Sorrow's Promise

Chapter 46

Saix and I came out of the corridor into a large, empty room, with one entire wall completely covered from floor to ceiling in windows. The sky outside was dark, but everything below it was illuminated by a giant, heart-shaped moon.

"Kingdom Hearts," Saix declared, his gaze fixed on the strange moon. "Isn't it wonderful?"

I glanced over at him, then back out the window. It was the first time I had ever heard him express anything besides disdain and hatred for anything. I had been told so much about the mysterious Kingdom Hearts that everyone seemed to want to get their hands on, but this? Somehow this was not what I was expecting.

My thoughts were interrupted when Saix began to drag me farther across the room, depositing me in front of the windows before finally releasing his hold on my hair. "Luxord is keeping your friends occupied for now, but at least some of them should be here soon." The way he emphasized the word "some" made me sick. "In the meantime, let me introduce you to a new setting on this that we have not yet experimented with." He held up the controller for the band and I immediately tensed, dreading what might come next.

"I won't have time to make sure you're behaving yourself while I'm taking care of your friends, but this can do it for me. You see, if I flip this switch here," Saix elaborated, pointing, "Then the device will become motion-sensitive. Any movement that you make will cause a reaction from the device. The larger or stronger your movements, the stronger the repercussion will be." His lips pulled back in a menacing smile. "So if I were you, I'd find a comfortable position to stand in."

He jabbed the switch before I had the chance to even think about adjusting my position. I froze, terrified to even blink, but my fear of moving was causing my body to tremble. Just that was enough to trigger a Level One response from the band. If I spoke or twitched at all, I could just imagine what the result would be. Hot tears began pouring down my face again as Saix turned back to gaze out the window.

In a moment, I heard footsteps echoing down the hallway. My stomach turned a flip. Why couldn't they have just listened to me and left while they had the chance? I didn't want them to see me like this, and I didn't want to watch them die, but now I would have no choice. Saix turned as the group entered the room and smiled again.

"Only you could have made it this far in one piece...Roxas."

"That's really getting old!" Sora complained.

"Yeah, he's Sora!" Donald protested.

Riku stepped forward and glowered at Saix. "You need to let Meli go."

"Yeah, or you're gonna regret it!" Sora added.

"Let her go?" Saix chuckled. "Why, she's welcome to run into your arms whenever she pleases." He glanced over his shoulder at me, clearly amused with his own joke. "Go on, Meli, why don't you run and see your friends?" Clenching my jaw, I shot him the most menacing glare I could manage with just my eyes.

"I know you've done something to her," Riku shouted. "Don't try to keep pretending that she wants to be here."

"Oh, don't worry, I won't." Saix summoned a towering blue and gold weapon to his hands. "She's only here now so that she can watch all of you die." With a flick of his wrist, more blades shot out of the top of the weapon. Saix waved the claymore in front of himself, creating a powerful windstorm that threatened to blow everyone to the ground. I saw Riku spin around and cover Kairi, protecting her from the flying debris, and the two of them were blown back out into the hallway. Sora, Donald, and Goofy managed to stand their ground, but Saix pointed the weapon again and a nearly-invisible barrier wall went up in the doorway to block Riku and Kairi from returning.