Much has happened within a span of little over a decade, not just with the changes of a world, but with people as well. The last time Ienzo saw Kairi was when she was being escorted by her grandmother to a library while he was making his way to the secret lab in the basement. Little did he know that he would be changed forever that afternoon.
A decade felt like an eternity. Living in complete darkness changed the way he thought of not only others but himself as well. There were, on occasional, long nights, in which his thoughts pondered over the whereabouts of those that once lived in Radiant Garden. More often than not though, he merely shrugged the thoughts away with reminding himself that his work was far more important than knowing where people who barely noticed him were.
Still...there was one person who lingered in his thoughts. He caught a brief glimpse of her other half in Castle Oblivion. The way she smiled, how her eyes twinkled when she spoke of dreams in the webs of memories. There was no way to argue that Namine was Kairi’s Nobody. Even though her existence was a unique one, he could certainly see the resemblance between the two.
For some reason, he felt an uncanny emotion that was similar to feeling homesick. It was a wishful emotion and one that distracted him frequently. Thus, he made it a personal goal of his to spend as little time with her as possible, if he could. His duties came before his rousing childhood memories that drove into his chest like a freight train.
Now, two years later, he finds himself wandering about the remains of the castle gardens and catches the sight of a familiar red-haired young lady, practicing her keyblader stance. He could feel all the nerves in his mouth go numb and his body freezes at the sight of her. As a former neighbor, it would only be polite if he greeted her. She deserved that at the very least, even if he was anxious about the idea of her holding a grudge against him. He nervously shifted his coat collar as he descended down the ruins of the stairs before clearing his throat.
“Good evening, Kairi. Welcome back home...for what it’s worth.”
