Axel knew Roxas would go to the station and eat ice cream, like they did on his very first mission. He hadn't come for a few days and Roxas seemed like he didn't care. How would he care? And why did he keep wondering what Roxas would be thinking about? Why didn't he invite him to go now? Why did he thank him and then go away so easily?
Axel shook his head. “This is stupid.” Then he left his bed and opened a dark corridor. Maybe he wasn't supposed to feel, but something in his body was warning him that he had to leave his room; to get out of that stupid castle.
After a couple of minutes, he appeared in Hollow Bastion’s castle again and noticed that he wasn't in the same area he visited with Roxas before. It seemed to be a chapel with walls made of stone barely illuminated by green flamed torches that were flickering far above his head.
As he kept walking, he could see what seemed to be a girl in the distance. She was in the center of an altar with heartless’ symbol above it, decorated by fine lines that reminded of thorns surrounding the image. As he approached, the room’s shape turned into what it reassembled as a keyhole.
“Are you sleeping or dead?” He asked, without even noticing that he took her hand.
After only a moment her eyes shot open.
“WHAT THE FUCK? WHO ARE YOU?”
“Hey, chill.” He rolled his eyes. “Do you really need to scream like that?”
“Oh, excuse me for having a normal reaction when a stranger touches me.” She was about to yell again, but instead, she touched her left arm and avoided eye contact.
Axel stared at her in silence. It was not difficult for him to discover how she tried to hide a wound located in her arm. It appeared to be recent and the level of suffering and how exhausted she was could be the reason why she fainted.
“Are you hurt?” He asked, while watching her fail to stand.
“What if I am?”
“Just asking.” Axel shrugged.
“You didn't answer me.” The girl complained.
“Why should I?” He replied, opening a dark corridor.
She remained silent.
“I… I need help.” She murmured after a few seconds.
“And?”
“Could you please help me?” She demanded with a soft voice. “I don't know where I am and those creatures attacked me.”
“Heartless. That is their name.” He said.
“Heartless? What a weird name.” She frowned.
“Don’t you know what they are?” He tilted his head.
“...No.” She replied.
“No?” He blinked but then realized it was not that surprising: maybe her world had drowned to the darkness and she ended up in the first one that was available without knowing what happened.
“No… I was walking down the street, going back home, and those creatures appeared and…” She explained.
“Same old story, yeah. I know the rest.” Axel interrupted. “Looks like I’m your only way out.” He said sarcastically.
“I don't have any other option. It's being with you or dying here alone.” She sighed. “And don't get me wrong, if I could go by myself, believe me, I would”.
“Yeah. Whatever.” He rolled his green eyes. “Tell me why I should let you go with me. What I'd gain if I did that”.
“I…”
“You don't have anything to give me. And believe me, you don't want to be with me.” He threatened her. “If I were you, I would run away from this hot guy with red hair”.
“But it's going with you or dying.” She insisted.
“And why are you sure about I'm not going to kill you?” He smirked.
“You don't look like a bad guy.” She confessed.
Axel laughed so loud that his laugh echoed off the walls.
“I'm definitely not a good guy.”
“I'm sure you wouldn't forsake me here… Someone who does it has no heart.” She insisted.
“That's me.” He smiled and opened a dark corridor.
“I know you have one.” She raised his voice.
“How?” He looked at her one last time.
“I prayed for someone to come here and help me.” She looked him in the eyes. “And then you came”.
Axel freezed. To be fair, it was true that his body had insisted on going somewhere else. Not only that, he hadn't known that she had been there waiting for him and it didn't look like a coincidence.
“What’s going on…?” He asked himself.
He shook his head.
“I don't have a heart.” He insisted and entered the corridor.
Without giving a second thought, she threw herself to the corridor two or three seconds before it closed and disappeared.
YOU ARE READING
Hollow (Kingdom Hearts AU)
Fanfiction"We can't feel. That's what they told us. Then... Why does everything look so different when I'm alone? Why does the ground look like it disappears and I'm losing myself in a sea of doubts?"
