Chapter 2 – Sleeping alone in the twilight, untouched by time, reborn only knowing my name

1 year later...

The setting was a grey and foggy area everything was completely silent as nothing could be heard or seen, there was no sign of light, and no trace of darkness. Just grey as far as the eye could see, suddenly in the midst of the fog was a structure, it became more visible, it was a tall white structure. It was a castle... A completely white castle surrounded the never ending grey fog, the lining of the castle was a light lilac.

It surrounded by a faint glowing aura, it stuck in this empty world, but a light could be seen in one of castle windows. A faint light, someone was in inside the castle, the interior was the just same as the outside the castle was white with each floor, and like the outside the castle was deserted, there was a light somewhere but the building was completely empty with no signs of life.

On the top floor of the castle was where the source of light was coming from, the top floor was a throne room of some kind, in the centre of a oval shaped sphere, it was blinking a golden glow that slowly faded on and off. Inside of the sphere was a figure, they remained motionless as the sphere remained frozen. A closer look revealed the figure to the boy from who vanished in the light on the unknown island.

This place... It's quiet... There's not a single sound...

I can't even hear his voice anymore... The one sent me here...

I can't see anything... Everything is numb... But I feel the warmth around me...

All that was known was that his name was 'Jaden' and that he somehow ended in this grey world inside its white castle. He had been in this unknown place for quite some time, he was unable to move from the sphere of aura he was inside, and this world was a twilight realm. A world that existed between the realm of light... and the realm of darkness, a quiet world with where the two forces exist in balance.

Jaden had been sent to this twilight world to recover properly from the damaged that had been inflicted on his heart. The unknown entity he meant that he had repaired the serious damage to his heart somehow guided here to this world so he could heal and rest. He gently slept inside the sphere as he waited, and waited, not knowing anything or what would happen after he was healed.

Everything I saw each time in my dreams... I didn't understand any of it...

Those faces were only in my head for a split second... Those voices... I couldn't tell whose they were...

Apart from my name, and the person who helped repair my heart... Only their voice...

But this place... It's helping me heal but... I feel my memories slipping away...

Soon I won't even remember that... Or my own name... Why... Why am I here...

He could not remember anything before he arrived here, in process of healing his heart, almost all of his memories were gone, he only remembered the voice that came to him, and his name. Everything else had slipped away, he couldn't remember a single thing about his life before, everything was going. While he slept he would see these flashes of images, voices and faces he couldn't even recognise.

7 years later...

Years had gone by and still this world remained just the same, the white castle hadn't changed, it stood tall within the grey fog. The only resident of the castle was still just Jaden, we was still inside the golden sphere which was glow more weaker and weaker, an indication that Jaden was almost healed.

But there was something strange about this boy, he hadn't changed at all, his body hadn't aged in the time he'd been here. This world and everything inside it seemed to be untouched by time, nothing changed and noting aged, the castle still looked new, and Jaden still looked the same.

Jaden was still asleep, his recovery was almost complete but most of his memories were gone now, he dreamt but he couldn't remember them. Now all he could remember was the voice and his name, he didn't even know why he was here or what he was meant to do, his purpose was unknown to him...

The dreams... I could barely remember them now... I didn't hear the voices anymore...

My mind was now completely blank, everything was lost... I couldn't even remember why I was here...

This place... I could be barely see beyond this sphere... this white room... what did it all mean...

That voice... Why did he send me here? I can't remember why I'm here, something happened to me...

He was even more confused before, the time he had spent in this world had affected what little memories he had left after the injury he had sustained to his heart. The longer he healed the more of his mind was being lost to this twilight world, and by the time he would recover he would no longer remember anything.

4 years later...

A whole decade had passed since Jaden first arrived in this grey world, 12 long years of sleep, and after that long time he had finally recovered the sphere had shattered a few days ago. But Jaden's mind was completely lost in oblivion, every memory, every dream, everything he had kept in his mind was gone.

Now all he knew was his name and nothing more, not even the person who helped and sent him here, he could no longer remember that voice. The young boy simply sat in the middle of the throne room of the white castle, his head bowed between his knees, he sat in solitude feeling alone and sad.

He had lost everything in response to his recovery, his heart and soul were mended anew, his body still remained the same, but everything he knew was gone. His eyes were blank, he had an emotionless expression on his face, he didn't feel cold or hot, he just remained still in the middle of this room.

"Wh... Where am I...? Who am I...? Wh... Why am I here, what is this place...?" Jaden asked himself as he was confused to where and who he was, then he slowly looked out to the window

"Beyond this white room... Is only grey... A grey mist that goes on forever..." he said as only the grey fog could be seen out the castle windows and then he examined the room he was inside

"It seems that all I've seen is this room and the fog beyond this place I'm trapped in..." he said as he looked around there was no way out apart from the windows but he was too high, there was no door for this room

At the exact same time on the outside by the castle's entrance , the giant doors which were safeguarded by glowing chains. Black energy began to form a doorway or some sort in front of the castle, suddenly a dark portal in the shape of a door formed. Then a figure emerged from the darkness, the first thing that could be seen was their black boots under and familiar crimson cloak with the hood up.

