○○Chapter 8 - Let the Game Begin○○



MALEFICENT GLIDED THROUGH THE DIM, ECHOING CORRIDORS OF HER LAIR LOCATED IN ONE OF THE HIGH TOWERS, SHADOWS FLICKERED LIKE WHISPERS, MIRRORING HER DARK THOUGHTS. She needed answers—answers about the connection between Sora and Everly, and more importantly, about the hidden power within the girl's heart. She sensed it was the key to exploiting the ties between them.

The corridors led her to a private chamber, where glowing crystals filled the room with a foreboding energy. It was here, surrounded by darkness, that Maleficent could peer into the mysteries of Everly's heart using her command. At the center of the room stood an obsidian crystal, large and pulsing with shadowy power.

"Reveal to me what lies beneath," Maleficent murmured, her hands raising as dark energy swirled around her, enveloping her in an aura of shadows. The crystal responded, a stream of dark tendrils reaching out to connect with her magic.

Inside the crystal, a vision began to form. Everly appeared—showing glimpses of her life. Maleficent watched as Everly trained with Yuffie and Leon, her face determined and focused. Yet the vision quickly darkened. The girl's strength faded as shadows twisted around her. There were flashes of Everly clutching her chest, her face contorted with pain, an unseen darkness wrapping itself around her heart.

Maleficent's eyes narrowed as she watched the scene unfold, the curse entwined with light. "Interesting... the darkness is not her own. It's a remnant of something much greater. But who does it belong to?"

A dark ambition swirled in Maleficent's heart. She realized that this could be the key to breaking Everly's resolve. The girl's strength was not yet fully hers; it was tied to her light and the cursed Heartless. Maleficent could use this conflict, twist it, and eventually turn her against Sora.

With a flick of her hand, Maleficent conjured a dark projection of Everly. The image warped and shifted, showing moments of doubt and fear—vulnerabilities she could exploit. "If I can whisper the right words, her doubts will consume her. She will be my perfect weapon against the retched boy... and against the light. Just got to wait for the perfect moment. Perfect timing."

A sinister smile curved across her lips as she let out a cackle imagined Everly succumbing to her influence. "Yes... it will only take a push in the right direction." She laughed maniacally once more around the same time a flash of lightning strikes outside.

Satisfied with her plan, Maleficent allowed the shadows to recede. She turned away from the crystal, leaving the dark energy behind as she strode out of the chamber, her plan fully formed.

Back in the smoky gathering room, the other villains waited impatiently. Hades lounged lazily against a wall, tossing a flame back and forth between his hands. "What's taking her so long? We need a plan, like, uh, weeks ago!" he complained, his fiery hair flickering with irritation.

Jafar, arms crossed, glanced at the door. "She will return with what we need. Patience."

"Patience? Patience is for mortals," Hades muttered.

Before he could say more, the door swung open. Maleficent swept back into the room, her presence demanding instant silence. The dark aura around her told the villains she had the answers they sought.

"I have discovered what we need," Maleficent said, her voice cool but charged with triumph.

The other villains leaned forward, intrigued. "Well? Don't keep us waiting," Ursula urged, her eyes glittering with curiosity.

"The girl is indeed connected to Sora through their twin bond, but her potential lies within the light that battles the darkness in her heart," Maleficent explained, her tone calculated. "We can use her and Riku for this conflict to our advantage, but we must be careful. If we move too quickly, we all will fail."

"And how do you suggest we deal with her?" Oogie Boogie asked, his voice full of skepticism.

Maleficent's smile darkened. "We start by sending a message. A reminder of her fears, her doubts. She must feel isolated... alone. When she is at her weakest, we will approach her."

Hades chuckled, his flames flaring. "Now you're speaking my language! Let's heat things up, make her stew in those feelings." His blue fire flared up.

Captain Hook, stroking his chin carefully with his shiny, pointy hook, nodded in agreement. "And when she's broken, we'll have the boy exactly where we want him. Then off the plank he goes!"

Maleficent's eyes glinted with malevolent satisfaction. "Indeed. It will be a slow unraveling... but once she's ours, her and Riku will help us make Sora fall. The light cannot stand divided."

As the villains plotted, the shadows around them deepened, their sinister plans weaving into the fabric of the worlds. Soon, bonds of loyalty and light would be tested in a confrontation that none could foresee. The game was set, and the darkness was ready to strike.