I start getting into my own idea of Riku's story during this chapter and fully into it afterward. If you're reading this, good for you! Feel free to review.
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The darkness suppressed his room like a blanket. A cold river flooded through the open window from the sea, causing a shiver to run down his spine. Shifting the covers, Riku pulled himself up to close the window. His face was slightly devoid of color, giving off the impression of frailty. Setting his eyes against the wind, Riku gazed down upon the shore. The waves crashed wildly about in terror, but he gave no thought to it; he only closed the window. The room started to give off a sensation of oddity. Rubbing his arms, Riku gave thought to the day. Such a depressing day didn't deserve remembrance. He shoved the images and memories far away inside his mind and kicked them to rest. His stomach growled. He hadn't eaten. But something else growled nearby. Riku rapidly looked up.
The sky was steadily growing black, and clouds, spreading like dropped ink onto the sky, were convulsing to one point just above the island. Suddenly, exploding onto the scene came a huge amount of pressure. It blew his hair back from his face, despite the closed window. The pressure source changed before his very eyes as it twisted into some sort of abnormal storm. Lightning flashed from within its depths and it kept pulling clouds to the epicenter, morphing into a mauve black sphere.
He sensed the danger, knew the consequences if he didn't act quickly. Grabbing his wooden blade as if it could truly protect him, Riku set off out of his bedroom and out the door.
Outside the air was weighted. A sort of fog, but not fog, rolled along the ground and made him cough. It was black, yet translucent. Pivoting to the island, he saw the pressure was still there. He had to get over there somehow. As he started to walk, Riku noticed the fog stuck to him. Running didn't work, and neither did walking through the stuff. He would have to wade. It reminded him of the trauma, the space in his dream. Gritting his teeth, Riku pressed north towards the docks of town.
As Riku was just reaching his small raft, a soft touch prodded him on the shoulder. He twirled around to see Kairi's face.
She was smiling. He couldn't understand why. With the outlook of the sky, she should've been in a panic. Her hair was loose in crazy, jumbled knots and her clothes were dirty. There were even a few loose seams visible on the precious purple skirt that she loved. As the clouds moved, an astonishing glitter of moonlight appeared. The beam illuminated Kairi and her eyes glowed somewhat savagely. Her appearance shocked Riku and he took her hand. It was unimaginably cold.
"Kairi! Are you alright?" He asked, searching her eyes for the answer. He couldn't find any emotion at all, only her dumbfounded smile. The sliver of moonlight vanished between the racing clouds as Kairi spoke.
"Of course I am!" She shook her head and laughed. "We're leaving right now, and there's nothing to worry about. Except Sora. I've got no idea where he is or if he's coming." Riku noticed something behind the back of her eye flicker, as if darkness swept her vision from her. Before he could convince her otherwise, she took off for the island and Riku had no choice but to follow her.
As they docked their boats, Kairi waited for Riku. Her hands were clasped behind her back in her usual disposition, however, Riku knew she wasn't her usual self. But he had no proof. Instead, he glared at her.
"Can't you see the storm? Why don't you go check on the raft?" He was put out, not just at her giddiness in the face of danger, but because of earlier that day. His heart was still broken. When she did nothing, he pointed in the direction of the cove and she nodded, losing her dumbfounded smile and taking off.
After he finished knotting the rope, Riku turned. The beach was empty. No footprints and no Kairi. Where has she gone? Calling her name gave him no answers, and Riku gave up hoping she was already at the raft. When he had reached the bridge to the paopu tree, a voice called out to him.
'You have come to see the door, have you not? Just as I have. Your heart yearns for answers.'
Riku coughed and gasped for air. It was the voice: the voice from his dreams, the voice that plagued him day and night. Looking up to the sky, Riku saw the figure. He was standing, back toward him, facing the ocean. How could his voice reach that far? It sounded like he was whispering right into my ear, Riku thought, but shook it off and climbed towards the man with steely determination.
The apparition was wearing a black coat; akin to the man Riku had seen the other day. Zippers flowed over the surface, and the stature turned in the direction of Riku. Flinching, Riku stepped away. The man's face could not be seen through the immense hood he wore in combination with the darkness caused by the growing fog surrounding the two.
