Prologue: When Light Fades

Author Note:

Hey Guys! New Story drop Kingdom Hearts: Key of Unity !

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Andrew Nutt / Axel Mossbrant / Bobby Emmanuel / cshami / Dan / Ghost's Commissar / KA012 / Leanne Stilwell / LotsOfChickenNuggets / matthew lowen / Mayvror478Blaze / Miglos / nasapeepolover116 / Percy / phillip wenninger / r3d3v3 / Raiden Vermillion / ReverieRover / RobbieRay / Scott / Write4NoReasonW4NR

Andrew Slayn was seventeen when his world ended.

Not in the way teenagers often describe their social catastrophes or heartbreaks, but literally—consumed by a darkness so complete it devoured reality itself. One moment, his suburban neighborhood bustled with evening activities; the next, the sky tore open like tissue paper, bleeding shadows that moved with terrible purpose.

From his bedroom window, Andrew watched as neighbors, friends, and strangers alike stood frozen in confusion before the shadows engulfed them. Each person collapsed as crystalline hearts burst from their chests, pulsing with light before being swallowed by the darkness. Their empty husks dissolved into nothingness, while the small shadows grew, yellow eyes blinking open as they sought more prey.

Heartless. Though he'd never seen them before, the name materialized in his mind with terrible certainty.

"Mom! Dad!" Andrew bolted from his room, nearly tumbling down the stairs. His parents had been in the kitchen preparing dinner. Now, the kitchen stood empty, chairs overturned, a pot of pasta water boiling over on the stove. Through the window, he saw the darkness spreading like spilled ink across their backyard.

Andrew's chest tightened. He tried calling out again, but his voice caught in his throat. The walls of his childhood home groaned, cracks spiderwebbing across the ceiling as reality itself began to fracture.

Instinct drove him outside, into chaos. The neighborhood was transforming before his eyes. Streets buckled and twisted upward, houses collapsed as though made of cards, and all around him, people screamed as they were consumed by the shadows. The very fabric of their world was unraveling.

Andrew ran. Not toward any destination—there was nowhere to go—but away from the immediate destruction. His lungs burned, and tears streamed down his face, but he couldn't stop. Wouldn't stop. Some primal part of him refused to surrender to the darkness.

"Why is this happening?" he gasped, dodging a lamppost as it uprooted and tumbled past him. In his pocket, his phone vibrated. With trembling hands, he pulled it out to see a message from his best friend, Kai:

They're everywhere. Where are you? I'm at the pa—

The message cut off abruptly. Andrew's vision blurred with fresh tears as he pocketed the phone and pushed himself to run faster.

The park appeared ahead, or what remained of it. The playground equipment twisted into impossible shapes, and the ground heaved like the surface of a stormy sea. Beyond it, a massive sphere of darkness consumed the horizon, pulling everything toward it like a terrible black hole.

Andrew stumbled and fell to his knees. There was nowhere left to run. The world—his world—was dying.

As shadowy creatures emerged from the ground around him, their antennae twitching in anticipation, Andrew closed his eyes. He thought of his parents, his friends, all the people he'd never see again. All the manga he'd never finish reading. All the jokes he'd never tell. The brutal honesty that often got him in trouble but that he'd never apologize for. The ordinary life he'd taken for granted.

"I'm not ready," he whispered.

The first Heartless lunged.

But instead of feeling claws tear into his flesh, Andrew felt a strange warmth bloom in his chest. His eyes flew open as light burst from within him, blinding in its intensity. The Heartless recoiled, their featureless faces contorting in what might have been pain.

Andrew stared at his hands, now glowing with a soft blue light. The warmth spread through his entire body, a feeling of strength unlike anything he'd ever experienced.

"What is this?" he murmured.

Your heart is strong.

The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, resonating within his mind rather than reaching his ears.

Stronger than the darkness. But your world is lost.

Around him, the destruction accelerated. Trees uprooted, concrete shattered, and the sky itself seemed to crack like glass. The massive sphere of darkness grew larger, its pull becoming irresistible.

"What about everyone else? My parents? My friends?" Andrew shouted against the howling wind.

