Kingdom Hearts: Unrecorded

Prologue

I dreamed of floating towards the unknown.

There was the distinct feeling of longing—

A bit similar to the warmth of reminiscing past memories...

Or maybe the solemn farewell to an adventure.

May our hearts be our guiding key.

---

Riviera.

The boy stood around in total darkness.

No matter where he cast his sky-blue eyes upon, it was the same. There was no trace of light anywhere, and it was as though he was floating in an abyss in the middle of the ocean.

Even though he squinted his eyes as hard as he could, he couldn't find the disembodied voice calling his name. "Who's there?" He asked. The boy named Riviera never expected an answer to come, but he asked nonetheless.

Riviera.

There was that voice again.

"Who are you?" He asked again, desperately looking for the origin of the voice.

With no other choice but to move forward in the darkness, he took a small step towards the unending darkness. There were no echoes of his footsteps, and every step didn't seem to bring him closer towards the voice. For him, it felt like he was running in a single space, never actually moving an inch.

Would you like me to show you the station that represents your heart?

Again.

This time, it asked him a question instead of merely calling his name. He knew that whatever he says will absolutely contain a response.

"Yes," he said with a nod.

As if it was a reply to his answer, a mysterious flock of doves flew away with a huge gust of wind, making his pure white hair sway, and revealed a large pillar that was illuminated with an azure tinge, similar to that of the sky. The pillar looked like it was made of stained glass, with reflections of light pouring out of it.

Riviera stepped forward towards the middle of the area with a mystified look on his face. It was the first time he had seen anything like this; he felt curiosity and amazement, but at the same time, there was a hint of lingering anxiety and fear in his chest. All he could mutter was another question. "Is this... my heart?"

Indeed.

This is what your heart looks like.

However,

this is but one part of your heart.

For every decision that you choose,

and for every path you take,

your heart changes and expands as well.

Riviera faced up and held his hand close to his chest. There were many questions in his mind, but only one surfaced in his heart.

"Then... will there be more pillars as I experience my life?"

Indeed.

Within you, a whole world rests.

It is up to you...

whether what you build is a world filled with the brightest light,

or one blanketed with the strongest darkness.

Let me ask you:

What is the most important thing to you?

The voice fell silent, waiting for Riviera to answer its query. Riviera clutched his heart and answered without a second thought. 

"My friends."

Friends.

The people who guide you to your path,

and sometimes,

they are those who try to divert you from it.

A wise answer.

Deep inside yourself,

you contain the key to protect those you hold dear.

However, you have to connect with your heart--

if you want to unlock that power.

I want you to show me if you are deserving.

There was an audible rumbling from the bottom of the abyss. As it echoed into both of Riviera's ears, another station starts to rise from under the darkness. It has the same blue tint, but this time, the glow of the platform was weaker.

Proceed to the next pillar.

Please don't be afraid to take a step forward.

After all, you will have to face the darkness very soon.

Out of nowhere, darkness grew from the edges of the pillar, which seemed to blend in with the abyss in the horizon. Three Shadows stepped forward and slithered across the area, jumping towards Riviera and attempting to attack him.  If he hadn't evaded those attacks, surely-- it would have damaged him greatly.

He recalled the words of the mysterious voice.

"Connect with my heart..." He mutters with bated breath, keeping himself focused on the Shadows.

He took a deep breath as he held his hand up and closed his eyes.

A light appeared in his palm, and with it--

A weapon. It had a sharp edge which looked like the blade of a sword, in its back were two cylindrical rods connecting to another pointed edge. The weapon seemed like it was a mix between a skeleton key and a sword.

With a dash forward, he swiped his hand down, hitting one of the Shadows with the mysterious weapon. It tried to hit him back with one of its limbs but failed as he vaulted on its head and hit another Shadow with his keyblade. Wanting to finish the fight immediately, he unleashed a combination that hit all three enemies at once, swiping the Shadows with multiple hits of the keyblade. The Shadows melted and completely disappeared into nothingness.

After taking a few deep breaths, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and stabbed the keyblade into the ground to help him keep his balance.

Well done.

I see that I chose the right person.

However,

You should choose your path wisely.

Life doesn't permit a once more or a second chance.

Now, rest--

For you have a lot to do in the following days.

All of a sudden, drowsiness fell on his mind and although he tried his best to keep his consciousness intact, gravity took its toll on him as he slowly drifted off into sleep.