Continuing on with the updating schedule, Chapter 8 will be posted November 8th!

Also a reminder that you can see pictures for this series and more on my deviantart kingdomkat-draws! I've sketched busts for all my Foretellers if you want to have a better idea of how I'm picturing them. Eventually I'll do their masks and Heartblades too - but that's a future project!

Chapter 7: Waxing Moon

Days fade into a watercolor blur

Memories swim and haunt you

But look into the lake, shimmering like smoke

Rises the moon

–rises the moon, Liana Flores

Silence stretched between them, one Zexion didn't yet dare to break. He could see Vexen was deep in thought, processing the information he'd just shared about the goings-on topside. Lexaeus stood to the side, arms crossed and eyes closed as he shook his head in disapproval.

"The Superior didn't send us here to fight amongst ourselves," Lexaeus eventually muttered.

"I don't even know why he chose Marluxia to head this," Zexion agreed with a dismissive snort. "He has no mind for research—certainly not for something as important as the Memory Project."

"It was likely a test," Vexen finally spoke, eyes still flitting to and fro across the papers scattered before him. Diagrams of human anatomy laid alongside detailed breakdowns of the heart and theories about souls; Vexen's messy scribble filled almost every empty space on the pages. "One he is most assuredly failing, if I have any say in the matter."

"Do you intend to intervene?" Zexion asked. "Marluxia's end goal remains unconfirmed, but I very much doubt he's altering the Wielder's memories for the good of the Organization."

Vexen hummed a flat note in agreement. Brushing a few papers aside, he seemingly found what he was looking for, as he grabbed a notebook buried in the mess before hurrying across the lab. Zexion and Lexaeus exchanged a look before following after him. The older scientist had stopped next to the magnum opus of his research thus far—a large machine with several cylindrical pods connected to it through a maze of wires and circuitry.

Vexen opened his notebook and pressed the pages flat, laying it aside before glancing into one of the pods. Its faceless inhabitant floated within—an empty body waiting to be given purpose. "Intervene may not be the right word—at least for now," he picked the conversation back up as he pressed on a button, the body's vitals flashing on a screen nearby. "But I do have a few ideas on gathering evidence of Marluxia's treachery beyond simply our words and speculation. As a scientist, one knows that word of mouth is not enough. Physical proof is needed before something can be confirmed as truth."

Zexion's eyebrow ticked up a modicum in interest. "You're going to give the Replica to them? These took months to create, should you really be—" He was stopped mid-sentence by Vexen's sharp glare.

"Don't mistake your position as my assistant for permission to question how I use my research," Vexen growled. "And quell your concern—should topside somehow sully this, we can always make more. A good scientist always plans for failure—progress can never be made without a few experiments that never make it to completion, after all."

Zexion could hear Lexaeus snort quietly off to his side. His lips thinned. "Very well. But since we're on the topic of failures…" He paused, watching Vexen fix him with an expression that clearly warned tread carefully. "Do you also have a back up plan for the Pure Heart, should this experiment not come to fruition either?"

The two glanced over to the new inhabitant in their basement dwelling, sleeping inside a pod. Riku hadn't yet stirred since their clash—hopefully sinking deeper into the Castle's clutches as they spoke.

"Of course," Vexen glowered, looking insulted. "Though some help from my assistant to ensure the experiment stays on course would be appreciated."

Zexion should've expected this. He stifled a sigh. "Just make sure things don't escalate while I'm on reconnaissance."

"Oh, I've no plans to escalate anything. I'd much rather avoid any physical altercations," Vexen sniffed distastefully. "That's why Lexaeus is here."

Lexaeus only acknowledged this with a slight nod of his head.

"Should those three try anything," Vexen clenched a fist, frost forming over his leather glove at the motion, "they will most surely be eliminated."

Zexion waved his wrist flippantly as he turned to head towards their personal quarters, muttering mostly to himself, "I can't wait to read the report we'll send back to the Superior about this."

"Oh, and Zexion?" Vexen called after him as he was almost out of the room. Zexion looked over his shoulder and waited for him to continue. "Should you by chance venture deep enough to cross paths with the Pure Heart, gather some data, would you? This may be our one and only chance to study her up close, and I don't intend to waste it. For the benefit of the Replica Program, of course."

"Of course," Zexion echoed dryly. Before the older man could pick up on his sarcasm, he exited the lab.

KH

How many days had it been since I was sent to this place? I wished I'd been using something to keep count, but I at least knew it was already far too many for my liking. They all blended together, blurring at the edges like a dream—and at times it certainly felt like that's what I was trapped in. There were moments my body grew heavy and movement practically impossible—or even where I was brought to a complete halt, unsure of where I was or what I had just been doing.

I couldn't even be sure that was Castle Oblivion's own doing anymore. Despite drifting off into uneasy sleep several times now, the cloaked figure never returned to explain more of its mysteries. I did my best despite that to repeat his warning several times throughout the day.

Everything I'm seeing is an illusion. These people aren't real. It's just a recreation of a memory.

But it really didn't help when everything else felt so real. The people around me had their own lives, they conversed and laughed and trained—I could feel their physical presence as real as any actual person. Not to mention the sensations I experienced personally. My hunger was satisfied by the food, I was warmed by the blankets and chilled by the air, my skin developed bruises from Foreteller training with Patientia—and oh Hearts, the training.

If it was hard to remember this wasn't real when I was just simply existing in Daybreak Town, it was next to impossible when I was in combat with Patientia.

If I thought training had been grueling on the Gummi Ship, this was downright torture. Patientia was much stricter than Donald ever had been, and expected a level of perfection from me that felt impossible to obtain. I knew it was because of what I'd revealed to her—that I wasn't her newly graduated apprentice Charity, and had no idea of the workings of what being a Foreteller meant. She had no choice but to try and fit years of training into the span of days unless we wanted suspicions to fall directly on me.

