Chapter 6 - Pierce the Veil
IN A DARK, SMOKY CHAMBER HIDDEN DEEP WITHIN A MURKY REALM, THE AIR BUZZED WITH TENSION AS THE VILLAINS GATHERED AROUND A FLICKERING PROJECTION OF SORA IN ACTION.
"That little squirt took out the Heartless! Who'd have thought it?" Hades sneered, incredulous, watching Sora's victories unfold in the shimmering image.
"Such is the power of the Keyblade," Jafar added smoothly, his sharp eyes calculating. "The boy's strength is not his alone."
"Why not turn him into a Heartless already? One quick zap and he's ours," Ursula cackled, swishing her tentacles around with a wicked gleam in her eyes.
"And his pals are nothing but the king's lackeys! Bah! Worthless!" Captain Hook spat, his disdain palpable.
"Ha! You're one to talk, Hook," Oogie Boogie retorted, his voice slithering with menace. "You can't even handle a ticking-tocking crocodile."
Hook bristled. "Watch your tongue, sack of bugs!"
"Enough," came Maleficent's cold, commanding voice. The bickering ceased instantly, the room falling into uneasy silence. "The Keyblade has chosen him. This battle will not be so easily won."
"What about the girl?" Oogie Boogie asked suddenly, his curiosity piqued as the projection shifted to show Everly sitting alone in her room.
"Yes, what of her?" Ursula echoed, leaning forward with interest. The image of the girl sharpened, revealing her striking resemblance to Sora—yet there was something different about her. "She wields no Keyblade," She muttered, a frown creasing her face. "I don't recall there being another one."
"No, she's an unknown... something hidden, even from us. But perhaps that is where her value lies."Maleficent's eyes gleamed as she examined Everly closely. "Her heart... it's veiled," she murmured, a sinister smile creeping across her face. "There is darkness inside her, bound to the light. Such potential..." Her voice grew thoughtful, calculating. "She could be more useful than the boy."
"What do you mean?" Ursula pressed, intrigued by the shift in Maleficent's tone.
Jafar's gaze lingered on the image. "If she holds no Keyblade, then what power does she possess? What's her role in all of this?"
"That is precisely what we must discover," Maleficent said softly. Without another word, the Mistress of evil turned, her dark cloak swirling behind her as she headed for the door.
"Where are you off to?" Captain Hook called after her, frustration lining his voice.
Maleficent paused, not bothering to look back. "To find answers. And perhaps... a new weapon."
As she vanished into the shadows, the villains exchanged uneasy glances. The room buzzed with anticipation, the stakes rising as they sensed the beginnings of a new game—a game that would soon threaten not only Sora but Everly as well.
