Eterna {Kingdom Hearts 2013 Watty Award} {Romance, Semi-OC}

Chapter 1: Darkness Still Lingers

Riku couldn’t sleep. He had so many worries inside of his mind that he couldn’t find the joys of unconsciousness anymore. Some of those he didn’t even want to think about, because they weren’t even worth it. His main focus right now was college, which he had skipped a year in order to go together with his friends. His parents wanted him to attend a special military school- designed for out of line young teenagers, since they thought his disappearance two years ago was a rebelling act. They knew he wasn’t like that. Otherwise he would’ve disappeared or escaped at the first signs of control his parents showed. He absolutely loathed control.

Many arguments had occurred in his household because of the college of his preference, which was just in town, a solid hour away from there. They complained about transportation, gas, food, materials and every other damn thing that he needed for his future. What he kept reminding them about, though, was that he had all those things planned already. He had a job since his return, and Sora’s mom was capable of taking him there, since her son was attending that very same college. And another thing he liked shouting at their faces was that military school was just as pricey as all those things.

Tonight’s argument was different, though. They had agreed with Riku’s decision, but on one condition. He had to be in the military program that Paopu University offered. He didn’t know what had changed their minds, but he sure as hell knew that it had to be something with a lot of persuasion. Even still, he stormed out of the house in a daze, saying that he had to think about it.

Currently standing at the edge of the beach he grudgingly accepted fates’ decision for him. Perhaps it was some kind of cosmic punishment for his past. Even though he had promised his best friend that he would stop thinking about what he had done, he couldn’t seem to do it. He had lost count of how many times his promise had been broken, his mind always treading on that territory, thinking of stuff that was better left alone. It made him feel like shit, really. One of the things he was proud of accomplishing, though, was the way he fooled his friends. Neither Sora nor Kairi had noticed something off about him. Hell, he probably should consider a Minor for Theater since his skills were very good.

He could still feel Darkness’s touch on him. It was true that he still walked Twilight’s path, but he sometimes felt the stirrings of his weaknesses once more. They were dark, they were cruel, but most of all they were his, and he didn’t wish to acknowledge them.

On this cloudy night his powers were hard to hold on to, so he started releasing the pent-up energy he had stored inside. Creating small spheres of darkness and letting them out towards the ocean helped him just a bit, but nothing was ever going to go away from his tainted soul. When he felt relatively calm he stopped, although he still felt rather bad. He didn’t think he would go through a series of unfortunate events were he would probably explode, though, so he left it at that and started to leave.

A house near the edge of the beach caught his attention. It was a one story building, small enough to fit two to three people in it. It looked rather homey, what with its small garden and white fence covering the outer edges of the place, not to mention that the house was painted a lovely beige color, to people who cared for such lovely things, anyway. The only important aspect of that house, at least for him, was the fact that it belonged to someone dear to him, someone he hadn’t seen in over a year. The lights in it were on and he found it surprising that she was awake at this ungodly hour- according to his watch it was midnight. So he decided to head over there and check if things were alright.

The turning off of the lights stopped him mid-way. So did the sight of a girl standing at the porch.

Riku didn’t know who she was and why she was there instead of his friend. He couldn’t discern her features from where he was, so he didn’t bother with them. He knew that he was being looked at too, so he didn’t move from his spot. It felt rather weird to be standing in the middle of the beach scrutinizing and being scrutinized back, but he felt the need to do so. It was an urge, actually. One that I’m overindulging at the moment, Riku thought. Is it safe to get closer, I wonder? One step after the other he started to reach towards her, but she immediately went inside the house. Strange. Well, not really since technically I am a stranger to her… Seeing as there was nothing else to do, and the person he wanted to talk to was probably asleep, he walked back to his house. He would come back when he had the chance.