Happy New Year! I'm bringing my resolution to keep this story going strong into 2025 with me. Updates every other Friday has really helped me keep momentum, and I'm excited to share this story with you all. I'm happy to see Akira's chapters seem to be the favorite ones, because they're definitely my favorite to write. I'm sure me being able to play dolls with all my OCs and have you guys react to them has nothing to do with that...

Next up is Riku's chapter January 17th!

Chapter 10: In the Lion's Den

"All the world's a stage,

and all the men and women merely players."

—Shakespeare, As You Like It

Silence befell the room. The tension was enough to make me want to squirm—but even so I held still. I hardly dared to draw a breath.

Ava, who had just finished recounting her vision for the third time, was still staring intently at Patientia, who had taken to pacing the room. Our eyes followed her circular motion as she kept her own lilac gaze steadily on the floor—clearly deep in thought.

Just as I opened my mouth to hesitantly ask what exactly her initial thoughts were, there was an insistent knock on the door. Ava and I both jumped at the sudden noise breaking the swell of tension, but Patientia seemed to have been expecting this. She made a flippant motion with her hand without breaking her stride, as if wordlessly beckoning this person in.

The door opened as Ira hurried into the house, shutting it just as quickly behind him. He gave a polite bow of his head in greeting to both Ava and I, but clearly we weren't the focus of his attention—the subject of which still hadn't even so much as lifted her gaze to acknowledge him.

"Ava. Once more, if you wouldn't mind," Patientia murmured without looking up.

Ava sighed, running a hand through her hair. I offered up an apologetic grimace. Each recounting of her vision seemed to take more out of her. Even so, she straightened, looking to Ira with a seriousness I'd come to recognize was unlike her.

"Ira, I had… a vision."

Ira nodded—a polite indication he seemed to already know that part.

Ava's lips thinned, her throat working as she tried to work past the lump barring her words. "We're still trying to understand it. But I saw… I saw Daybreak Town, completely destroyed. Nobody was around, just—" she broke off with a shiver, "just their Heartblades. Stuck in the ground, and rusting. And above it all was a huge moon."

Ava's face turned upwards, and for a second I could picture the blue glow reflected in the shine of her eyes. "It looked just like the stained glass in the Sanctum."

"Kingdom Hearts?" Ira whispered, his maroon eyes widening.

"It was beautiful," Ava sounded breathless as she recalled it, "and so, so awful. How could it be both of those things at the same time?"

Patientia broke the reverence of the moment as she finally stopped her pacing. She grabbed a book from a nearby table, carelessly tearing a page from it to place in front of Ava, alongside a pen. "You said something about a symbol?"

Ava looked towards me, seeking reassurance. I provided it with a hand on her arm and an encouraging nod. With a small sigh, she returned her gaze to Patientia. "Yeah. Looking back on it—it was a… a shape of some sort. In the Heartblades, and the clouds—everywhere."

"Draw it, please."

Ava chewed on her lower lip as she grabbed the pen, eyes narrowed in concentration. As she started to sketch something, her movements began hesitant, but slowly gained confidence. We all hovered over her shoulder to watch.

"This happened just now?" Ira questioned, his voice low as to not interrupt Ava.

I nodded, responding just as quietly, "We were just hanging out by the overlook. It happened just as the sun set."

It looked as if Ira was poised to ask another question, his lips parting, but Patientia held up a hand to stop the conversation. We both looked towards the paper, at the shape taking form.

It was… an X? No—it was too different. It flared towards the bottom, stretched a bit too long, and sat strangely on the page.

It was χ.

The χ-Blade.

When it hit me, I tried to stifle the shock of recognition, but I wasn't quick enough. Patientia looked up as I sucked in a breath, her expression toeing the line between curious and suspicious.

"Have you seen this before?"

"I…" I paused, glancing between Ava and Ira, who had also turned their attention towards me. "...Yeah, I think I have. I saw it in a dream once. And someone told me—or maybe I read it in a book afterwards—it's a letter from an ancient language. It means… death."

Ava paled, immediately turning to the two older Masters in the room. "What do we do? Should I go to the Sanctum? Castitas needs to know—"

"Is this similar to any of your other premonitions regarding a siege?" Patientia interrupted.

"No, no not at all," Ava shook her head. "Even though those can be confusing, I at least have an idea of what I'm seeing. But this? I have no idea what any of it means, it's all just…"

"Bad," I finished flatly.

Ava pointed at me. "Yeah. That."

I looked over at Patientia, staring at her with an expression I hoped would impart the urgency of needing to speak with her in private. She scrutinized me in return, her lilac eyes flitting back and forth between my features, before she gave a tight nod.

"Ira, stay with Ava for a moment, will you?" Patientia stood, inclining her head towards the door. "I have some tea brewing—just make sure she's comfortable." Ira nodded, grabbing a blanket off the nearby couch to lay over Ava's shoulders, who looked more haggard than ever.

I gave Ava one more reassuring squeeze on the shoulder, one she returned with a tired but grateful expression. Then I hurried after Patientia, following her out of the house.

By this time night had taken the woods over properly. The only light source was from the flickering glow within Patientia's cottage, and the small blips of periodic light from a lightning bug flitting by. We trudged just far away enough that the cottage was still within eyesight, but our conversation would have no way of being picked up on.

Patientia then turned towards me expectantly, arms crossed over her chest. "You know more about this than you were letting on."

I nodded, finding it hard to meet her perceptive gaze. "Something bad is coming," I said, still debating internally over what exactly I should reveal. "A war."

"We've already been in a war—for as long as we've been alive we've been fighting," Patientia interjected, stepping closer. Even as she shook her head, I could just tell she understood I wasn't talking about the war against Darkness. "Akira. I need you to elaborate."

I almost cringed at the use of my actual name. I'd begun to get so used to being called Charity, my name felt foreign against my ears. But that's not what was causing me to hesitate.

If I told her the truth, or what little I actually knew of it, would it just become a self-fulfilling prophecy? I'd spent so much time here at this point, I know Patientia would believe my warnings—but would heeding them cause her to act recklessly? Would it endanger the people I was beginning to consider my friends?

"It's hard to explain," I began hesitantly, "but something happens in Daybreak Town that brings about the end of all Pure Hearts. Where I'm from, I'm the only one left. Everyone else dies here, in the war about to take place."

"And yet you said you met me somehow," Patientia retorted, "How could that be if everyone had died? How does the world continue onwards if all of Light expires?"

"The world as you know it ends, but somehow people got out to tell stories about it. Light still exists." I paused, thinking of memories that were beginning to become worryingly blurred with each passing week. Of Sora, Riku, and Kairi—Donald and Goofy—all our friends we've met that carried the spark of Light onwards. "We're still fighting the Darkness, but… sometimes it feels like it's just a losing battle."

