates. However, with such extended exposure to the gas, everyone was affected. By the next morning, everybody on Destiny Islands had woken up to a collective nightmare. It was too late. Driven by mad delusions, the city tore itself apart.

If it was any consolation, these people did not die in fear or terror. They died in their dreams, having triumphed before passing away. They did not feel pain. When one sees their content smile, how could they not envy their joy? The survivors, more than anyone, suffered the most, because they alone, among their friends and families, realize the cruel reality behind the delusion, and in order to survive, they were pushed into violence and depravity. There was no fantasy to hide what they had done. They would have to live with their actions for the rest of their lives.

Today, Destiny Islands is a ghost town, serving only as a memorial to a tragedy beyond comprehension. Though the bodies are no longer there, the blood cleaned, and the wreckage fixed, one can detect an aura of madness in the air.

In Twilight Town was a mental health facility. Sora was there to visit a patient: Kairi. Though he was able to inoculate her, she still suffered from mild delusions. Unlike him, however, she refused to let go of the past. As time wore on, she had withdrawn more and more into her shell. He tried to stay by her side but his patience had finally worn down. He entered her room and there she was, staring down at the desk in front of her. He took a seat before her.

"How are you doing?" he greeted. She didn't reply. She had stopped responding to him long ago.

"I'm doing fine, just to let you know. It's been awhile since I visited. The doctor's told me that you're refusing treatment." It was like talking to a wall. Her face didn't change in the slightest.

"It's been years since the incident, but this is a chance for you to continue a normal life. The treatment is already that advanced. Several of the test patients are already out and living normal lives." He clenched his fists.

"Won't you join me, Kairi? The real world is waiting. You have to stop living in the past. It's not real, Kairi. This isn't real. You can't live like this." It was no use. There was no point in talking anymore.

"Kairi… This will probably be the last time that I see you. I met someone. She resembles you somewhat and… She makes me happy. As strong as I've tried to be, she's someone I can lean on. She knows about what happened to me and because of that, I'm grateful to her." He sighed.

"I know we can never go back to what we were but… I don't want to lose you. I guess… What I'm trying to say is… This is goodbye. If you ever decide to return to the real world… I'll be waiting for you." He stood up.

"Goodbye and… I'm sorry, Kairi."

It was only when he left did she finally open her mouth. "I thought he would never leave."

"Me too. Good riddance, I say."

Kairi smiled at the person beside her. It was Sora, her real Sora, not the pretender who had just left. The real Sora would never abandon her like that.

She knew, of course, that it wasn't real, but so what? What if she clung to the past for dear life? She had no interest in the outside world. The only thing waiting for her was pain and misery. At least here, she was with her friends. She could see them so clearly, and they were all smiling at her. Riku, Naminé, Pence, Selphie, Roxas, and… Sora. They'd be there for her, everyday, without fail. A world without them was not a world worth living in.

"You'll never leave me, would you, Sora?"

"Not for as long as you live, Kairi."

She was happy, and her mouth stretched out in the same vicious grin that was painted across the bodies of so many people that had died that day. Forget the real world, she'd stay here forever, in this…

MadWorld.