Kingdom hearts requiem of dawn 

CHAPTER THREE

The next morning, the sun barely peeked through the grey, cold skies of Quadratum. Kairi sat alone on the rooftop of the small apartment they were staying in, her knees drawn close to her chest. Her eyes were red from crying, her expression empty. The city's endless hum below her felt so far away, like a distant dream she couldn't wake up from.

Riku stood at the doorway leading to the rooftop, watching her silently. He could feel the weight of her sadness, the hopelessness that gripped her. She had barely spoken since yesterday, since Sora—no, the person who looked like Sora—had said he didn't know her. It had shattered her, left her drowning in heartbreak.

Riku sighed, his hand tightening around the railing. He didn't know what to say, or if saying anything would even help. Yesterday had ended in a mess, with Kairi yelling at him, telling him to go away, something she had never done before. But he wasn't going to give up—not on Kairi, not on Sora. He couldn't.

He walked over to her, his footsteps quiet but deliberate. "Kairi..." he began, his voice soft, almost cautious.

She didn't respond, her eyes fixed on the horizon as if searching for something—someone—who wasn't there.

Riku sat down beside her, leaving a respectful distance between them. "I know it's hard... seeing him like that. I know it hurts. But we can't give up. I promised you we'd find him... and I'll keep that promise."

Kairi let out a shaky breath, still not looking at him. "He didn't even recognize me, Riku... What if we're too late? What if the Sora we knew is gone?"

Riku frowned, his chest tightening at her words. "Sora's still in there. He has to be. We've been through too much, fought too many battles for this to be the end. We'll find him, and we'll bring him back. Together."

Kairi finally looked at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "How do you stay so strong?" she whispered. "How do you keep going when everything seems so... hopeless?"

Riku glanced down at his hands, his own feelings of frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. "Because if I stop, if I give up, then everything we've fought for—everything Sora has fought for—means nothing. We owe it to him to keep going."

Kairi wiped her eyes, her expression softening. "You're right... but it's just so hard. I don't know how to face him again, knowing he doesn't remember..."

Riku reached out, gently resting a hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure it out. Sora would never give up on us, so we won't give up on him. No matter what."

She looked into his eyes, feeling the weight of his words, the determination in them. It gave her strength, if only a little. Slowly, she nodded.

"Thank you, Riku," she whispered.

He gave her a small, reassuring smile. "We'll get him back. And then, we'll go home. Together."

As they sat there in silence, the weight of the task ahead still looming over them, Riku made a silent vow to himself. He wouldn't fail them. No matter how long it took or how hard it was, he'd bring Sora back.

And when he did, they'd finally return to their world... all of them.

As for Kairi, she wiped the last of her tears, clinging to the small hope that Riku had planted in her heart. Sora had saved her more times than she could count—this time, it was her turn to save him.

After their quiet conversation, Riku and Kairi descended back into the apartment. The mood was somber, but there was a small glimmer of determination in the air. Kairi still looked fragile, her mind clearly racing with everything that had happened, but she seemed more grounded now. More ready to face the battle ahead.