Patientia went quiet, thinking over my words carefully. Eventually she took another step to loom over me. It wasn't intentionally intimidating—at least I didn't think it was, but that was the result nonetheless. "Were you sent here by Kingdom Hearts to warn us of this? To tell us we will lose this upcoming war if nothing changes?"

"I don't know, Patientia," I answered, the crack in my voice betraying my frustration at my inability to answer her questions. "I've been trying to figure that out since I got here. I didn't know this was going to happen now but—" the words stuck in my throat, refusing to come out. My inaction got Elias's friend killed. Would saying nothing here mean I was dooming everyone to an inescapable death? Could things even be changed?

What if it could be different?

I met Patientia's gaze head on. "If we don't do something, everyone is going to die."

She stared back, unyielding. "How does it start?"

"I don't exactly know that part. I just know it does."

Patientia's sharp exhale cut through the silence, her expression hardening. She didn't like vague answers, and I couldn't blame her. This wasn't exactly the kind of thing you could face with half-truths and incomplete warnings. But what else could I say when even I didn't have the full picture?

But I could at least share one thing I knew for certain.

"Castitas is at the head of it."

Patientia's lilac eyes sharpened. Then, with a voice as cold and precise as a blade, she repeated, "Castitas?"

I confirmed with a small nod, watching her reactions carefully. "You told me yourself. She led the charge into a pointless war. Not against Darkness—but against each other. Pure Hearts against Geotics."

Patientia's lips pressed into a thin line, her hand twitching at her side. I recognized the gesture now—the motion made when she was resisting the urge to summon her Heartblade. Not a threat, but a reflex. "That's… impossible. I may not agree with her methodology at all times, but there's no denying everything Castitas does, she does to protect Daybreak Town. Her people. Hearts—she practically raised me. She couldn't possibly—"

Patientia broke off, the hand that was twitching grasping her side as if it were painful.

I faltered, unable to dispute that claim. The memories Charity clung to painted Castitas as an almost mythical figure of Light, that much was true. But they were stained by something darker—something even I couldn't unearth. It left a vague feeling of unease whenever my thoughts turned to her—and it was getting harder to tell where reverence ended and fear began. "I don't know what to say, Patientia."

She simply shook her head. There wasn't much more I could say.

"If anything you've said has any inkling of truth… then Castitas knows something we don't. It's the only explanation for why she'd even…" Patientia trailed off, confliction flashing across her face. I don't think I'd ever seen her at a loss for words—and I'd seen her go toe-to-toe with Kingdom Hearts itself.

I stepped forward hesitantly, reaching out to lay a hand on her arm in comfort—a gesture she didn't immediately reject. Even though I knew my words weren't necessarily unwarranted, clearly there was a deep history between Castitas and Patientia—and whatever trust they currently shared, I was driving a wedge right into it. "... I'm sorry. There was probably a better way to go about saying all this. And maybe you're right, maybe she has some sort of plan and it goes horribly wrong, and this is nothing more than a misunderstanding. But…"

But.

Images flashed before me—of the silvered ram mask gleaming, blood marring its otherwise perfect surface. Patientia's anger as she spat out Castitas's name. It wasn't just Castitas's plan that went wrong, and I knew it.

Patientia breathed out through her nose slowly, her brow furrowing for just a moment before her expression hardened, becoming a cold neutral once again. I dropped my hand as she straightened and started back towards the cottage. "I've seen that symbol before," she said, not addressing my apology further, "though it was just a glance. I believe it was in Castitas's personal library."

I trotted to keep pace beside her, not particularly liking where this was heading. "I'm assuming a personal library means we can't access it without an invitation, right?"

"I'm sure she'll forgive our transgression at a later date," Patientia continued, confirming my suspicions. "But if she's aware of an impending threat, all Foretellers must be made aware in order to properly prepare. Given the grave nature of these warnings, we can't afford to wait for her to share this knowledge willingly."

I gazed up at Patientia subtly out of the corner of my eye, watching her face closely. Her silver hair shined in the dim ambient lighting, the sharp lines of her expression framed by shadows. Something flickered within her lilac eyes even as she held herself with the decorum I'd come to expect from her—doubt? Guilt? It was hard to tell.

Patientia had always been steadfast, a pillar of logic and reason among the Foretellers. But now, there was a crack in that foundation, and I wasn't sure if I'd caused it, or if it had been there all along.

"Tomorrow then?" I asked quietly.

Patientia gave a curt nod. "We'll travel to the Sanctum together. Ira and Ava can case the town, see if any rumors we aren't aware of are spreading. Perhaps afterwards we should consider a trip to the Cicatrice to ensure a swarm isn't—"

She broke off, stopping in her tracks without warning. I followed her gaze, tensing at the sight.

Temperance stepped into the light of the cottage, surprisingly without her leopard mask. But then again, why would she be on the job this late at night? Though she wasn't exactly known for fraternizing with her fellow Foretellers.

Her orange hair was tied back with a leather cord, the light catching the ochre undertones in her eyes, making them shine like bronze. She stared us down as we approached, and I watched as her sharp features softened apologetically.

"My apologies for the unannounced visit at such a late hour," she said with a slight bow, "But I wanted to inform Charity she's been summoned to speak at the Sanctum tomorrow morning." Temperance paused, glancing over to me. "We've been made aware of the Demonization and would like your recounting of the event."

I blinked at her in surprise, my pulse quickening. It made sense they needed to hear my side of things—Demonization didn't exactly seem like a small matter. Still, the summons felt sudden, even for something this serious. I wasn't aware others outside of Amity and Invi even knew it had occurred yet.

"Of course, I'll be there," I replied after a moment, my voice steady despite the knot tightening in my chest.

Temperance's gaze lingered on me a beat longer than I liked. Though her features remained soft, the calculating nature in her eyes was impossible to ignore. Without her mask, there was no barrier between her scrutiny and my growing discomfort.

Eventually, her lips curved into a faint, polite smile. "Thank you, Charity. I know these things can make you nervous, but your insight into the situation is invaluable. We need firsthand accounts before we can decide on a next course of action."

Next course of action? I frowned. Hadn't the threat been eliminated? Given how not many others knew of the event and how Amity pressed on the importance of keeping it that way, I doubted that meant they were going to make any sort of announcement to the public. So what else was there to do?

"Will Castitas be in attendance?" Patientia's tone cut through the false pleasantries.

Temperance's smile didn't falter, but her eyes flicked to Patientia briefly before returning to me. "It's likely. As the Master, she oversees all matters of importance. Though I can't say for certain if she will attend in person or entrust us to handle the inquiry. Either way, your presence is required."