Although, at first I hadn't understood why that would have been a bad thing. I mean—stranger things had to have happened here, right? If Patientia somewhat understood the situation once I explained it, why wouldn't the other Foretellers? But then I thought of Castitas and the icy grip horror had on my heart every time I caught a glimpse of her golden-eyed mask, and I knew the answer. If the Foretellers knew, she would know. And she couldn't know.

I didn't entirely know why Castitas learning the truth filled me with such apprehension, but I trusted my instincts on the subject. And even if I couldn't trust myself, Patientia's intensity when making me promise to keep it secret was convincing enough.

All that being said, however, there was one good thing about the busy and somewhat grueling schedule I kept. It managed to do a good job of distracting me. Every time I had a moment alone to think, my thoughts inevitably drifted to Sora.

I missed him. I missed him so much I could feel the ache in my heart whenever I pictured him, and I wondered if he could feel that pang too. Were he, Donald, and Goofy still in Oblivion's recreation of Traverse Town? I had to assume so—I hadn't managed to find a way out of these memories, and he only had that single card when we stepped through the door.

We hadn't been separated this long since…well, I don't think we've ever been separated this long. It felt like since the moment I befriended him, we hadn't gone more than a single day without at the very least talking to one another. I tried reaching out through our connection, but my mental words were always met by a frustrating silence. The most I could do at this point was feel his presence and know he was still alive—everything else was up in the air.

But that's not to say I was isolating myself from all others besides Patientia (despite how she probably would have preferred that). I had interactions with the other Foretellers for the sake of keeping up appearances, and I tucked away each bit of information I gleaned during these moments. Charity's intrusive moments of recollection helped when my own confidence faltered, filling in the blanks when needed. Soon enough, I had a fairly good bank of information about each to fall back on.

Castitas was obviously the one in charge. They called her the Master of Masters. She was divinely chosen by Kingdom Hearts to lead Daybreak Town, and had been doing so since…well, since anyone could remember. She was never seen in public without her ram mask present—I had no idea what she looked like under the silver metal.

Pertinax was the second oldest amongst the Foretellers, and was kind of like Castitas's right hand man because of it. The bear mask he donned fit his physique perfectly—he was large, intimidating, and his presence in the room was impossible to ignore. Partially because of all the space he took up. Him and Aced, his Heart Tie, were practically brothers. If I didn't know any better, I would've assumed they were based on their similar build and loud-mouth tendencies.

Patientia followed Pertinax in age, and her training was specifically overseen by Castitas herself. Despite the title Master of Masters, she had never taken an apprentice personally—until Patientia. I guess her mastery over elemental magic truly was one-of-a-kind if it caught Castitas's eye. I still had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact her and Ira were Heart Ties, but I could tell they were extremely close.

Temperance was the one I knew the least about, and she seemed to prefer it that way. Our paths hardly crossed, and I learned to ignore whenever I spotted her leopard mask in a crowd. She didn't much appreciate being distracted from her appointed tasks. Her Heart Tie, Gula, was likewise elusive and hard-to-spot. He was hardly in town regardless, as he led most of the patrols that went outside Daybreak's walls.

Amity was the one I had the most conversations with, outside of Patientia. Despite the slightly frightening visage of her snake mask, she was a gentle soul underneath—very soft-spoken and understanding. I had a difficult time pinning down her Heart Tie, Invi, and it seemed Charity had similar conflicting feelings. Invi was pragmatic and well-spoken, but it just felt like something else was lurking beneath that calm exterior.

And Ava, I had come to realize, was Charity's closest confidant. I suppose being apprenticed at the same time to Foretellers helped that relationship form, as they were more or less isolated from other Pure Hearts because of it. Her graduation from Amity's apprentice to full Foreteller was close to a year ago now, but she was still struggling to deal with the responsibility that came with it. I was thankful I had her to vent to, even though I couldn't entirely reveal why I was struggling so much with my new title.

Each Foreteller was chosen for their for their Light magic specialty; something that put them above other Pure Hearts. Castitas took these as signs from Kingdom Hearts to put them on a unique path, distinguished from the rest by the positions she appointed them to.

Pertinax was the best swordsman in Daybreak Town and was in charge of combat training.

Patientia was the magic specialist, overseeing training of the arcane variety.

Temperance was an intelligence officer of sorts for Castitas—if she didn't want to be seen, she wouldn't be.

Amity was the most public figure—a communications specialist. She made sure the Foretellers were always serving the people to the best of their abilities, and, as I soon found out, keeping the peace between Pure Hearts and Geotics—their term for non-Pure Heart wielders.

Ava took the word Foreteller literally, as she seemingly inherited Kingdom Hearts' ability to see into the future—somewhat. Her seer capacity was limited and didn't really happen on command, but Castitas still depended on her to report impending disasters.

And then…there was me. Or, should I say Charity?

I was too busy trying to not stick out like a sore thumb to really focus on my place among them yet. But even so, I knew what Castitas expected of me—why Charity was chosen to be Patientia's apprentice, and the next Foreteller. Healing magic was her forte—with her Light infused Curaga she could bring a person from the brink of death back to their feet in the span of seconds. A valuable resource in the midst of a war.

So far, I'd been fortunate enough to not see that side of the conflict between Daybreak Town and the Heartless gathering just outside its borders. Attacks on the town weren't common; patrols through the forest saw their numbers were kept thin, and Ava was able to predict when a swarm was on the rise. But occasionally things slipped through the cracks.

Which seemed to be the case when we heard a knock on Patientia's door early in the morning. I startled out of my sleep-deprived state, having just been staring at a history book in my lap. Patientia cast a curious glance towards me, but seeing me just as confused rose and opened the door.