Their hearts have been taken. But not forever. Nothing is ever truly lost to darkness... if there is light to guide the way back.

The ground beneath Andrew disintegrated. He felt himself being pulled toward the sphere, his body weightless. The blue light surrounding him pulsed brighter as darkness enveloped him.

The last thing Andrew saw was his world—everything he had ever known—collapse into nothingness.

Then, there was only darkness.

Andrew fell through an endless void.

At least, it felt endless. Time lost meaning in the darkness. He could have been falling for minutes or days; he couldn't tell. His body tumbled through nothingness, and yet he felt no fear—only a strange sense of calm, as though part of him understood this journey was necessary.

The blue light that had protected him faded to a soft glow around his chest—his heart, he realized. It illuminated nothing in the void, but its presence comforted him nonetheless.

Your heart guides you even now.

That voice again. Feminine, powerful, and ancient.

"Who are you?" Andrew called out, his voice swallowed by the emptiness.

A watcher. A waiter. Not yet a guide... but perhaps soon.

"Where am I going?"

To where all broken worlds lead. To the darkness between. To where she waits, though her hope fades.

Before Andrew could ask who "she" was, a pinprick of light appeared below him. As he fell toward it, the light grew, revealing what looked like a surface—water, perhaps, its surface perfectly still and reflecting what little light existed in this realm.

Andrew's descent slowed as he approached the surface, until he touched down gently on what felt like solid ground despite its liquid appearance. Ripples spread outward from his feet, disturbing the perfect stillness.

He stood in a strange landscape of dark beaches and twisted rock formations. The "sky" above was an impenetrable blackness, yet the ground and distant rock formations were visible in a dim, sourceless twilight. The air felt heavy, oppressive, as though the darkness itself had weight.

"Hello?" Andrew called out, his voice sounding flat and dead in the thick atmosphere.

No response came except the gentle lapping of dark waves against an ashen shore. Andrew began walking, his footsteps leaving momentary glowing imprints that faded quickly.

"The Realm of Darkness," he murmured, the name coming to him unbidden. How he knew this, he couldn't say. It was as though the knowledge had always been there, waiting to be remembered rather than learned.

He walked for what felt like hours along the shoreline. Occasionally, he spotted yellow eyes gleaming from shadowy crevices, but the creatures kept their distance. The light within him, though dimmer now, seemed to repel them.

Eventually, Andrew came upon a small lake nestled between jagged rock formations. Unlike the vast dark ocean, this lake was perfectly still, its surface like black glass reflecting the nothingness above. He sat at its edge, exhaustion finally catching up to him.

The reality of his situation crashed down upon him. His world was gone. Everyone he knew—gone. He was stranded in a realm of darkness with no apparent way out, surrounded by creatures that would consume his heart given the chance.

Andrew buried his face in his hands and, for the first time since the destruction began, allowed himself to break. His sobs echoed across the dark lake, a sound of pure human anguish in a place that knew no humanity.

"Mom... Dad..." he whispered between breaths. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

But perhaps you can save her.

Andrew's head snapped up. The voice again, clearer now.

"Who?" he demanded, wiping tears from his face.

Listen.

And then he heard it—a scream, sharp and desperate, cutting through the oppressive silence of the dark realm. Without thinking, Andrew was on his feet, heart pounding.

The protective instinct that had always defined him surged forward. Someone was in trouble. Someone needed help. In a world where he had lost everything, that simple truth became an anchor.

Andrew ran toward the sound, scrambling over rock formations and sliding down sandy slopes. The scream came again, closer now, accompanied by strange chittering noises that raised the hair on the back of his neck.

He rounded a massive obsidian boulder and skidded to a halt.

In a clearing below, surrounded by twisted trees with branches like grasping hands, a young woman with short blue hair fought desperately against a swarm of Heartless. But unlike the small shadowy imps that had invaded his world, these creatures were larger, more substantial—Neoshadows, his mind supplied, again with that strange certainty.

The woman wielded what appeared to be a key-shaped sword, its metal gleaming with a faint light as she cut through the creatures. But Andrew could see she was faltering. Her movements, though skilled, were becoming sluggish. The weapon trembled in her grip.