I nodded, feeling the weight of her words settle uncomfortably over my shoulders. I knew exactly why Patientia was asking. If Castitas was there during the testimony, it would leave her personal quarters empty. A prime opportunity to search for the book in question.

"It's quite a walk back to town. Will you stay for tea?" Patientia asked. I had to stop myself from reacting to the polite offer with an alarmed expression. Inviting Temperance in while Ava was still visibly shaken from her vision would just raise hackles further. I shifted on my feet, glancing in through the window—only to see the living room was empty. Neither Ira nor Ava were anywhere to be seen.

Temperance tilted her head ever so slightly, her smile turning a twinge amused. I felt like she was having the same reaction as me to the offer. But as she shook her head, I realized Patientia never expected her to actually take her up on it. Was that just a kind offer, or a coded probe for information?

"I'm afraid I must decline," Temperance interrupted my scrutiny of their social game of chess. "Given we'll be gathering at first light, I prefer to rest while I can. And I suggest you do the same, Charity." With another small bow, she stepped back onto the pathway towards Daybreak, her departure as silent as her arrival.

As soon as she was gone, I exhaled heavily, tension I didn't realize I'd been holding bleeding out of me. "She didn't just come to tell me about the summons, did she?" I muttered.

Patientia's lilac eyes narrowed in the direction Temperance had gone before she turned to head back into the cottage. "No, I suspect not."

I followed behind, trying to ignore the lingering sense of unease Temperance had left behind. "So—what? She's letting us know she's watching us? Isn't that counterproductive?"

"You're nervous, aren't you?" Patientia asked without turning around.

"Well… yeah, a little. Hard not to be," I answered.

"Then it did exactly what she wanted it to."

She let the realization hit me in silence.

Patientia closed the door behind us, then went around the room to draw each of the curtains across the windows. My eyes followed her movements as the silence between us lingered. It was broken by the sound of a door creaking open slowly before closing just as gently, then Ira rejoined us in the living room.

"Ava is sound asleep. Though I'm afraid she's commandeered your bed for the evening, Charity," Ira said, the corner of his lip twitching in a small grin.

I returned it, grateful for him cutting the growing tension. "She needs it more than I do. I can crash on the couch."

He turned his attention to Patientia, arms crossing over his chest as he watched her meticulous movements. "Temperance paid us a visit, I take it?"

Patientia finished securing the last curtain and turned to face us, her expression as calm as ever, though her tone carried a sharper edge. "She delivered summons for Charity to speak at the Sanctum tomorrow. Seems news of the Demonization traveled fast."

"And?" Ira prompted, his maroon eyes narrowing slightly.

Patientia's gaze flicked towards the door. "And she reminded us, quite effectively, that she is diligently upholding her duties."

Ira sighed. "Subtle as ever, I see. Did she say anything else of substance?"

"No," Patientia replied. "But her timing is curious. I almost have to wonder if she followed you both here." She looked towards me, and I stiffened in surprise.

"Me and Ava? But—really? Why?" I spluttered, lowering onto the couch. "You don't think she overheard anything about her vision, did you?"

"Until proven otherwise, we're to believe she's heard every word of it," Patientia said quietly. "I've had my suspicions she's been monitoring you in particular, and this all but confirmed it."

Ira crossed the room to stand closer to Patientia, giving me a cautious glance. "Does she suspect anything about Charity?"

That question got my attention. I straightened, staring at Ira with a partially opened mouth. He didn't need to elaborate on what exactly they suspected about me. "You told him?"

Patientia raised a brow, as if she were put off by my shock despite being the one who swore me to secrecy. "Ira concluded something was wrong on his own—but even if he hadn't, I told him the moment you shared your… dubious origins."

"You don't need to worry," Ira reassured me with a small smile, "I'm the only other one who knows, and I certainly harbor no suspicions about the truth of your situation."

I sank back into the couch, not exactly comforted despite his attempts. If the sudden behavioral changes were noticed instantly by Patientia and Ira both, the odds Castitas remained in the dark were extremely low. In fact—the moment by the Cicatrice all those weeks ago resurfaced. She had called me Akira—not Charity—and it caught both of us off guard. I was so stupid to think she wouldn't want that moment looked into further.

I groaned, putting my head in my hands. "She knows. There's no way she doesn't know."

There was the sound of someone making their way over to me before a hand was laid on my shoulder. I lifted my head to see Ira studying me closely. "We don't know that for certain. You're assuming the worst without evidence, and that's dangerous. When your confidence is shaken, it's much easier to slip up and make a mistake."

"But I feel like I already did make a mistake. Multiple mistakes," I muttered, more to myself than to them. "I've been messing up since I got here."

"Akira—Charity," Patientia stepped closer, correcting my name purposefully, "you need to stop thinking like the person you were before. Whoever you were when you first came here is now irrelevant. What matters now is who you are to them. If you play the role convincingly, they'll have no reason to doubt."

"Easy for you to say," I snapped. My frustrations with this whole situation and my growing doubts I'd be able to change anything about the course of the War was beginning to bubble over, and I couldn't help but grow angry. "Even after all of this, I still feel like I'm fumbling around in the dark!"

"Then it's past time you learned," she said sharply, her lilac eyes pinning me with a stern intensity. "The only way to survive this is to stop thinking of yourself as an outsider. You're one of us now. Act like it."

I opened my mouth to retort, but Ira stepped in, his tone gentler. "She's right. Temperance is observant, but she is by no means omniscient. If you can convince yourself that you belong, that you've nothing to hide, then that's what she'll see. Perhaps you've already drawn scrutiny, that much is true. But if from now on there's nothing out of the ordinary to report back, eventually she'll be tasked with something more beneficial to her time."

"Oh, Hearts," I whispered, just now coming to the realization I'd been forcibly entered into this game of wits. Tomorrow wasn't just about getting a report on the Demonization—it couldn't be. It was to study me, see if anything bent under too much scrutiny. They were right—if I wanted any chance of changing the future, I needed to play the part perfectly. Then we could worry about the book.

A moment from my past life flashed in my head, an image of Sora with his hands laced behind his neck giving me a large grin. Let's just take this one step at a time!

"Okay," I said quietly, steeling myself. "You're right. I won't mess this up, I promise."

"We've got no doubts," Ira said. And it really seemed like he meant it.

KH

The woods were quiet that morning, the kind of quiet that made every small sound seem loud. My boots crunched against the leaves and twigs scattered along the path. Ahead of me, Patientia walked with a steady purpose, her silver hair glowing faintly in the pre-dawn light.

