The Songs in Our Hearts Book One: Reaching Out

Chapter Eight: Just Before Darkness

As a strong wind blew, Riku heard the entire house creak. Realizing how powerful the gale was, he quickly ran outside to the boats. If this wind continued, then the raft they (mostly him) worked so hard on would be blown away. It was nearly night fall, and large waves pushed against Riku's boat.

Once he reached the dock, Riku began sprinting to the cove where the raft was tied up. Another strong wind blew, forcing him to come to a stop.

"Damn!" he grunted as small grains of sand blew into his face. "It wasn't this windy earlier."

Riku finally reached the entrance to the cove. A sigh of relief left his lips as he made it to the temporary shelter from the wind. From the entrance, the silver haired teen could see that the raft had not been blown away yet. Riku began making his way down to the shore of the cove, ready to inspect the raft for any damages.

"That's a relief," he breathed softly once he was sure the raft was fine. Standing up, Riku went to make sure it was tied down properly. The boy lowered himself to check the rope he had used to secure the raft.

"So, your precious raft has survived through the wind," a deep, ominous voice seemed to tease.

Getting up and turning around abruptly, Riku saw a figure dressed in a dark-brown cloak. A large X was emblazoned across his chest; his face was hidden beneath his hood.

"Who are you?" Riku demanded, clenching his fists.

"You may call me an ally," he answered, walking over to the raft.

Riku huffed in annoyance, "Yeah, sure you are." His blue-green gaze watched as the man make his way to the raft.

"Tell me... how far do you think this will take you?" the figure asked.

"Far enough," the boy retorted, going back to tying down the Highwind.

A sinister chuckle echoed from the man. "And how big do you think this ocean is?" Riku stopped his actions, and his expression darkened. The man began laughing again. "Not another world in sight for miles upon miles. Do you really think this," he gestured to the raft. "Can take you away from this prison surrounded by water?"

"How did you...?" Riku started to ask, turning back to the figure. He was listening now.

"I know of many things, and I'm here to help you," he spoke in a teasingly confident voice. Riku thought for a moment. The figure was right: what if the raft failed? Something still felt off about this guy however.

"Give me one reason why I should trust you," Riku demanded, standing to better face the man. His request was answered with a moment of silence, except for the strong wind that blew against them.

At last, the man spoke again, "Because I know the real reason why you want to escape." A dark chuckle rumbled in his throat. "You want to keep that promise you made to her. You want to become stronger. You want to see the world he promised you," he revealed. "However, if your precious raft were to fail, how will you ever accomplish those feats?" he asked. Riku had no response. He was shocked at how much this mysterious figure knew about him.

"What should I do?" Riku inquired, ready to do what it takes to get off the islands.

"Come with me." The man moved to the cove's exit; Riku followed at a safe distance. As they walked across the beach, the silver-haired teen could not help but notice the large drop in temperature. These islands were in a tropical region, so cold weather was extremely rare, even in winter.

The sky was a deep violet color now, showing that the sun was nearly gone. Harsh winds blew grains of sand into the air, and large waves crashed onto the shore. Coming to a stop, the robed man pointed to the Secret Place.

"In there, you will find a door. Open it," the man commanded. Riku rolled his eyes.

"You're kidding," he muttered. "That door is sealed tight. It doesn't even have a handle," Riku pointed out, crossing his arms.

"That door won't open by any conventional ways," the figure started to explain. "In order to undo the seal, you must open your heart to darkness."

Confused by his statement, Riku asked, "What do you mean?"

"Only the darkness can give you what you're looking for," he clarified, his voice growing louder. "It will grant you strength beyond your imagination, but most importantly, a gateway to the outside world. Is that not what you want?" the man tempted the teen. A bolt of lightning flashed in the clouds, and the winds began increasing in speed. Surely, the raft would never survive this weather. While he hardly trusted the robed figure, Riku knew this was their best chance off the islands.

"Just a little bit of darkness," he resolved, waiting for something to happen.

Laughing maniacally, the man spoke above the wind, "Yes— yes! It's about time you get off this rock, isn't it?" Black smoke surrounded his form as he raised his arms to the violet sky. Thunder boomed in the background.

Without warning, the earth shook violently causing Riku to fall to his knees. That dark aura began to surround his form as well; it felt invigorating. A loud crack sounded above them, and the sky tore open a portal.

Riku, it seemed to call. The boy stood up and stared in awe at the portal that loomed above the paopu tree.

As a twisted smile formed on his lips, Riku spoke quietly to himself, "The door is open."