The Secret of a Beating Heart

The Camera Obscura

The beautifully intricate object felt heavy and cold in her hands. With some disdain, Namine noticed how dust had managed to collect in the crevices of the camera. She brushed her index finger over the top of the camera and revealed the leathery color of the surface underneath. A contented smile passed over Namine's face. It had been far too long since she'd been involved in the spirit realm, and if she was being honest, she missed it with a sweet endearment.

With a click of a button, the accordion-like snout of the lens extended and two metal rods moved to support it. Namine raised the camera to look through the viewfinder. It was much smaller than she remembered, but it did the job just the same.

Namine brought her finger up to the shutter release button and, slightly anxious, she pressed it.

A white flash lit up the entire room for a brief moment, and all objects in the room gained a new shadow for the duration of the burst of light.

Namine twisted the film reel and little ticks sounded as it turned.

"Whoaaa, what's that?"

Namine's head snapped towards the door, startled by Sora's presence. He bounded in through the door, his eyes lit up with curiosity. Xion, who sat unnoticed in the corner, immediately moved towards Sora at his arrival. Sora paid her no mind, too enraptured with the beauty of the camera.

"This is the Camera Obscura, Sora. It's a very important piece of supernatural equipment." Namine responded, lowering it so Sora could have a better view. He looked only for a brief moment before his head turned towards the door. He smiled and urged an invisible force in with a wave of his hand.

"No, it's okay. C'mon!" Sora said, seemingly to no one in particular. Namine assumed he was talking to Riku, and her thoughts were confirmed when the temperature of the room dropped a few degrees. It wasn't terribly noticeable, but she caught the change all the same. Sora turned his attention back to the camera.

"What does it... do?" Sora asked. He reached his little hands out to hold it, but Namine was reluctant to pass it over to him. Sora deflated slightly, but his interest was unwavering.

"I'm sorry, Sora. In all of my knowledge, I only know of one Camera Obscura in existence: this one. It's just too precious to risk damaging."

"It's okay. But... what do you mean?" Sora questioned, tilting his head. Namine smiled fondly at her grandson.

"Well, Sora, this camera takes pictures of two realms: The Realm of Light and The Realm of Darkness." Namine answered, bringing the camera up to her face again. She looked through the viewfinder and observed Sora's little frame.

"What are those?" Sora questioned, looking up at Namine through the lens. She brought the camera down again and carefully set it on the table behind her.

"The Realm of Light is our realm, where we live. All living beings reside in this realm. It's called the Realm of Light because the light touches everything in it."

"We live in the light?"

"It's a little more complicated than that, but yes."

"What about the realm of Darkness?" Sora asked, looking off to the side briefly before returning his attention to Namine.

"Well, The Realm of Darkness has no distinct light. Because of this, many spirits and ghouls go to the Realm of Darkness after they've passed from the Light Realm."

"Is Riku in the Dark Realm?" Sora questioned anxiously.

"It would make the most sense," Namine replied, a little unsure, "but I'm not sure how you're able to see him through the realms. I've never heard of that happening before."