Ava and Ira had stayed behind. After last night, we mutually decided arriving together wouldn't be the best idea with eyes on us. They were to come to town after we could assure them everyone was accounted for in the Sanctum.

Despite the peaceful surroundings, my thoughts were anything but calm.

I couldn't stop replaying the events of the night before—Ava's vision of the impending War, Temperance's unexpected visit, Patientia's sharp warning that I needed to leave the idea of Akira behind. It all painted a clear picture of my precarious position. Castitas knew—or at the very least, suspected—things weren't what they seemed. And those suspicions had a real danger of spreading like wildfire to the rest of our group, risking revealing our hand about the War too soon. Any wrong step here could spell destruction.

I glanced ahead at Patientia, her steps never faltering despite the uneven ground. How did she manage to stay so composed? I knew things weren't so smooth under the surface of her unyielding expression, but she wasn't letting it show. That's what I needed to channel today: her resolve.

Yet at the same time, I couldn't help comparing her to the Patientia I knew—the warm, comforting presence she had in my Station of Awakening. This version certainly had her moments with me that reminded me of those memories, but I don't know if I necessarily would describe her as warm. Was it because of our situation? Or did she change after the Keyblade War—after centuries of isolation and being stuck with her own thoughts and failings?

The woods thinned as we approached the outskirts of Daybreak Town. The town was stirring awake, warm lights glowing in the windows of the houses that lined the cobblestone streets. Normally the sight of Daybreak in the early morning was a charming sight—the winding alleys and colorful rooftops always felt like something out of a dream. But today the pre-morning silence was just another point of unease.

The Sanctum loomed in the distance, its spires piercing the sky like jagged teeth. It was beautiful too, in its own way, but there was an unyielding weight to it that always made my chest tighten. The knowledge of who awaited inside likely wasn't helping any.

"You alright back there?" Patientia's voice cut through my thoughts. She glanced back at me, eyes calm but firm.

I nodded. "Just peachy."

She stared at me a moment longer before snorting in a quiet aside of amusement. "You'll do fine. Just keep your focus, and you'll make it through."

I shook myself out, imagining all my nerves exiting as I flicked my fingers outwards. I'll do fine. Even as I assured myself, my stomach churned in the unease I just tried to rid myself of. This stagefright is exactly why I never tried out for drama club, despite my friends' protests I'd be great at it. The feeling of stepping onto a stage, where every movement, every word, every expression would be scrutinized—

I growled and shook my head once again. Stop thinking about it.

As we entered the town proper, I caught glimpses of faces that were beginning to become familiar among the early risers—shopkeepers setting up stalls, children chasing each other through the narrow streets. They had no idea what was happening behind the closed doors of the Sanctum, or the growing tension between their Foretellers. It still didn't seem fair they were being left in the dark—but as my hesitant waves of greeting were returned with wide grins and expressions of reverence, I found myself reluctantly agreeing with Amity. Fairness didn't really matter when a panic would be much worse.

By the time we reached the steps of the Sanctum, my heart was pounding. I paused at the base of the grand staircase, staring up at the towering double doors. Patientia stopped beside me, keeping her eyes fixed steadily ahead.

"You'll be alone in that room, I won't be there to help you," she murmured. "Are you sure you're ready?"

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes."

She nodded in return, looking pleased at how my voice remained steady. As we began to climb the stairs, the harsh gleam of the sun reflecting off the pristine stone shifted, letting me see two figures standing at the base of the doors, their conversation low but lively.

A tall, imposing figure with a bear mask casually leaned against the doorframe, his muscular arms crossed. He was staring at his comrade, a smaller, lithe man with side-swept blonde hair sticking out from behind his leopard mask, who was toying with a loose thread on his sleeve.

Aced's towering figure and unmistakable scars were hard to miss, while Gula's relaxed posture was more easily overlooked, as he often preferred—but I still recognized both immediately.

"Now wait—if you can't even beat me in sparring, what makes you think you'd stand a better chance against a swarm outside the walls?" Aced teased, his deep voice carrying an amused lilt.

Gula snorted, not looking up from the thread he was now winding around his fingers. "I'd just outrun them. No need to fight when you're faster than anything chasing you."

"Coward's move."

"Survivor's move," Gula corrected with a smirk, finally looking up as we neared. The golden eyes of his mask locked onto me, his expression softening into something more neutral. "Hey, there she is. Woman of the hour."

Aced turned his attention to me as well, pushing off the doorframe. "'Bout time. Got some sort of speech prepared, or are you just winging it?"

Did they know about the nature of why I was being summoned to speak? And more importantly—how would Charity respond to that?

I flushed, scratching at my cheek in the mimicry of a nervous tick. "Oh, um—neither? Just answering the summons. Were you two waiting for me?"

"Just by happenstance," Gula answered with a shrug. "We're on standby. Well—I am. Aced's just slacking on his guard duties."

Aced's head snapped towards him, and it wasn't hard to picture the glare he was sending Gula's way. "This is part of my patrol! I'm keeping the troublemakers out—you included."

Gula's motion made it clear he was rolling his eyes. He then glanced up at Patientia just over my shoulder, some of his ease falling away. "You a first hand witness too?"

"No," Patienta answered, tapping her hand at her side impatiently. "I have my own business to conduct in the library. Now, if you'll excuse us, I would hate for Charity to make tardiness a habit."

Gula stood with an exaggerated sigh, stepping out of the way before motioning towards the doors. I felt the weight of his gaze lingering on my back as we entered the Sanctum proper. But then he and Aced resumed their conversation, their voices fading as the doors shut behind us.

The Sanctum was no less beautiful on the inside. Its towering halls stretched before us, the solemnity filling the air practically a physical presence itself. I glanced at Patientia, who maintained her usual composed air, though her pace quickened ever so slightly as we approached the central chamber.

We stopped at a crossroads, where the corridor split into two directions. Patientia turned to me, her lilac eyes sharper than ever. "This is where I leave you," she said softly, ensuring her words didn't carry in the vast halls. "Remember: concise, deferential, but not meek."

I nodded, not able to offer more encouragement. Speaking in more direct terms about our plans within the Sanctum felt tantamount to telling Castitas directly. "Wish me luck?"

Patientia gave me a once over appraisal before shaking her head. "Luck has nothing to do with it."

Before I could respond, she turned and strode purposefully down the right-hand corridor, leaving me alone in the silence of the left-hand path.

I steeled myself with a slow breath and walked onward, my boots echoing faintly against the polished floor. The double doors leading to the chamber loomed ahead, their intricate carvings depicting scenes of Light triumphing over Darkness. A Sanctum attendant opened them for me without a word as I approached, ushering me into the room beyond.