Amity stood in the doorway, fist raised as if she were about to knock again after there'd been no response. Her mask was currently off, letting us see her apologetic hazel eyes in full. She brushed her dark-brown braid over her shoulder and cleared her throat. "Good morning Pax, Charity," she greeted as she bowed her head to each of us.

"Amity," Patientia responded in turn with a dip of her head. "What brings you out of town so early?" She stepped aside, gesturing for Amity to enter and make herself comfortable. Amity, however, declined with a shake of her head.

"Nothing good, I'm afraid," she answered with a sigh. "There's been…an incident. I've been sent to fetch Charity."

I straightened up at this, setting the book in my lap aside. I had just been reading the same paragraph on repeat anyways. "Me?"

Patientia was already half-way through putting on her robe, grabbing her unicorn mask off the nearby table. "Another swarm?" She paused and closed her eyes, a gesture I'd come to recognize as her reaching out to Ira.

"No, thankfully not," Amity quickly interjected. "Just a singular injury—a Pure Heart. But he claims it was a Demon that did it."

Patientia's brows furrowed. "A Demon in the town? Without alerting anyone to its presence?"

"I know how it sounds," Amity said, glancing towards me, "which is why I was hoping Charity could come with me—both to fully seal his wounds, and help me to confirm whether or not this injury was truly made by a Demon."

I finally stood up as Amity looked towards me, a small pulse of anxiety rushing through my veins. I hadn't actually been on an official mission as a Foreteller yet—but how hard could this really be? I knew how to heal with Light infused magic, and at this point I was overly familiar with the variety of wounds a Heartless could inflict. I nodded my readiness to Amity, patting my waist to make sure my mask was still secured to my sash. "Let's go."

"I'm coming as well," Patientia said, following as I joined Amity outside. "Ira and I will start checking the wards around town. It's about time for them to be renewed regardless."

"You're already two steps ahead," Amity let out a slightly anxious laugh, starting towards the forestline at a hurried pace. "Castitas is likely going to order a full investigation of all our safeguards regardless of our findings."

As we continued our determined march back to Daybreak Town, the birds in the branches above continued to prattle off an early morning serenade. The sun spotted on the ground before us, light filtered through the trees overshadowing our path. A breeze brought with it the scent of something sweet on the wind. Seemed the forest was none the wiser to whatever chaos was brewing in the town. Even as we neared the front gates, close enough now to hear if anything was amiss, I couldn't hear anything other than the typical sounds I'd come to expect from the town.

"If it's true that a—" I forced myself to pause. I could feel the word Heartless on the tip of my tongue—I hadn't yet gotten used to the terminology used in Daybreak Town. "If a Demon got into town, wouldn't there be a bigger panic happening?"

"Invi's doing well at keeping the situation contained to just the victim and a few witnesses," Amity answered, her face once again concealed behind the white and gold sheen of her snake mask. "But I understand your suspicions. So far, just a single wielder has been attacked. And he claims the beast fell back when he managed to get the upper hand in the fight."

"More abnormal behavior," Patientia murmured under her breath. "Demons never take stock in their own wounds—certainly not enough to run from a fight they're losing."

I hummed low in agreement. There weren't many times I could recall Heartless being able to coordinate themselves like that. The stronger ones certainly seemed to have a bit more of their wits about them, at least in terms of somewhat having tactics in battle. But most were controlled by their base instincts. An instinct to hunt.

As the gates opened to us with a rumble, I affixed my mask to my face. We were encouraged to have them on in public—not only for a Foreteller to be easily identified amongst the crowd, but for situations such as this. The Light magic laced within the metal acted like a ward of protection against the Darkness. Just like with any other time I secured it into place, it melded with me instantly. There wasn't even any extra weight, and my vision wasn't obscured in the slightest. I shook myself out of the strange sensation that washed over me, willing the chills that broke out across my arms to fade away. Focus, Akira.

At this point, we split ways with Patientia. She was to walk alongside the walls, on a course to catch up with Ira to check the wards along the bulwark. As I turned to continue following Amity into town proper, Patientia caught my wrist. I spun with a start, looking up into the golden eyes of her mask. "Keep your wits about you, okay?"

I nodded, even as Amity shooed her off with a wave of her hand. "Really now, Pax! She'll be fine. You've taught her well, and I'll still be with her every step of the way." Patientia cast another glance towards me, and my stomach coiled with another bolt of worry. I knew her concern went far beyond simply not wanting me to get hurt engaging a Heartless.

But she continued on without another word, leaving Amity and I to head further into town. People reacted as we passed by, dipping into bows or murmuring 'Master,' in acknowledgement. I tried to keep my face from showing my discomfort at the term as I bowed my head back at each one—but it seemed I didn't hide it well enough.

"Still not used to it yet, hm?" Amity asked quietly, a hint of amusement in her soft tone.

I heaved a sigh, looking up at her through the gaze of my mask. "No, absolutely not."

A small puff of laughter escaped at my honesty. She bought a hand up to try and smother her smile. "No, I wouldn't expect you to be. It took Ava a good couple of weeks before she got over how others addressed her—although, I think her new title might have started going to her head." She tapped the side of her head with a cheeky grin, and I felt some of the tension leave as I giggled.

"But honestly, Charity," Amity continued, "You're doing just fine. You always have done just fine." She laid a hand on my shoulder, and I noticed a small glimmer of Light magic fading at the gesture. There was a rush of something as I inhaled, and with an exhale all the worry left my body as I faded into a serene calm.

"Better?" Amity asked with a tilt of her head.

"Much better, thank you." I straightened, taking another deep breath as my brain finally kicked into gear. I should probably know more about what I'm walking into. "The wielder who was attacked, how are his wounds?"