More concerning was the look in her eyes—a dullness, an emptiness that suggested she was fighting on instinct alone, her will nearly extinguished by what must have been a long battle against endless darkness.

As Andrew watched, her weapon vanished in a flash of light, and she stumbled to one knee. The Heartless, sensing vulnerability, began to close in, their movements becoming more predatory.

Andrew didn't think. He acted.

"Hey!" he shouted, sliding down the sandy slope toward the clearing. "Get away from her!"

The woman's head snapped up, her tired eyes widening with shock—not just at his appearance, but perhaps at the sight of another human in this realm of shadows.

Andrew charged into the fray, fists raised. He had no weapon, no magic, nothing but the desperate courage of someone with nothing left to lose. His first punch connected with a Neoshadow, and to his surprise, the creature dissipated in a cloud of darkness.

"What the—" he began, but another Heartless lunged at him, forcing him to dodge.

The woman stared at him, confusion and a flicker of something else—hope, perhaps—crossing her face. "How are you...?"

"Questions later!" Andrew called, kicking another Heartless away from her. "Can you fight?"

She tried to stand, to summon her weapon again, but collapsed back to one knee. "I... I've been here too long," she whispered. "The darkness... it's too strong."

Andrew positioned himself between her and the approaching Heartless. The creatures seemed wary of him, circling cautiously.

"My name's Andrew," he said over his shoulder. "And I'm not letting these things take another heart today."

"Aqua," she replied softly. "My name is Aqua."

A Neoshadow lunged. Andrew swung, his fist connecting with its face. Again, the creature dissolved into darkness upon contact. Another attacked from his left; he spun and kicked it away.

What Andrew lacked in training, he made up for in raw determination. Each Heartless that fell seemed to embolden him, the light in his chest growing brighter with each victory.

Aqua watched in amazement. "Your heart," she murmured. "It's protecting you."

Andrew didn't have time to process her words. The Heartless, realizing their individual attacks were failing, began to move as one, surrounding them completely.

"There's too many," he admitted, backing up until he stood directly over Aqua.

"Why?" she asked suddenly. "Why risk yourself for a stranger?"

Andrew glanced down at her, a wry smile crossing his face despite their dire situation. "Because it's the right thing to do. And honestly, I've had a really bad day, so hitting these things feels pretty therapeutic."

A ghost of a smile touched Aqua's lips—perhaps the first in a very long time.

As the Heartless closed in, Andrew braced himself for what would likely be his last stand. But before the creatures could attack, a voice rang out—the same voice that had spoken to him in the void.

The time has come to awaken your power, Andrew Slayn.

The ground beneath them began to glow, a circular platform of light expanding outward and driving the Heartless back. Andrew felt a tugging sensation, as though his very essence was being pulled elsewhere.

"What's happening?" he gasped, reaching for Aqua instinctively.

Her eyes widened in recognition. "The Station of Awakening," she whispered. "Someone's calling you."

Before Andrew could respond, the light intensified, blinding in its brilliance. He felt Aqua's hand grip his wrist—whether in warning or in a desperate attempt to connect with another human being, he wasn't sure.

"Find me," she said urgently as the light began to consume him. "If you return to the realm of darkness, find me. I've been alone for so long..."

"I will," Andrew promised as his vision whited out completely. "I'll come back for you, Aqua. I promise."

The last thing he saw was her face, a mixture of hope and disbelief etched upon it, before everything dissolved into light.

Andrew descended slowly through a space that was neither darkness nor light, but something in between. Unlike his uncontrolled fall through the void, this descent was gentle, purposeful.

As he neared the bottom, details became clearer. He was approaching a massive circular platform, its surface resembling stained glass. The intricate design depicted a young man with spiky brown hair, wielding a key-shaped weapon similar to Aqua's.

Andrew's feet touched down on the platform with barely a sound. The moment he landed, torches ignited around the perimeter, casting warm light across the stained glass.

Welcome, Andrew Slayn. To the Station of Awakening.

The voice was clearer here, though still without a visible source.

"Who are you?" Andrew asked, turning in a slow circle. "And what is this place?"