The room I entered was smaller than I was initially picturing, yet still maintaining the grandeur nature I'd come to expect from the Sanctum. The high vaulted windows overlooking Daybreak Town bathed the room in light, allowing me to take in the details of its walls lined with towering bookshelves, the books within them seemingly meticulously ordered. Most of the space was dominated by a long table surrounded by high-backed chairs—only one of which was currently occupied.

Pertinax stood off to one side, his formidable frame casting a long shadow, even in the well-lit room. His swept back red hair gleamed under the light, and his expression was as stoic as ever—though I caught his eyes flicking over me with the precision of someone assessing a battlefield.

Temperance was seated at the long table, musing over a small stack of documents. She glanced up as I stepped into the room, then gestured to the seat in front of her. "Good morning, Charity. Please, sit."

I hesitated for only a moment before taking the seat across from her. Pertinax remained standing, his arms crossed. I suppressed the urge to swallow down my nerves, afraid even that would be too audible.

"You're wondering why Castitas isn't here," Temperance began, her tone casual. "Unfortunately she is otherwise engaged, but she entrusted us to gather the details of the incident in question. Rest assured, we'll ensure nothing escapes scrutiny." She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I'm not worried. I'm here to provide whatever information is needed," I replied, keeping my tone neutral even as my hands clenched tightly in my lap. I wish I could somehow warn Patientia of Castitas's whereabouts.

"Good," Temperance nodded, leaning slightly forward. "Then let's start at the beginning. What details about the attack did Amity provide when she fetched you that morning?"

I straightened in my seat, my shoulders back as I met Temperance's stare. "She told me there was a Pure Heart who was injured. He was already experiencing symptoms of advanced noctosis and claimed a Demon had attacked him within the town itself."

Temperance idly lifted a page, glancing down at it. I tried to follow her gaze, but she let the paper drop before I could even get a glimpse. I had half a mind to believe those documents were just for show. "Patientia and Ira came with you?"

"Patientia came with us to town," I confirmed with a nod. "She met with Ira to check the wards on the bulwark. At that time we were worried it might have been a breach that went unnoticed."

Pertinax let out a snort, like he was offended that was even a consideration. Temperance continued, not acknowledging him, "At the Infirmary you saw the victim—Elias. Can you describe his condition before you healed him?"

"It was… bad," I answered with a small wince. Even just recalling the sallow nature of his skin contrasting with the protruding veins made my stomach flip. "Not the worst I'd ever seen—but I've no doubt without proper healing, he would've been dead within the day."

"What were the nature of his wounds?" Pertinax's deep, gravelly voice gave me an urge to sink even deeper into my seat. Was he trying to be intimidating on purpose, or was it just his… well, everything?

"Like… what did they look like?" I turned in my seat to address the Foreteller, whose face was held neutral. He nodded in response to my question, offering no further elaboration.

I paused to think it over. Although it was only just yesterday, so much had happened between now and then it felt like it had been several weeks. The only actual physical wounds dealt by the Heartless were on his forearm. The rest of the damage had been done by the Darkness festering in the wound itself.

"He had several claw marks along his arm," I paused to show the location using my arm as an example, mimicking raking my nails across my skin, "but that was the only blow he said the Demon had given him—and it was certainly the only one I could see."

Pertinax observed my motions closely, his eyes narrowing in thought.

"Defensive wound?" Temperance looked towards Pertinax, who once again nodded solemnly.

"Most likely."

I glanced back and forth between the two, lowering my hand back into my lap. "He said the Demon caught him off guard, and that's when it got him. But then it ran away when he summoned his Heartblade."

"Was Elias acting strange when you were questioning him about the attack?" Temperance once again took charge of the questioning, practically cutting me off before I'd finished answering the previous question. This one caused me more pause than the last.

"I mean… he could have died without our help. I wouldn't say he was exactly acting normal," I retorted somewhat defensively. I was starting to see where this line of questioning was going and didn't much care for it.

Temperance raised a brow, and I realized too late I put a bit too much sass in the tone of my response. She chose not to comment, glancing back down at the documents in front of her. "Had you met Elias before the day this incident occurred?"

… Had I? Uh oh. If I had, why do I feel like Temperance would already know the answer to that? Charity's recollection wasn't chiming in, so I took that as a negative. At least I hope it was. I squeezed my hands in my lap to alleviate some nerves once again. "No—No, I don't think we met before."

"So you're unsure if he exhibited any signs of unusual behavior leading up to the Demonization?" Temperance laced her fingers together, perching her chin on the back of them. I fought to keep my face pleasantly neutral—a bit difficult given Temperance's slightly infuriating casualness.

"As far as I know, it was a normal day for him. He said he was on his morning walk, and he made sure to note he follows the same route every day."

Temperance hummed a flat note—unimpressed. Seemingly switching tactics, she leaned back in her chair. "In your opinion, would you say Elias seemed aware of the fact his friend had Demonized and was the one who attacked him?"

My heart skipped a beat. I was afraid of this. My lips thinned as I tried to think of a response that wouldn't get Elias in trouble. I didn't know if Amity or Invi already gave statements—if they had, I didn't want to directly contradict anything they said. Maybe avoidance would win out here. "He was rather out of it, as I said before. I don't think he really quite realized where he was at the moment, or who was in the room with him."

Temperance hummed again, a low, skeptical sound. I knew ahead of time Temperance was going to try and trip me up—but why was this starting to feel more like a criminal interrogation with each question?

"So he made no comments or indications that he witnessed the Demonization personally?"

I shook my head. "I'm sure he eventually lined the pieces up—but as far as I'm aware, the Demon showed up and attacked him—he didn't witness anything. If he seemed to know who that Demon was, it was probably because it could talk."

This line of questioning finally seemed to catch Pertinax's interest, as his tone was raised as he chimed in, "So you heard it then?"

I nodded, repressing a shiver. "Yeah. It had a voice but… it wasn't really a voice if that makes any sense? Just a hoarse whisper, like if you tried to talk after yelling the whole day prior."

"Any other atypical behavior?" Pertinax's stoic mask started to fall away as he leaned in.

"Well, it knew enough to run away when it was outnumbered," I said, keeping my gaze strictly on Pertinax despite feeling Temperance's eyes tracking me. "And when we found it, it wasn't agitated or anything it was just… staring at the sun."

"Were you aware the one who Demonized was Elias's Heart Tie?"

I froze, my breath hitching as my attention snapped back to Temperance.

"I'll take that as a no," she said. "You seem quite certain of his side of the story, but you realize that as his Heart Tie, Elias would have been more than aware of what was occurring to him, yes? Are you aware of the implications of this?"

