You Are My Kingdom Hearts ➳ Axel

Future Days

Chapter 25: Future Days

Jai's POV:

I held the pendant in my hand, swinging it to and fro like a hypnotist. How could an item possess such power? I sat on the bed in Room 13 alone. Axel had gone for a walk to clear his head, and after the information dump we endured the night before, some time apart to think was probably what we needed most.

A possession imbued with the power to capture the emotional essence of a person. I glanced up at Demyx's membership card on the nightstand. Could it be... that was one too? It felt like a lifetime ago that Cid had made those cards. Really, it had only been a few months. The shit life throws at you, I swear.

Thinking back on it made me realise how much I missed my home. Sure, home wasn't just a place, but the people that you cared about. Merlin, Cid, and the pixies were still in Hollow Bastion, probably waiting and wondering for news on my whereabouts. I didn't deserve their kindness, but I would be lying if I said I didn't crave it. It was the kindness of these people -- my family, that made each day bearable. They were worth fighting for. Yet, I'd manipulated them with my powers, both before and after I knew about them. You don't mess with the people you care about like that. Not when they deserve better.

Your pathokinesis allows you to manifest a Nobody's feelings into a material possession, and create a makeshift "heart".

Yen Sid's words from the night before echoed in my brain. How could that be possible if I wasn't even conscious of doing it? He told me that if my own feelings were strong enough, it wasn't necessarily forcing another person to feel what I felt, but that I drew out the emotions that lurked beneath the surface. Still, I had no idea how that happened, and that scared me.

I yelled out in frustration, throwing the pendant at the door. Just as I did, Axel returned, the door swinging open so that the necklace bounced off his chest. He cursed loudly, clutching at the spot the pendant hit him. I rose from the bed and reached out for him.

"That hurts... more than it should," he said in a low voice, looking up to meet my eyes. "I think the old kook was telling the truth."

My eyes widened. I clambered to pick up the necklace, holding it carefully as I rubbed Axel's back. "I'm so sorry!"

He coughed, falling onto the bed. "It's not very nice of you to throw around a gift anyway, y'know."

I laid beside him, my feet still planted the floor. Carefully, I placed the chain on his chest, over where his heart should've been. He looked at me, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.

My fingers brushed his skin as I fiddled with the chain. "Sorry again. It just feels so frustrating. It's like we've been doing this massive puzzle blindly this whole time."

Axel nodded, his hand finding mine. He gave it a light squeeze, the smile on his lips small and melancholic.

"I know you're with me," I said in a hushed voice. "You all are, and yet I feel so alone."

"Hey." Axel shuffled closer to me, his other hand tangling in my hair and pushing it away from my face. "You are never alone. Got it memorized?"

I gave a shy laugh, biting my lip. "I got it--"

"No, seriously. Even when you tell me to leave you alone, from now on, the answer is nooooo."

I gazed at him for a while, my eyes flickering to his lips. "I... I think I'd be happy with that."

We were silent for a minute, frozen, with our fingers laced together and his other hand on the side of my face. Electricity coursed through me. The space that was between us felt like a chasm, one that I desperately wanted to disappear. He leaned in, his eyes fluttering to a close. His eyelashes were so beautiful up close. Even his skin was flawless; unblemished, save for the indigo markings under his eyes.