I am... a guide. And this place exists between dreams and reality, between light and darkness. It is where potential becomes power, where destiny takes form.

Andrew looked down at the stained glass beneath his feet. "That weapon... it's like the one Aqua had."

The Keyblade. A weapon of great power, capable of locking—or unlocking—hearts and worlds.

"And why am I here?"

Because your heart called out, and it was answered. Because darkness consumed your world, yet failed to consume you. Because even in your loss, you chose to protect another rather than succumb to despair.

Three pedestals rose from the platform, each bearing a different weapon: a sword, a shield, and a staff.

Power sleeps within you. Give it form, and it will give you strength. Choose wisely, for your choice will shape your path.

Andrew approached the pedestals slowly, examining each weapon. The sword represented power, the shield protection, the staff wisdom—again, knowledge that came to him without explanation.

He reached for the shield without hesitation.

The power to protect. To stand against the tide of darkness and shield others from harm. Is this the power you seek?

"Yes," Andrew replied firmly. "I couldn't protect my world or my family. But I want the strength to protect those I can still save."

The shield dissolved into light, flowing into Andrew's chest. The warm glow he had felt before intensified.

Now, what will you give up in exchange?

Andrew turned to the remaining weapons. After a moment's consideration, he approached the sword.

The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. You give up this power?

"Raw strength without purpose is meaningless," Andrew said. "I don't want to destroy. I want to save."

The sword vanished, and Andrew felt a subtle shift within himself.

You have chosen the path of the guardian. You value protection above all else, willing to sacrifice raw power to defend those in need. Your path will not be an easy one, but it will be true.

The pedestals sank back into the platform. For a moment, all was still.

Then, the stained glass beneath Andrew's feet began to change. The image of the spiky-haired boy faded, replaced by a new design forming around Andrew himself. His own image appeared in the center, eyes closed as though sleeping, surrounded by smaller circular portraits.

One showed his parents, smiling. Another depicted his destroyed world. A third showed Aqua, her expression determined yet weary. The fourth remained clouded, undefined.

Your heart connects to others. These connections will be your greatest strength.

The platform trembled, and cracks appeared along its edge.

But first, you must face the darkness within yourself.

Andrew's shadow stretched and distorted, rising from the ground to take three-dimensional form. It stood before him, a perfect silhouette of his body but with glowing yellow eyes.

Every light casts a shadow. Every heart contains darkness. Do not fear it—understand it.

The shadow lunged, its movements mirroring Andrew's own fighting style. Andrew dodged, then struck back with a punch that passed harmlessly through the creature.

"How do I fight something I can't touch?" he called out.

Not with fists, but with heart. The darkness within cannot be destroyed, only accepted and controlled.

Andrew backpedaled as the shadow pursued him. "Accept it? It's trying to kill me!"

It is a part of you. Neither good nor evil, merely a reflection of your fears, your doubts, your anger. Give it form, then give it purpose.

Andrew stopped running. He faced his shadow, looking directly into its glowing eyes.

"You're my doubt," he said. "My fear that I'm not strong enough. My anger at losing everything." He took a deep breath. "But you're also my determination. My honesty. My willingness to stand up when others fall."

The shadow paused, tilting its head as though listening.

"I accept you," Andrew continued, extending his hand. "Not as my enemy, but as part of who I am."

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the shadow dissolved into particles of darkness that swirled around Andrew's outstretched hand. The particles condensed, elongated, took shape.

Light flashed, and Andrew found himself holding a Keyblade.

Its design was unique—sleek and modern, with a gunmetal finish. The blade portion resembled a stylized lightning bolt, while the teeth of the key featured what looked like a shield motif. The keychain dangling from the hilt was a small lightning bolt intersecting with a protective shield symbol.

Lightning's Legacy. A Keyblade born from your heart's desire to protect with brutal honesty and unflinching courage.

Andrew stared at the weapon in awe, feeling its perfect balance, its connection to his very being. It was neither too heavy nor too light—an extension of himself.

"What does this mean?" he asked, giving the Keyblade an experimental swing. A trail of blue energy followed its arc.

It means you have been chosen. The Keyblade chooses its master, and it has chosen you. Your journey begins now.

