A full day had passed since the battle. The searing pain in Aqua's body had finally dulled to a steady ache, though the phantom sting of Kurai's darkness still lingered in her muscles and bones. She sat in silent reflection at the upper balcony of the Mysterious Tower, wrapped in a thick robe, the evening breeze doing little to soothe her troubled heart.
Below, the sky was fading into dusk, painting the world in soft oranges and bruised purples.
"She took her," Aqua whispered. "She took Skuld…"
She clenched her fists, fingernails digging into the fabric of her robe. The moment had replayed in her mind a thousand times. That girl's fan slicing through her defenses, that cold voice mocking her efforts, and the helpless look as Skuld vanished into the darkness. It had been more than just a loss. It was a theft—of a friend.
Footsteps sounded behind her—calm, deliberate. She didn't need to turn.
"Master Yen Sid."
"You seem troubled, Master Aqua," he said gently, joining her by the balcony railing. His eyes, ancient and perceptive, followed her gaze to the darkening horizon.
"I couldn't stop her," Aqua murmured. "Even with everything I've learned, everything I've trained for. She was stronger. Smarter. Crueler."
Yen Sid remained quiet for a long time, letting the silence offer its own truth.
"You're not the only one to face defeat," he finally said. "But unlike most… you've come back from it before."
Aqua turned her head toward him. "Have you found her yet? Found that girl? Found Skuld?"
Yen Sid closed his eyes briefly. "No. Her darkness is too dense, too chaotic. It obscures every trace of her movements. My tracking spells fail before they even begin. It's as though she's learned how to bend even the darkness itself to her will."
"She could be hurting Skuld." Aqua's voice trembled. "Or worse."
"Skuld is strong. And perhaps… our mysterious attacker has a reason for taking her alive. That is not a comfort, but it is a hope."
Aqua looked down at her hands—hands that had once carried her through every trial, through the endless darkness of the Realm of Darkness itself—and now they felt weak. Not because she lacked strength, but because she had failed to protect someone.
"She was just a girl. A kid," Aqua whispered. "I should've protected her better."
Yen Sid looked toward the distant stars. "We do not always get to choose the shape of our battles. Only how we endure them."
"I want to go after her," Aqua said suddenly. "I want to bring Skuld back."
Yen Sid nodded slowly. "And you shall. But not yet. You are still healing, and to face that girl again without understanding the full nature of her power would be folly."
"I don't care—"
"But you must." His voice turned firm. "Emotion clouds judgment. Vengeance is not the same as rescue."
Aqua gritted her teeth. "You think I don't know that? I've walked through more darkness than most. I don't want revenge. I just want her back."
Yen Sid regarded her carefully. "Then listen well. This girl—the attacker—she is not like other wielders of darkness. Her power is not born of rage or fear. It is refined. Cold. Intentional. She also wields a keyblade. We must uncover her origin before we make another move."
Aqua nodded reluctantly. "Do you know anything more about her?"
"She knew the both of you. She knew Skuld. And she fought as if she understood every move you might make before you made it. That is not a coincidence. She must have been observing you since long before now."
"She's dangerous," Aqua whispered. "And if she hurt Skuld… what am I supposed to do? Just wait here doing nothing?"
Yen Sid placed a steady hand on her shoulder. "If she has hurt Skuld, then she will answer for it. But you must not throw yourself into the abyss without preparation. You once left here, hoping to guide young Terra and young Ventus back from ruin. Guide yourself now."
Aqua's shoulders sank.
"She was… so strong," she admitted. "Every time I thought we had her—she was already three steps ahead. She was fast. Brutal. And her keyblade… it was like nothing I've ever seen."
Yen Sid's gaze narrowed slightly. "Describe it."
"Dark silver. Jagged edges. Like it was made of shadow and steel. And it wasn't just her blade—it was her presence. It felt like we were fighting a shadow given form. No fear. No hesitation."
Yen Sid grew silent again.
"I will meditate further. Perhaps some thread of knowledge can be pulled from the records. There may be more to Kurai than we have yet uncovered."
Aqua stood slowly, every muscle stiff with effort. "If there is, I know you'll find it. Whatever she is doing, wherever she came from—I'm going to get Skuld back."
"And I will support you in every way I can," Yen Sid said solemnly. "But for now… rest."
Aqua's eyes fell back on the horizon. Somewhere out there, Kurai was moving through the darkness with Skuld in her grasp. And Aqua could do nothing.
Not yet.
But soon.
Very soon.
In the dimly lit kitchen of the Olympian mansion, Kurai let out a soft yawn. She leaned against the counter, arms folded, her war fan leaning idly against the wall beside her. The kitchen was still, the air gently humming with residual mana from the wards she'd layered across the structure.
She tilted her head, suddenly still. A flicker.
There it was again.
A thread of foreign magic. Slender. Searching. Probing. Like a whisper trying to worm its way through the veil of darkness that surrounded her presence.
Kurai's silver eyes narrowed slightly, and she let out an annoyed sigh. With a lazy flick of her fingers, a pulse of shadow expanded around her hand, weaving through the walls like mist. The tracking spell fizzled mid-cast, unraveling into nothing—scattered like smoke caught in a storm.
"Another one," she muttered. "Persistent old man."
She returned to leaning against the counter, her expression unreadable.
"They never learn. Darkness isn't something you trace. It's something you drown in."
The shadows thickened slightly, curling protectively around her. Kurai yawned again, as if nothing had happened, and turned her attention back to her tea.