My stomach twisted trying to even imagine being able to feel that happening. "I—no, I didn't—"

"Elias must have known what his friend was becoming," Temperance said smoothly, her tone cold and measured. "And instead of acting to prevent a potential disaster that would have caught innocents in the crossfire, instead of seeking help and reporting this to the proper authorities—he allowed it to happen."

"He didn't even understand what happened!" I protested sharply, nearly shooting out of my seat to place my hands on the table. "We don't allow them to know! If what you said is true, then how could he have realized what was happening?"

Quick as a flash, Temperance's hand shot out. She grabbed my arm, yanking it forward to press the tips of her nails into it hard enough to indent the skin, her eyes flashing like embers. "Those wounds didn't happen because he was caught off guard. And he didn't fight back."

I glanced down, my heart pounding within my chest. Temperance's fingers were perfectly placed to mimic the wounds on Elias's arm. She was holding onto me as if I had reached out to accept a hand in help—or perhaps to instead keep me from recoiling away in horror.

"Temperance, that's enough," Pertinax's deep voice cut through the tension.

Temperance glanced at him, her expression unreadable. She let me go without another word, turning her attention back to the documents in front of her.

"I'm simply being thorough," she said lightly, though her tone still carried the hint of an edge. "Castitas tasked us with getting to the bottom of this. Elias intentionally kept the fact there was a Demon in town a secret not only from his fellow wielders, but from the Foretellers sent to investigate his mistake. That's serious. He's lucky nobody else was injured. Surely you understand this, Charity."

I sat back down, clutching my wrist as I tried to get a hold on my breathing. "... Of course," I said, my voice somehow calm despite the storm brewing inside me. "I want to get to the truth as much as you do."

Pertinax shifted in place, his brow furrowing slightly as he observed me silently seething. His silence was almost worse than Temperance's barbed questions—I couldn't get a read on his opinion in this matter.

"Good," Temperance said, that infuriatingly faint smile returning. "Then I trust you'll keep an open mind as we—"

"With all due respect," I interrupted, catching both of their attentions, "he was lucky to survive. You're speaking as if he had something to gain out of all of this—but he just lost the person closest to him in a way that was not only traumatizing, but world-shattering. He had a right not to trust us. We failed to protect them."

I looked up, meeting gazes with Temperance, then Pertinax. "Have any of us even tried to see if Demonization could be reversed? His friend was still in there somewhere—and instead of trying anything we just eliminated him."

Temperance's faint smile had long since disappeared. "Reversed?" she echoed, her tone sharp. "Do you really think we'd risk the lives of our wielders on the hopeful whims of a newly appointed Master?"

Pertinax's brow furrowed deeper, his stoic demeanor shifting as he processed my words. "What makes you think the Demon's humanity could be restored?"

I gripped my wrist tighter, beyond frustrated I couldn't just come out and say it was because I had done it before. Maybe I didn't know how or why—but I knew it was possible. Knowing we took away Elias's Heart Tie without even trying anything made me sick to my stomach. "I just think it would be something worth looking into, if it hasn't been already. He responded to Elias's name, and at one point he didn't even attack me—it was like I could see something more for even just a second. And I certainly know if I were in Elias's position, I'd want to know the people in charge of keeping me safe were doing more than waving their hands and pretending the problem doesn't exist."

Pertinax's gaze softened slightly, much to my surprise, though his expression remained serious. "Your hope is certainly admirable, Charity, but to devote resources to this without serious evidence it can even be accomplished would be foolish. Demons are ruthless predators, not misguided souls. You've borne witness to the carnage they can leave behind—do you truly believe there was a heart capable of mercy still inside that creature?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but faltered. The memory of Sora's Heartless staring up at me, letting me approach while making no motions to attack, flashed in my mind. "I believe… we'll never know if we don't try," I said, my voice quieter now.

Temperance scoffed under her breath. "And what would you suggest we try, then, Charity?" she emphasized the name in a way that had my blood running cold, "Bargaining? Asking nicely for them to sit still while we gather samples? Keeping them chained in a basement for Hearts knows how many years you'll hold onto a daft notion they can be brought back, risking the life of everyone who enters into the room in the meantime?"

A low sigh cut through the tension as I glared at Temperance. Pertinax placed his hands on the table, a physical barrier between me and her. "We're getting off track. Thank you, Charity, for your opinions on the matter. We'll take everything you shared into account and bring your concern to Castitas's attention."

Temperance's gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, her lips pressed into a thin line. Then she sat back, her composure returning like a mask slipping into place. "Very well. But if you'll allow me just one more point," she glanced up at Pertinax, not waiting for his response before continuing, "Sentimentality has no place in our duties as Foretellers. Elias's actions jeopardized the safety of this town. There's no point in speculating on what could have been—we need to deal only with the facts of the matter, and decide the best course of action moving forward based on said facts."

"Don't you think Elias has been punished enough?" I asked, depending more so on Pertinax's reason than Temperance's absent sympathy.

"It's not about punishment," Pertinax replied, "It's about what needs to be done to ensure Daybreak Town stays safe."

"Which no longer concerns you," Temperance interrupted as I opened my mouth to protest further. "You've done your part. Thank you for your time, Charity. You're dismissed."

Temperance's dismissal was as clear as it was curt, leaving no room for argument. I looked to Pertinax, hoping for some sign of reconsideration, but his expression had returned to its unreadable state.

"Of course," I said as I stood. My legs felt unsteady after that rush of emotions, but I refused to show any more signs of weakness in front of Temperance. "I trust you'll make the right decision."

Temperance offered a tight, insincere smile. "We always do."

Without another word, I stepped out of the meeting room, the door closing softly behind me. The tension in my chest refused to dissipate as I walked through the halls of the Sanctum, my thoughts spiraling with each step. I couldn't shake the feeling Temperance was about to do something to silence Elias permanently, attempting to find excuses to do so in my interrogation. I only hoped I spoke enough reason Pertinax would be able to talk some sense into her.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I only hoped Patientia fared better—but with Castitas's whereabouts remaining unknown, I didn't know if that was likely.

I stopped at the divergence of hallways, looking down the right-hand corridor Patientia took. We agreed I would leave once my questioning was over and meet back up in the Fountain District. But… My feet shifted, and before I could think better of it, I was striding down the hallway, my heart thumping in my chest. Maybe it was just the adrenaline from talking back to Temperance, or maybe I was just sick of feeling like there was nothing I could do to help stop this War. But I couldn't just stand around kicking rocks and waiting for Patientia to show up.