"Holding stable, for now," Amity said, but then her lips pursed. "They weren't closing properly, but I'm not nearly as adept as you at weaving Light into my cures. I'm just hoping it was enough to keep the noctosis at bay."

Noctosis—like necrosis? I thought back to when I experienced what Darkness infused into my wounds felt like in Hollow Bastion, shivering at the memory. A coldness seeping into my core as a fever rapidly formed, muscles contorting out of my control, and a tearing sensation deep in my heart—A patient in front of me, veins blackened, eyes opened but dull. Entirely catatonic. Heart degraded too far for even me to reverse; if only I'd gotten to them sooner—

I closed my eyes, forcing out the foreign memory that suddenly pushed itself to the front of my mind. The calm aura Amity bestowed upon me buckled slightly, then settled back into place. "Then let's hurry," I muttered to Amity, increasing my pace to a light jog. Not enough for passersby to think something was wrong, but admittedly enough to show I had somewhere I needed to be.

Finally we reached our destination, and it was a very familiar sight. I was starting to get used to the sensation that washed over me when the recognition of something came from Charity rather than myself. The town's infirmary stood before us, someone waiting with their arms crossed by the double doors. She looked up as we approached, the majority of her face concealed behind a bronze snake mask and a silver cowl, although strands of indigo hair managed to peek out from under her hood. Her dark-periwinkle clothes were accented by bits of gold, much like Amity's.

"Invi, is everything—"

"The wielder is still alive," Invi interrupted, reaching out a comforting hand to grasp Amity's forearm. "The witnesses are in private rooms, giving statements. And so far, I've received no reports of a Demon spotted in the town elsewhere."

Amity let out a small sigh, the tension in her shoulders lessening slightly. "Thank you." Invi nodded, and although the cowl concealed her mouth, I could just sense the small smile that lifted it. The warmth in her tone seemed to evaporate some as she turned towards me with a nod of greeting. I returned it politely.

"Charity, it's good you're here. Let's not waste any more time."

I tried to stifle my nervous swallow and straighten in a show of confidence. Whatever calming magic Amity had cast over me was starting to fade in the shadow of this building. Still, I tried to retain a semblance of control. "Do we know what kind of Demon it was that attacked him?"

Our conversation faded into hushed tones as we stepped into the infirmary proper. There wasn't anyone in the waiting room, and Invi led us through a door into a private wing, beds sectioned off from one another by curtains. Only a few had the curtains drawn—the rest were open and empty.

"Unfortunately, the only one who saw it properly was the wielder," Invi continued, "The witnesses were just people nearby responding to the screams. By the time they arrived, he was on the ground. No sign of whatever it was that attacked him."

Amity shook her head with a mutter, "Where there's one Demon, more always follow." Invi agreed with a small hum.

"Which is what makes it strange we haven't heard of any further attacks in town."

"But Demons can't spawn within the borders of Daybreak, right?" I asked with a frown.

"Unless our wards are weakened, which Patientia is checking currently," Amity reminded me. "I suspect they'll find one or more places that would've allowed a Demon to slip through unnoticed."

I didn't respond, too deep in thought. If that were the case, wouldn't the Heartless have just attacked the first person it came across? I would've expected this to have happened on the edges of Daybreak, not in the residential district. Why was this particular wielder a target?

We stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway, the lights inside dimmed. I could see a figure laying in a bed in the center of the room—some kind of personal ward. I took a deep breath before opening the door and stepping inside quietly, not wanting to disturb the person resting. Amity followed while Invi took up a post in front of the door, closing it to give us privacy.

I stared at the man laying in the cot, his shallow breathing and pale skin pressing the urgency of the situation further. By the sound of it, Amity got a witness statement from him before heading to fetch me. Had he really regressed in such a short amount of time?

Aware my every move was being watched, I knelt to examine him closer. I could see the veins in his neck were a sickly black, the color spreading up towards his sallow cheeks. I followed the trail of these blackened lines under his skin, all the way to the gouged lines in his arm. I didn't have to guess about the cause of these symptoms for long. Noctosis—Darkness poisoning. His wounds wouldn't ever heal unless enough Light was infused to burn it out.

I reached out towards his wounded arm, already beginning to concentrate on bringing my Light forth, when the man's eyes shot open. He lurched forward, grabbing my wrist before I had a chance to react. The prepared spell left in a harsh breath as my words were stolen in my shock.

Amity was on the other side of the bed in an instant, a hand on his shoulder. She squeezed hard, her hand glimmering with the same pacification spell she'd used on me. "Calm yourself, friend! We're here to help."

"It's not him," the man murmured, the tension in his body relaxing.

"My name is Charity," I reassured, my hand gripping the one currently holding me in place. "You're wounded, but safe. What happened to you?"

"It's not really—it can't be, please, don't hurt him," The man gasped, his grip on me loosening even as he continued to babble madly. I pulled my arm away from him slowly, still holding his hand as he continued, "He didn't mean it." I exchanged a glance with Amity. Her expression told me this was all new to her as well.

"Who is he?" I questioned. He looked back towards me, seeming to realize I was there for the first time. A bit of clarity returned to his vision as he focused on my face—or rather, my mask. He sat back into his cot, looking thoroughly exhausted by that small bit of movement. Amity finally let go of his shoulder as well, the residual light in the room from her spell fading.

"I'm—my apologies, Master Charity. I didn't mean to…" He trailed off, his lips thinning.

I tried not to visibly wince at the title he addressed me by. "It's fine. Can I see your arm?" He held it out towards me with a small grunt of pain, and I settled my palm against it gingerly. "Just try to relax. What's your name?"

"...Elias."

