"In the darkest part of the heart, untold mysteries lie. Untold truths. Wander... and discover."

A faint whisper slithered into my ears. I opened my eyes expecting to see the usual view of the ceiling, but I caught glimpse of an empty void instead. Dim rays of light were shining down from a window above washed over my as I sunk deeper into the depths of the mysterious darkness. I felt so tired and weak. Neither arm nor leg would move to turn me upright. So I continued to fall slowly, until my body moved on its own command.

My feet touched down on solid ground, which turned out to be a glowing platform. Stained glass designs decorated it with a rainbow of colors, the reflective floor seemed to move as water when I walked around. I blinked in surprise when I saw an image of myself on the platform. It all left me unable to express the wonder running through my mind by words. The heavy atmosphere choked me; I couldn't speak a single word. Yet, it felt like nothing more than a trivial matter. This mysterious place was peculiar.

Suddenly, as I was admiring the scenic platform, my eyes discovered a silver-framed mirror some feet ahead of me. Its face was to me, showing to me my every movement and expression. I approached the mysterious mirror and examined it without fear of getting caught up in some sort of trap. Never before had I been so interested in seeing my own reflection. Tilting my head from side to side, I watched with fascination as the me on the other side mimicked.

'Huh?' I mouthed. My reflection raised its hand and pressed it to the cold glass. Both of my arms were at my sides, not doing what it just did. Another being disguised as myself? It seemed plausible, but I was unsure. It didn't seem like the hostile type. A shred of fear slipped into my heart as dark vines wrapped around my reflection, and a thick mist of darkness obscured my view of the mirrored world.

The darkness soon subsided but not to return my mirror image to its usual self. It was distorted- transformed into an entirely different creature. I gasped at the sight of a claw pressing firmly against the mirror. Golden orbs staring right at me. A body as black as the night sky. At first glance, I assumed it to be Guardian. She looked like she wanted out of there. But, then my eyes trailed down to the hole in the shadowy being's chest. It was shaped like a heart. Blue, crystalline veins spread from that point. 'A Heartless?'

I blinked again and looked closer into the mirror image. 'Guardian? Is that you?'

"Denizen of darkness, dweller of the shadow. Drawn to your heart, it obeys. If its aid is what you desire, call upon the powers of darkness. Your guardian will submit."

'Call upon... the darkness?' I grimaced and curled my fingers. Surely the voice speaking to me was instructing me to open myself to the darkness. That was what it sounded like to me. But, if I were to do that, then it would end up like before. I'd be possessed with no free will of my own. The darkness would have complete control over me. Unless... I took control of it. Was that what it wanted me to do right now? Control the darkness in my heart? Not necessarily open myself to it, not to become a victim again. 'Do I even remember how?'

Guardian was always there for me, I remembered. The fuzzy fragments of memories came to life in my mind, reminding me of all the times I could trust in my companion. Looking back to the personage standing opposite of me, I wondered how I could just take all that back. If I was to trust anyone, then I should trust in my own shadow. No matter what shape or form it took, it still belonged to me.

"Come to me, Guardian."

Breaking through the silence was a commanding voice- my voice. And here I thought that it was gone from me. It echoed and made the glass of the mirror ripple. The phenomenon was strange and felt weird against my hand, but that was the least of my worries. I hadn't the time to react to the claws emerging from the other side of the mirror. They latched onto my wrist; I couldn't pull myself free.

Guardian, decorated with crystalline veins like those I had seen around the Realm of Darkness, manifested fully in front of me and still held tight to my arm. She let out a hiss before the darkness making up her body seeped into my skin. I wanted to scream but couldn't. And, then, dark veins winded around my entire body. It covered me from head to toe, painting me black as ink. There was nothing I could do to stop it, only wait. Opening an eye, with some effort, I witnessed the darkness being absorbed through every pore.

I could breathe again after it went away, but it made me nervous to see aura rising around me. My heart rapidly beat inside my chest but slowed when a comforting hand rested on my shoulder. It was Guardian's touch. Relaxing my shoulders, I straightened my composure and smiled back at my shadow. 'Glad to have you back.'

"Your heart speaks loud..."

The voice spoke slightly above a whisper. I looked around as a single orb of light drifted down from above. It circled around me, coming to a step a few meters away from where I stood. A wide ray of light fell down from the orb, and something materialized within it. My eyes widened in shock. It was a Keyblade. No way could I forget where I had seen it. Back then, in the Realm of Darkness. It's still a bit fuzzy, but I remember seeing her with it. That person who told me about her past when we were at the Dark Margin, that beach marking the final point of the dark realm. Yes, this was the one. 'I remember.'

"Why do you seek this power?"

'Why?' I wondered. The answer was there all along. I didn't need to think about it for a second longer. 'The reason is... I want to be there for my friends. To be their guardian. I know the darkness, and I have used the darkness. But I want light.'

"You seek the light, as does this Keyblade."

I pursed my lips and approached the golden Keyblade. My fingers were shaking as I reached for it. Anxiety pulsed through me, for I expected it to disappear in an instant before I could even hold it. But it stayed. My fingers wrapped around the hilt and plucked it from the warm ray of light. It was perfect. Perfect to hold and wield. So this was the Light Seeker.

"The universe is vast. To defend those you love, you must learn to control this power. The twilight road to nightfall... A path riddled with darkness. Can you do it?"

"Yes, I can," I said boldly. "With Guardian, my friends, and the Keyblade."