"What are you talking about?" choked Riku. The fog had started to cover his mouth and enter his lungs.
"This world has been connected, tied to the darkness. Soon it will be completely eclipsed. You do not yet know what lies beyond the door, though you know of what I speak. You have known and it has plagued you. Now you can choose the answer to your question." The voice was deep and resonating, full to the brim of malice and pent rage ready to explode, though kept under a cool demeanor.
Riku felt the same as the voice. "What question do you mean? I have no questions!" The fog swept around him more and more frequently now, and Riku had to bat it away with his arms as he coughed and sputtered.
"You try to ignore it: the growing doubt you have in your mind. You want to seek other worlds, but your frail raft will get you nowhere. You know this. And yet you continue to feed on your friends' simple hopes to fill yours. Would you like to see the true destination to you search for?"
Riku was automatically hypnotized. How could this man, this stranger, know his inner secrets, his doubts that he had never spoken aloud? He knew what he must do. He knew his answer.
"I would. Anything to get away from here. How can I pursue my dream?" Riku eyes were shining with admiration, trust, and an evil reaction. Something flickered behind his eyelids. The man in the trench coat smiled. Riku felt the presence of the smile and sneered deviously in response.
"You must trust yourself to the darkness. They will come for you. You must leave everything behind and trust in the darkness. Do not be afraid. There is no fear, no loneliness, and no discontentment within your own heart if you join us. The girl has already been chosen."
Riku nodded, closing his eyes and scanning the darkness of his mind's eye. A voice called to him that he didn't recognize. He opened his eyes to the new world and turned around. Footsteps pounded on the bridge and emanated in the sand beneath Riku's feet.
"Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you!" Sora yelled to Riku's backside.
"The door has opened." The muffled voice of Riku quavered over the air and fog started to swirl around the two in a savage dance.
"What?" Sora inquired, bewildered by the fog's appearance and Riku's enigmatic statement.
Riku's eyes dilated. He turned, fuming at Sora's insolence. "The door has opened, Sora! Now we can go to the outside world!" A happy sneer contorted his face.
What are you talking about?" Sora was returning Riku's force. "We've gotta find Kairi!"
"Kairi's coming with us!"
Sora was taken aback. How did he know? Sora stared down Riku with clenched fists..
"Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our last chance. We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness!" Riku sighed inwardly and quickly gazed at the heavens. The storm sphere was still there, still growing larger by the moment. Returning to the present, Riku held out a hand to Sora.
What was he supposed to choose? One friend or the other? Security or the unknown? Adventure or the mundane? Sora had no idea. He looked at Riku passively. Was Riku even aware of his own decision?
"Riku." Sheepishly, Sora looked at the boy. A pool of darkness had appeared out of nowhere. Unaware, Riku continued to hold out a palm as vines of darkness crept up his legs and torso. His body turned pallid and Sora ran forward, grasping for his hand, trying to save him from his own madness. The vines tugged around Riku's arms as Sora leaned forward, stepping into the darkness. Mustering a shout, he grazed Riku's palm. Riku was staring straight ahead. He had no idea of the danger he was in!
The darkness continued to wrap itself around Riku, but veered away from Sora. The veins seemed afraid to touch him, but held him fast in place all the same. One last time, Sora threw himself into Riku and blacked out.
Silence surrounded the two. Riku vaguely saw Sora's shadowy figure before a blinding light above made him flinch and cover his eyes. A shape was starting to fall towards Riku and he tried to attain it. It was a key, but a key to what? To the door? He wondered and reached a hand out to graze the surface of the handle.
It was not a key, but only a sword in the shape of one. The handle was a metal frame of yellow; the blade was in the inset of a key. A crown figured inset upon its tip. What was it for? Riku continued to think, not bothering to become aware of his reoccurring goosebumps.
The moment came when the blade was close enough for Riku to fully grasp in his hand. The sensation felt a true extension of his arm and Riku easily accepted his new treasure.
But the darkness did not.
The vines shot out of Riku's skin, crawling across to the key and squeezing it from Riku's grip. He screamed in agony and dropped the blade, losing it forever to the darkness below. The vines continued to leap from slumber within his body and crawled across the skin's surface, reaching his heart before Riku could fight them off. They jumped for opportunity and his consciousness left him.