"Okay, Elias," I repeated back slowly. My palm curled around his arm as I continued the conversation to distract him. "As you can imagine, we're a little more than worried about what happened to you. I know you've likely been talking about this all morning, but would you mind telling me what happened?"

As I did, I focused on drawing my healing energy forth. This had been what Patientia and I spent the least time reviewing because it was what I was most confident about. Ever since I realized what I could do in Tarzan's jungle, it was like second nature to cast.

Picture signs of life—the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the word 'alive'. Feeling the beat of his heart through the thin fabric of his shirt. The warmth that hits your skin when the sun rises. How it feels to be safe in the arms of someone you love.

The lights in the room seemed to dim and instead coalesce beneath my hand. Elias however, wasn't paying attention to this in the slightest. He was gazing at me—no, past me to a point over my shoulder as he murmured, "It's…a bit blurry. I was out on a walk—I go on the same route through town every morning. When I saw something, a…a shadow moving. Between the houses."

I stayed silent, keeping most of my focus on my healing. When I looked briefly towards Amity, I noted she was watching Elias's face intently.

Elias didn't need further prompting to continue, the silence was indication enough. "I went to investigate, and I…something jumped onto me. I looked like…like a person, at first. But then I saw his eyes."

Amity's gaze flicked towards me, likely seeing if I noted the word used. I did. The light under my palm grew in intensity, and Elias winced.

"Continue, please," Amity nodded in encouragement.

"Demons all have the same eyes. The yellow," he gestured towards his face with his other non-injured hand as he spoke, "no pupils. That's what attacked me. It caught me off guard, got my arm, but it ran off almost as soon as I summoned." He winced again, looking at me through eyes narrowed in pain. "Is it supposed to hurt that bad?"

The question shot a bolt of anxiety through me. Was it? I healed someone on the brink of death before, sure, but I hadn't exactly been trying to burn out a toxic amount of Darkness at the same time. Was I doing it wrong? I looked towards his face, tracing the pathway of blackened veins like a bolt of lightning down his arm. His wounds were healing and his color returning, reassuring me I was at least doing what I set out to do.

"You got hit by an almost fatal dose of Darkness, and your body can't get rid of it naturally," I explained, returning my focus to maintaining the spell. "It won't feel wonderful, but it will reverse the noctosis."

I felt Elias stiffen at the explanation. If it contradicted anything Amity knew, she didn't say it. I wondered if her silence was partially her communicating with Invi standing just outside the door.

A few more tense moments passed before Amity knelt into Elias's line of sight. "Elias, we need to track down that Demon before it hurts anyone else. Can you think of anything that might help us do so quickly?"

Elias hesitated before eventually shaking his head. "I can tell you where I was when it happened. That's all."

Amity remained kneeling, staring him down in contemplative silence. Eventually she rose, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Any little bit helps. I'm glad we got to you in time."

He nodded, his expression one of wariness. I found it odd, but chose not to comment. I could already tell Amity got more out of that conversation than I did—she'd share with me when we were out of the room.

The seconds felt like hours as the black slowly dispersed from Elias's veins, until finally they were back to a normal hue. He looked pale and drained, but alive. As I let go, my eyes widened at the burn left behind on his skin in the shape of my hand. The reddened welt was at least the only wound on him currently, but I still felt a twinge of guilt. That's certainly never happened before. And he was a Pure Heart—weren't we supposed to be immune to the residual effects of Light spells?

But no, I knew that was just an assumption I had made that was already proven wrong. Whenever Patientia's attacks laced with Light passed through my guard, I felt the vague sensation of a developing burn—and she was taking it easy on me. Did our Light just burn brighter?

I was startled out of my thoughts at the call of Charity's name. Amity was already at the door, Invi holding it open for her. Glancing back at Elias, I saw he had already fallen asleep. His brows were furrowed, but at least he wasn't breathing like any second could be his last.

I turned away reluctantly before hurrying after the two older Foretellers. They were both silent until we had exited the infirmary and were on our way towards the place Elias had been attacked. Once we were alone, Invi broke the silence with a simple, "He's lying."

Ah, so Amity had been keeping her updated after all.

"I know," Amity responded, the corners of her mouth tightening. "But why would he lie about something like this?"

"Maybe he's protecting someone?" I offered, watching as both women turned towards me.

"Who, the Demon?" Invi asked incredulously.

"Or a friend who messed up," I retorted defensively. "Maybe they snuck out together and brought it back to town by accident?"

I couldn't read Invi's facial expressions to gauge her receptiveness to this idea, but Amity at least looked thoughtful.

"Perhaps. But sitting here discussing potentials won't find the Demon," Amity said, gesturing for us to hurry our pace. We did so, our path taking us deeper into the residential district of Daybreak Town. I'd never seen so many houses in one place before—it felt like they stretched infinitely into the distance. With so much of my time spent outside its gates, I forgot just how many wielders lived here. Enough to constitute an army, I supposed.

With an unpleasant shiver, I banished that line of thought.

Eventually, we reached our destination. There was a crack in the pavement and other signs of a scuffle nearby, but the streets themselves were silent. Amity raised her head as she turned in a slow circle, observing our surroundings closely. "...It can't have gone far. Can you feel it?"

Invi nodded with a grim noise of agreement. I stayed silent, trying desperately to focus my senses to pick up on what alerted them. The telltale sign I'd come to recognize was a drop in the ambient temperature, but it seemed as if the Heartless wasn't close enough to trigger this. However, it didn't take long before a scent hit my nose, making me recoil. The closest thing I could relate it to was spoiled fruit—the almost acrid sweetness of rot.

All three of us turned our heads in unison. The scent was faint, but almost certainly pointing in that direction. The air filled with the sound of Heartblades being summoned. I gripped mine close as I glanced towards Amity, her readied stance almost casual as she let her Heartblade hang by her side. It resembled a curled tree, silvered leaves sprouting from the guard as it morphed into a coiled snake for the handle.