The corridor leading deeper into the Sanctum grew quieter with every step, the faint hum of voices and the soft clatter of steps on stone fading into silence. Eventually I reached the areas off-limits to all but the Foretellers themselves—a stark contrast to the rest of the Sanctum which buzzed with the life of wielders, scholars, and clerks. The air felt heavier here—though I'm sure that was also partially the dregs of adrenaline still present in my veins.

I slowed my pace as I neared a set of gilded double doors. Castitas's chambers. The heart of the Sanctum. Charity's memories led me here, but what lay beyond these doors was completely unknown. I glanced around, ears perked for any hint of movement. I heard none, which only served to make my stomach twist further. If Patientia or Castitas were behind these doors, their presence was completely obscured.

If anyone caught me here, there wouldn't be any explanation possible. But something still urged me forward despite my hesitance—an insatiable curiosity mixed with the gnawing need to understand. Maybe there were answers here—truths that could help us better prepare for the upcoming War. Or perhaps ways to prevent it in its entirety.

The doors weren't locked. Of course they weren't—no one would dare trespass here.

I slipped inside, my hands trembling slightly as I closed the door behind me as quietly as I could. The room was vast, its walls lined with bookshelves packed with ancient tomes, scrolls, and relics. A massive desk sat near the far end, its surface cluttered with open books and glowing crystals. Above the desk hung a tapestry of Kingdom Hearts, the threads shimmering faintly as if infused with Light. Those were the only sources of light in the room—all the windows were currently covered with heavy curtains.

I moved carefully, my gaze darting to every corner, every shadow. Patientia was nowhere to be seen. That sent another jolt of unease through me. Where was she?

Before I could dwell on this realization, the sound of footsteps echoed faintly down the corridor branching off from the library. My heart leapt into my throat. Someone was coming.

I spun in place, looking for somewhere to hide, but before I could move a hand clamped down on my wrist, yanking me back into the shadows of a recessed alcove. I bit back a yelp and struggled to reign in the instinct to summon my Heartblade before a familiar voice hissed in my ear.

"Keep quiet, unless you want to get us both caught."

Gula?

"What are you—?" I started, but he shot me a sharp look, his green eyes narrowing.

"Shh!" he hissed urgently, pulling me further into the alcove as the sound of footsteps grew louder. As the figure finally entered into the library proper, my heart dropped.

Castitas.

I hadn't yet realized she had a physical aura about her—a barely perceptible halo of radiance—but I could see it clearly now in the dimness of this room. She wasn't wearing her mask and my pulse thundered in my ears as I caught a glimpse of her back—her long white hair flowing like a liquid Light as she moved towards her desk.

Gula leaned closer, interrupting my morbid curiosity about Castitas's appearance. "What in the name of all Hearts are you doing here?" he muttered.

"Looking for answers," I whispered back, my voice barely audible.

"Terrible idea," he replied dryly, but there was a flicker of something else in his tone—a hint of admiration?

Castitas paused at her desk, her hand resting on the edge as she looked down at the open books and notes. The silence was deafening.

"We need to get out of here before she notices. Follow my lead."

"Wait," I hissed, grabbing his wrist before he could move. He shot me an incredulous look, but waited. "There's something I need to find in this room. I can't leave without it."

"Would you like to leave with your life?" he quipped. His glare could have cut through steel, but I held my ground.

"There's a book," I whispered, "It has a symbol of what looks like an X on it. I need it."

He closed his eyes briefly, as if summoning every ounce of patience he had. "You're going to get us both killed over a book."

My chest tightened. We'd be punished, but surely Castitas wouldn't kill us… Right?

"... Then help me find it faster."

He opened his mouth to argue, but the sound of Castitas walking to the nearest bookshelf silenced him. We both froze, holding our breath as her fingers trailed over the spines of several tomes, scanning them thoughtfully.

"Whatever you're looking for," Gula murmured in the faintest whisper after several moments of heavy silence, "you've got two minutes."

I nodded and started scanning the room from our hiding spot. The bookshelves were filled with countless volumes, but most of them were nondescript, their titles worn or completely absent. My gaze darted frantically, searching for anything that stood out.

Until finally—across the room, a thick, leather-bound book with an intricate X etched onto the spine in shimmering gold. My heart leapt. I nudged Gula excitedly, pointing as much as I could.

"There, on the second shelf from the left. See the gold lettering?"

Gula bit back a sigh, grumbling under his breath, "Unbelievable. Of course it's on the opposite side of the room." He glanced over at Castitas, who had taken a tome from the shelf back to her desk, flipping through it idly, her back still to us. "Stay here," he murmured, his voice clipped.

"What? No—"

"Stay. Here," he repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument. Before I could protest further, he slipped out of the alcove with all the grace of his mask's inspiration, moving silently along the edge of the room.

I watched with bated breath as he approached the bookshelf, each step deliberate and soundless. My fists clenched at my sides, every muscle in my body taut with tension. Castitas didn't turn, her attention fixed on her work, but the oppressive weight of her Light made the air feel thick, stifling.

At last Gula reached the shelf, hesitating for only a moment before sliding the book free. The faintest rustle of leather reached my ears, and my stomach clenched as Castitas paused mid-turn of a page.

I ducked back into the alcove as she glanced over her shoulder. Now I couldn't see her, but I could still see Gula. He was pressed against the bookshelf, the book tucked under his arm, his movements impossibly still. My breathing hitched as the seconds ticked on.

And then after a moment, there was the sound of another page turning. Her attention was back on the desk.

Gula didn't wait for a better opportunity. He moved swiftly, slipping back into the shadows and returning to me with the book in hand.

"You owe me," he whispered fiercely, thrusting it into my hands.

I clutched it tightly, relief washing over me for a split second before Gula grabbed my wrist. "Now, we're leaving."

This time, I didn't argue. Together we moved towards the double doors, myself following behind Gula's every step. Castitas's presence loomed behind us, pressing against my back like a physical force, but she didn't turn.

Gula ever so slowly pushed the door open just enough for us to squeeze through, letting me pass through first. Only after the door closed behind him with a faint click did I let out the breath I'd been holding. I felt dizzy, like I hadn't been allowing myself to breathe the entire time Castitas was within eyesight.

Gula didn't allow us to rest, grabbing me once more to usher me out of the middle of the hallway. "What," he hissed, "was so important about that book?"

I ran my hands across the cover, almost giddy I finally held something worthwhile in my hands. I couldn't wait to show Patientia—which only brought her absence back into question.

Instead of addressing Gula's question, I glanced up at him. "I need to find Patientia. Maybe she didn't want to risk Castitas's personal chambers or felt like something was off. Are there archives anywhere else? Nevermind, I know where to check—" my voice got quicker with each word, my mouth struggling to keep up with my racing mind.