The platform beneath Andrew began to glow intensely.

Your journey must begin elsewhere. You must first travel to other worlds, grow stronger, learn to wield your Keyblade properly. Aqua's path intersects with yours, but not yet. She will be needed later, when the time is right.

The light grew brighter, beginning to envelop Andrew. He felt himself being pulled upward, away from the Realm of Darkness.

Andrew's expression darkened as the realization hit him. "Wait—you're sending me somewhere else? Without her?" His grip tightened on the Keyblade, knuckles turning white. "I just promised Aqua I'd come back for her!"

It is necessary. You are not yet ready, and the path ahead—

"Necessary?" Andrew's voice rose, cutting through the ethereal voice's explanation. "She's been alone in that hellhole for who knows how long, fighting those things non-stop, and the moment she finally meets another person, you want me to go somewhere else entirely? To 'grow stronger' while she continues to suffer?"

The light around them flickered, wavering slightly as if taken aback by his outburst.

This... this is unexpected. Those chosen typically understand the importance of proper training. The path must be followed in the correct—

"In the correct order?" Andrew gestured wildly with his free hand. "Look, I get it. I'm new to this whole Keyblade thing. But I made a promise to her. That has to mean something."

As his emotions flared, the Keyblade in his hand responded, pulsing with bright blue energy. Streaks of electric light raced along its length, the weapon resonating with his conviction. Andrew felt it grow warmer, almost humming with power—not resisting his will but amplifying it.

Your heart is... unusual, Andrew Slayn. Most would follow the path laid before them without question.

"Yeah, well, I'm not most people." He raised his Keyblade, which now crackled with barely contained energy. "This thing chose me for a reason, right? You said it yourself—I value protection above all else. What kind of protector would I be if I abandoned the first person who needed me, just to go on some training journey?"

Another pause, longer this time. When the voice spoke again, it carried a mixture of resignation and something that might have been respect.

I see now why the Keyblade chose you. Your heart follows its own compass, even when faced with powers beyond your understanding. Perhaps... perhaps this conviction is precisely what is needed.

The light shifted around him, its pull changing direction.

Very well. I will return you to the Realm of Darkness. But be warned—it is treacherous beyond measure, and Aqua's journey is complicated by forces you do not yet understand. Without proper training, you place both yourself and her at risk.

The light began to recede, the Station of Awakening dissolving around him.

Return to her, then. But know this—sometimes, to truly save someone, the path is not as straightforward as it seems.

As Andrew felt himself being pulled back into the void between realms, he gripped his new Keyblade tightly and focused on one thought.

"I'm coming back, Aqua. And I don't break my promises."

And somewhere in the endless dark, a blue-haired Keyblade Master looked up, feeling a flicker of something she had almost forgotten.

Hope—tinged with disbelief that someone would willingly return to the darkness for her sake.

The war against darkness was far from over. But for the first time in what felt like an eternity, the scales were beginning to tip.

A new guardian had awakened—one who forged his own path, even if it meant arguing with the voice of destiny itself.

In the space between realms, where time had no meaning and distance was measured in heartbeats rather than miles, the voice lingered.

Curious. Most curious.

For eons, she had guided the chosen, set them on their predetermined paths, watched as they followed the steps laid out before them. Even the most rebellious had eventually bent to the necessities of destiny.

But this one...

This heart—so ordinary in many ways, yet extraordinary in its straightforward conviction—had done what none before it had: challenged the very nature of the journey itself. Not out of arrogance or anger, but out of a simple, unshakeable promise.

Perhaps in these darkening times, when ancient prophecies begin to falter and destinies intertwine in unexpected ways, what is needed is not another dutiful soldier of light...

The voice, ancient beyond reckoning, considered a new possibility.

But someone honest enough to forge a new path altogether. Someone who sees through the veil of destiny to the hearts that truly matter.

As Andrew's essence returned to the Realm of Darkness, guided by his unwavering promise to a Keyblade Master lost in shadow, the voice felt something she had not experienced in millennia.

Uncertainty—and with it, a glimmer of hope.

Go then, Andrew Slayn. Show me what happens when destiny bends to heart, rather than heart to destiny.

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