As we prowled forward silently, Amity made a motion with her empty hand. Invi instantly split off to the right to circle around the block as Amity continued forward. I hope I interpreted that correctly as I veered to the left, my heart pounding in my chest as I wandered the streets alone for the first time since I'd arrived here.

I didn't know why I had so much anxiety—I mean, it was only one Heartless. And it had been scared off by a single wielder who wasn't even a Master. How hard could this really be?

I regretted the rhetorical question as soon as I thought about it. Famous last words, anyone?

With a small huff of frustration I increased my pace. Sampling the air every few steps made me feel a bit silly, but there was no denying the scent was getting stronger as I neared its source. My pace slowed as my head followed the scent's incline—it disappeared over the edge of the rooftops.

I inhaled and crouched, then sprung upwards with an aero-enhanced jump. I landed unsteadily on the purple-tiled roof, finding my balance with a single leg kicking out. As soon as I was steady once again I hopped to the edge, taking a good look at my surroundings.

I spotted our target almost instantly.

Its dark figure was silhouetted against the mid-morning sun, and it was staring directly into the sky. The unnatural stance made a shiver run down my spine. It had a disturbingly humanoid shape, but its limbs were disproportionately thin and elongated. There were even clothes hanging from its frame that were torn and ragged, two striped antennae curling from the remnants of its hood. What looked like a cloak I quickly realized were bat-like wings as it raised them in an intimidating posture.

As its gaze finally tore away from tracking the sun's position in the sky, I watched as it turned to a new arrival on the roof. Amity approached with her Heartblade at the ready—before she stopped suddenly. The Heartless, however, did not grant her the same courtesy of pausing.

She wasn't moving. Was this part of the plan?

As the Heartless drew ever closer, I decided I couldn't simply wait for it to attack. Taking a page from Patientia's book, I reeled my arm back and threw the Heartblade forward with a shout of, "Freeze!" Frost gathered under its arc before solidifying into a thin pathway of ice. I ran and leaped onto it, skating across the rooftops with a magically hasted speed.

The frost-coated Heartblade hit the creature hard, and I followed soon after, grabbing the blade in midair and spinning into a slash. The Heartless was launched backwards from the hit, slamming into a nearby roof with a small explosion of shingles.

A dizzy spell from the mana usage gathered with black specks at the edge of my vision, but I shook it off with a growl. "Amity, are you okay?"

Amity didn't respond, and I finally took my eyes off the Heartless to examine her state. She was staring at it with a look of complete dread, frozen in place. I couldn't understand why—until she broke the silence with a horrified whisper.

"It…spoke."

"It—what?"

I didn't have the time to question her. With the sound of leathery wings flapping, something rammed into me. I felt a sharp pain as the Heartless dug its claws into me, ensuring I followed its tackle off the roof. With another flap to right itself in midair, it kicked me in the stomach, sending me spiraling towards the stone road below. I closed my eyes to fight off the nausea of the world spinning, curling my body to land harshly on my feet.

The Heartless gave no reprieve. I threw myself out of the way just in time for it to dive past, the stone road shattering as its dive bomb attack missed its target. It emerged from the cloud of dust with a hiss—and just below that…a whisper.

"...Elias…where…?"

I stiffened, my grip on the Heartblade tightening. Its voice was hair-raisingly raspy and breathless, but there was no denying it—the Heartless was talking. The only one I'd known that could talk was Ansem's Heartless, and he was certainly some kind of special exception given he looked exactly like a human otherwise.

Was this…Elias's friend?

I fenced off several more swipes of its reddened claws, not countering with an attack of my own. Despite its feral expression telling me otherwise, I couldn't attack without trying something out first. And so, as the Heartblade blocked its attack once again I shouted, "Hey, w-wait! We know Elias! We're his friends too!"

The Heartless stopped as soon as it heard Elias's name, its head cocking. "Elias...friends…?"

"Yes, right, friends!" I emphasized the word, shifting backwards slowly to put space between us. The Heartless didn't follow, but continued starting after me—almost quizzically. Hope flared in my chest as it seemed to hesitate. But that hope was soon dashed upon the rocks as it gripped its head and snarled, like the little bit of sense it managed to gain slipped out of its grasp once more.

It crouched in preparation to spring at me—but before it could close the distance a Heartblade embedded in the street between us. The Heartless skid to a halt on all fours, turning its rage upwards. Invi landed almost silently from the nearby roof, grasping the handle of the blade and pulling it out of the ground.

It was reminiscent of a crashing wave, the rolling blue design echoing Amity's as it too faded into a coiled snake within the hilt. A glint of gold caught my eye as I just realized both Heartblades shared the same keychain—a leafed, silver talisman with a golden eye gazing out its center.

The reason for her Heartblade's appearance soon made itself known as she gestured forward with a stern call of, "Waterga."

Water coalesced from the air, gathering into a swirling stream around her within the blink of an eye. The Heartless seemed to sense it was now out of its depth and unfurled its wings with a flap that sent bits of debris flying, but it didn't get far. The water surged forth, cutting through even the stone below as it sliced the Heartless's wings clean off.

It hit the ground with a harsh thud, rolling with the impact before springing back up to its feet and taking off in a gallop on all fours.

A Heartless with a survival instinct? Something beyond just feral aggression? I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt at the way it was scrambling to evade us, but Invi snapped me out of it with a shout. "Charity! Don't let it get away!"

"R-Right! On it!" I stammered, joining her as we took off in a run after it.