"So it's here that you've been hiding... I see the soul blade... It must've transported to this in-between realm" the man stated as he examined the white castle

"So this is the castle of the heart... A world in which damaged hearts are repaired... A world of nothingness and silence... Those whose minds are weak lose how their memories of this world" he said revealing the secret of this world

"The victims of this world wander aimlessly in the fog, falling into the oblivion of twilight..." he hooded man said as he then raised his arm as he a dark energy enveloped his hand and formed a blade is his hand

This weapon had jagged edges, the blade was black with a silver lining, and the bottom of the blade had a black bone like shapes sticking out. The handle itself was red and black with a purple gem at the bottom and wrapped in black chains, he raised his strange weapon to the castle doors as a dark purple energy formed at the tip of the sword and then shot a beam of dark energy at the door which shattered the energy chains.

"Hmph... This seal of light was nowhere strong enough to repel my darkness... Now let's see what we can find" he said in a sinister tone as the large white doors opened as he entered the castle

"Hmm... As I suspected... The atmosphere of this castle, it's the heart of this world... It's powers are strongest here... I can feel it trying to infiltrate my mind..." the man said slightly holding his head

"But as long as I wear this cloak I am shielded from the nothingness and twilight..." he said as he then vanished into the thin air, he had teleported

(About an hour later)

Back at the top floor inside the throne room Jaden was still sitting in silence, he was not aware that the castle had been invaded by this cloaked man with the strange sword. The brown haired teen suddenly heard something... he had heard something, for the first time in 13 years he had heard a sound, it was faint and distant, and it echoed. Then he heard a loud bang against the wall opposite to where he was facing.

"Huh...? What is that...? A noise... Is there something there?" Jaden stated in a plain expression as he got to his feet and walked over to the empty wall where the sound was coming from

"There's something... Something there, on the... The other side of this wall..." he said as he placed his hand on the white wall suddenly the same energy chains from the castle door appeared on this wall

"What's that...? What is this?" Jaden asked himself as he touched the wall again as the chains appeared again and then disappeared when he took his hand away, these chains were much stronger than ones of the door

It was some kind of seal that covered this wall, this wall is where the door of this room should be, but instead these transparent glowing chains appeared every time Jaden touched the wall. It seemed to react to him, then he placed his hands on the wall again revealing the web of chains, a sudden bang was heard much clearer.

On the opposite side was the hooded man it was his sword shooting energy blast at his side of the wall. With each blast he shot a faint ghostly image of a door surrounded in energy chains appear for a split second, he continued to effortlessly shot a barrage of blast at the door trying to open it, it was started to crack.

"It seems I underestimated the power of this castle' seals, with each floor I arrived at" he said as he then lowered his weapon and he a smirk appeared on his concealed face as he then raised weapon upwards

"Every door has a key... The soul blade can unlock the gates and doors to the soul, if this room is protecting a soul... Then perhaps this will work..." he said as a pure black sphere of energy appeared at the tip of the blade as he shot at the door which was no longer transparent and the chains around it shattered

"There we go... Now let's see what's inside..." he said as he then slowly pushed the doors as they slowly began to open

Back on the other the blast the cloaked man had just released had sent Jaden flying back to the centre of the room. He was a little shaken by the shockwave of the blast as he then got back up, his eyes slightly widen as he saw a pair of white and lilac doors appeared at the spot he was touching. Then the doors began to open, Jaden stood there not knowing what to do as the image of a figure began to form in the doorway as they opened.

"Who... Who's there...? Who are...? Who are you?" he asked but he got no reply and then he heard footsteps as a hooded person walked over to him, Jaden couldn't make out his face

"Who are you...? Do you know where am I...?" he asked the person who simply grinned as he was in front of Jaden, the hooded man who was taller than him began to examine him

"How unexpected... It seems that this world left you untouched by time... You should 24 but you still have the appearance of that 14 year old neophyte" the hooded man said looking at Jaden

"Who are you...? Do you know who I am?" Jaden asked him as the hooded man smirked and then he removed his hood, his face still unseen, but he revealed his white spiky hair which pointed downwards

"You can still be of use to me after all... If you can still wield your soul blade, I can take to a place where you're light and grow in strength..." he said as he then extended his hand to Jaden who examined it

"Come with me if you want to leave this quiet world... I will take to place where you'll be safe..." he said as Jaden slowly but eventually took his hand

"Very good... Jaden..." the white haired man said identifying Jaden by his name as the young teen looked confused, he pondered what he called him

Jaden... Is that my name...?

End of Chapter 2

I hoped you like the new chapter, took all weekend to do, but it came out okay, I was stuck on something but I've resolved it now. The setting for this chapter was based on Castle Oblivion from Kingdom Hearts: Chain of memories and helped with the idea of the in-between worlds for the game.

Please leave your review on what you thought of this chapter and the story so far I'll get to work on the new chapter for this story next weekend as I've now got to work on Yusei's chapter for his story, expect Jaden's 3rd chapter next week.

Next time we follow Jaden's new life as he no longer as any memory of his life before, he is taken to a new world where he taken into the care of a soul blade master at a castle for training soul blade wielders, there he meets two people who help begin his destiny and forge a bond.

I'll update as soon as possible, until the next time!