||Episode 1 - Epilogue: Cast Away||

*Night of Fate*...[Storm Tossed Islands]

"Kairi!"

Sora called out to our friend, who was standing inside the small cavern of the secret place. I stood back, waiting for him to get her so that we could hurry out of here. Something seemed different, though. The secret place was eerily silent. A heavy atmosphere weighed on my shoulders. Kairi. She was equally quiet with her back to us. Regardless of Sora shouting out her name, Kairi was so very slow to react to his voice.

"Sora..." I watched Kairi turn around slowly as he ran up to her. The expression she wore was one of exhaustion and weakness. Kairi appeared sick and ready to collapse. Her tone of voice was low and weak, too. I knew that there was something awfully wrong with her, but I didn't know what. When I took a step forward, Kairi's eyes fluttered and locked onto me. A very small smile spread on her face. "Lu...xe..."

I gasped softly. Although she simply called me by my name, I felt surprised. Everyone only ever referred to me by the shortened 'Lu'. Suddenly, it was like I wanted to be sick to my stomach. That creeping feel was getting even stronger. It was becoming increasingly difficult suppressing it.

"Kairi, we have to get out of here!" Sora said, seemingly unaffected by the heavy weight of the air. "Kairi?"

The auburn-haired girl turned around to us fully. Her expression suddenly became serious as she reached her hand out, in a manner slightly different than how Riku did. But, when she did, the door behind her swung wide open. A thick miasma of darkness rushed out along with a great burst of wind. I clung to the wall, trying not to fly off into something. That door wasn't supposed to open, I thought. It never opened for anyone, but it was open now. Straining my muscles, I tried to reach out to Sora and Kairi.

Unfortunately, Kairi was pushed off her feet and sent flying straight through Sora. I was shocked when her body faded, disappearing with the darkness, but I caught a glimpse of her face before she disappeared past me. There was nothing catch her with. Sora was knocked away, too, and he crashed into me. We were both riding with the merciless current and sent back out of the secret place.

"Sora!" I screamed out my friend's name as we were catapulted into the sky. We were trapped in a cyclone of darkness. Small portions of the islands were right there with us, but they were being drawn back into the massive vortex up above. I tried to reach out to Sora, who was flailing about and spinning. He was eventually able to get some kind of control and extended his arm out for me to grab onto. But, the cyclone was gradually pulling us apart. "I-I can't...!"

"I got you!" Sora shouted, grabbing my hand at the last minute. But, I could feel our hands slipping apart. I didn't want it to happen but part of me knew that we were going to get separated. "No! Don't let go of me! Lu!"

"It's... no use!" I cried, slipping away. The darkness was there to grab hold of me as I drifted apart from Sora. He was being pulled in another direction- up towards the vortex. I wasn't sure what would happen to him or me. The next thing there even was to see was just the darkness. Everything around me disappeared. Fighting it accomplished nothing. I allowed for myself to be taken away... and I blacked out. 'What's going to happen to me?'

Don't be afraid. Your journey is just beginning. Come and be with the other lost hearts... Find your way to the world between.