A glance up at the rooftops showed Amity had finally shaken off whatever stupor the Heartless had put her in, leaping the gaps between buildings with ease. I could tell Invi had magically hasted her speed as she easily outpaced me and I let out a breathless curse, unwilling to be left behind by the two. I pressed past the migraine thumping behind my eyes as I called upon another aero spell, my clothes flapping in the wind as I jumped with all the strength I could muster.

I sailed through the air, landing in front of the Heartless and funneling the rest of the wind whipping around me into an invisible wall. The Heartless slammed directly into it, ricocheting backwards with a cry. As it clambered to its feet with a snarl, Invi blocked its exit the way it came, and I could see Amity perched on the nearby roof ready for any more aerial escape attempts. The Heartless noticed them too, its growls fading into an uneasy rumble as it realized it was surrounded.

Panting heavily, I looked towards Amity for the suggested course of action. I knew it was a Heartless and as such posed a threat to the people living here—but we couldn't just kill it…could we? It was Elias's friend! Was it too late for a Dive? Could the process be reversed if enough Light was pushed in to burn out the Darkness? Was there even a heart left to save?

Amity's facial expressions were hidden by her mask and the distance between us. I expected her to say something, tell us to take the thing captive rather than kill it—but I was wrong. Invi leaped forward in the lull, skirting behind the Heartless as it turned to meet her, and impaling it with her blade.

The creature seemed to crack at the impact before exploding into the sparkling ashes I was used to seeing from slain Heartless. These wisps of Darkness faded too, until there wasn't even a sign of its existence besides Invi's Heartblade jutted out. She dismissed it and stood, brushing the bit of ashes that had collected on her shoulders away.

I followed suit, dismissing my blade. I should've been glad the threat had been eliminated, and yet…

"That thing didn't act like a typical Demon," Invi stated, rousing me from my unease.

Amity jumped from the rooftop and landed gracefully beside us. "Indeed, it didn't. But it was eliminated all the same. Invi, update the others. Charity and I will catch up with Patientia to ensure the wards are back in place. It seems like only one got through, but we still need to keep our guards up until the district is thoroughly scouted."

Invi didn't immediately respond, staring Amity down. Amity sighed quietly and glanced towards Invi, some sort of silent communication passing between the two. Eventually Invi nodded—but her body language exuded dissatisfaction. Despite this she took off, quickly disappearing around the nearby bend.

I waited for a few more seconds before turning a confused look up at Amity.

"Amity, we shouldn't have—"

I was interrupted as she held up her hand. It was then I registered the slight tremble in her fingers. "Wait," she whispered. "This way."

My mouth slowly shut as I watched her walk in the direction of the town's border, not looking to see if I was following. I did so, casting one last glance back at the spot the Heartless had perished before hurrying after her.

I tried a few more times to initiate a conversation before I realized Amity would allow me to speak only when she said we could. Each time I inhaled to speak, she glanced back at me with a tightness in her lips I recognized as a silent command to hush. I glowered but kept silent as we continued forward, the sounds of the town fading behind us.

Once we were a good distance away from the residential district, Amity pulled me into the shadow of a nearby building, away from prying eyes. Though I hadn't noticed anyone around to even overhear us.

"Charity, listen to me." Amity whispered, placing a hand on my shoulder. I blinked up at her, not expecting this level of seriousness. "You cannot tell anyone about what transpired today."

"What?" I cried, lowering my tone with a wince as she fixed me with another tight-lipped look. "But—why?"

"Why?" Amity looked baffled she had to even explain this, before that expression faded into one of understanding. "Right—I suppose you haven't been a Foreteller long enough to know."

"Know, what? That people can turn into those things?" I retorted, withdrawing back from her touch.

"Did Patientia tell you about Demonization?"

"No I—I just figured it out myself," I muttered, which was partially the truth. "But why can't people know? Shouldn't they be prepared in case things like this happen?"

Amity let out a small sigh. "That's very idealized thinking of you, Charity, but I don't think the general population would react to this news as amicably as you're picturing." I opened my mouth to protest, but she continued, "Most people don't even know about the Cicatrice, how would they feel knowing they live alongside those who could become those terrifying creatures we're protecting them from?"

The Cicatrice? I was briefly taken off guard by the name before I realized she was referring to the rift in the forest—the one that leads to the Realm of Darkness. Another thing Castitas was keeping the existence of hidden from the townsfolk. I frowned. "It just feels…wrong. The people have a right to know about these things, don't they?"

Amity sadly shook her head. "In many cases, you'll find ignorance truly is bliss. Your empathy and idealism is not pragmatic, but it is perfect for your role. Promise me, Charity. Please, keep silent about this."

I bit my lip, hesitating. I didn't want to agree to something I found morally questionable at best—but what choice did I have? It's not like I could just go around shouting it at the top of my lungs, that really would cause a panic. Eventually, I sighed heavily. "I promise."

"Good…good." Amity relaxed. "Now, let's find where Patientia and Ira are. I doubt the wards have been damaged at all, but it's never a bad idea to refresh them early."

I followed after her, my heart thumping painfully. I couldn't stop picturing Elias's face, cautious in revealing what had really taken place between him and the Heartless. He'd never know what happened to his friend.

I looked up towards the sky—the day bright and cheery despite everything that occurred just below it.

Would Sora have handled that differently? Would he have intervened to try and save Elias's friend? Would he tell Daybreak Town about the Cicatrice and Demonization despite the dangers? I wished, certainly not for the last time, that he was here to give me advice. He was always better at following his heart.

KH

As the two below continued their patrol through the residential district, on the rooftops above someone else kept watch. Dark orange eyes followed Charity and Amity until they were fully out of view. Having no need to keep up the spell as they continued onward, she stopped focusing on it. Light shimmered and bent as she slowly faded back into view. Beams from the sun caught the leopard mask on her face, making the silver glint in the midday light.