"I—what?" Gula stared at me like I'd lost my mind. "Are you serious right now? Do you have any idea what we just risked back there? What I'm still risking?"

I paused, just now processing the fact that if I was trespassing only in that room, Gula's whole presence in the Sanctum itself was an afront to Daybreak's beliefs. He was Geotic. Not only that—he was Temperance's Heart Tie. "Wait. Wait—you're not supposed to be here. What were you doing in Castitas's room?"

He paused, giving me a scrutinizing once over before parroting my own words back at me, "Looking for answers."

I narrowed my eyes at his evasive answer—but to be fair, I wasn't exactly offering up any detailed explanations either. "Okay, fine—you should just get out the way you came. I'll look for Patientia."

I started off towards the stairs, Gula following behind me.

"Patientia. You want to tell Patientia you stole something from Castitas's personal chambers?"

"Yes," I said firmly. "She'll know what to do with this."

Gula dragged a hand down his face, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, I should've let Castitas catch you.

I ignored him, continuing onwards. His connection to Temperance made me reluctant to share anything pertinent to our current mission—but then again, why would he be breaking centuries of tradition and risking his hide to steal a book if he and Temperance were on the same page? Surely the long game of gaining trust to gain information wasn't worth that much—especially given Temperance was a known stickler for Castitas's rules.

I got to the next floor before I heard Gula following after me.

The upper archives were eerily quiet, my fried nerves making it seem like every shadow shifted in my periphery. I clutched the book to my chest, Gula eventually catching up to tread directly beside of me. As we rounded the corner into the main hall of the archives, my breath caught in my throat.

Patientia stood at the far end, her silver hair glinting faintly in the dim light of the magical sconces. She was hunched over a lectern, pouring over a spread of documents. At the sound of our approach she turned, her lilac eyes narrowing in disbelief as they fell on Gula—then widening when she caught sight of the book in my hands.

"You found it?" she asked, straightening. Her voice was tempered excitement—something guarded in her tone. "How?"

"I had help," I said carefully, glancing at Gula. "But the doors were unlocked, and it wasn't too hard to see the lettering—"

Patientia blinked, her incredulity giving way to full blown suspicion. "Unlocked?"

I nodded, though her tone made my stomach churn uneasily. "I—yeah. Did you not try the doors?"

"Charity," Patientia's voice was forcibly patient, "Castitas was there. Did she not notice you?"

"She was in the room while we were there," I admitted, my excitement rapidly dying. "But we were careful. She didn't notice."

"She didn't sense Gula?" Patientia interrupted, her tone sharp now as her gaze darted to him.

Gula stiffened, clearly uncomfortable with the attention. "Apparently not," he murmured, "But now that you've said something, it is… odd."

I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around the book's worn cover. "Maybe we were just lucky."

"No," Patientia shook her head, stepping closer. "Luck has nothing to do with this."

"What, are you saying she let us take it?" I asked incredulously, my heart beginning to race. Patientia's met my gaze steadily, giving me my answer to her suspicions.

Gula swore under his breath, running a hand through his hair.

"But why?" I whispered, though the answer was already forming in my mind.

"Patientia's lips pressed into a thin line. "Because she wants you to have it. For whatever reason it may be. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"We should leave," Gula said, his voice tight with urgency. "Now."

"We?" Patientia repeated, turning her ire onto Gula. "Why in all the worlds would I let Temperance's Heart Tie come with us? Should I light a beacon to make it even easier for her to follow?"

Gula narrowed his eyes. "I don't exactly trust Castitas's apprentice to have the best intentions either. But you don't get good at being a spymaster without learning how to hide things from your Heart Tie, so I took a page from her book. She doesn't know where I am."

"Stop it!" I hissed, stepping between the two of them. They both looked at me, their expressions briefly united in surprise. "We don't have time for this. I don't care if Castitas wanted us to find this book. It has to have answers—we can think about the why later."

Patientia's jaw tightened, her suspicion still evident, but she relented with a curt nod. "Fine. But if he so much as—"

"I know," I interrupted. "But he's right, we need to leave. The longer we're here, the riskier it gets."

Gula raised an eyebrow at me, a faint smirk tugging at his lips despite the situation. "Didn't think you had that in you, Charity."

I raised my chin a tad higher.

Patientia didn't respond, her gaze lingering on Gula for a moment longer before she turned on her heel. "Follow me. And keep quiet, the both of you."

"Way ahead of you," Gula whispered something under his breath. With the sound of wind making the nearby open books flutter, Gula disappeared from sight.

The journey out of the Sanctum was tense, but mercifully uneventful. The oppressive weight of the place seemed to lift the moment we stepped outside, though the warmth of the sun did little to loosen the knot of unease in my stomach.

As we made our way through the streets of Daybreak Town, the book in my hands felt heavier with each step. Whatever the contents, I just knew the information within was bound to change everything. The fact Castitas more than likely let me take it spoiled any sort of excitement I initially had—but it didn't change the fact we were about to get answers to some extremely pressing questions.

We're gonna make this year a good year, I'm determined. Long term consistent uploads here we come! As for this chapter's questionnaire:

1. Do you think Castitas let Gula and Akira steal the book? If so, why do you think that is?

2. Do you trust Gula's intentions? Or should Akira have listened to Patientia and not let him tag along?

Xxser3ndipityxX: And now you have even more chapters to read before catching up! I'm glad you're liking the significant differences in the narrative though. With an OC there's always the worry of changing too much and alienating fans who enjoyed the original plot, but I'd like to think I'm paying enough tribute to the story of KH while making my changes! All that to say, yes I understand lol!

And yes, you're correct on Zexion's group's motives as far as using Riku. I'm having them be a bit more aware of the double crossing than in canon for the fun drama opportunities. Vexen definitely figures it out in canon, but not to the extent of plotting to double cross the double crossers.

Also "with every new chapter I read, I find myself really appreciating the quality writing more and more" stoppp you're making me blush! But go on actually. LOL, I love the sweet sweet dopamine of validation your reviews bring. Really makes the hard work pay off! I always have fun writing, but I won't lie it is very rewarding to know others enjoy reading it too.

And yes the process is going to change slightly. Kairi basically get deleted and replaced by Namine's false memories, but due to the nature of Heart Ties, for Akira its not as simple. Looking forward to seeing your reactions to the complications that arise from this!

Akira's POV is my favorite to write, so yay! And as for the second question, I think I would also rather be aware of it. That way maybe I could be preemptive and write myself notes or warn others I might forget some things so they need to help me remember. Either way though it's not a fate I envy! Thanks so much for your reviews, I always look forward to seeing the notification of them pop up!