Temperance wasn't sure exactly the reasoning behind Castitas's command to keep an eye on Charity—none of the other newly anointed Foretellers had been monitored as heavily when they were Mastered. But she was never one to question an order.

She looked away from her current quarry, turning her gaze back towards the heart of the town. The Sanctum stood tall in the distance, as beautiful as it was imposing. Just like the Master of Masters herself, Temperance mused.

She took off towards the Sanctum at a leisurely pace, swiping an apple off a nearby unoccupied fruit stand as she did so. She'd trained her stamina to endure a full day's worth of invisibility if she needed it, but it still left her ravenously hungry afterwards. As she took a bite she closed her eyes, her heart feeling out where Gula currently was.

Within a couple seconds she had it pinpointed to a few miles outside the town's borders. She could feel when he became aware of her presence, a ping of curiosity traveling along their connection. She sent back a sentiment of reassurance before opening her eyes. No point in bothering Gula with patrolling the neighborhood to ensure no other creatures were drawn to their Demonized brother; he clearly had his own task today.

Her report back to Castitas would have to wait for her sweep of the town then. No matter, she could make this quick. She took another couple of bites from the apple before tossing it to the side, the light refracting around her once more as she seemed to disappear entirely from view.

KH

"Wow…I can't believe someone actually Demonized," Ava murmured, scuffing at the roots of a nearby tree.

"Have you ever heard a Demon talk before?" I questioned, resting on the trunk of a fallen tree.

"Nope," Ava chirped. "I've seen some of them acting weird before, but definitely no talking."

I sighed, rubbing at my face in frustration. Before us the sun continued its descent behind the distant mountains, the light blue sky slowly fading into hues of pink and red. It would've been a relaxing sight, but at the moment I was too bogged down by the experiences of today to truly relax.

Ava had listened to my retelling of the incident today as we strolled to our personal meeting place in the forest, not too far from Patientia's cottage. My worry was mirrored in her expression, but she'd been a bit more inclined to agree with her former Master.

"Amity knows what she's doing. She's got really good intuition—and she always does what's best for the people," Ava reassured me with a slight smile, though her brow was still creased with concern. She plopped down beside me on the tree before adding, "Her role was given to her for a reason."

"I know, I know," I waved a hand as if trying to clear her concern about me from the air. "I just…feel like I failed today. I should've tried to help him."

"Charity…" Ava trailed off, reaching over to lay a hand over mine in comfort. "He was gone—there was nothing you could've done."

But wasn't there? I'd brought Sora back when he turned into a Heartless. Was that just a one time fluke? Could that only have been done because we became Heart Ties? I groaned, putting my head in my hands. Why was I even feeling so guilty? This wasn't real! It couldn't be—

I heard Ava sigh through her nose, her hand trailing to instead rest between my shoulder blades. "You're the only person I know who would tear yourself up this badly over something that wasn't your fault."

I barked out a laugh, turning my head to peer at her through my steepled hands. "Y'know, you're not the first person to tell me that."

"Yeah, and I'm sure Patientia is beyond tired of telling you too," Ava teased with a cat-like grin.

We shared another bout of laughter before a more comfortable silence settled between us. The bird song continued to dim alongside the sun's light, before the last rays faded into the dark blue of night. In lieu of the birds the crickets emerged, continuing the chorus.

The land itself was fairly well lit even without the sun, and I glanced up at the moon hanging low in the sky. It was partially hidden behind thin, wispy clouds, but even then the halo of light surrounding it was fully visible. "Looks like it'll be full soon," I noted.

Ava offered no response. It wasn't a statement that required one—but the lack of even a murmur of acknowledgement made me look to the side.

Ava was standing completely straight, staring directly at the moon. Her pupils were blown wide and her lips were parted as if she were mesmerized—or maybe horrified was the better word to use here.

I instinctively reached over to try and shake her out of her stupor before I stopped, my hand inches from her shoulder. Another residual chime of recognition from Charity made me draw back, realization washing over me. Ava's foresight.

She was getting a vision.

All at once Ava startled, jerking out of whatever she was witnessing with a gasp. I finally grasped her shoulder, trying to ground her through a physical sensation. "Ava—Ava, its okay. What did you see?"

She continued to pant, a shiver running its way through her entire body. When she finally turned stiffly to face me, she was pale. My unease churned in my stomach, morphing into something more dire at her hollowed expression.

"I…I don't know," she eventually whispered breathlessly. "It was so blurry, but it…" She shook her head once more. "It was nothing good."

I shuffled closer, giving her shoulder another reassuring squeeze. "Do you want to try describing it? Maybe I can help…" I trailed off, not really knowing what it is I could help with. Ava didn't seem to mind, or maybe she didn't notice.

"It was…a wasteland," Ava said, her voice slowly gaining its strength back. "There was nothing around. But there were…Heartblades." She paused to swallow. "Hundreds—maybe even thousands. Just…rusting. Stuck in the ground. And the moon…"

I listened, the sinking feeling in my gut growing. I knew exactly what she was describing—I had seen images of this before. Kingdom Hearts hovering over the destruction of Daybreak Town. The remnants left behind from the Keyblade War.

My mouth ran dry, and I couldn't find the words to reassure her as the reality of this situation dawned on me.

All of these people were going to die.

What would happen to me if I couldn't get out of these memories before then?

Ava's hand drifted up to grip mine tightly. "...We need to tell Patientia."

In case you were curious, the Heartless Akira and the others fought was a Darkling. I love that they're the only Heartless that can talk, it's so unnerving.

1. What are your thoughts on the Pure Heart Foretellers introduced in this chapter?

2. Do you believe people can tell the future? Have you ever had a moment you felt like you had a premonition that came true?